Medical Mutual 2011 Pillar Award
for Community Service — Columbus
Executive Director of the Year
When you talk about Jane Scott and the Columbus Metropolitan Club, you can’t avoid talking about how much the organization has grown since she became executive director in 2003.
At that time, the club’s annual income was $243,474. Seven years later under Scott as executive director, the income was slightly greater than $774,000 ― a whopping 300 percent increase. In addition, corporate sponsorships went from $82,000 in 2003 to $222,000 in 2011; the number of corporation sponsors grew from 30 to more than 80. Membership increased from 600 to 800.
What is perhaps more important is that Scott has driven improvements in the club’s presence and reputation in the Columbus community, as measured by news media attention, the caliber of forum speakers and attendees. Scott has helped develop a recognizable and consistent brand. The organization regularly schedules well-known CEOs in the community, the Ohio governor, cabinet-level officials and even presidential candidates such as John McCain.
With the assistance of several club members who are with The Ohio State University, the CMC launched the Civic Engagement Class. This class is taught several times a year with more than 60 students attending the weekly forums.
Forums are now video recorded and photographed for use on the club’s website, greatly increasing the awareness of CMC. In addition, the videos are sold or provided to statewide television outlets such as the Ohio News Network.
The Columbus Metropolitan Club has adopted this premise as a main part of its mission: “the organization prides itself in being a credible source of information about current affairs — the organization to which Columbus citizens look to provide a platform for a discussion of social, political, economic and cultural issues of concern to the community.”
Jane Scott continues to fulfill that mission, even envisioning a for-credit class at one of the community’s colleges or universities where CMC forums would make up the major component in the curriculum.
How to reach: Columbus Metropolitan Club, (614) 464-3220 or www.columbusmetroclub.org
