march 24, 2017 lake anna, vaweb.vims.edu/adv//mamea/mins/mamea 2017midyrbdmtngminutes … · 2....

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MAMEA Mid-Year Board Meeting March 24, 2017 Lake Anna, VA

Called to order: By MAMEA President C.Petrone, 1:30 p.m. _________ATTENDING__________ Exec Board Members In person Via conference call ABSENT REPORT

President – Chris Petrone x

Past President – Andy Gould x

President Elect – Lauren Albright x

Secretary – Carol Hopper Brill x

Treasurer – Jackie Takacs x

_________ATTENDING__________ State Representatives In person Via conference call ABSENT REPORT

DE Rep – C.Petrone, Acting x

MD Rep – Maria Madero x x

DC Rep – Allie Toomey x x

VA Rep – Kristen Sharpe x

NC Rep – Pat Curley x x

_________ATTENDING__________ Committee Members In person Via conference call ABSENT REPORT

Archives – David Christopher x

Awards – Carrie Carlin, Sarah Nuss S.Nuss C.Carlin x

Conference Advisory CPetrone, et al

Grants – Carol Hopper Brill x

Masthead – Celia Cackowski (3/24/17)

Membership– Lisa Lawrence x

NMEA – Kathy Fuller x

Nominating – Andy Gould x

Mentoring – Andy Gould, C.H.Brill x

Scholarships –Amy Sauls, S.Nuss, others S.Nuss A.Sauls x

Social Media – Chris Petrone x

Standing Rules – David Christopher x

Web – Lisa Lawrence x

Youth of MAMEA – Maria Madero x x

Report items in black. Discussion or report updates in blue. Please clarify/correct content highlighted Motions & Votes in red. Action items in green.

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MAMEA Mid-Year Board Meeting Minutes 3/24/2017 at Lake Anna, VA

Report items in black. Discussion or report updates in blue. Please clarify/correct content highlighted

Motions & Votes in red. Action items in green.

I. Exec Board

President - Chris Petrone UPDATE Activities/conferences/meetings/accomplishments since last Board meeting:

1. Wrapped up MAMEA 2016, including evaluation data to Lauren Albright a) MAMEA 2016 Conference generated revenue, see the budget report from J.Takacs. b) He is passing conference materials along to Pres.Elect Lauren Albright. Note: Secretary C.Hopper Brill has the box of Auction supplies and will send the list of contents to Lauren or her Auction Chair for planning.

2. Reviewed 2015 final grant reports per request from Grants Chair Carol Hopper Brill and reviewed 2016 grant proposals.

3. Showcased MAMEA during UD undergraduate presentation (UD MAST101) 4. Updated proposal for MAMEA Board At-Large members (see Appendix 1 attached) 5. Organized a strategic planning process for the organization, scheduled for 3/25/17

a) Secured facilitator – Jennifer Dindinger, UMd Extension (see Appendix 2 for Scope of Work). 6. Worked with facilitator to develop and implement a timeline, process, survey instrument, and face to

face session 7. ONGOING: Assist with refinement of MAMEA Conference Planning Notebook (Cookbook) 8. ONGOING: Update President-Elect procedure manual 9. ONGOING: Create MAMEA Communications procedure manual

Have you submitted all requested updates/articles to the Masthead since the last Board meeting? If no, please describe why.

1. Yes – From the Captain’s Quarters and summary of 2016 conference (Spring 2017) FORECAST Anticipated activities (mini-conference, MAMEA representation at a conference, etc.), with one-sentence description, through next MAMEA Board meeting:

1. Attending and presenting at NMEA in Charleston, will help put together chapter meeting and lead the meeting

2. Attend as many mini-conferences as possible 3. Assist with 2017 annual conference as needed 4. Complete the 2017-2021 strategic planning process

Anticipated support for the above activities from the MAMEA Board (e.g. Treasurer assistance, mini-conference webpage, social media posts, etc.)

1. Help from Secretary about what should be presented at Chapter Meeting at NMEA. Any input from other board members is appreciated. a) Recent coordinators/contributors to Chapter Meeting can assist in compiling representative meeting outline/topics: Membership Chair L.Lawrence; Archives/Rules Chair David Christopher, NMEA Rep K.Fuller & Secretary C.Hopper Brill.

What will success look like for the above activities? How will success be measured? (qualitative and/or quantitative)

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1. High attendance at MAMEA sessions and chapter meeting at NMEA. A big chapter basket for the auction.

Items of Business to submit to the Board for this upcoming meeting (list or “none”):

1. The addition of At-Large positions to the MAMEA Board (continued; see additional information, Appendix 1) a) At-Large members: proposed at last year’s mid-year meeting, we decide how many and if they

have voting privilege, and what responsibilities they should have. 1) We can have up to 3 (three), but adjust the number each year. They can vote. The objective is

to bring fresh voices to the board, and help more people become familiar with Board operations so they can prepare for leadership roles.

2) Concerns about the requirement to chair multiple committees, reduced this to “serve on at least one MAMEA committee.” We don’t necessarily want to displace experienced committee chairs, but to facilitate continuity between experienced & new board members. For example, involvement as Co-Chair would allow learning from veteran board members before taking on more responsibility.

