The Lone Star Chapter of the NDIA is on the move.  As part of our effort to respond to changes and opportunities in the defense industry, especially in the North Texas region, the Chapter is developing it strategic mission and objectives.  The defense and security industries in the Dallas/Forth Worth metroplex are substantial.  Therefore, the Lone Star Chapter views its support of this industry base as an integral part of its mission.  Our Operational Mission Statement follows:

·        The Lone Star Chapter actively supports the national defense industry within the metroplex and surrounding areas. The Chapter strives to continually improve its services in its primary areas of responsibility.  These include:

o       Information dissemination focused on defense industry needs

o       Broad-based education support (government, industry, academia)

o       Effective Chapter operations

o       Expanded member services

o       Impacting defense/security related needs and issues

To help the Chapter identify changes in the operational requirements needed to meet its expanded mission statement, several board members have identified issues critical to improved operational behavior.  Some of these represent improvements incorporated by the Chapter leadership over the last several years.  All continue to be relevant to future performance.  Specific Lone Star Chapter action items are summarized below:

• Define our major objectives for the near and far future
• Define our operational business model
• Develop an effort to formalized chapter operational documents and procedures
• Strategically organize and manage our speaker events
• Redefine our interaction strategy between industry and academia within the area
• Aggressively change how we interface to student populations within the region
• Organize and expand our volunteer support base

We have undertaken an effort to be recognized as a model chapter of NDIA.  Our activity requires that we document our mission, operational structure, financial process, interaction with the community, objectives for the current year, and other operational and procedural processes.  The Lone Star Chapter is currently producing these documents for submission to the national NDIA organization.  Within these documents, the Board addresses the issue of an operational business model.  We operate within an expenses and revenue income model.  Our main agenda is to serve our local constituency; nevertheless we must operate on a fiscally sound basis. 

More importantly, we seek to develop a strategic process of identifying opportunities that require our investment.  Most of these should have long term implementation strategies that will allow us to develop and provide necessary financial resources.  Some resources will be required for events of opportunity that have much shorter time lines.  All of these processes will be incorporated in the Chapter’s financial resources implementation strategy.  Our overall agenda is to maintain fiscal stability in the organization as it provides services to the community.