NEAFCS BOARD MEETING MINUTES – April 27, 2021

Invited 

• Executive Committee: Suzanne Driessen, President; Kathy Brandt, Immediate Past President; Megan Hruby, Treasurer; Kate Welshons, Secretary
• Committee Chairs: Anita Harris Hering, Public Policy/Public Relations; Mary Schroeder, Awards/Membership; Donna Anderson, Professional Development
• Administrative Liaison: Patricia Olson
• Attendance: Donna, Kathy, Suzanne, Mary, Megan, Anita, Trish & Kate

AGENDA

1. Call to order 
2. Approval of agenda 
3. Secretary’s report – Kate

1. Roll call 
2. Approval of Minutes, February 23, 2021 
3. Minute reviewer for today’s meeting – Anita
4. Treasurer’s Report – Megan
   1. Checking account balance: $5,157.89
   2. Savings account balance: $ 851.49
   3. National Endowment Contribution through 2020-2024 (Every year for 5 years)
      1. Voted to contribute to $200 per year over the next 5 years
   4. IRS filings — how to directions here
      1. Need to do this every year — Megan has filed for 2019, still needs to file for 2020 (separate from filing with MN Secretary of State every year)

3. Administrative Liaison Discussion – Trish Olson
   1. Bylaw revision – question about addition of dissolution of organization section
      1. Bylaws committee will finish draft, send to board for review, then to membership to review and vote on the amendments
   2. Updates
      1. Consider NEAFCS session @ fall conference
      2. Trish is currently reviewing budget 
4. Old business
   1. Membership Memo, March
   2. Membership Memo, April
   3. Membership Memo topics and author list
      1. Feel free to send ideas & articles to Suzanne if you would like them highlighted in the membership memo 
      2. Can potentially explore options to track readership rate 

5. New business
   1. Minnesota affiliate member national activities – how to track
      1. Potentially send out reminder with monthly memos – input information into spreadsheet (or other tracking document) – awards committee will discuss and report back about options 
   2. Annual Filing with secretary of state – Kathy 
      1. Update by mid-May – Megan will work on this 
   3. Listserv ‘how to’ document – Kathy
      1. Share screen of document / need to add instructions for adding ‘owners’
         1. Kathy will work with IT on this
   4. NEAFCS-MN Officer-Committee Manual Updates – Kathy
      1. Working in conjunction with the Ad Hoc By-laws Committee
      2. Committee chairs will be notified when to begin updating their committee responsibilities and timeline listed in the NEAFCS-MN Affiliate Officers and Committees Manual. 

Committee Reports

Awards – Mary Schroeder 

• Updates will be shared in May 
• Awards will be announced in the fall by National – Mary looking into options to see if we can annonce locally before 

Membership – Kathy Brandt

• Welcome to Morrine Omolo, Food Safety Extension Specialist, Department of Food Science and Nutrition! Find more information about Morrine in the April Member Memo.
• Current Annual Membership = 16
• Update membership material/flyer 
  • Looking for ways on how to connect with more potential members – if you have any creative ideas for materials, please connect with Kathy!

Professional Development – Donna Anderson 

• Save the date flyer was just sent out – Wednesday August 4, 10am-1pm – mark your calendars!
• Registration information to follow 
• Discussion in process about honorarium amount for speaker as well as potential supplies that will be sent out to participants 

Public Policy/Public Relations – Anita Hering

• Impact statements – were shared at PILD (April 12-14th, 2021) with Extension administration and on their virtual hill visits
• March Living Well Campaign 2021
  • Letter to all members sent out on Feb. 25th to prepare for March LW month 
  • Social Media posts were developed and included in letter
  • News Release was sent out to membership
  • Zoom background created for members to use
  • Promotion for LW was given to membership, an article in FD’s  Family News, KASM radio (2x), 8 Wellness videos were sent to membership weeks 3 and 4 of March (Environmental, Financial, Intellectual, Physical, Occupational, Emotional, Social and Spiritual Wellness)
  • LW grew legs in FD’s Family News and in Crookston Times, Park Rapids

By-laws Committee Ad Hoc – Suzanne, Kathy, Anita, Sam 

• Ad-hoc committee will present amended by-laws to the board at the June meeting for review and approval
  • Vote on by-laws during annual meeting

• President’s report
  • National NEAFCS Updates
    • Affiliate call recently held 
    • NEAFCS leadership experience

• Past President’s Report – Kathy Brandt
  • Annual session affiliate coordinator – Kathy will fulfill this role (thanks Kathy!)

Additional business 

• Board will explore hosting Friday webinar, possibly during a SNAP-ED 10:00am designated webinar time slot, to encourage NEAFCS membership & impact statements/success stories 

Adjournment

Meeting adjourned @ 4:02pm.