SC minutes 9/21/2021

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EEAC Steering Committee Meeting Minutes
September 21, 2021 
Tuesday 5:30pm – 7pm 
Online Zoom Meeting

Attending: 
River DiLeo, Robert Wallace, E. Shig Matsukawa, Joy Garland, Mike Zamm, Mary Leou, Bonnie Ralston, Sarah Pidgeon, Mary Most, Isa Del Bello, Fran Agnone, Bonnie McGuire, Andrew Stone, Christina Tobitch 

Committee Reports and Updates

  1. Approve previous meeting minutes: EEACminutes20210818 
  1. Program Committee (Fran acting program chair)
    1. Held a meeting on 8/12 at 4pm
    2. We were able to think of a number of programming ideas to explore the complexity of why Environmental Education is a field that contends with low wage jobs and a lack of diversity. 
    3. We’d like to host a month of virtual sessions this fall to focus on the issue from multiple angles, from confronting the policies  shaping the field to individual actions an employee can take to advocate for their salary or professional advancement. 
    4. To see our full notes, take a look at slides 2 and 3 in this google slide (PDF): EEAC-Programs-Meeting-8_12_21.pdf 
    5. We are meeting again 8/25 at 4pm to discuss the structure of the event. We will send an open invite to the listserv too.
  1. Communications
    1. Communication Committee Meeting and updates
      1. Rebranding/Logo Redesign: EEAC Rebranding Plan 
      2. Review member engagement strategies: EEAC-Member-Engagement-Strategies.pdf  
      3. New Member Packet–On 8/13 Bonnie Ralston and member Sunny Corrao submitted to Comms+ an outline for new member packet content, with request for feedback by Friday, August 20. A full draft will be shared with SC at the September meeting.
      4. Marketing Plan
    2. Website and Database Updates: eeac-nyc.org
      1. New website (switched on, 1/13/2021).
        1. Survey (on website and newsletter) sent out 2/16/2021 (by Bonnie M.)
        2. Survey deadline 3/28/2021 (Sunday).
        3. Survey Update (Bonnie M.)
      2. The internal section:
        1. SC members still to be given access?
        2. Instructions to using WordPress (WP):
          1. How to use WP video clips (link provided with access setup).
          2. Or, set zoom appointment for a hands-on guide.
      3. Website plan – upcoming:
        1. Redesign of the website based on the Adaptive Plan – will follow the rebranding/logo redesign phase.
        2. Membership system (coordinate Shig and Mary M.) – will be tested in our Managemanent testing site which is now at testsite.eeac-nyc.org.
        3. PUBLICIZING WEBSITE?
      4. Database content status report. MAILING OF PRESS RELEASE?
      5. Followup on 2 requests via the website’s contact form, to subscribe to the listserv.
    3. Newsletter-blog using WordPress.
      1. Newsletter-blog landing page:
        https://eeac-nyc.org/newsletter-blog/
        password: eeac (lower case letters).
      2. Newsletter-blog, first version (ready for public):
        https://eeac-nyc.org/2021/04/23/eeac-newsletter-spring-2021/

Shig: newsletter will be available on website

  1. EEAC and NYSOEA Partnership
    1. 2021 Conference will be a hybrid virtual/in-person
      1. Looking for conference proposals
      2. Metro Region host: Jones Beach State Park
        1. Looking for carpool coordination
  1. Projects Forum
    1. Next Steps- DISTRIBUTION OF MINI-REPORT TO ALL LISTS TO INFORM THEM ABOUT THE FORUM V REPORT ON THE WEBSITE!!
    2. REPORT ON SYLLABI BANK and FOLLOWUP ON PROJECT IDEAS FROM FORUM V

Mike stated that he would like to start working with the NY State Senator in his area to get a constitutional amendment measure to be passed (advocacy for clean water, air, environment etc.) SC is in support so he will pursue next steps and update the group as needed. 

In addition, Mike has been contacted by CUNY professors who have asked for support for Governors Island Climate Consortium. Pose question to the group: Should we partner or should we pass this opportunity on to our members and their organizations? Mike offered to act as conduit and will send out the letter for review by SC and then follow-up after the letter is reviewed.

