Strategic Planning Retreat – Highlights

May 29, 2023

Dear Sangha,

KCC took another step towards crafting its next strategic plan by conducting a retreat to distill sangha inputs. The retreat was facilitated by consultant Christine Rontal and over a weekend (20-21 may) she guided 12 KCC members and staff through a process to define critical priorities for KCC’s sustainable future.  The retreat consisted of large group discussion and small group work to write up draft goals and strategies.  Attendees then identified the goals and strategies that seemed central to KCC’s future.

The attendees were:

  • Board Members: Peter Wood, Brad Upton, John Rothermich, Jennifer Chang
  • Strategic Planning Committee Members:  Phil Wallin, Lotus Romey-Yu, Linda Logan, Judatha Kline, Ryan Fitz
  • KCC Staff Members:  Lama Eric, Liza Baer, Gwen Wolfenbarger

Next steps.   Our consultant will provide a summary report of the retreat and outputs generated by the attendees with some recommendations.  A small team of writers (Liza Baer – ED, Jennifer Chang – Board Member, John Jennings – past Board President and Lama Eric) will then create a plan based on the summary and informed by inputs gathered from the sangha over the past year.

As an icebreaker activity, everyone was asked to write a haiku (or something close!) based on what inspired them about KCC.  Here are a few that were shared:

~

clear mind, loving heart,
together we nurture these
as gifts to the world

~

Technical writing okay.
Haiku, not so much.
I just want to meditate.

~

Breathe in and breathe out
Connected spaciousness now
Honestly observe

~

My questions echo
With a still chorus of minds
Exploring its nature

~

Voices riding breath
Hearts sounding from deep water
Breaching pod of whales

~

These new beginnings
Accessible from afar
Now we’re always home

~

Paths to peace, love, practiced here
Chores, study, laughter, play
Bliss awareness tastes arise

~

Breaking up ice and
Cooling flames of passion, find
Middle way of warmth.

~

Essence of Dharma
Together finding awake
Offering to all

~