Roswell Museum Board of Trustees

MINUTES OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES Monday, June 19, 2017 REGULAR MEETING AT 4:10 PM CALL TO ORDER The regular meeting of the Board of Trustees was called to order by Chair Peggy Krantz at 4:01 pm. ROLL CALL Members present were Donovan Fulkerson, Peggy Krantz, Cymantha Liakos, Jessica Parham, Priscilla Ornelas, Bill Siders and DeAngela Velasquez, being present. A quorum was established. Members absent: Jamie Barnes, Tabitha Denny, and Nanette Schumacher. Staff present: Caroline Brooks, Executive Director; Amanda Nicholson, Curator of Education; Sara Woodbury, Curator of Collections and Exhibitions; Cindy Torrez, Executive Director, RMAC Foundation Community members present: Melinda Gonzalez APPROVAL OF AGENDA Member Fulkerson moved to approve the agenda. Member Parham was the second. A voice vote was unanimous and the motion passed. APPROVAL OF MINUTES Member Liakos motioned to approve the minutes of the March 20, 2017, Board of Trustees meeting. Member Parham was the second. A voice vote was unanimous and the motion passed. APPROVAL OF STRATEGIC PLANNING WORKSHOP MINUTES Member Parham motioned to approve the minutes of the February 6, 2017, Strategic Planning Workshop. Member Liakos was the second. A voice vote was unanimous and the motion passed. CHAIR’S REMARKS Chair Krantz reminded Board members that all public meetings are taped to provide a complete record of the event. Chair Krantz discussed upcoming Board officer elections, and asked members to consider potential candidates for the position of Chair, as she will be stepping down. She discussed with the Board if they wanted to have members present candidates individually, or establish a working group specifically for nominations. She explained the difference between a committee and a working group. Foundation Executive Director Torrez reminded the Board that Chairs usually sit on the Foundation as well to maintain communication, but represent themselves rather than the Board. Torrez also said the Vice Chair can sit on the Foundation if the Chair is unable or unwilling to do so. Chair Krantz suggested doing a survey of member interests, skills and networks to better utilize the individual talents of the Board. The Board also discussed the possibility of not meeting in the summer since travel and other plans make it difficult to meet quorum. The Board will revisit the issue at the next meeting. Community member Gonzalez mentioned that the Board had taken the summer off in the past, and often returned feeling refreshed and with new ideas. Executive Director Brooks reminded group that all changes and decisions will need to follow the policy for amendments as stated in the by-laws. MEMBERSHIP AND ATTENDANCE REPORTS Membership and Event Coordinator Speer provided reports for March, April and May which reflected an increase in visitation. Curator of Education Nicholson suggested that this increase could be attributed in part to Spring Break and summer vacation. DIRECTOR’S REPORT Executive Director Brooks observed Membership and Event Coordinator Speer’s transfer to the Roswell Public Library, and her interest in redefining the job as two different positions in order to better serve needs of Museum staff, as well as more effectively addressing the community’s interest in special events. She said the new Registrar, Amberly Meli, will start at the Museum on July 7. She briefly discussed the draft of the Strategic Plan, and requested anyone interested in volunteering from the board to participate in a closer review of the plan to let her know. Executive Director Brooks suggested input from the Board on holiday hours, as she would like to ensure that staff have time off while meeting the needs of the community. The Board discussed approaching holidays on a year-to-year basis, as their dates can vary. They also discussed looking at historical numbers to see whether certain holidays experienced higher visitation rates than others. Executive Director Brooks updated the Board on the Planetarium renovation, which is scheduled to take place in August and September. She also mentioned a new event that the Museum is planning for September 8, pARTy After Hours, an evening event designed to build and diversify the Museum’s audience by attracting working professionals. Executive Director Brooks finished her report by updating the Board on upcoming events such as the UFO Festival laser shows, Planetarium documentaries and film screenings, Second Saturday, and the next Roswell Artist-in-Residence exhibition opening. RMAC FOUNDATION REPORT Executive Director Torrez reported on the Foundation’s current activities. The Foundation is off for the summer but has elected new officers and nominated potential new members, who will be confirmed at the next Foundation meeting. ADJOURN Member Parham motioned to adjourn and member Velazquez was the second. A voice vote was unanimous and the motion passed. The meeting adjourned at 5:08 pm. Respectfully Submitted, Sara Woodbury, Curator of Collections and Exhibitions