Five-Year Strategic Plan

Five-Year Strategic Plan
Adopted by Board of Directors
August 31, 2006

Executive Summary

The St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce and Economic Development Council (EDC) completed their most recent five-year strategic planning horizon during the 2000- 2005 cycle. During that five-year period, major goals outlined in the strategic plan were attained and, in many cases, exceeded. Successful initiatives realized during 2000-2005 include construction of a major addition to the Chamber facility, additional equipment, addition of staff resources, growth of membership dues, addition of high wage jobs and new capital investment in the community, and growth of the contingency fund as planned. Perhaps the most significant accomplishment stretching beyond the goals in the previous five-year plan is the growth in a variety of non-dues revenue programs. It is also important to note that within the previous planning horizon, a new chief executive was hired and staff reorganization took place.

Sections outlined in the 2006-2011 Strategic Plan include Community Growth, Member Services, Economic Development, Communications, and Operations. Data gathered during the planning process was synthesized into one of these categories. Three interrelated topics surfaced repeatedly throughout the data gathering process: Communications, Advocacy, and Area Council Focus. A total of 13 strategies are included in the 2006-2011 Strategic Plan, and they cover these three common areas along with a considerable focus on economic development. Action steps associated with the strategy areas are also outlined and have been rated in terms of timeliness of implementation.

Vision, Mission, and Core Values

The St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce acknowledges that any strategies and objectives set forth in the five-year plan must remain consistent with the Chamber's established Vision, Mission, and Core Values along with the mission of its Economic Development Council.

Vision

To be considered the premiere business and community service organization in St. Johns County, with a strong leadership position in the community.

Mission

To deliver continuous value-added service to our members and the community, resulting in a business environment and quality of life where existing businesses have the opportunity to prosper, and new businesses find it attractive to locate in
St. Johns County.

Core Values

• Customer Focus/Satisfaction
• Leadership
• Empowered Staff
• Continuous Quality Improvement
• Value-Added Philosophy

Economic Development Council Mission

The mission of the Economic Development Council is two-fold: To bring new business and industry into the community and to help existing business and industry to prosper.

Stakeholders & Participants

The Chamber recognizes that its stakeholders in the Strategic Plan are
• Members (and their employees)
• Community at Large
• Governments
• Regional and State-Level Partners
• Staff

Success Metrics

The St. Johns County Chamber of Commerce measures its relative success in a variety of ways. It will only be through consistent and regular evaluation that the Chamber will know to what degree it is successful in realizing the goals set forth in the Strategic Plan. A scorecard will be developed, and the Board of Directors will be engaged to regularly evaluate progress. The Chamber recognizes that through regular evaluation processes, the strategies, action steps, and timing of implementation may change relative to current conditions. Success metrics include but are not limited to:

v Number of Active Members
v Member Retention Rate
v Growth of Membership Dues Revenue
v Growth of Non-Dues Revenue
v Number of New High-Wage Jobs Created
v New Capital Investment by Targeted Industry
v Private Sector Investment in Economic Development
v Public Sector Investment in Economic Development
v Number of Applicants to Leadership Program
v Number of Participants in Area Council Initiatives
v Frequency of Contact from Public Officials and Government Staff
v Frequency of Media Impressions

Strategies and Actions

Overall strategies and their associated action steps are broken broadly into five areas: Community Growth, Member Services, Economic Development, Communications, and Operations.

Community Growth

1) Introduce a physical or personal Chamber presence in various areas of the county

     a. Utilize area councils as a part of establishing a presence - 2007-A-Level Priority
     b. Develop a priority of establishment
     c. Expand use of staff directors for area councils
     d. Create threshold criteria for the establishment of satellites - 2008 A-Level Priority
     e. Name the area councils in a manner where members can easily identify and create methodology for 
     expanding for future area councils

2) Create means by which Chamber and EDC missions can be executed at the local level (i.e., allow central oversight with local identity)
     a. Define corporate structure and create policies for area council governance 2007-A-Level Priority
     b. Establish business agendas that meet the needs of overall organization as well as area councils
     c. Identify and incorporate economic development pursuits at area council level - 2008 A-
     Level Priority

3) Leverage the Leadership St. Johns Program as a unifying force in the county for developing broad-based community awareness and future leaders
     a. Execute a strong program that engages and puts into service the LSJ Alumni
     b. Explore methods to prepare leaders for board positions and public office and encourage their participation
     in the government process

