Board Agenda & Minutes - 06/13/07

Minutes - 6/13/07 Board Meeting

(Teleconference) June 13, 2007 9:30am PST

In Attendance:

Board Members: John Wiley (President), Stefan Wisbauer (Vice President/Secretary), Jori Manske, Robert Gonzales, Marshall Rosenberg and Valentina Rosenberg (Treasurer).

Observers: Jim Manske (LT), Margo Pair (LT/Office Administrator), Danielle Beenders (LT), William Poehner (LT), John Buck (co-facilitator), Gregg Kendrick, Rita Herzog, Dee Soule (note-taker).

• Consent by Board to record the teleconference.
• Group check-in.
• Consent by Board to scheduled agenda.
• Announcements.

Next Board meeting will take place Wednesday July 11, 2007 at 7:00am (PST).

Consent Agenda

• Decision: Future Board meetings will have a non-B/LT, non-office staff volunteer who will serve as a non-participating recording secretary (taking notes and composing the Board meeting minutes). This person and term is to be chosen by Margo and/or Administration team.

Needs: Accuracy, punctuality and connection for B/LT and network.

• Decision: Valentina is elected Treasurer for a one-year term, extending her interim election at the May 8, 2007 special meeting.

Needs: Effectiveness, continuity, clarity and ease for staff

Regular Agenda

Discussion

Discussion (questions/comments) of LT and Board functions and roles from initial committee meeting.

Needs: Clarity, updating documentation, defining roles of Board Officers and LT members.

• A report regarding organizational review is taking place by the special ad hoc Board committee which will be distributed to the members of each team for feedback and updating.
• Request for all LT members to attend future Board meetings for clarity, connection and understanding (once clarity is reached about their roles in the next Board Meeting).
• There was a suggestion for the LT to meet more than once per month in informal meetings where information and updates are shared within the group. These informal meetings would not be used for decision/policy-making, and do not necessarily need to include all members of the LT.
• Request for an outline or clear list of responsibilities of the LT, and suggestion that the LT meet at least once per week.

Discussion

Discussion of Margo’s request for strategic guidance, current direction and near-term issues: “What does the Board want the Administration team to accomplish in the next 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, etc.?”

Needs: Clarity on mission, vision, aims.

• Financial targets, initiatives, guidelines, etc.
• A plan for the physical structure of the CNVC office space
• An updated set of priorities, goals, resources, etc.

Example: Media, GCC, Resource efforts, etc.

• Definition of roles and a plan for decision-making.

Example: certification.

• To have written ideas, dreams and hopes about where we want to take the organization before the next face-to-face meeting in October.
• To ensure connection with the LT and Board; and to see that the office staff is taken care of.
• Strategic planning: Create clear procedures for communication of internal governance of CNVC, with the intention to be transparent about decisions to the entire network.
• Margo hopes the Board will:

• Define the roles of individual positions within the Board.
• Find out what we need in order to get the LT operating again, and to decide what they are assigned to do.
• Agree on guidelines for how decisions are made.

Example: what activities will CNVC support, with what resources?

• Gain a mutual understanding about what methods will be used to keep each other informed and connected.

• What guidelines would the Board like for the Administration team to work by?
• What are some suggestions for the administration team about how to address our concerns in the next few months?
• Clearly define the role of the administration team and its members.
• Establish a system of communication for decision-making to include:

1. Observations.
2. The needs met by the decision.
3. An invitation for feedback about the decision (from those directly involved or affected by that decision).

• Establish a system of communicating where decisions are made transparent to the network.
• Define who the Board will typically be in communication with in order to meet a need for transparency.
• Keep the Board informed about the Admin. Team’s activities, and to get clarity with the Board about what the Board’s expectations are of them.
• Ensure good connections with the LT and Board.
• The administration team will provide updates for the Board about decisions.
• The ongoing committee with John Buck will define roles, which will lead to creating a foundation for decision-making.