  1. Adaptive Plan Accountability
    1. Retreat — purpose and date discussion — to be discussed
    2. COOP (Bonnie M.)

Bonnie: R requested that SC members review membership documents over next 2 weeks. Once feedback is provided these docs will be turned into a membership packet. In addition, Bonnie R is working on the SC welcome packet which outlines roles/responsibilities/expectations. Is asking for SC to review and contribute to this document as well.

  1. Membership and Finance: Mary Most – 
    1. Membership: NO CHANGE from 5/19/2021 stats:
      About 50% of members have renewed for 2021; only 24% of our Organizational memberships have renewed. 

20 Individual Members, 1 student, 35 Indiv thru 7 orgs, 32 LIfetime 

(vs 2019 = 42 Indiv, 12 Student, 79 Indiv thru 29 Org, 30 Lifetime)

  1. Finance 5/31/2021 report:
    no change except + 35 cent interest = $8,866.42 current balance
  2. Tasks COMPLETED
  • Filed IRS Form 99N for 2020 to renew EEAC’s tax-exempt status. 
  • Eventbrite lists updated: Bonnie Ralston and Mary Most compared and updated the Eventbrite lists to include membership list, TEEP lists, and Google Group list, prior to sending invites for the June 15 Skill Share, which promoted the Membership options but yielded no new memberships. 
  • Mary Most to contact the remaining senders of checks dating back to Nov 2019 recently located by Mary Leou at NYU, and make arrangements for replacement payment via PayPal or Eventbrite. 
  • For the record: Amalgamated Bank still shows Judith Hutton at NYBG as primary contact. Requested in Jan 2020 that they update signatories to Mary Most, Sarah Pidgeon (remove Jacqueline Pilati, Judith Hutton). 

TO DO: 

  • Mary Most will initiate “2021 Membership Drive” — invite all GoogleGroup subscribers and Eventbrite subscribers to join or renew. We’ve held off since the pandemic. Link: https://2021-eeac-membership.eventbrite.com 
  • Eventbrite list maintenance should move to Programs or Communications
  1. Nomination committee: 

Many changes to steering committee:

  • Sarah is stepping down as programming chair but remains on SC
  • Fran will to step in as program chair but opens floor to anyone else who has interest 
  • Ray stepping down as secretary but remains on SC 
  • Isa willing to fill vacancy until election 
  • Lynn will be stepping down from SC but still wants to be invited to meetings and events
  • Joy will be stepping down from SC but will be honorary SC member and continues to  be involved and would like to be invited to meetings and events
  • Mary Most will be stepping down from SC and role of Treasurer and Membership Manager — everyone is very grateful for Mary’s hard work behind the scenes
    • Very important vacancy to be filled 
    • May break up role into two separate roles 
    • Shig will be assisting in building membership into the website 
  • River: doesn’t want to but may need to step down as president — received serious health news: advanced aggressive cancer 
  • Bonnie M: suggested vice chair role as successor to chair 

Given these changes, the nomination committee suggested that we potentially postpone the election given that we need to fill some vacancies and want to recruit more. SC was in agreement that because we have so much moving around with SC committee chairs its best to postpone to January. Mary M asked how a delay in elections would affect folks who are stepping down. River stated that the timeline for the election andf new people stepping in won’t affect a person ending their role. The beginning and ending of roles are at the end of January. So new SC members will be elected before the switch (we don’t need to delay when a person begins or ends their role in accordance with the election). River then stated that it is ideal to have a person in acting position and another ‘in training’ if the timing works out.

The nomination committee then discussed changes in term limits. New term limits go into effect after the next election. The point of term limits is to motivate SC to actively recruit because of a higher rate of turn over. 

Nominations: 

  • River has made a form that has a list of current members: SC members can mark up to indicate who they have reached out to.
  • Nominations needed by Fri Dec 10th
  • Nomination form open to edits – edits due 9/24
  • River created form to indicate who is nominating who — will send out soon
  • SC members each need to reach out to 4-5 people 
  • River will send out a packet of what to send to folks nominated by SC