Roswell Museum Board of Trustees

MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES Special Strategic Planning Retreat Saturday, January 23, 2016, REGULAR MEETING AT 9:00 a.m. CALL TO ORDER The special planning meeting of the Board of Trustees was called to order by Chairwoman Peggy Krantz at 9:00 a.m. ROLL CALL The special planning meeting of the Board of Trustees convened with members Peggy Krantz, Jamie Barnes, Rey Berrones, Bill Siders, Nanette Schumacher, DeAngela Velasquez, Lorie Mitteer, Miranda Howe, Jessica Parham, Donovan Fulkerson, and Priscilla Ornelas, being present. A quorum was established. Staff present: Laurie Rufe, Interim Director; Olga McGuire, Membership/Events Coordinator, Sara Woodbury, Curator of Collections and Exhibits Guests present: Cindy Torrez, RMAC Foundation, Dietta Hitchcock, RMAC-Foundation member, Larry Connolly, Citizen NEW BUSINESS Interim Director Rufe, began the program with a review of the agenda and packet provided to each member. She also introduced tour guides board member/docent Bill Siders, and docent Ann Huff, who led tours of the Goddard and Aston Collections to demonstrate what guided tours entail, and to educate the board members about RMAC collections. The tour began in the Goddard lounge with Member Bill Siders’ excellent talk on the history of Robert H. Goddard including Goddard’s studies, experiments, accomplishments, and the acquisition of the Goddard collection by RMAC. Guest Docent, Ann Huff took the group through the Aston’s thematic exhibits of Family and Community, Spirit, Farming and Ranching, Trade and Exchange, and War and Conquest. Ms. Huff shared her wealth of knowledge and experience as a longtime docent at RMAC. After returning from the tours, Interim Director Rufe reviewed contents of members’ packets: 1. Strategic Plan adopted in 2013 through calendar year 2016. Interim Director Rufe referred to Jim Collins’ book, Good to Great, which she has used in the past to formulate the Museum’s course, sharing the quote: “good is the enemy of great.” Interim Director discussed with members, what RMAC does best, what it is most passionate about, and what makes it unique, all factors that help to contribute to the Good to Great philosophy and which were used in development of the 2013 plan. Director Rufe stated, for a breakthrough to occur in any organization it takes: a. disciplined people, disciplined thought, and disciplined action; b. getting the right people on the bus, getting them in the right seats, and getting the wrong people off the bus so that you can drive it forward, and c. every good-to-great company must look at the brutal facts but maintain unwavering faith that they will prevail in moving forward. 2. Director Rufe also included in the packet the results of a joint meeting City Manager Steve Polasek facilitated in February, 2015 among both Boards. Good Things and Growth and Improvement were topics. 3. Included in the packet was a diagram (created by Director Rufe for an earlier strategic plan) of the Working Environments: Internal and External of the RMAC which included stakeholders, partners, and associates. 4. And a Status Report on the 2013-2016 plan. Interim Director Rufe led members through an interactive discussion of what RMAC is best at, most passionate about, and what is most unique about RMAC. This listing will be provided to the Board at the next meeting. Director Rufe led a discussion on the status of the plan including the following goals: Goal 1: Project a Unique, Cohesive, and Positive Image Goal 2: Offer Exemplary Programs and Exhibitions Goal 3: Strengthen Collections Management, Interpretation, and Public Access Goal 4: Ensure That Sufficient Resources are Available for the Future Operation and Maintenance of the RMAC Based on its Vision Rufe divided members into three groups to address three important objectives in the plan, to solicit ideas how we can move forward. They included: 1. Improve staff and board performance. 2. Make the Museum more visible and accessible to the public through improved wayfinding, and enhanced exterior environment. 3. Strengthen the Goddard Planetarium’s public image and program effectiveness. These are issues Director Rufe considers most pressing and in need of immediate attention for 2016, along with improved marketing for the Museum. Each group reported with a variety of responses that will be shared in a written report at the next Board meeting. CHAIR’S REMARKS Chair Krantz welcomed everyone to the retreat, stating one of her goals was to educate board members, old and new, to feel confident in being board members. Her intent is to have board members more knowledgeable about the museum, and make RMAC more cohesive and unified prior to the new director coming. OLD BUSINESS No Old business ADJOURN Member Howe, motioned to adjourn. Member Siders was the second. A voice vote was unanimous and the motion passed. The meeting adjourned at 3:48p.m. Respectfully Submitted Olga McGuire, Membership/Event Coordinator