Coral Gables, FL

July 16, 2021

The Board of Directors and staff met to develop a multi-year strategic plan during the Summer Board Retreat on Friday, July 16, 2021.  A clear-cut description of the Association’s governance and management is especially important during pandemic recovery when members are asking about the association since events and social activities were adjusted in 2020.  This plan is designed to guide the strategic direction and vision of the board, committees, and staff and will also be a useful tool to communicate value to our members and prospects.

FLTA was founded in 1914.  It is designated by the IRS as a 501c6 and is associated with a state political action committee (Title Industry of Florida PAC) and Foundation (FLTA Charitable Action Foundation), a 501c3. 

Currently there are about 500 members, after a period of rapid growth.   The potential membership exceeds 2,500. 

The new plan should span three to five years and has been coined “FLTA Vision 2025.”

During the retreat, several discussions were had that deserve further consideration.

• Update governing documents, i.e. policies.
• Change Annual Dues billing process.
• Improve or eliminate under-performing programs (certification, labor hire, etc.)
• Existence of a member Code of Conduct.
• Enhance the quality and impact of board meetings.
• Consider additional Staffing options for positions that advance the strategic plan.

An annual program of work may be developed by the staff.

Referenced Pres. T. Roosevelt quote applicable to membership: “Every man owes a part of his time and money to the business or industry in which he is engaged. No man has a moral right to withhold his support from an organization that is striving to improve conditions within his sphere.”

Mission and Value Statements

A mission statement communicates the purpose of the organization and is submitted to the IRS for tax exempt status.  The leadership proposed a change to our mission that better reflects protecting property rights and the integrity of the comprehensive transaction:

Existing Mission	Revised Mission
Florida Land Title Association's (FLTA) mission is to empower members through advocacy and education to protect property rights.	Florida Land Title Association’s (FLTA’s) mission is to support the land title profession for protection of property rights and the integrity and security of real estate transactions.

Organizational values guide the leadership, helping to frame decisions.   Some values discussed during the retreat include:

• Innovation
• Community
• Diversity
• Integrity
• Strategy

Goals

Five Goals were determined to be the core competencies to be communicated to the profession.  The goals advance the mission statement. 

Four of the goals are value deliverables to members.  The final goal, “Strength,” is the infrastructure of the FLTA.  To achieve these goals, it will require appropriate budget, staffing, committee and section initiatives.

•      I.        ADVOCACY – Representing the interests of the land title profession and members.                                            
•     II.        LEARNING – Delivering the education and resources to support the profession.                                           
•   III.        CONNECTIONS – Facilitating opportunities to connect members and their interests.
•  IV.        AWARENESS – Increasing public awareness of land title profession roles and processes.  
•    V.        STRENGTH – Maintaining a dynamic trade association to serve the members, since 1914.

Strategies

Strategies are programs and priorities to achieve the goals. The board was seeking a balance of four strategies under each goal area.   Performance measures should be identified and added to add traction to the plan by officers, staff, and committees.  

• I.        ADVOCACY – Representing the interests of the land title profession and members.
  
• • A.   Lobbying – Maintain the lobbying force needed to advance and protect land title profession.
    
  • B.   Grassroots Engagement – Increase member understanding of political processes, encouraging their involvement by attending the annual Lobby Days and contributions to TIFPAC.
  • C.   Coalitions – Align efforts with organizations working having mutual interests in protecting real property and transactions, for instance the Florida Bar, Florida REALTORS®, et al. 
  • D.   Forms and Rules - Interact with regulators on the adoption and use of forms and compliance with statutory rule(s).

• II.        LEARNING – Delivering the education and resources to support the profession.
  
• • A.   Industry Training and Career Development – Provide training for members’ staff to elevate their skills and value.
    
  • B.   Regional Seminars and Webinars – Deliver relevant, timely educational topics to members in varied formats.
    
  • C.   Professional Designation – Analyze the FLTA certification program to determine its value, update support materials, and ROI for FLTA and members. 
    
  • D.   On-Demand Library – Gather best practices and resources for members to access through the FLTA Vault.
    
•  III.        CONNECTIONS – Facilitating opportunities to connect members and their interests.
  
• • A.   Convention and In-Person Meetings – Maintain the quality and social opportunities through the convention.  Plan roundtables and regional roadshows to connect members. 
    
  • B.   Monthly Agent Calls – Provide monthly Agent-Calls to enhance information exchange.   
    
  • C.   Industry Updates – Distribute newsletters and digital industry updates.  Maximize communications through social media platforms.
    
  • D.   Recognitions – Promote excellence through awards and recognitions.

•  IV.        AWARENESS – Increasing public awareness of land title profession roles and processes.  
• • A.   Consumers – Increase awareness of the roles, integrity and security of real estate transactions.
    
  • B.   Foundation – Maximize the purpose of the FLTA Charitable Foundation to delivery community support.
    
  • C.   Talent Development and Retention – Maintain relations between FLTA and educational institutions/universities to support worker recruitment and retention.  Revamp FLTA employee hiring site.
    
  • D.   Member Profiles – Recognize members for their charitable efforts in their communities.
    
•    V.        STRENGTH – Maintaining a dynamic trade association to serve the members, since 1914.
  
• • A.   Leadership – Maintain a pipeline of dedicated leaders to champion the profession and FLTA.
  • B.   Membership Growth – Establish metrics to significantly grow and engage members.
    
  • C.   Financial Strength – Steward association resources, making best use of them to advance the mission and serve the profession.  Enhance streams of income from underperforming programs.
    
  • D.   Professional Staffing – Support the CEO and staff in their management roles.   Explore adding staff expertise in the areas of technical knowledge, membership outreach, or fund raising. 

Implementation

Next steps to maximize value of the strategic plan:

• Approval of the plan by a motion of the board of directors.
• Addition of performance metrics where applicable.
• Member awareness (brochure).
• Alignment of budget and committees.
• Annual review of progress.
• Three-year update.

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¹ An annual program of work may be developed by the staff.

² Referenced Pres. T. Roosevelt quote applicable to membership: “Every man owes a part of his time and money to the business or industry in which he is engaged. No man has a moral right to withhold his support from an organization that is striving to improve conditions within his sphere.”

³ Currently reported to members approximately 15% of their dues are used for “direct lobbying expenses.”

⁴ Set annual benchmarks. Since inception PAC has contribute over $650,000.

⁵ Update governing documents and provide annually to board members. Review frequency of meetings.

⁶ For instance, a 90% retention rate and establish net annual recruitment goals to reach a respectable membership size.