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NOTES FROM THE 11/11/2020 BOARD MEETING

LWVCO | Published on 12/1/2020
LWVCO BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING Board Briefing – Nov. 11th, 2020

The LWVCO Board of Directors met virtually on November 11th, 2020 and began the meeting sharing things they are thankful for. After receiving recent board feedback, this meeting was the first to take place on a weekday evening. Most meeting time was dedicated to reviewing strategic priorities and announcements. The 2019/2020 Annual Report, directors’ reports, and Nov. 11th meeting minutes were all reviewed and approved in the consent agenda.

Strategic Priorities Review  -- Beth reviewed the Next Steps to 2020 Strategic Priorities document, introducing, contextualizing, and updating each line item. Most items had been completed, and the board discussed four action items in detail:
1. The board discussed writing a whitepaper regarding the effectiveness of Colorado’s voting and election systems and distributing it through LWVUS’s network. The Colorado Secretary of State does not have publications that speak to the effectiveness of the system. They agree this project would frame LWVCO as a “trusted resource,” and individual board members began providing specific content ideas. Beth will call a meeting of interested board meetings to continue the conversation.
2. Following the discussion about the content in the whitepaper, Irene moved to add civil discourse in politics as an action item to the Next Steps to 2020 Strategic Priorities document, accepting a new strategic priority. The board discussed the naming in detail. Ultimately, Toni seconded the motion, and it passed unanimously.
3. The board discussed hiring a communications/marketing consultant and decided to retain the action item as a priority. They had brief conversation about the Communications Specialist staff position, discussing the position’s responsibilities.
4. Beth introduced the action item of restructuring membership to meet DEI goals, and the board agreed to discuss and research LWVCO’s membership structure. Beth will call a meeting to discuss.

Announcements Rionda updated the board about the LWVUS / Club Express partnership, and the ongoing development to integrate the databases. A pilot program will begin, and she will be exploring/asking who will participate.

Lois Adams outlined recent challenges with LWV of Estes Park. In summary, key leadership figures have left the league since the new board of directors was voted in the Spring. They plan on having a recruitment meeting and continuing to fill positions. Jean McGuire has been assisting the transition, and Lois will be working with her.

Beth announced recent successes of election season, including LWVCO’s reach of 91,000 people during October. She asked for feedback on the Annual Report and for each board member to provide her with a few-sentence testimonial to use in future projects. She presented the idea of not renewing our current lease, which expires in eight months. She presented the options of renewing for three years, renewing for one year, transitioning to completely remote work, finding a partner with free office space, or finding a partner for League events.

Beth and Barbara Mattison introduced the upcoming virtual Leader of Democracy 2021 event on February 11th, 2021. They reviewed event details, including the current budget, with a projected net income of $43,000. Barb asked the board to volunteer as event ambassadors, reviewing the expectations and relevant materials. She suggested the board could begin contacting folks in the upcoming weeks. Pam Hovik, who is coordinating the event ambassadors will follow up with those that volunteered. Additionally, Beth asked the board to consider potential corporate and individual sponsors or become a sponsor, themselves. The pledges from sponsors will be presented as the “starting” fundraising amount and will be a powerful motivator for gifts during the event.

Board Development
Rionda reviewed the ongoing local leagues data project. She discussed the history of the project and briefly outlined challenges and successes. Additionally, she walked through each sheet of the Data Collector spreadsheet, speaking at length about each of the data fields. This information will be most helpful when LWVCO purses funding and partnership opportunities.

Barb Whinery reviewed her DEI packet materials, providing background of each. She highlighted her experience navigating DEI and requested feedback on the materials. A couple others shared. Karen revisited the idea of bringing in a speaker or consultant to further the conversation. Mandy presented two workshop proposals and an unrelated upcoming virtual opportunity. In conclusion, the board agreed to participate in a DEI-themed workshop of some kind in the future and considered inviting other local league leaders to the event. Mandy will reach out to discuss scheduling the workshop. The decision was made, at Irene’s suggestion, that the initial workshop(s) be limited to the Board.

8:13 PM Adjournment Next Meeting: January 6th, 2021; 6:00pm – 8:00pm