![erika rivers](http://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/fancy_images/MNDNR/2014/05/299735/317122/erika-rivers2_crop.jpg) Goodwill Ambassadors: Why do you do what you do?
It’s hard to believe we are already in the final days of summer. My family was blessed, as so many other Minnesotans were, to have spent quite a bit of time on the river, in our state parks, and on our state trails over the summer months. In fact, I am proud to report that since June, I have collected 35 stamps in my “director’s passport” and visited five state trails. Throughout my travels, I have captured many stories and photos of the amazing work our staff does every day. I have come to see all staff as potential goodwill ambassadors for the natural world and for the DNR. Your dedication to our natural resources – as well as your spirit of public service – have humbled me in too many ways to recount.
Stories of your ambassadorship have been discussed frequently in recent weeks as our division leadership team grapples with some core questions: • What is our core purpose, cause or belief? • Why should Minnesotans invest in what we do? • How is anyone (or everyone) better off? We are asking these critical questions because, even as we have seen first-hand how your work positively impacts the lives of Minnesotans and visitors to our state, we also know that we have to better articulate the positive impacts of that work to those making funding decisions come January. In the vernacular of the day, we call this “results-based accountability” (RBA). As natural resource professionals, we are skilled at collecting data (“performance measures”) on the number of people served, miles of trail maintained, or programs delivered. Where we could use some improvement is in articulating the trends we are changing (“population-level indicators”) that will make Minnesotans’ lives better because we provide the public service that we do. For example: 1) People are living happier, healthier, higher-quality lives; and 2) communities realize social and economic benefits from nature-based recreation.
Like all good ambassadors, most of us shrug off compliments about our good deeds as “just doing my job.” Next time you find yourself thinking or uttering those words, I ask you to pause and consider one question, and then send me the answer: Why was that person better off because I came to work today? Thank you for all you do, every day, to create unforgettable experiences for those we serve. Erika Rivers
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