A mission statement is what defines an organization's reason for existence and is the foundation for everything it does (Aguinis, 2009). Furthermore, the vision statement represents where the organization wants to be in the future (Cady, Wheeler, DeWolf, & Brodke, 2011). Therefore, it is important to ensure that the organization has a good mission and vision statement that is clear and concise. According to Aguinis (2009), an ideal mission and vision statement booth has eight different characteristics. The mission statement must describe what they do, their market, their unique advantages, the technology they use, their concern for survival, their management philosophy, the public image they desire, and their business concept (Aguinis, 2009). Instead, the vision statement must be short, testable, time-bound, current, focused, understandable, inspiring, and not easily achievable (Aguinis, 2009). The mission statement of the National Environmental Health Association (NEHA) is to “advance professional health and environmental protection to provide a healthy environment for all” (NEHA, 2011, ¶ 1). Additionally, NEHA does not have a vision statement. Instead, they have a strategic direction that focuses on directions and not destinations. The organization believes that by focusing on directions, this will allow them to change course quickly if a change is appropriate. Additionally, NEHA's strategic direction includes training, education, credentialing, advocacy, and organizational capacity (NEHA, 2011). Therefore, by Aguinis' criteria, NEHA's mission statement is missing seven of the eight elements and really only addresses who their customers are, environmental health, and... at the heart of the paper... the... they are going and how they plan to get there (Cady, Wheeler, DeWolf, & Brodke, 2011). Unfortunately, NEHA lacks true strategic direction as its mission statement is too vague and has no vision for the future. While they have a strategic direction statement, it's not tied to a clear mission or vision, so it's not very helpful in aligning the organization. For an organization to realize its full potential and remain competitive, it must have a strong mission and vision. “A single vision is only a dream. Coupled with a mission, the vision is a destination” (Dossenbach, 2001). NEHA must have a destination if it is to continue to be the association to which the environmental health and protection specialist turns for training, professional advancement and knowledge in the field of environmental health.