CHICAGO — After celebrating its 100-year anniversary, the American Society of Baking (ASB) reviewed its strategic plan, which included investing in a continuous improvement process to meet the evolving needs of the association and its membership.
During ASB’s BakingTECH conference, which took place Feb. 27-29 in Chicago, leaders from the organization shared progress that was made throughout the 2023-24 term and what members can expect in the coming year.
“We developed committee charters, reviewed policies, conducted committee orientation and training, implemented terms with set rotations, and focused our efforts around onboarding volunteers,” said Eric Lewis, immediate past board chair and VP of quality and food safety for Flowers Foods.
With an operational focus, the strategic plan will use its foundational aspects to help the association prepare for future growth.
Key accomplishments included member portal technology and an integration of learning management systems supporting the education hub. ASB was also gifted more than 700 pages of encyclopedia content that will serve as the foundation of future educational content including coursework, training and certification programs.
“This is designed to enhance the current member experience while attracting new members to ASB,” said Kristen Spriggs, the association’s executive director.
ASB refines its mission, vision and values
A strategic task force was built from ASB members at large, past board chairs, current committee chairs and the board executive committee. The group evaluated three years of member survey feedback in partnership with the board of directors to review the strategic focus and develop viable succession planning for the association. The task force then conducted a series of focus group sessions with a mix of members and prospective members to gain insight into ASB’s brand positioning.
“We distilled that information into a cohesive report that was shared with the board,” Spriggs said. “We have taken a thorough and comprehensive review of our legacy, where we’ve been over the past 100 years, and ideally setting us up for success moving forward.”
The result was a recommendation to refine ASB’s mission, which reflects the current purpose, and its vision, which represents the future purpose, along with an introduction of a new set of values.
“These new values will help us take our existing Baker’s Creed for the spirit in which it was intended when it was written in 1924 and bring it into what we view as a modern way of articulating ASB’s values,” Spriggs said.
Those values include innovation, knowledge and collaboration.
“We will focus our efforts as an industry professional developer of people,” Spriggs said. “We will lead the way for industry learning and develop resources dedicated to the science and engineering of baking.”
Strategic plan outlines five focus areas
To accomplish that, ASB identified five focus areas in the strategic plan:
- Revenue growth for the sustainability of the organization
- Membership development and growth for an enhanced community experience
- Industry advancement for workforce training solutions
- Brand awareness to reach new members and emerging bakery markets
- Governance built for a modern organization.
The board also commissioned a task force to take a deep dive into the association bylaws to ensure alignment with relevant legal requirements and association best practices.
The task force spent eight months reviewing the bylaws with an overarching mission to improve the member experience while modernizing its governance.
The proposed bylaws changes were made available to review via the ASB member portal on Feb. 1. After a unanimous vote, the ASB board of directors officially recommended proposed changes to membership during BakingTECH. Voting opened to membership on March 1 and will close on March 15. Changes will pass with a ⅔ affirmative vote.
“We ask you to take action with these recommended changes,” Lewis said. “They will help us advance the organization and keep us compliant with the legal requirements.”
For more information on ASB membership and other upcoming events, visit the ASB website.
