Published in the Jan. 22, 2014 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Cheri Devlin
Cheri Devlin
Earlier this month, the Morgan Hill Downtown Association board of directors met downtown at Rosy’s at the Beach restaurant for its annual retreat. The half-day meeting was packed with discussion highlighting milestones of 2013 and the opportunity to brainstorm goals and objectives for the future. The morning kicked off with tasty bagel breakfast sandwiches, courtesy of Main Street Bagels, and happy New Year handshakes and hugs. We jumped right into the agenda and got started with the ice breaker.
It wasn’t your typical tell-me-something-you-don’t-know-about-me ice breaker, but a chance for the board to find their inner-artist and color their version of the abstract picture sitting in front of them. After 10 minutes of laughter about the good, bad and otherwise outcomes of everyone’s pictures, the point to be made was clear. Individual cut-outs of Van Gogh’s Starry Night are not easily recognizable, nor were the board members’ recreation of them. But when each square came together, a beautiful masterpiece became visible.
Similar to many nonprofit associations and boards, individually we bring unique skills and specialties to the table. But without those ideas and perspectives coming together, we can appear disjointed and less impactful, leaving the picture unclear. Together, we can get things done cohesively and continue producing noteworthy events throughout the year.
By the end of the meeting, the MHDA had several New Year’s resolutions for 2014: grow its membership base, welcome new volunteers into the fold, and remain focused on making downtown the place to be in Morgan Hill.
Continued emphasis is on improving marquee events such as Bites of Morgan Hill, Wine Week and the Brew Crawl, among others. Atop the priority list for 2014 is growing the MHDA membership base. With an organization such as the MHDA that thrives on the dedication and business savvy of Office Manager Raquel Crowell, committed board of directors and the group of usual suspect volunteers, it’s critical we continue to get the word out about volunteer opportunities and the benefits of membership. Membership dues are collected annually, but are nominal. And when you consider what the dues are being put toward, it’s surprising not every downtown business owner and resident is a member.
Last year was filled with strategic collaboration, stepping stones and exciting momentum for the MHDA. These couldn’t have been accomplished without the support of local residents and business owners who regularly volunteer their time. If you’re one of those people with a New Year’s resolution to get involved in something impactful, here’s your chance. New minds bring new ideas, so apply for one of the two board positions opening up, join a planning committee, follow us on Facebook, or subscribe to the MHDA newsletter by emailing Raquel at [email protected].
The MHDA is already full steam ahead with plans to build on the great accomplishments of 2013. We look forward to the continued growth of our membership and volunteer base to ensure our group’s primary focus is fulfilled – putting words into action. Here’s to 2014, another year of being a part of the liveliness and fun activities of downtown Morgan Hill.
Cheri Devlin is a Morgan Hill resident and member of the Morgan Hill Downtown Association Board of Directors. She is a marketing and business development professional who loves writing about life as a working mom. Find her blog at www.talesofcorporate-mommyhood.blogspot.com.