3) Each At-Large Board members would get a vote, and each would be responsible for preparing a Board report for Mid-Year and Annual Meetings.

b) D.Christopher: To include this new board position, we need to make a change to the MAMEA Constitution, the cost is $25. This does not affect our Non-Profit status, no additional reporting requirements.

c) Voting to add At-Large positions: Board recommends the change, MAMEA membership has to vote to change By-Laws. Then we change the Constitution. We can hold a special election for this By-Law vote, but there are timing requirements for presenting it to membership, then voting. We need to draft language and get it to membership, but will miss the window for 2017 Board elections. We can take nominations at NMEA Chapter Meeting, then vote at the fall MAMEA Conference.

Vote: C.Petrone moves to vote on the updated proposal (Appendix 1). A.Gould seconds. All in favor. Action: A.Gould crafts wording for By-Law change, announce to Membership by April 10, goes out on the election announcement & ballot. Secretary C.Hopper Brill sends out the notice with the election ballot. Membership voting opens May 12.

2. MAMEA strategic planning (continued; update will be provided at meeting). See Appendix 2

a) C.Petrone introduced J.Dindinger, our facilitator for the Planning. Plan is to begin at 9 a.m. and finish by 2 p.m.

b) The Strategic Planning survey that was sent out to 290 individuals (current and past members, MAMEA lists and NMEA members in our regional states). Received 87 responses, including 65 members and 22 non-members.

c) Some additional board members will participate tomorrow. Three other members were interested, but could not make it.

d) We hope to have a 5-year plan that can go to the members for comment by the Nov. Conference, and can have a session at the Conference to get more members involved.

e) C.Petrone noted that DAEE strategic planning process was very positive and they bring it out at every meeting as a guide.

3. Reinstating the MAMEA Finance Committee

a. Can Jackie be committee chair? (David was to research) b. Lisa Lawrence and David showed some interest in serving on this committee

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President-Elect - Lauren Albright UPDATE Activities/conferences/meetings/accomplishments since last Board meeting:

1. Finalized Dates for the conference as November 3-5, 2017 in Ocean City, MD. 2. Secured Princess Royale Hotel as the location for the conference 3. Had 2 planning committee meetings. Begun soliciting for donations for auction items as well as

outside funders. Brainstorming ideas for Friday night event as well as speakers for the conference. Have you submitted all requested updates/articles to the Masthead since the last Board meeting? If no, please describe why.

1. Yes- submitted a “Save the Date” for the spring newsletter. FORECAST Anticipated activities (mini-conference, MAMEA representation at a conference, etc.), with one-sentence description, through next MAMEA Board meeting:

1. Continue planning and advertise the MAMEA 2017 conference.


1. Treasurer assistance, conference webpage and social media posts about the upcoming conference. What will success look like for the above activities? How will success be measured? (qualitative and/or quantitative)

1. The conference will be planned on-time and be attended by ≥ 60 participants (as was last years). Hopefully we can also recapture some of the new members that attended Chris’s conference for a second year.


1. Discuss the conference details. a) Conference Committee members include: David & Kim _____ - fundraising. *Sessions Chair = Maria Madero, with Marcie Orenstein, Christina Romano committee members. *Others identified? *Timeline: The call for proposals will go out in June (before the end of school). Registration will open in Sept. b) Has started working on the Auction: list of contributors from last year. CHB can offer a list from 2013 – several who have probably not been approached since then. c) Friday – casual science café activity with D. Christopher hosting trivia event at Ocean City Café, hor d’oeuvres and cash bar. d) Looking for plenary speakers: please share ideas, especially re: local marine science topics. e.g. Jen Ditmar – sea turtle rescue, Coast Guard, wildlife photography, Md Coastal Service, Meteorologist, State & National Park naturalists e) Hotel: $89/night for suites. The hotel has been very accommodating. 1) Have plenty of meeting rooms at the hotel, 4 on the same floor. 2) We have the agreement in writing. 3) Hotel said they do not need organization insurance. J.Takacs wants this in writing, too. f) Fieldtrip ideas: 1) Ocean City Boardwalk experience 2) “Secrets” distillery tour 3) Coast Guard fieldtrip or speaker 4) Assateague g) Will need A/V equipment: computers; screens & projectors for all meeting rooms

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Past President - Andy Gould UPDATE Activities/conferences/meetings/accomplishments since last Board meeting:

1. Volunteered at Blue Heron Bowl Regional Competition Have you submitted all requested updates/articles to the Masthead since the last Board meeting? If no, please describe why.

1. See nominating committee report 2. Past President can also report on Mentoring Committee: activities for prep of new board members or

recruitment of new members FORECAST Anticipated activities (mini-conference, MAMEA representation at a conference, etc.), with one-sentence description, through next MAMEA Board meeting:

1. See nominating committee report Anticipated support for the above activities from the MAMEA Board (e.g. Treasurer assistance, mini-conference webpage, social media posts, etc.)

1. See nominating committee report What will success look like for the above activities? How will success be measured? (qualitative and/or quantitative)

1. See nominating committee report Items of Business to submit to the Board for this upcoming meeting (list or “none”): none

Secretary - Carol Hopper Brill UPDATE Activities/conferences/meetings/accomplishments since last Board meeting:

1. Completed Annual Fall Board Meeting minutes, circulated to Members with requests for clarification or filling gaps in the transcript (11/28/16). Edits and clarifications are pending and will finalize at the Mid-Year meeting, then posted to the Dropbox. Apologies for being off the usual schedule.

