Executive Committee Meeting Minutes

Worcester Crowne Plaza
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
6:00 pm

Present: Tom Campbell, Jackie Carlson, Shyno Chacko Pandeya, Sara Coady Howe,  Ed Godek, Andy Hochberg, Sean LeBlanc and Ron Spicer

Absent:  Ron Grasso and Joel Slovin

Staff: Deb Goodhind and Anna Symington

The meeting convened at 6:05 p.m.

Approval of Minutes
Motion: by Ed Godek, seconded by Ron Spicer, to approve the minutes of the October 13 Executive Committee meeting.  The motion passed unanimously.

President’s Update
Sean noted that he was pleased with director attendance and participation at the October board meeting and thanked all of the presenters for their time.  Feedback from new board members on the meeting’s format and discussion was positive.

The Boston Globe recently ran an article on the Alumni Association’s consideration of a possible restructure of the membership program.  Discussions of Luc Levasseur’s proposed visit to the Amherst campus, as well as the possibility of UMass Dartmouth opening a public law school, have also been addressed in various media outlets. 

The Alumni Association recognized Michael Haley ’65 as the Eleanor Bateman Alumni Scholar in October, who engaged a large number of students through classroom presentations and a public lecture. 

Sean spoke with Tom Milligan, executive vice chancellor for university relations, regarding the alumni/donor database and will follow up with him again after Thanksgiving.

Executive Director’s Update
 Anna noted that she has fielded a number of calls or emails from alumni expressing concern regarding Levasseur’s proposed visit to campus.  She confirmed for these alumni that the Alumni Association is neither an organizer nor a sponsor of this event, and made sure the concerns expressed by these alumni were directed to the organizers for further response. 

Staff is collaborating with colleagues in Admissions and University Relations to plan and promote several in-home yield receptions for early acceptance students within the New Jersey and Long Island areas.  In addition, staff is working to plan an alumni reception in Springfield this fall to introduce the university’s new provost and vice chancellor for outreach and engagement. 

Committee Reports

Audit
The Audit Committee is undergoing a final review of the FY 2009 tax returns.  The Form 990 will be distributed to all board members later this week prior to its being filed.

Career Connections
The Career Connections Committee met earlier this month to discuss programming ideas.  Alumni participation in online webinars continues to grow.

Clubs
Various clubs around the country are working to plan and implement game-watches around the upcoming UMass v. Memphis men’s basketball game.

Communications, Marketing and Membership
Discussion during the most recent meeting of the Communications, Marketing and Membership (CMM) Committee focused on a sustaining membership level currently being considered as part of the membership restructure framework.  Specifically, the Committee focused on potential costs for maintaining a sustaining membership, as well as whether or not to offer benefits associated with this level, and what level of dues paid should be considered to offer these benefits.  The Committee is mindful that any proposed restructure should not emulate the current model.

Finance and Investments
None

Honors and Awards
The Honors and Awards Committee met last week to review the timeline and process for selecting the recipients of the Distinguished Alumni Awards.  The Committee received over 50 nominations and will meet in early December to make their selections.

Nominating
The Nominating Committee is working to finalize this year’s evaluation criteria and nominee application.  A call for nominations will be distributed in early December.

Programs and Services
The Programs and Services Committee is working with the Volunteer Advocacy and Public Affairs Committee to review the goals and location of the Distinguished Alumni Awards program, with the intent of improving participation of both alumni and legislators. 

Technology and Online Services
The Technology and Online Services Committee noted a large boost in visits to the Alumni Association’s homepage in October due to Homecoming.  The Committee is working with staff to further integrate social media into the website.  The Alumni Association has officially assumed ownership of the UMass alumni LinkedIn group.

Volunteer Advocacy and Public Affairs
The New Orleans service trip has sold out and staff has created a wait list for additional alumni who are interested in participating.  As a possible means to increase legislator attendance at the Distinguished Alumni Awards luncheon, the Committee recommends sending special invitations to all legislators to include the number of UMass Amherst alumni residing in their districts.  The Committee is also considering expansion of the pre-luncheon reception to include both State House staff and legislators. 

Old Business
None

New Business:  
Committee members reviewed the current bylaws and determined that the only officer positions authorized to sign the Alumni Association’s tax returns are those of President and Treasurer.

Adjournment: 
Motion: by Sara Coady Howe, seconded by Shyno Chacko Pandeya, to adjourn the meeting.  The motion passed unanimously.

The meeting adjourned at 7:25 p.m.