The NAFTZ Board of Directors recently took an important step toward shaping the future of the association by investing in an additional day in Savannah following Spring Seminar for an in-depth strategic planning session with staff. This in-person meeting built upon extensive pre-meeting worksheets that captured members’ initial thoughts, observations, recommendations, and ideas for addressing future challenges.

The goal of this strategic planning process is to develop a new NAFTZ Balanced Scorecard (BSC). For those unfamiliar with the concept, a Balanced Scorecard is a strategic planning framework that helps organizations prioritize initiatives, track performance, and align activities with long-term goals. It integrates financial and non-financial performance metrics, linking an organization’s vision to strategic objectives, measurable targets, and specific initiatives.

By using the BSC, NAFTZ leadership will be better equipped to monitor progress and ensure that efforts across the organization are aligned with clearly defined strategic goals.

The Board will continue this important work with virtual meetings over the coming weeks and months, with the aim of unveiling the final Balanced Scorecard at the Annual Conference in Kansas City this September.

So far, recurring themes in the strategic discussions include (in no specific order):

• FTZ Advocacy
• Membership growth
• Member engagement
• The need for FTZ-related data
• FTZ Education and training initiatives
• Increased awareness of the FTZ program

These discussions are particularly timely, given the rapidly changing trade environment. Already, the Board is exploring possible implementation of new ideas and initiatives in response to current challenges.

Stay tuned for further updates as we continue working through the strategic planning process and development of the BSC this summer. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.