Raybin — A Marts & Lundy Company

Central to the plan’s success was the process Nancy designed to engage many individuals over time, so that they all “bought in” to the envisioned future. Over the course of twelve months, she worked with museum and Foundation board members, staff, individuals from multiple museum constituencies, institutional partners, and others to define VMFA’s main goals and key strategies. Her interviews also identified priority initiatives, targets, and benchmarks for a timeline spanning the next five years.

Also central to the process was a mid-point retreat involving some seventy members of the boards and staff. Nancy designed the retreat to include lectures, panel presentations, and small group discussions that explored VMFA’s challenges and opportunities. Discussions focused on increasing membership and attendance, using technology to become more contemporary and user-friendly, and raising significant endowments. The retreat ended with consensus on the Museum’s plan and next steps—on which work is about to begin.

VMFA Director Alex Nygeres remarked:

“Nancy Raybin is an effective, insightful, and productive consultant. She has been most successful in organizing and managing our strategic planning process. This plan is quite important to our museum, and she has earned the confidence of our many constituents—from the Trustees to community representatives to staff. We are coming together quite enthusiastically to take control of our future despite the challenging times.”