NOLS Board of Trustees Meeting is under Way

The Board meeting kicked off today in Boston. All members are here and we got started with committee meetings-finance, education and leadership, marketing, alumni and development, public policy and risk management. Other committees and sub-committees met by phone earlier.

I attended the education and leadership committee where we spent time discussing partnerships with secondary schools and how we can make them better aware of what NOLS has to offer in the realm of risk management consulting, custom courses, wilderness medicine training and field courses for staff and students.

In the marketing committee we started out with an update on enrollment and current marketing projects. Topics for discussion were growth goals for 2006, marketing department priorities for the next strategic planning period 2007-2012 and who NOLS might partner with to achieve some of its goals. The partnership discussion also focused on what elements makes a good partnership.

Very good conversations.

This evening we had a reception for NOLS friends from the Boston area. About fifty people attended for NOLS storytelling and updates on recent happenings at the school. Great people. Amazing hors d’ouvres (courtesy of Fred Kleisner, NOLS grad, Wyndham CEO). Good fun.

Tomorrow the board meets as one unit. Usually inspiring. Always interesting.

Bruce Palmer, NOLS marketing director