What do MICC participants want staff to know about their experiences on campus? MICC staff decided we’d like to find out! While participants regularly meet with program staff, they don’t often get to sit down and chat with our very own CEO Amy Gudmestad! So “Conversations with the CEO” began last year as a way to facilitate participant ideas straight to the top!
“Conversations with the CEO” are one-hour sessions, separated into two groups; one for College and the other for Community Participants. The discussion focuses on specific topics relevant to participants’ experiences, followed by an open forum for questions and feedback, ensuring their voices help shape decisions. MICC’s Evaluation Program Coordinator Chrissy Cleveland also joins the meetings to take notes and add the data to our participant feedback files. Scheduled for every other month, the meetings are open to all MICC participants, who can sign up through their activity calendar.
Amy takes to the session topics that the members of staff would like input on, and participants bring their own discussion ideas and questions. One example of a recent topic was grocery shopping. Amy shares, “College participants recently talked about why there are rules for food shopping and especially why MICC did not allow participants to buy pop. I clarified that they could buy pop with their own dollars – but not with the grocery stipend.”
Social program processes and activities have also come up. Amy empowered participants to bring their ideas to the social team, who are very interested in their suggestions for participant groups, clubs and activities. The next meeting, Social Engagement Program Manager Sam Sack was invited to attend, which led to excellent discussion and brainstorming about how to address their concerns and work together to offer new opportunities that align with their needs. New activity ideas included mall visits, movie nights, and a pool party, plus the group agreed that participants should help with setup for events they request.
One participant remarked to Sam after the meeting, “I feel like it’s easier to talk to you now!”
Reflecting on the meetings, Amy says, “I think that the participants are enjoying them and feeling heard. There is a bigger participation with the older participants. It is nice to connect with them directly, and they like to talk to me directly, they like to bring rumors to me, and I confirm whether there is any truth in the rumors.”
Chrissy believes that the meetings “serve our mission by creating a direct line of communication between leadership and our participants, ensuring their voices are heard and valued. These sessions provide critical insights into participant needs, experiences, and challenges, helping to shape programs and services that are truly responsive and impactful. By fostering an open dialogue, the focus groups strengthen trust, encourage engagement, and ultimately support the organization’s goal of delivering meaningful, participant-centered solutions.”
MICC participants are engaged and enthusiastic about their conversations, appreciating the opportunity to share their experiences and the chance to contribute to organizational change! We will share more updates as their ideas and suggestions make their way to MICC’s programming!