Dave Wegge and Phil Hauck, Envision Board members
“I’ve always tried to keep one eye on what’s directly in front of me and the other eye on the horizon, to anticipate what’s coming. That mindset has worked well for me. Most recently it helped form the central argument for Curative Connections’ successful $8.5 million capital campaign,” explained Steve McCarthy recently as we sat down informally over coffee. “Strategic Foresight is an excellent framework that brings more discipline and rigor to leadership roles,” he said, “and that is key for anyone interested in achieving a particular desired future.”
McCarthy has spent nearly 30 years in the nonprofit human services sector. In 2012 he was recruited away from his many years with Lutheran Social Services (LSS) to take the role of president and CEO of Curative Connections in Green Bay. “My background at LSS included roles in program services oversight, public policy, and fundraising,” he said. “That matched what Curative was looking for in its organizational leader.” We asked Steve to identify the key characteristics of a good leader. “You have to be goal-oriented and future-minded,” he said, “and relate well with others. Having a bias toward collaboration versus going it alone has been a big help to me.”
Contemplating early retirement, Steve was drawn to leadership of Envision Greater Green Bay instead. We wondered why. “Two things: First, Strategic Foresight itself is a compelling framework for anyone responsible for driving toward a longer-term vision for themselves and/or their organizations. Second, Envision Greater Green Bay’s volunteer board members’ passion for Strategic Foresight is compelling. Their belief in the importance of Strategic Foresight led to me examine it more closely. The more time I spent understanding it, the more I believed that Strategic Foresight is important to the future of the Greater Green Bay area.”
And how might that role play out in the future of our community, we asked him. “I believe the area’s government, for-profit and nonprofit leaders should be trained in strategic foresight,” he said. “It’s the best construct I know of to more effectively achieve the kind of future that businesses, government, and nonprofits are aiming for.”
Convinced we had found both a solid leader and a new friend, we wondered, finally, what Steve McCarthy does for fun. “Books, podcasts, walks, hikes, traveling and spending time with family and friends,” he told us. We’re both looking forward to working alongside Steve to guide Envision and to bring proven foresight strategies to the Greater Green Bay area.