Member Services

1) Define the Chamber's role as a politically involved organization 2007-A-Level Priority
     a. Identify emerging business issues and communicate to members
     b. Conduct regular surveys of the membership on government issues
     c. Define the chamber's position on key business issues
     d. Develop "Politics in St. Johns" program
     e. Identify best practices in actualizing this role

2) Provide educational services that meet the needs of the membership
     a. Expand training opportunities and re-energize the Chamber Academy
     b. Maximize function of website for educational purposes - 2008-A-Level Priority

3) Evaluate and develop value-added services for membership
     a. Create a tiered system of Chamber membership
     b. Investigate collective purchasing power opportunities
     c. Create a member-to-member advantage program - 2008-A-Level Priority
     d. Use website to connect members to job-seekers via vacancy and resume posting - 2008-A-Level Priority

4) Establish additional business generation vehicles to better meet the needs of the membership
     a. Enhance and promote new Networking Event - 2008-A-Level Priority
     b. Develop business spotlight opportunities at the area council level

Economic Development

1) Identify, preserve, and encourage development of an inventory of shovel-ready sites and speculative buildings to expedite business expansion and recruitment
     a. Follow through with Industrial Development Authority study partnership to identify workforce opportunity
     sites in the county - 2007-A-Level Priority
     b. Encourage proactive changes to St. Johns County's Comprehensive Plan to encourage
     commercial/industrial development.
     c. Promote the sites inventory to relevant decision makers - 2008-A-Level Priority

2) Actively support issues that encourage commercial development
     a. Continue to lobby for recalculation of non-residential impact fees - 2007-A-Level Priority
     b. Continue efforts with County Commissioners and staff to maintain an aggressive economic development
     incentives program for St. Johns County - 2007-A-Level Priority
     c. Investigate best practices for expedited permitting, identify metrics that make process comparable,
     evaluate local permitting process against competitors, and ultimately change perceptions as process
     improves
     d. Establish committee comprised of EDC and County representatives to enhance commercial development 
     processes - 2008-A-Level Priority

3) Evaluate and advocate for workforce & business owner needs
     a. Continue partnership with St. Johns County School Board
     b. Identify the workforce needs (gaps) and develop game plan to meet need
     c. Continue to advocate for workforce housing as one of primary needs
     d. Work to establish a Small Business Development Center presence - 2008-A-Level Priority

4) Attract new employers from target industry list with annual, measurable goals
     a. Develop prioritization method for recruitment and expansion prospects
     b. Update the (2003) St. Johns County Target Industry Study - 2008-A-Level Priority

5) Improve St. Johns County's position in the regional hierarchy and leverage the regional partnership to accomplish goals
     a. Establish a Cornerstone liaison from EDC Executive Committee
     b. Charge staff and Executive Committee to represent relevant St. Johns County business issues through
     Cornerstone

Communications

1) Communicate the value of the Chamber to its various stakeholders through the development of an external and internal promotional plan
     a. Enhance all communications vehicles using a branding approach to better promote all services provided
     by the Chamber to its members and to the community - 2007-A-Level Priority
     b. Increase focus and promotion of the area councils - 2007 A-Level Priority
     c. Establish top-of-mind awareness that the EDC is a service of the Chamber of Commerce
     d. Establish EDC as primary resource for business recruitment, retention, and expansion
     e. Position the Chamber as a first call for business services
     f. Ensure the promotional campaign stresses the importance of a unified county approach
     g. Demonstrate clearly through the promotional plan the value of commercial growth - 2008-A-Level Priority
     h. Increase use of surveys to better understand community pulse on key business issues and performance
     of the Chamber and EDC
     i. Outline a program to connect government leaders and Chamber/EDC leaders on a regular basis - 2008-A-
     Level Priority

Operations

1) Diversify and grow the Chamber's annual operating revenue in order to accomplish goals and to depend less on membership fees
2) Increase physical facility and equipment as necessary to accomplish goals - 2008-A-Level Priority
3) Increase staffing as necessary to accomplish goals
4) Develop Chamber Policy Manual
5) Achieve Chamber Accreditation status through the U.S. Chamber of Commerce - 2008-A-Level Priority
6) Establish an action team to formulate capital and operations plan and recommend funding mechanisms - 2007- A-Level Priority