2. A New Board Member Briefing was conducted on Nov. 6, 2016, as part of the Annual Conference. This was a very productive and positive meeting, an outline for future use is attached in the Mentoring Committee Report. Minutes were generated and are being circulated for review. Once approved, these will be added to the final Fall Board Meeting Minutes. There was considerable emphasis on completing Procedure outlines for Board positions and Committee in order to facilitate the integration of new board members, while maintaining continuity of operation.

3. Reviewed last-year’s process re: Call for Nomination with Membership Chair, she shared with new Past-President via e-mail. I still need to clarify respective duties of Nominating Committee Chair and Secretary in issuing nominee profiles and other election procedures.

4. I have completed an outline and timeline of Secretary’s duties for a procedural notebook. Have been asked to review outlines for: Awards Committee.


None relating to Secretary duties.

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FORECAST Anticipated activities (mini-conference, MAMEA representation at a conference, etc.), with one-sentence description, through next MAMEA Board meeting:

1. April 2017: Will take minutes during the Mid-Year Board Meeting. Will send draft minutes to Board members for a 2-week review period. After incorporating any changes, will submit the final minutes to Board Members & post them to the MAMEA DropBox.

2. April-June 2017: Using Board nominations for 2017, will assemble candidate profiles & work with Webmaster to develop the electronic ballot form. Will count and validate election results. With Nominating Chair, will announce Board election results at Chapter meeting during NMEA Conference.

3. Will coordinate/facilitate the updating or development of Board & Committee Procedure outlines, and Board position calendars.

4. Will find a surrogate to take minutes during MAMEA Chapter Meeting at the NMEA Conference in June. As appropriate, will circulate announcements to Board members in July/August. Will submit article to August/Fall Masthead.

5. Will take minutes during Fall Board Meeting. Will send draft minutes to Board members for a 2-week review period. After incorporating any changes, will submit the final minutes to Board Members & post them to the MAMEA DropBox.


1. Will need Board assistance as I clarify and draft meeting minutes, Board review and response so that minutes can be finalized and posted.

2. Will need information on Board nominations from the Nominating Chair (Past-President), will need CV or profile information from all nominees, will need Webmaster help to develop online ballot. Since I am on the ballot this year, I will need to coordinate with Nominating Chair to find another person to help count & validate election ballots and to announce new Board members.

3. Will need participation by all Board members & Committee chairs to update or develop procedure outlines and timelines for Board and Committee routine operations.


1. Minutes of Board meetings will be clearly outlined, will contain all appropriate information reflecting Board business & discussion. Any motions will be identified & Board action recorded, all action items clearly identified. Any items/actions for further discussion will be noted and will be brought to attention at the next Board meeting. Minutes of each meeting will be circulated among Board members for approval for ~2 weeks. After incorporating any changes, the final Minutes will be issued no later than 1 month after the meeting date.

2. The 2017/18 Board nominees will be profiled and elections will be successfully conducted via the online ballot. Ballots will be tallied & validated, New Board members will be announced at the Chapter meeting at the June NMEA Conference.

3. We will complete procedure outlines and timelines for routine operations of MAMEA Board positions and Committees.


1. Need an update on which Board & Committee procedure outlines are ready for review or for Dropbox. We started a list at the New Board Meeting last November. I want to update that, see who is reviewing the different position outlines, help upload the final versions to the Dropbox. We will need to agree on a “maintenance” schedule for future updates. a) Resources we have: basic outline for what might go in the procedure outline, descriptions of responsibilities/tasks within Standing Rules & By-Laws, task calendars for Board positions, meeting minutes. Action: C.Hopper Brill will reissue the SOP notebook outline for reference. b) C.Hopper Brill compiled a list of procedure outlines ready or in prep. Attached as Appendix 3, end

of this document

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c) Need to identify reviewers for procedures as the outlines are completed. d) Board asked for a concrete deadline on when all procedure outlines are due: Action: All board/committee procedure outlines will be complete by June 1, 2017

2. Do we want to collate a list of MAMEAns presenting at NMEA? Action: K.Fuller will do this as NMEA Rep. She recently issued a listing of MAMEAns presenting at the NSTA Conference this month.

3. Board members noted that no 2016 minutes are posted on the MAMEA website. Action: Secretary will provide the Mid-Year 2016 and Annual 2016 (once approved) to the Webmaster for posting on the MAMEA website, but without the budgets as is our practice. Note that the Mid-Year and Annual 2016 minutes are available on the MAMEA Dropbox, in the Secretary folder. These versions contain the budget documents presented & discussed at Board Meetings.

