MEEOA Board Meeting

September 13, 2002

UMaine, Buchanan Alumni House

*People in attendance: Teresa Smith, Sara Henry, Rusty Brown, William Ellis, Chris Yardley, Michele Melanson

*Ice breaker by Teresa

*Call to Order

*Review of minutes

Rusty motion to accept

Teresa seconded

Michele made a correction

Minutes accepted as amended.

*Treasure's Report

Checking = $2,769.17

Savings = $5,261.37

*Sara's Budget Report

Sara provided a projected budget for 2002 and 2003. The main concern is MBNA too expensive. In other words, the money taken in by registration and membership barely covers the cost of the meeting. Is it the Board's responsibility to be raising additional money for the conference? Maybe we need a fund raising subcommittee for grant writing and advertising for the annual meeting.

If we raise fee's (which was already passed), the budget looks pretty good for the conference. We could potentially make $1,000. However, it still might be a good idea to get support for meals, advertising, etc.

President's Report:

NEOA is pushing state organizations to have state policy seminars. RI/CT had a student-based version. Was not a lobbying event. MA modeled after national one. Karen (from Dr. Arnold Mitchem) wants every state to do some form of a policy seminar. Sara suggested we use our TRIO Day in Augusta as a way to get in touch with the legislature. Tables in the Hall of Flags, students as pages. Other ideas? We could put together a package of "Advocacy" materials. We could have workshops at the annual conference to prepare people for TRIO Day.

Sara showed some brochures about how to lobby successfully. Tips for working with your legislature. How to stay current with legislation. Who are your legislatures? Sara thinks we should put together a package like this for MEEOA members. Michele suggests we give everyone at annual meeting one of these, which is in January, right before TRIO Day in February. Chris suggested having Karen run a plenary at the annual meeting to prepare people for TRIO Day in Augusta.

Strategic Plan - where is it? Sara has looked everywhere and contacted past presidents. Jerry has given her a lot of background material, but she still can't find the actual document. This information is from around 1997. Maybe something was voted on, but it does not appear exist as an actual document.

Sara would like to produce a new strategic plan where we would borrow heavily from NEOA. And it would draw from the existing material from MEEOA's 1997 material.

Next meeting we will have a strategic plan to look over.

NEOA Report:

Adeline wants to know if the NEOA Board needs to be as large as it is, currently about 30 people. States need to consider constitutional changes.

It sounds like the cuts are due to money. Chris suggested the states covering the cost of sending board members. We also discussed that NEOA really needs to decide what the Board needs to be and raise the money to support it, i.e. - raised conference fees, etc.

*2003 Conference Update

Ideas for seminars are coming forward. Steve and Steve have suggested a technology workshop. Karen is interested in an ACA wellness workshop. And based on this meeting, teaching advocacy as a plenary/workshop.

Key speaker - Congressman Baldacci, Senator Collins, Dr. Arnold Mitchem, Paul Spraggins

Sara has spoken with Linda Schiller and she has agreed to do something about political advocacy.

*New Business

Request from TRIO Day chair, Karen, to have MEEOA contribute $1,000 for TRIO Day. MA has done this in the past.

Next Meeting - October 11, 11:00 AM - 2:30 PM UMaine Buchanan Alumni House