Metropolitan Community Churches
Board of Administration Conference Call
Present:
Rev. Jeff Miner (Chair)
Marsha Warren (Treasurer and Vice Chair)
Marvin Bagwell
Barb Crabtree
John Vespa
Julie Krueger (Secretary) (Called in late)
In Attendance:
Rev Dr Cindi Love, Executive Director
Rev Elder Nancy Wilson, Moderator (for part
of call)
Connie Meadows, Assistant to the Moderator
1. Check In
The meeting was opened in prayer, and the attendees shared what has been happening in their lives.
2. Minutes
Julie
will send out minutes within the week, and ask that any corrections or updates be
submitted by February 1. Approved
minutes will be sent to Carlos and
3. Segmentation update
The Executive Director is continuing to work on the data. She has sent some analyses to Rev. Elder Arlene Ackerman, and some updating is expected, but nothing major. The next step would be to submit this to the Elders. The Moderator and Executive Director will talk to Rev. Elder Arlene first in view of her portfolio and then decisions will be made about how to best facilitate the discussion at the joint Board/Elders meeting in March.
The goal is for the working group to bring concrete proposals to the joint meeting in March, to provide a focal point for those discussions. The Moderator indicated that she thinks we are ready for the next step with this in terms of Elders, portfolio and staff. Jeff said that he wants us all to keep this moving to the point of implementation. He would hope that in February the working group will be able to circulate a draft proposal that contains key data and a list of bullet point recommendations, so that folks can come to the face-to-face meeting in March having thought about the proposal.
4. Fund Development/Administrative
Assistant/Accountant
The Executive Director indicated that Irma Bauer-Levesque has accepted our offer to serve as Fund Development Director. She will start the last week in February. Kathy Beasley has accepted the position of Administrative Assistant to the Executive Director and will begin near the end of February. In consultation with Treasurer Marsha Warren, the Executive Director has also made an offer to someone to fill the accounting/financial position. This person is not a CPA, but has deep financial and accounting background.
5. Senior Housing
The Executive Director and Board Member Barb Crabtree reported on their meeting with Affirmative Equities. The described a prospective property that is under serious consideration and took questions from the Board. The Board is favourably disposed toward the property. Next steps include due diligence on the property, including gathering market data, interactions with local zoning officials, and so forth.
6. Questions
from Elders
The Board considered various questions and suggestions about its operations made by the Elders.
1. Who from the Board should serve on the Elder Team that recruits Board members? In addition to the Moderator, we propose Julie Krueger, John Vespa, and the Executive Director. This Team will hold a meeting soon.
2. What characteristics should the Team consider when recruiting to fill vacancies on the Board? 1) Our greatest need is to find someone with experience in fund development, a passion for doing it in direct encounters with potential donors, and the time to do so. Eventually, it would also be helpful to have someone on the Board with experience in organizational life cycles. 2) Finding someone who would bring some element of additional diversity of the Board – country of origin, or some other aspect, would also be great. 3) The person should be spiritually and emotionally mature and understand how to participate productively on a Board. 4) We would ask the Bylaws Team to consider proposing an amendment to the Bylaws that would specify a range of size X to Y, with a minority of people who might not be MCC members, so as to allow us to draw in diverse skill sets and build outside relationships that could benefit MCC.
3. Would it be helpful for the Board to create more working sub-committees? We currently have an Investment Advisory Team. In the past, we have had an Audit Team, and it needs to be reconstituted. Once the new Fund Development Director is on Board, we should consider forming a Fund Development Team stocked with people who have gifts in this area.
Action
Item: The agenda for our next meeting
should include further discussion about a Fund Development Team and an Audit
Team.
7. Financial Status
The Executive Director briefed the Board on financial matters and a discussion followed.
8. Executive Director Evaluation
The Executive Director and the Board discussed her evaluation.
Action
Item: The Executive Director will
present her proposed goals and objectives for 08 to the next Board meeting,
taking into account priorities suggested in the Board’s evaluation.
9. Meeting
Adjourned
The meeting closed with a prayer and
adjourned. The Board’s next meeting is
scheduled for Friday, February 29, at