Treasurer – Jackie Takacs UPDATE Activities/conferences/meetings/accomplishments since last Board meeting:

1. Updated 2016 year-end budget. We ended up making $932.83 – didn’t need to use any of the carryover from 2015. See Appendix 4, end of this document. a) Budget now includes 2016 Conference proceeds. We made ~$1500 from registrations and ~$3500 from the Auction & sales of MAMEA logo items. b) Expenses included: 1) $90 for NMEA memberships for our MAMEA awardees. We will reimburse K.Fuller for her membership & pay for K.Richardson’s membership (at the end of April). The Awards Committee will include this in the procedure manual. The Awards Chair will notify Treasurer, who then pays for the membership. 2) We had only 1 grant awarded this year. 3) We had 2 of the 3 Top NOSB coaches attend the MAMEA Conference in Nov. 4) Scholarship reimbursements for the Fall Conference are still in process. 5) Board Travel expenses: Each member eligible for $150/year, but must attend both Mid-Year and Annual to claim the full amount. If you miss the Mid-Year meeting, can only claim $75. J.Takacs made a list of Board Members and what travel funds they can claim. Committee Co-Chairs can get ½ the allotment for that position. Correcting for those Board members not attending the Mid-year meeting, the potential travel expenses for 2017 are $2400. Action: We need to check when we voted on this policy, it needs to be included in the Standing Rules. c) Over the year, we made $900 (instead of the deficit we expected).

2. 2017 Budget Summary: See Appendix 5, end of this document Note: Checking balance: $24,790.71 & CD balance: $20,738.11 a) Difference in membership revenue due to slow/incomplete renewals. Action: Membership Chair L.Lawrence will send another renewal notice out, and notes that mini- conferences are important means for us to recruit members & generate revenue. b) 2017 Annual conference expense of $500 is for the deposit. Anticipate $2200 in revenue. c) Overall projection = in the red by ~$500.

3. Updated the 2017 budget to reflect the cost of strategic planning, domain registration and potential

board insurance. See Appendix 6, end of this document. a) This budget differs from the budget presented Nov. 2016, including: new lines for Insurance, Strategic Planning, web domain, board travel.

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1) Note that we include the Accounting Service expense each year, but only use if we actually need to file full tax returns.

2) Insurance for Board: we reduced this from $1800 to $1000 3) 2nd entry for Insurance is for event liability, case by case, we reduced this from $1500 to $1000 4) The NOSB award for the video contest – delete, not being awarded this year.

b) To balance, we need $12,349 in carry over from the account (note: this is ½ of our current checking account balance) Have you submitted all requested updates/articles to the Masthead since the last Board meeting? If no, please describe why.

1. n/a FORECAST Anticipated activities (mini-conference, MAMEA representation at a conference, etc.), with one-sentence description, through next MAMEA Board meeting:

1. n/a Anticipated support for the above activities from the MAMEA Board (e.g. Treasurer assistance, mini-conference webpage, social media posts, etc.)

4. n/a What will success look like for the above activities? How will success be measured? (qualitative and/or quantitative)

1. n/a Items of Business to submit to the Board for this upcoming meeting (list or “none”):

1. Need to approve changes to Updated 2017 budget (Appendix 6) Vote: C.Petrone moves to accept the Updated 2017 budget (Appendix 6) with changes discussed above. C. Hopper Brill seconds. All in favor.

2. Review of on-line store options a) There is interest in an on-line store for MAMEA logo items. Could include items we already have in stock as well as new items.

1) We have the following items in stock: 70 small blue bags > could use at Conf. 2017; water bottles > could use at mini-conferences; pens & rulers > could use at mini-conferences; 30 mugs; 59 coosies; 60 clipboards; bottle openers; reorder bamboo utensils, straws, beach towels? Let’s give away items that don’t sell well, to NSTA Share-A-Thon or Conference Bag auction.

2) Print on Demand services: there is a base price, then they pay us per item that is ordered OR we pay a monthly fee. J.Takacs doesn’t have to mail merchandise, but we get a share of proceeds. The individual who orders pays the shipping. Examples are Zazzle & Red Bubble (C.Cackowski & L. Lawrence are familiar). We want a service with reasonable prices and shipping, good clothing quality. We can put a mark-up on it. We want to find products that are recycled. Continue to contribute suggestions.

Action: J.Takacs & L.Lawrence will work on setting up a store, get items to test by the Nov. Conference.

3. Insurance options: 2 kinds of insurance to consider

a) Board/Directors insurance to cover Association board behavior.

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1) Costs $600-900/year, for violations like discrimination or sexual harassment, other actions/decisions not in keeping with our mission. Example could be re: awards, grants, scholarships if someone sued claiming our decision was biased.

2) NMEA carries Board Insurance. 3) After discussion, it was proposed that we put $1,000 in for Board insurance.

b) General liability insurance for events.

1) Concerns about both Annual & mini-conferences, because if not held at the Aquarium or VIMS, we may have no protection. Some hotels require us to carry, others may not. But, lack of liability coverage could affect MAMEA and even individuals within the organization if an accident occurs.

2) Liability insurance can cost $1000s per year. Alternatively, we could get insurance for each event individually so that we are only paying for coverage where we need it (as needed event insurance). For example, insurance would be $600 for DE. A State Rep would contact J.Takacs who gets a quote, fill out paperwork. Do we want a line item in the budget to cover this? We could include the cost of insurance in the mini-conference fee.

3) D.Christopher proposed that we put $1500 into the budget and see what we use.

