DNR Staff Meetings - inviting your input!

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DNR Family – as you know, we have been talking for some time now about the concept of “sustainability” and what DNR needs to do differently in order to lead Maryland toward a more sustainable future. Over the past few months, the Leadership Team has worked to identify key themes necessary to support an agency-wide strategic planning process focused on sustainability.

This past Monday, the Leadership Team spent a very productive half day session discussing how to “tell the story” of sustainability and what we are trying to achieve. Eric and I would now like the opportunity to share this story with you as we work together to move DNR in this direction.

In order to do so, we would like to invite you to attend one of the following meetings with Eric and myself over the next few weeks:

May 28, 9:00 – 10:15: Calvary United Methodist Church, Annapolis
May 28, 10:30 – 11:45: Calvary United Methodist Church, Annapolis
May 30, 1:00 – 3:00: WorWic Community College, Salisbury
June 3, 1:00 – 3:00: Rocky Gap Lodge, Flintstone
June 6, 1:00 – 3:00: Kings Landing Park, Huntingtown
June 9, 1:00 – 3:00: Harford Community College, BelAir

We would also like to take the opportunity at these meetings to simply catch up and listen to your concerns and thoughts on the direction of the Department. We have deliberately timed these meetings to occur prior to our “Future Search” conference in late June, in which a cross section of DNR staff will meet for two days with our stakeholders to discuss the future of the Department. We are seeking your input and participation as we craft this process.

Unfortunately, space will not allow us to accommodate every DNR employee at these meetings, but we would certainly hope to fill these venues to capacity and meet with as many of you as possible. Since space is limited, I am asking you to go to http://dnrweb.dnr.state.md.us/secretary/ and RSVP your attendance as soon as possible. We will accept responses until each venue is filled. More details on meeting rooms and locations are on the website.

Employees will need to clear their attendance at these meetings with their supervisors to ensure that DNR’s business continues to get done during the meetings, but I am charging supervisors to work with their employees and do everything possible to ensure maximum attendance.

These meetings are an important next step as we move together down this path, and we encourage you to attend. This is an important change for the Department, and we need everyone’s input and participation. Eric and I look forward to talking to you in the coming weeks.

Thank you,
John

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May 21, 2008