Proposal

Jori is elected Board Vice President OR Secretary for a term of one year, effective immediately.

Needs: effectiveness; a strategy for how we can get away from persons on the Board taking on multiple responsibilities (Stefan is currently the Vice President and Secretary).

Consent was NOT reached, therefore an election for the Vice President/Secretary roles will be held in the next Board meeting, in the form of sociocratic elections.

Checkout

• Robert Gonzales: hopeful we’re moving in a direction that will support us in the long run.
• John Wiley: hopeful and energized, a little disappointed consent was not reached about the V.P./Secretary roles, but appreciates the honesty he heard in the conversation.
• Jori: disappointed the group did not find a solution for the Secretary/V.P. roles, also feels excited to hear about what’s going on in Europe; excited questions are being discussed and resources are being pooled together for clarity and strategies for topics that have been on hold.
• Marshall: confused about the decision-making and thought there would be some discussion about the objections to the proposal regarding the roles of Secretary/V.P. He had hoped to be able to discuss alternate solutions. John Wiley followup: didn’t see that there was sufficient time for a longer discussion in this meeting; had hoped that agreement on the proposal for V.P. or Secretary would serve as a temporary solution, but looks forward to seeing it on the agenda for the next meeting. He also invited anyone who was interested to participate in email discussions about it.
• John Buck suggested that the process may have been more efficient and effective if the facilitator (John Wiley) collected nominations before making the proposals; enjoyed the energy in the meeting; wants to encourage everyone to show up early for scheduled meetings so that it can start on time.
• Valentina: appreciates John Buck’s clarification; sees support is needed, feels a strong connection with members of the Board; appreciated the integrity, honesty and aliveness with everyone who participated; feels inspired being a part of the group, and feels hopeful about everyone’s intentions.
• Stefan: confident we’re heading in the right direction, once roles are defined; wants to encourage “scary honesty” conversations between members of the Board.
• Gregg: grateful for the openness he observed; concerned about differing opinions on how the organization functions and defining roles; curious to know how long the process will take.
• Rita was not present for checkout.
• Jim: complete.
• Danielle: grateful, sad no consent was met about officer’s positions.
• William: worried about not finding a solution for what he sees as vital roles in the Board. He saw a difference between taking notes and actually tracking decisions, and he’s happy it will be addressed in the next scheduled meeting.
• Margo: appreciates the stronger sense of “we” that is developing. Her request is for a plan around Board members elections/nominations as an action item in next meeting.

Board Agenda - June 13, 2007

1630 GMT, 12:30pm US ET, 9:30am AZ/CA, 10:30 NM, 6:30am Hawaii, 5:30pm London

• 9:30am PT - Check-in (15 min.)

Logistics

• 9:45 Requests for agenda changes, Announcements, Next Meeting (5 min).

Consent Agenda

• 9:50 (10 min., John Wiley)
  
• Proposal: Board meetings will have a non-B/LT recording secretary, with person and term chosen by Margo and/or Administration team.

Needs: Accuracy, punctuality and connection for B/LT and network.

• Proposal: Valentina is elected Treasurer for a one-year term, extending her interim election at the 5/8/07 special meeting.

Needs: Effectiveness, continuity, and clarity.

Regular Agenda

• 10:00 Discussion of LT and Board functions and roles from initial committee meeting (John Wiley, 10 min.)

Needs: Clarity, updating documentation, defining roles of Board Officers and LT members.

• 10:10 Initial discussion of Margo's request for strategic guidance, current direction and near-term issues (John Wiley, 50 min.), consider committee formation.

Needs: Clarity on mission, vision, aims.

• 11:00 Proposal (John Wiley, 15 min.): Jori is elected Board Vice-President for a term of one year, effective immediately.

Needs: Tracking Board Decisions, performing all other VP roles, double-linking with LT.

• 11:15 Action Items from this meeting (John Wiley, 5 min.).

Needs: Effectiveness, Clarity, follow-through on Decisions.

• 11:20 Check-out (10 min.)