4. Following up on discussions from the New Board Member Meeting in Nov. 2016, President C.Petrone proposed that we reinstate the Finance Committee. a) This is a standing committee, per SR 104.9, that has been inactive for some time. There is room for development. Per the SR, the Committee will determine functions and procedures. NMEA has a Finance Committee outline we can examine.

b) Members: The Treasurer cannot be Chair, but is on the Committee. Others that are familiar with some of Treasurer operations include: President C.Petrone; Membership Chair L.Lawrence & By- Laws/SR Chair David Christopher. c) Will need to update language of the Standard Operating Procedure. d) J.Takacs brought up the issue of passwords for MAMEA accounts. Where to store/share them

that is secure? 2-3 people should know: J.Takacs & L.Lawrence. When they leave the Board, need to pass this information to the next incumbants.

e) The Treasurer’s SOP notebook should be protected since it includes information on State Incorporation & all our tax records.

f) Can we have a second signator for the MAMEA checkbook? Not easy. But, perhaps L.Lawrence can send funds from the bank automatically or from the PayPal account if there is a need.

g) There will be some concern about the permanency of the Finance Committee members. All agree that there should 2 individuals minimum.

See Budget Appendices, end of this document: #4-2016 MAMEA Working Budget-updated 3/14/17 #5-2017 MAMEA Working Budget #6-2017 Proposed MAMEA Budget

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II. State Reps Reports

Delaware Rep- Chris Petrone (Acting) UPDATE Activities/conferences/meetings/accomplishments since last Board meeting:

1. Hosted the MAMEA 2016 annual conference a) 9 DE members attended. It continues to be challenging to recruit teachers in DE.

2. Chesapeake Bay Bowl – February 4, 2017; University of Delaware-Lewes – provided teacher-coaches with information on MAMEA and NMEA 2017. MAMEA generously donated one-year memberships to all new coaches (only one person this year), and conference registration for winning coach


1. Yes – Delaware Update (Spring 2017) FORECAST Anticipated activities (mini-conference, MAMEA representation at a conference, etc.), with one-sentence description, through next MAMEA Board meeting:

1. MAMEA brochures and event information will be disseminated during educator workshops this summer at UD-Lewes (MADE CLEAR Climate Academy; Delaware Bay Zooplankton; MADE CLEAR Renewable Energy; Lewes Education Coalition’s Day in Lewes; Delaware Sea Grant Robotics and Photogrammetry)

2. I will not be able to host a horseshoe crab mini-conference this spring due to other personal and professional obligations. Additionally, the moon phases and tides do not mesh well with a weekend event. a) May consider co-marketing one of his regular DE Teacher workshops as a Mini-Conference. K.Fuller may be able to assist if it is a single day event


1. None. What will success look like for the above activities? How will success be measured? (qualitative and/or quantitative)

1. How many workshop-participants engage in future MAMEA events. Items of Business to submit to the Board for this upcoming meeting (list or “none”): None

Maryland Rep – Maria Madero UPDATE Activities/conferences/meetings/accomplishments since last Board meeting:

1. MAMEA 2017 2. YOCS 2016-FL (please, spell out for those not familiar with acronyms) 3. B-More Stem & MOST (please, spell out, describe these events) 4. Joint MD Mini Conference & DC Mini Conference with Allie Toomey

Please provide a description of the event, date, etc.


1. Yes Please indicate what subject & which issue of the Masthead

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1. YOCS-Baltimore 2017 2. NMEA 2017-presenting 3. MAMEA 2017 conference committee

a. Sessions Chair with Marcie Orenstein and Christina Romano as committee members b. General MAMEA 2017 help


1. Social Media for mini conference 2. Treasure support for mini conference


1. High Attendance 2. Increase in MAMEA memberships or renewals


1. Opening for MAMEA 2017 session proposals – see President Elect’s report. 2. Membership Chair L.Lawrence notes that MAMEA numbers are down, mini-conferences in MD and

NC would be very helpful in recruiting members.

DC - Allie Toomey UPDATE Activities/conferences/meetings/accomplishments since last Board meeting:

1. Working with Maria to plan a joint DC/MD mini conference in a metro-accessible location. Options include the Zoo, Smithsonian, or NatGeo or Potomac Kayaking.


1. I dropped the ball on the last Masthead article FORECAST Anticipated activities (mini-conference, MAMEA representation at a conference, etc.), with one-sentence description, through next MAMEA Board meeting:

1. Working with Maria to plan a joint DC/MD mini conference in a metro-accessible location. Options include the Zoo, Smithsonian, or NatGeo or Potomac Kayaking


1. Treasurer assistance for mini-conference, registration page (possibly), and some social media promotion


1. Local attendees! Looking to get folks from DC more engaged as we rarely see them at other mini-conference events.

Items of Business to submit to the Board for this upcoming meeting (list or “none”): none

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Virginia- Kristen Sharpe UPDATE Activities/conferences/meetings/accomplishments since last Board meeting:

1. I have been working on spreading the word about MAMEA at various conferences and events since our last meeting. We displayed the MAMEA poster and distributed brochures at the Virginia Association of Science Teachers conference and at one of our general public Discovery Labs. We also displayed the MAMEA poster and brochures while colleagues were touring our lab during the NERRS Annual Meeting this past November. a) Shared MAMEA information at the Discovery Lab event featuring Achilles Elementary School’s MWEE (meaningful watershed educational experience)) that was funded by the MAMEA grant.


1. I just recently submitted Virginia events and updates to the Masthead for the upcoming publication. I also submitted my final MAMEA Mini Grant report to Carol for her review, which should be published in the next issue as well.


