• Attendees: Linda Ives, Michele Melanson, Chris Yardley, Sara Henry and William Ellis

• Call to Order

• Review of minutes

Michele votes to accept

Sara seconds

• Linda Ives will remain on Board until January meeting and will help with conference

• Treasurer's Report:

checking = $2742.26

savings = $2708.25

Budget discussion:

Cost of conference last year (2001) = $2967.00

- price includes rooms for Dr. Arnold "Mitch" Mitchem and Michael Palmer

- meeting room charge

- dinner for 47

- lunch for 53 people

- gratuity

- 2 breakfasts

- 3 breaks

- gratuity

- travel reimbursement

(cost to attendees about 110 and there were about 40 people = $4,400)

Question about COE dues:

*have we paid the $500 for this year?

Sara suggested Michele get the "Fair Share" report which breaks things down by state.

• 2002 Conference Update:

Sara spoke with Jim Patterson at Hutchinson Center. MBNA will allow us to use their facilities for lodging. The rooms are more expensive than Atlantic Oaks. About 100 (one bathroom)-125 (two bathrooms) per cabin. Plus the meals are more expensive. However, the conference rooms are free. There are several ways to offset the coast. Go to a one-night conference. Charge extra for the second breakfast (the rooms have kitchenettes). Subsidize room cost out of the MEEOA budget. Increase the cost of the meeting $110 now, go up to 120.

Still considering Atlantic Oaks. We have the rooms reserved. Bridget is going to look into COA for meeting rooms because Atlantic Oaks conference rooms will be under construction.

Conference schedule:

See handout from Sara

Potential workshop - how do you start your own state Policy Seminar.

Potential Workshop - Monica Sergeant interested in coming to Increasing membership in NEOA

Potential Workshop - Linda Shiller from VSAC regarding getting involved with the State of Maine

Linda Ives has contacted the Minnesota group and they cannot come. Linda has asked them to make a recommendation.

Wge mentioned informing presenters more about who we are and what we want from presenters. Sara has a one-page write-up about MEEOA and our mission/goals.

Linda wanted to know about whether to contact Mary Cathcart before or after we know about Baldacci.

Political Strand: "Collaborate and Advocate"

Goal - learning advocacy

Panel of people who know how to advocate. (Maine Equal Justice, Linda Shiller, Dave)

Panel of people who are political and on the receiving end of this advocacy. (Mary Cathcart, Mike Saxl, others?)

Plenary - Maine Equal Justice

Workshop 1 - Mary Cathcart

Workshop 2 - FAME, financial resources, panel, MELMAC Wendy Alt

Workshop 3 - DOE

Personal/Professional Strand:

Workshop 1 - Exploring your passions

Workshop 2 - How not to kill your coworkers, consulting model of communicating, Doug Johnson

Workshop 3 - Student panel organized by Jerry Ellis

Workshop 4 - Getting excited about learning (math as a model), Linda Rotman

Mitch can't come - maybe we could get Kristi to give Washington, D.C. update because she is National Conference Chair.

Point Lookout (MBNA Facility) will be used for the conference, we decided.

• New Business:

NEOA update given by Michele. NEOA Strategic plan is being worked on.

Michele will be investigating the idea of a state coalition with Johannah.

• Changeover of Officers:

Sara is considering being appointed President-elect and State Liaison to NEOA until membership vote in January.