Midwest RegionalAdvisory Council (MRAC)

Member Orientation

Presented by:Ben Dooley

Milton FletcherKaren KarstenSusan Slocum

2015

MRAC Orientation Objectives

• To share the vision, mission and history of the Midwest Regional Advisory Council.

• To support our new members to understand how we function and how they can maximize the benefit of being a part of a regional movement.

• To share our accomplishments and future direction

Background

The Midwest Regional Advisory Council (MRAC) began in 2010 as the Midwest Chapter Leader’s Forum (MCLF) at the ICF Conference in Dallas for the purpose of collaboration and connection. We were a group of chapter leaders who wanted to share best practices and create something bigger, that capitalized on the synergies of regionalism. This gathering evolved into a regional conference and the current incarnation of the MRAC.

We changed our name to MRAC to support ICF’s branding and regional alignment initiatives.

We received our 501(c)6 designation in 2014.

We are proud to be the thought leaders and inspiration for other North American regional efforts.

Vision/Mission

• Vision: To be the premier regional leadership team in ICF, working in collaboration to model the values of ICF, promote the coaching profession, capitalize on the synergies of our leaders, and support the growth and development of our members.

• Vision Personified: Who do we choose to be, and what do we

choose to do “to be the premier regional leadership team in ICF?”

• We will:• Model leadership and coaching values• Collaborate & partner across ICF• Promote the growth & development of our members.

How We Operationalize

Model Leadership and Coaching Values

Collaborate & Partner Across ICF

Promote the Growth & Development of our Members

Be courageous Be critical thinkers Support pacesetters

Be visionary Seek synergiesEncourage/support/recognize great coaches

Encourage innovation Be Excited/Joyful/Spirited!!! See winners in our members

Model behaviors of great coaches

Be a role model Encourage risk taking

Be inspirational Think strategically

Develop ourselves and our members by encouraging them to stretch and challenge themselves outside their comfort zone

Be transformational Be service orientedBe creative and encourage creativity

Be dreamersWork with others to reach goals

Be leaders in our respective chapters & beyond

Be influencers Set and exceed our goalsLead in the number of regional coaches who are credentialed

Model the values of ICF Model the values of ICF Model the values of ICF

Organizational Chart

MRAC Organizational ChartSec/

TreasurerMRAC President

PresidentElect

MRAC ICF Chapters

MRAC Advisors

MRCProgramsNew

InitiativesMembership

ICF and Regional Conversations

MRAC Leadership Roles

MRAC President– Past ICF Chapter President or recognized Chapter Leader, elected to oversee MRAC operations and be the conduit to other regions and ICF Global.

MRAC President Elect – Past ICF Chapter President or recognized Chapter Leader, elected to observe and learn MRAC operations.

MRAC Executive Committee – President, Past President, President Elect and Sec/Treasurer.

Advisory Board – Composed of founders, seasoned past presidents and past MRAC leaders. Advisory Group holds the vision, empowers organization, supports in non-operational ways

ICF Chapters – Composed of presidents, past presidents or board designee of the Midwest ICF Chapters.

Awards – Committee to oversee and plan awards. Currently planning regional coach awards, may expand.

MRC – Committee to oversee the MRC operations.New Initiatives – Committee of interested members to

recommend new initiatives to the council, overseen by the President-Elect.

Programs – Committee to develop and hold regional mindset around programs.

MRAC Communication

Coaches

Chapters

Regional

ICF

We Are……..

The voice of the region. We don’t have a one size fits all connection.

Sometimes aligning, sometimes advising, sometimes advocating. It is the intention behind the words.

Creator of vehicles to be an active part of the Regional and Global body.

Supportive of each other in whatever we need as leaders, defined as members, committee chairs, committee members and coaching community.

An advisory, not directory, council.

Nuts & Bolts• Meetings (Monthly conference calls and committee meetings)

– Monthly conference calls are the fourth Friday of the month 8 am Central (9 am Eastern)– MRAC bridgeline 1-218-895-9694 pin 633137#. 

• Quorum– Seven of the thirteen chapters need to be present to establish a quorum. If no quorum,

meeting still goes forward, but no decisions or votes are made. – All members commit to keeping their fellow chapter leaders informed of our deliberations

should they be absent• Decision-making

– Each Chapter will endeavor to have at least one of their chapter leaders present at each meeting.

– Consensus decision-making will be the primary focus when appropriate, deferring to majority rule if consensus cannot be reached.

– Each chapter gets one vote on a decision when majority rule is employed. – We will listen empathically to insure that the views and opinions of all members are heard.

• Agenda– Agendas for all meetings will be established at the end of the current meeting and in

Executive Committee meetings.– Agenda items can be emailed to Lynn Zettler @ lzettler@coreimpactcoaching.com , prior to

the meeting.

Nuts & Bolts Continued• Action Items

– During the recap of our end-of-meeting discussions, action items will be created (if needed).– All members commit to, and may volunteer to, perform the tasks identified in the action

items established.– Ongoing commitment to marketing of the ICF Midwest Regional Conference (MRC).– Ongoing commitment to the success of ICF Midwest Regional Conference, including

Participating Chapter Form.– Applications for the Midwest Regional Conference are due April 1, of the previous year

• Communication – Primary Communication will be the MRAC Groupsite:

www.icfmidwestchapterleaders.groupsite.com/login. You should have received an invitation to join. If you did not, please send an email to Lynn Zettler at lzettler@coreimpactcoaching.com.

– MRAC private Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/groups/MRAC.Private/ is secondary but will be phased out with ongoing use of the Groupsite.

– All members are expected to join the ICF Midwest Chapter Leaders and ICF Midwest Regional Conference on LinkedIn and participate in the discussions.

MRAC 2015 Goals

• Hold a successful regional conference

• TBD

• TBD

MRAC Accomplishments

• We are the first inter-chapter, all volunteer and self sustaining ICF regional conference. We started with $0, and have been able to fund a healthy reserve fund and able to reimburse participating chapters for their expenses.

• We created the first regional coach recognition awards.

• We created a successful series of regional teleclasses.

• We are the first, and the largest North American regional presence attracting many Midwest and continue to be the pioneering organization that serves as a model for other groups.

MRAC DefinedEntity Leadership body Role Who Benefit

ICF Global ICF Board of Directors Provide Regional councils with a conduit to ICF Global to express options on issues, raise concerns and present new opportunities.

Provide vehicle for ICF Global to tap into the wisdom of the chapter leadership to aid in important decisions for the organization.

Regional Support Staff

ICF Board Committees/ Regional Support Staff

Streamlined communication -member to chapter to region to global and back. Strong unified voice as an advocate and a partner.

Sharing ideas to make sure that all levels of leadership win and grow.

Regions MRAC Advisory Council

MRAC Advisors

Create a regional mindset that is sometimes advising, sometimes aligning, sometimes advocating.

Hold the vision, Empower MRAC. To provide support through brainstorming, research and advising to programs and initiatives to relieve burden from current chapter leaders.

MRAC Leaders, defined as ICF Chapter Presidents, Past Presidents or board designee.

Previous MRAC Leaders and interested ICF Chapter Past Presidents.

To support each other in whatever we need as leaders.

A space for those who have value as well as a vehicle for seasoned coaches to continue to contribute to our regional community.

State & Local Chapters

Chapter Board of Directors

To meet with one another to discuss issues of importance to their members and share best practices and successful initiatives among their chapters.

All current ICF Chapter Presidents and Past Presidents

Group with a bigger forward motion to help chapters come together. Diffusion of Innovation.