1. I am currently in the process of planning the Virginia mini-state event for the summer of 2017. I have reached out to a few of our state members to try to glean what types of experiences they would be most interested in. I also plan to extend information about MAMEA to colleagues in the Three Rivers Environmental Educators group (which I am currently Vice President of) in order to try to encourage participation there as well. a) Planning the mini-conference for summer 2017 since spring schedule is too busy.


1. I will need assistance from Jackie as far as the mini-event goes, but will be in contact with her as I develop my ideas more.


1. I would really like to get at least 15 members signed on for my mini-state event. That would lead me to feel like it was a success.


NC Rep - Pat Curley UPDATE Committee activities/accomplishments since last Board meeting:

1. Provided MAMEA materials at Coastal SciRen Event. Please provide date, location & brief description of this event.

Committee articles submitted to Masthead since the last Board meeting:

1. North Carolina Regional Report. Indicate the issue (month, year)

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FORECAST Anticipated committee activities (e.g. awards selection, mini-grant reports to Masthead), with one-sentence description, through next MAMEA Board meeting:

1. Promotion of NMEA Conference. 2. Solicitation for awards, grants and scholarships

Anticipated support for the above activities from the MAMEA Board (e.g. Treasurer assistance, webpage update, social media posts, etc.). Please describe as needed.

1. I will be posting information for publication on social media and webpage What will success look like for the above activities? How will success be measured? (qualitative and/or quantitative)

1. Increased communication and participation in NC Items of Business to submit to the Board for this upcoming meeting (list or “none”):

1. I would like to see some clothing articles with MAMEA logo available before conference 2. Membership Chair L.Lawrence notes that MAMEA numbers are down, mini-conferences in MD and

NC would be very helpful in recruiting members. Pat C. is very busy, but has been successful at raising funds to pay for teacher memberships.

3. Membership Chair L.Lawrence notes that MAMEA numbers are down, mini-conferences in MD and NC would be very helpful in recruiting members.

General discussion about Mini-Conference planning: 1.It is very important for the State Rep to communicate about their mini-conference plans with Treasurer

Jackie Takacs and Membership Chair Lisa Lawrence. a) Treasurer has to approve mini-conference budget and releases the $300 start-up funds. Membership

Chair helps with contact information for state members, can post the mini-conference announcement to the website, set up on-line registration and Paypal payment.

b) Mini-conferences are not free to participants, they need to include $10 for membership fee, point is to recruit members and raise funds.

c) Need a form to gather the relevant information, spell out the conditions: we can repurpose the old Mini-Conference grant form as a “Mini-Conference planning form.

Action: C.Hopper Brill has the last edition of the MC grant form and can reissue a draft of a MC Planning Form for review.

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III. Committees

Awards Committee - Co-Chairs Carrie Bateman and Sarah Nuss Committee Chair(s): Carrie Carlin and Sarah McGuire Nuss Active Committee Members: Jaclyn Beck, Lisa Ayers Person submitting this report: Carrie Carlin

UPDATE Committee activities/accomplishments since last Board meeting:

1. Articles of each of the winners were sent to local newspapers. 2. Discussions were started on how to improve the process even more for next year.

a) Will include the NMEA memberships as awards in the process. Will reimburse K.Fuller for her membership renewal and will pay for K.Richardson’s membership. We can consider NMEA nominations for both of them next year.

3. Promoted MAMEA to teachers at the Natural Connections Conference sponsored by VA DOE, March 17. This was a good audience, interested in environmental and outdoor education. Committee articles submitted to Masthead since the last Board meeting:

1.Yes- winners were highlighted and advertising for the awards process starting in late spring/summer. FORECAST Anticipated committee activities (e.g. awards selection, mini-grant reports to Masthead), with one-sentence description, through next MAMEA Board meeting:

1. Continue discussions on how to improve the process and attract more committee members from all states.


1. Ideas on how to attract more committee members and advertising on when the process starts.


1. We had amazing nominations this year and are looking forward to having even more next year.

Items of Business to submit to the Board for this upcoming meeting (list or “none”): none 1. We forgot to award NMEA memberships for our 2 MAMEA awardees. Our annual budget contains $90 to cover this. a) We will reimburse K.Fuller for her membership (she has already renewed) & pay for K.Richardson’s membership (at the end of April). ACTION: The Awards Committee will include the NMEA membership in the Awards procedure manual. The Awards Chair will notify Treasurer, who then pays for the membership. 2. Neither 2016 MAMEA award was submitted as a candidate for the NMEA award. We had an out-dated e-mail for K.Fuller & K.Richardson was not a member of NMEA. Now that both will have current NMEA memberships, we can consider both for NMEA awards next year. Action: Send Jackie K.Richardson’s e-mail so she can take care of NMEA membership for her.

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Bylaws/SRules Committee; Archives Committee – Chair David Christopher Committee Chair(s): David Christopher Active Committee Members: Carol Hopper Brill Person submitting this report: David Christopher

UPDATE Committee activities/accomplishments since last Board meeting:

1. Helped with language for At-Large Board Members proposal 2. Will help with any issues concerning the MAMEA Constitution

Committee articles submitted to Masthead since the last Board meeting: 1. none


1. Make changes to By Laws to support At-Large Board Member participation 2. Question re: board voting on standard operating procedures or committee task descriptions. We don’t

want to vote on SOP. Committee member establish, share with board. We review procedures, need to be able to change. SOP need to be flexible, we have Standing Rules & By Laws that assure more consistent guidelines and responsibilities.

