M Squared Strategies is committed to helping communities in need; so when the Health Commissioner for the City of New Orleans requested our support in their effort to develop an improvement plan for community health, M Squared Strategies quickly responded. In early February, Selena Hunn and Nic Turrentine went down to the Big Easy to lead steering committee members in a Community Vision Session and Forces of Change Assessment.

The Center for Disease Control and the National Association for County and City Health Officials (NACCHO) endorse a framework for carrying out a community health improvement plan through a series of assessments, known as Mobilizing for Action through Planning and Partnership (MAPP). In the Concert Hall at Holy Angels Complex, Selena and Nic addressed key issues impacting the local population. They guided the community’s steering committee through productive and enlightening discussion using the MAPP framework to collect data for the initiative.

The Health Commissioner’s Office and the participants felt that the sessions were a huge success. The clients were able to move the process forward and were grateful for the invaluable contribution of the M Squared Strategies team.

The Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC) has once again recognized M Squared Strategies’ continuous support in the arts. The 2011-2012 season kicked off with the Free For All, a free performance of Julius Caesar. In addition, M Squared Strategies is the sole sponsor of this season’s STC Accessibility Program for people with disabilities. The Heir Apparent, Much Ado About Nothing, The Two Gentlemen of Verona, and Strange Interlude are just a few of the productions scheduled for this season. Come join us in our support for the arts!

M Squared Strategies continues to support the arts with its recent donation to the Shakespeare Theatre Company (STC). Dedicated to becoming the nation’s premier classic theatre with a  mission “to present classic theatre of scope and size in an imaginative, skillful and accessible American style that honors the playwrights’ language and intentions,” STC is one of the world’s great Shakespearean companies. Starting in August, M Squared will be the sole sponsor during the 2011-2012 season for the STC Accessibility Program helping the theatre in its commitment to provide full access for people of all abilities. This accessibility effort has focused to date on:

• Accessible seats for patrons with physical disabilities or mobility impairments
• An infrared audio enhancement system that is available for all performances
• One sign-interpreted performance and one audio-described performance for each production
• Program notes in large print and Braille for each production
• TTY (for the hearing-impaired)

M Squared Strategies’ donation also helps to fund a new program this year for veterans, the “USO Metro / Wounded Warrior Date Nights.” This outreach program provides access for wounded veterans in rehabilitation to attend theatrical presentations free of charge. USO-Metro will provide transportation, and STC will provide dinner at a local restaurant and theatre performance tickets to servicemen and woman on separate evenings across each mainstage production. The arts are for all to enjoy, and M Squared Strategies is proud to be associated with such an important institution in our nation’s capital.

In January at the Project Management Institute’s (PMI) Region 5 Conference in Baltimore, MD Kendall Lott received one of 14 Top Performer awards for the region. Region 5 consists of the leadership of the 14 PMI chapters in 5 neighboring states and the District. The award is for recognition as a “top performer” at the chapter level, and was approved upon nomination by the PMI Washington DC Chapter’s Chairman of the Board for Kendall’s work in Marketing for the chapter over the last two years. Lott now serves in his first of a three-year term as one of the Directors-At-Large for the Governance board.

December 2-3, Kendall Lott moderated panel sessions on interactive arts and technology for the Arts for Peace program of the World Association of Former United Nations Interns and Fellows (WAFUNIF). The panel sessions included discussions of open-source software and the role of the software in enhancing real-time potentialities in arts, education and healthcare. Sponsored by the United Arab Emirates, the events focused on actual delivery mechanisms for the technology. The event included a music performance and a Masterclass instruction with three instructors and students simultaneously at the UN, New York University, and the New York University Global University in Abu Dhabi. Day two included panels on education and on engineering and bio-mimicry, as well as a presentation and discussion of the UN’s role in global IT implementations. The talks concluded with a live simultaneous performance of new music with artists at UN headquarters, the China Electronic Music Center in Beijing, and Umyon Theater, National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts.

After three years of service as Assistant Vice-President and Vice-President of Communications, Marketing and Public Relations, our own Kendall Lott was elected in November to one of the nine Directors-At-Large seats on the Governance Board of the Project Management Institute Washington DC (PMIWDC) Chapter. Per the charter, Governance Board members “exercise independent accountability and responsibility on matters of governance and oversight in the best interest of the membership.” With this recent election, Lott has reached the pinnacle of his volunteer career at PMI. Kendall is “excited to move into a position where he will be able to tackle specific issues of concern to the Chapter and its members.” During his three-year term, Lott aims to help the Chapter find ways to sustain Project Management as a profession. He also plans to support the Chapter’s continued growth through outreach to more women and younger professionals. With over 8,500 members and over 250 staff volunteers, PMIWDC is the largest Project Management Institute Chapter in the world.

On April 10, M Squared Strategies team members Sarah Nurse, Andrew Slawter, and Mark Antoniewicz attended the inaugural Knight of Diamonds gala and silent auction at the National Press Club in downtown Washington D.C. The event was a benefit for the Four Diamonds Fund, an organization that assists children diagnosed with cancer and their families through superior care, comprehensive support, and innovative research at Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital. Gala attendees enjoyed first-class dining, drinks, entertainment, and a keynote speech by a local pediatric oncologist and researcher, as well as stories from those who have been touched by pediatric cancer.

Sarah, Andrew, and Mark were all moved by the personal stories shared by the families of the children who were aided by the work of the Knight of Diamonds. The M Squared Strategies members participated in the silent auction, taking home a number of items including two beautiful framed photos that are now hanging at headquarters.

On June 14 and 15, Kendall Lott served on the floor of the United Nations (UN) General Assembly (GA) as a representative of the World Association of Former UN Interns and Fellows (WAFUNIF) at the Informal Interactive Hearings with non-governmental, civil society, and private sector organizations. WAFUNIF is a non-governmental organization (NGO) with general consultative status with the Economic and Social Council. The purpose of Lott’s participation was two-fold:

• To represent WAFUNIF as it extends its participation in international activities;
• To learn how NGOs interact with the UN and with each other in anticipation of using M Squared Strategies delivery methods with commercial entities, NGOs, and non-profit organizations.

The hearings were established by the President of the GA to receive input for the Millennium Development Goals Summit that will take place at the UN in September. The summit will check progress on goals that were established in 2000 by the full assembly with an aim for success by 2015. The Millennium Development Goals (MDG) focus in eight areas: Poverty Reduction, Universal Education, Gender Equality, Child Health, Maternal Health, Combat HIV/AIDS, Environmental Sustainability, and Global Partnership (Economic Equity).

The 52 speakers and respondents (out of 760 applicants) addressed the progress of MDGs around four themes:

• Building a Better Tomorrow: Local Actions, National Strategies, and Global Structures
• Equal and Inclusive Partnerships: Accountability in the Fight Against Poverty
• Sustaining Development and Withstanding Crises
• From Voice to Policy

Lott notes that he intends to, “continue to participate in these and other international and NGO events as part of our service and advocacy approach in helping organizations and their executives achieve success.”