Poised for the future

This month, specifically on May 7, we celebrate the 31st anniversary of Legatus’ founding. I continue to be excited about the direction of Legatus and our calling to live out our mission in the Church and society.

Tom Monaghan

It is great to have the Legatus headquarters back in Ann Arbor and right across the hall from my office. The move took place 18 months ago and there have been many changes not only in the headquarters, but also in the field. The staff is very focused and I believe poised to help Legatus meet its fullest potential. Given what we have learned over the years, we have been tweaking some existing positions, as well as adding new ones.

We have added Chapter Development Officers (CDOs) to each of the five regions. CDOs focus strictly on chartering new chapters. We expect their efforts to pay off soon in the opening of more new chapters than ever before. As regions have grown, we also established the position of zone managers. Their role is to assist the regional directors in serving existing chapters by sharing best practices and other efforts. A consultant of the Table Group – a Patrick Lencioni Company has also been advising us (pro bono) regarding how best to make some of these internal organizational changes.

It is my determination that Legatus will soon be a well-oiled machine, giving chapters all the attention they need to thrive. The mission of Legatus is too important to leave its future to chance. Currently, some chapters are doing well, and others are struggling a bit. We want to do everything possible to assist each chapter to reach its full potential and be a source of life and an inspiration to its members.

The number-one objective of a chapter is to have great monthly meetings. This does not happen by itself, but takes relentless and consistent planning and effort. A key person in this effort is the chapter administrator (CA). This person follows up on the many details involved in putting on great meetings. We have been reinvesting in extensive CA training under longtime Legatus executive and training director Laura Sacha, who is overseeing this effort.

It is often said that Legatus is the most effective lay organization in the Church in the U.S. That is certainly its potential. The board of governors, Stephen Henley, and the staff are dedicated to that mission. Sometimes change is not easy, but I certainly hope that every Legate will understand as we make the needed adjustments and upgrades to this all-important organization.

TOM MONAGHAN is Legatus’ founder, chairman and CEO.