DEPARTMENTS​
​​PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
DANIEL H. ANNA, PhD, CIH, CSP,​ is president of AIHA and senior industrial hygienist at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory in Laurel, Md. He can be reached at (240) 228-1980 or ​dan.anna@jhuapl.edu.
A New Plan for a New Year
BY DANIEL H. ANNA, AIHA PRESIDENT
My article in the October Synergist focused on the Strategic Direction Task Force’s recommendations for AIHA’s next strategic plan, which outlines goals and objectives for the next few years. In November I provided an overview of the new strategic plan that had recently been approved by the AIHA Board. As we begin a new year, I want to share with you a more in-depth look at the 2015–2018 strategic plan. The new plan is built around three strategic priorities: “influence,” or informing decisions through collaboration, communication, education, and advocacy; “foster community,” or connecting professionals who support our mission; and “enable,” or supporting development of tools and technologies to meet the needs of the profession. The plan identifies six goals, each focusing on an area that supports one or more of these strategic priorities. Goal 1: Increase AIHA’s impact on worker health by broadly disseminating mission-critical content to related professionals. Specific objectives that will help us achieve this goal include developing an organization-wide program of work that focuses volunteer, staff, and financial resources; developing a research framework to inform the program of work; aligning all product and service development with the needs of the profession; and generating content in forms that can be exported beyond traditional members. Goal 2: Increase value-added offerings targeted to specific member segments. The objectives related to this goal include creating and piloting membership offerings that provide greater value to members who prefer to pay for differentiated benefits; and strengthening member ties to each other and to AIHA by providing content members might otherwise get elsewhere. Goal 3: Assume a prominent leadership role in forming coalitions for the advancement of IH science and practice. To achieve this goal, we will build and lead a coalition to advance IH science and practice; develop science-related collaborations; focus coalition outreach on potential scientific partners; build trust among peer organizations; and identify opportunities for collaboration and coalition building. Goal 4: Expand member access to broader content through strategic partnerships with like-minded organizations. Achieving this goal will entail developing content and partnerships that generate new revenue to advance our mission; offering broader or enhanced content and cost-effective programming; and supporting members in broad OEHS responsibilities.
​We will ensure that AIHA remains relevant and continues to focus on supporting the needs of our ​members and stakeholders. ​
Goal 5: Strengthen community at the local level to increase impact and further AIHA’s mission. Objectives for achieving this goal include providing diverse support for the needs of local sections; advancing the spirit of unified coalitions at the local level by building on existing collaborative relationships; helping struggling local sections deliver value to their members; and creating new opportunities for AIHA to build partnerships at the local level. Goal 6: Support IH professionals throughout their careers. The plan calls for AIHA to support the career development and membership needs of students; unify student-focused activities across AIHA to support a greater level of engagement; support students as they transition to professional membership; encourage pursuit of the CIH and other professional certifications; and provide benefits and opportunities that align with various career stages. As we work to fulfill these goals and objectives, we will ensure that AIHA remains relevant and continues to focus on supporting the needs of our members and stakeholders. I encourage you to consider ways that you—as a member of AIHA, as part of a volunteer group, or as a member of a local section—can help us meet our goals and achieve our mission of creating knowledge to protect worker health.
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