2022 Board Retreat Recap

Board Members in discussion at the retreat.

The Central Wasatch Commission Board gathered at the Silver Fork Lodge on Thursday, November 10, 2022 for their annual Board Retreat. Each year the Board gathers to reflect on progress made in the past year in fulfilling the mission of the CWC, as well as look toward the future and determine objectives and priorities for the coming year. 

This year, CWC Staff organized a storyboarding activity to help Board members express and visualize what they find important for the CWC to accomplish in the coming year. 

To begin the activity, each Board member wrote responses to five questions: 

1. What are the CWC’s highest priorities this year?
2. What are the CWC’s highest priorities in the next 3-5 years?
3. What would you like to see the CWC accomplish while you are in office and on the board?
4. If the CWC were to receive additional on-going funding, what do you feel the money should be used for?
5. What do you think the Stakeholder’s Council should work on this year? 

Stakeholders Council Co-chair, Barbara Cameron, voting on responses to a question.

Each member could write several responses to the questions, using a new paper for each response. Once responses were written, the Board was split into teams of two and the responses were categorized by theme or topic. 

After the responses under each question were categorized, Board members were given seven stickers as ‘votes’ and they placed their votes on the responses they felt best represented the priorities for the CWC in the coming year. Due to the nature of the process some responses received no votes.

Next, the Board members were asked to anonymously vote on which responses they found most pertinent to pursue this coming year. Due to the nature of the process, some responses received no votes.

After the retreat, CWC staff compiled the responses of the questions into seven main topics and ideas to be addressed:  transportation, the Central Wasatch National Conservation and Recreation Area Act (CWNCRA), the Environmental Dashboard, public outreach and engagement, funding, short term projects, and administration. Responses were then ranked by number of votes received. 

Some of the responses with high agreement of the CWC Board for the coming year’s priorities include:

Transportation:

• Consensus on transportation solutions, year-round options, for all canyons
• The BCC Map, its outcome and follow-on activities should be pursued as an important part of a well integrated Mountain Transportation System covering the whole Central Wasatch
• Lead out phasing strategies and funding recommendations for LCC Phased Approach

CWNCRA:

• Introduce and pass the CWNCRA

Environmental Dashboard: 

• Develop an Environmental Dashboard app

Public Outreach and Engagement: 

• Elevate public engagement and awareness of the importance and multiple values associated with the Central Wasatch

Funding:

• Develop a long-term structure for ensuring the CWC’s funding

Short-term Projects: 

• Expand short-term projects to a more robust initiative
• Sustainable funding for restroom maintenance, updating and management

Administration:

• Seek the creation of and feasibility of a mechanism through which the CWC may serve as a hub for multi-jurisdictional projects in the Central Wasatch
• Becoming a well respected and supported (financially and politically) organization to plan for, convene, and help guide the use and conservation of the Central Wasatch 

Other responses can be viewed in this matrix and a more in depth description of the retreat can be found here.

Written by: Madeline Pettit