3. J.Takacs has scanned Treasurer information and transmitted to D.Christopher 4. D.Christopher has digitized the archives, it is sorted by year, but not by subject. Cumulative records

are too large to share in Dropbox.

Anticipated support for the above activities from the MAMEA Board (e.g. Treasurer assistance, webpage update, social media posts, etc.). Please describe as needed. 1.None


1. That we are prepared for the annual business meeting with language for at large board members

Items of Business to submit to the Board for this upcoming meeting (list or “none”): none 1. S.Nuss has had a teacher ask what we were going to do to support educators whose agencies are

facing federal budget cuts (NERR, VASG, etc). Can MAMEA initiate an effort, send letter of support? April 4 is an important deadline for comments to the Congressional Finance Committee. a) NMEA will send a letter.

ACTION: NMEA will send a letter of support. Kathy F. confirmed that Tami L. (NMEA President & MAMEA member) submitted a letter on behalf of NMEA.

b) Board Members who are agency representatives cannot write in support of their own jobs, who can write? 1) National Aquarium may be sending a letter of support. Lauren can craft wording and send to Representatives in each state. ACTION: Lauren A. will craft a letter using the NMEA template. S.Nuss can add MAMEA wording. ACTION: Each State Rep will look up addresses for their Representatives and send to Lauren so she can issue the letter of support. c) As private citizens, we can write letters of support

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Conference Advisory Committee - Chair(s): To be appointed by President 1.Discussion re: our practice of requiring the President Elect to organize and run the annual MAMEA

Conference a. C.Petrone asked if we can uncouple the Pres.Elect’s requirement to plan the conference. A.Gould noted that some new folks would like a leadership role, but not the conference planning

responsibilities (e.g. classroom teachers). b. Examine the Standing Rules & ByLaws for clarification: The Pres.Elect has to organize the Conference Committee and can delegate the tasks of conference planning. So, we already have the mechanism available. We need to start communicating this to nominees.

2. The Conference Adv. Committee is available to advise, help with the transfer of information from one year to the next & to provide financial oversight. a. Conf. Adv. Committee = Appointed by the President for 2-year term. Works with PE and other

members of their Conference Committee to plan and implement. Maintains the Conference Handbook, updates it and transfers to the next Conf. Adv. Chair. b. MAMEA Conference Cookbook established by A.Wilson et al. CHB has an electronic version. Action: CHB will send the digital copy of the Conf. Cookbook to Andrew and post to the MAMEA Dropbox. 3. Are our nominations for President Elect being biased by our practice of rotating the location of the

Annual Conf.? Should the Board rotate the location of the annual Conference regardless of the PE’s

state affiliation? No. But, next year, the Conference should take place in VA or NC.

Grants Committee - Chair(s): Carol Hopper Brill Committee Chair(s): Carol Hopper Brill Active Committee Members: Chris Petrone (President), Andy Gould (Past-President), Jackie Takacs (Treasurer) Person submitting this report: Carol Hopper Brill UPDATE Committee activities/accomplishments since last Board meeting (October 2014):

1. Both 2015/16 Grantees submitted Final Reports. K.Sharpe’s was sent on to the Committee for review 11/29/15 and approved by CHB, AG & CP. B.Schap’s report was sent for review on 12/13, CHB approves, need other committee member response.

2. Both 2015/16 Grantees met their obligation to communicate results of their MAMEA-supported work. Kristen Sharpe (informal educator) and Beth Schap (classroom teacher) both generated articles for the Masthead, CH Brill submitted for the March 2017 issue of the Masthead.

3. Treasurer J. Takacs will issue the balance 20% of the grant to the Grantees’ business managers as soon as approval is confirmed.

4. A single 2016/17 Grantee were announced at the Annual Business Meeting, 11/6/16: a. No proposal from a Classroom Educator was received. b. Grant for Informal Educator awarded to: Andrew Wilson, Director of Under the Sea and the Glen

Echo Park Aquarium, for his proposal titled “Enriching Chesapeake Bay Curriculum with Distance Learning.”

5. Per Grant award procedures: a. CHB issued the Grantee his packet on 11/21/16, including a letter of congratulations, grantee

responsibilities & instructions for receiving the 1st installment check. b. CHB & JT conducted a conference call with Andrew and his Business Manager on 12/2/16 to:

explain their obligations, discuss the role of the grantee’s business manager & review kind of documentation needed for the final fiscal report.

c. J.Takacs issued the 1st installment check by mid-December with communications to both grantee and their Business Manager. CHB followed-up to make sure check has been received.

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6. CHB prepared a profile of 2016/17 Grantee for the MAMEA website. Webkeeper LLawrence posted it. A press releases was not issued this year. The grantee announcement and profile has been submitted as an article for the March 2017 issue of Masthead.

7. CBH and J.Takacs reviewed the grant information and documents on the website to be sure they are the versions updated in 2016. Updated versions now available on the MAMEA website include: description of the grant; grant application form; sample grant; grantee obligations and reporting requirements.

8. Conducted a Conference Call with A.Wilson & his business manager on 12/2/16 to clarify how funds are to be handled, reporting responsibilities, other questions. J.Takacs issued the first installment of the funds (80%).

