Members convened at 3:30 pm using zoom.
PRESENT: Luke Shorty, Jenni Tilton-Flood, Diane Lebson, Pam Proulx-Curry, Bill Guindon, Maryalice Crofton
I. Urgent and timely matters from Volunteer Maine staff
A. MOU with GOPIF. This item was held over from last month. The MOU commits the Commission to developing a report about Climate Corps implementation progress. The report is due very early fall. The Commission will receive $23,000 which it will put towards the Climate Corps coordinator position.
B. Other (nothing at present).
II. General updates and planning
A. Final set of applicants for board seats and reappointment requests. Exec members reviewed the applicants for vacant board seats. All but one were recruited by Commissioners. Very recently an additional seat became vacant when a Commissioner decided not to seek reappointment. Tom Meuser may have a candidate. The existing set were endorsed and Maryalice will forward to the Office of Boards and Commissions. Hopefully, the people can be appointed before the September retreat.
B. Reorganizing board task forces. Pam reported on the discussion at the board meeting. There is strong support for combining three task forces (Climate Corps, Service Fellows, Excellence and Expertise) into a Program Committee. The proposal will be presented to the board in September. Maryalice asked that Exec discuss reviving the Finance Committee because the financial issues coming right up need to be well understood on the board. Exec is now covering Board Development, Strategic Planning, and Finance as well as the usual matters in its mission.
C. Retreat plan. At the board meeting, commissioners asked for a deep dive into the values and vision of the Commission. They felt it would help develop a common understanding of the Commission identity and help everyone keep that identity clearly in mind as transitions unfold in the next year. Without this, it would be possible to lose sight of critical things. Exec members agreed this would be the second major item. Celeste is working to confirm a training by Wabanaki REACH. The discussion turned to some logistics. Members agreed the facilitator should be Kaira Esgate from ASC. Four potential locations were identified: Knox Museum in Thomaston, Snow Pond Center for the Arts in Sidney, Thomas College in Waterville, and an unnamed place in Bangor (Pam will check it out). The preference is to hold the retreat and business meeting in the same place.
D. Actions in support of AmeriCorps funding restoration. Pam noted that ASC is waiting for the holiday to pass before making requests for outreach. Maryalice reported that several Commissioners reached out to Members of Congress after she forwarded the ASC notice about elimination of funding for AmeriCorps and State Commission operations. The immediate follow-up was helpful.
E. Other. Pam reported that Bill Guindon volunteered to be the third person on the Commission team to negotiate a new work plan with the Foundation. That meeting will be later this month.
III. Volunteer Maine Commission Meeting and Agenda review
N/A. There is no meeting in July
There being no other discussion items, the members dispersed at 4:32 p.m.