9. CHB contacted the Andrew in early March, requesting a progress report for communication at the Mid-year Board Meeting. Report received and presented here: We have reached out to many schools that want to be trial schools for our distance learning and I have been talking with an IT specialist from N.VA Community College about the technology (they do classes this way). We also have an employee that does video work, so he is intimately involved in this project. We have upgraded our internet service to a faster, more robust router and we hope to start testing our presentations by mid- April. We have the video camera, tripod, and HDMI cable so the last few steps are to choose the program (Google Classroom, Google Hangouts, and GoToMeeting seem to be the preferred method for most schools).

10. The contents for a Grants Committee Procedure Notebook was sent to the Committee for review on 4/12/16. I didn’t receive any feedback, so I assume it’s ok. If Committee members want to go back and look at it again, let me know.


1.Edited 2015/16 Grantee final articles and submitted for March 2017 Masthead. 2. Generated announcement & profile of the 2016/17 Grant winner, submitted for March 2017

Masthead. 3. Announcement of 2017/18 Educational Grants has been submitted for a Winter 2016 Masthead.

Publication is pending assignment of a new newsletter editor. FORECAST Anticipated committee activities (e.g. awards selection, mini-grant reports to Masthead), with one-sentence description, through next MAMEA Board meeting:

1. Will check-in with 2016/17 Grantee by e-mail or phone quarterly (~March, May, Aug). In Sept/Oct, will remind them of their final report deadline. Will encourage them to write an article for Masthead or deliver a conference presentation about their project.

2. Will familiarize President Chris Petrone and President-Elect Lauren Albright with duties of the Grant Committee – all outlined in the Grant Procedures Manual.

3. Will respond to Grants Committee review re: contents of the Grants Procedure Notebook, and revise as needed.

4. Will promote the next round of grant awards (2017/18) with announcements in each Masthead issue. And, will send e-mail to all MAMEA members promoting the grant program in spring and late summer/early fall.

5. Will coordinate review of the 2017/18 proposals with the Grant Committee. Collate evaluations, communicate with applicants for clarification. And, with Committee, make final grantee project selection.

6. Will announce the 2017/18 Grantees at the Nov.2016 Board meeting & MAMEA business meeting during 2017 Annual Conference.

7. Will coordinate review of the 2016/17 Final Reports with the Grant Committee, due Nov. 30. Upon approval, will notify Treasurer Jackie Takacs to issue the balance of the grant award.

8. Will conduct a face-to-face meeting with 2017/18 Grantees at the Fall Business Meeting, or schedule a conference call to review instructions and responsibilities. Treasurer to attend if possible. Jackie & I conducted this call on Dec. 2, 2016.

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9. Will check-in with 2017/18 grantees by e-mail or phone quarterly (~Dec, March, May, Aug). In March, will ask for a Project Update to present at the Mid-year Board Meeting. Checked in with Andrew to be sure they had received the funds. Requested the progress report.

10. Will promote the next round of grant awards (2018/19) with an announcement in each Masthead issue.

11. Will collaborate with Grants Committee on any needed revisions to Grantee communications & instructions.


1. Treasurer, President & Past-President: review current communications & instructions to grantees, suggest clarifications and procedures to streamline grant awards, review potential contents for a Grants Procedure Notebook.

2. Webpage updates: of Grantee profiles 3. Social media posts: of Grantee projects 4. Masthead Editor support: including promo announcements for next grant cycle; posting Grantee

reports What will success look like for the above activities? How will success be measured? (qualitative and/or quantitative)

1. 2016/17 Grantees will provide a final report by Nov. 30, 2017. After Committee approval, their balance award will be issued promptly.

2. 2016/17 Grantees will submit an article to the Masthead or present at the MAMEA Conference. 3. Grant program promotion attracts 1 or more grant submissions in each category for 2017/18 cycle. 4. 2017/18 Grantee proposals will be selected by the Committee, and announced at the 2017 MAMEA

Conference Business Meeting in Nov.2017. 5. Grants committee will continue to streamline the funding process so that future grantees get their

support as soon after the Fall Conference as possible. 6. 2017/18 Grantees will provide mid-year updates by March 2018, and a final report by Nov. 2018. 7. Grants Committee will develop a Grants Procedure Notebook that communicates current Committee

efforts, best practices, timelines, all forms, sample communications. Items of Business to submit to the Board for this upcoming meeting (list or “none”): None.

Masthead Editor - transfers to Celia Cackowski UPDATE

1. C.Petrone cued Amanda Ruhnke about the need for a spring Masthead issue, helped her put out a call for articles and resent the SOP documents he developed when he passed the Editor position to Ann McIlhatten.

a. Unfortunately, Amanda has had to resign because of multiple conflicting obligations. b. However, Celia Cackowski (VIMS Marine Adv. Program) may be willing to pick up the Editor task &

she is present at the Board Meeting today. Celia accepts the Editor post and is now a member of the MAMEA Board. Welcome!

c. C.Petrone proposed that C.Cackowski prepare the layout following his SOP if possible. We will issue a PDF version this time, not the full on-line version. Some articles will need updating if they are time sensitive or if new items are now relevant.

Action: need to solicit State Reps again and if Board members know of events to feature, please send these to State Rep and they will pass them on to the Editor.

d. C.Cackowski can’t start work on the Masthead until April 1.

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Membership Committee -- Chair Lisa Lawrence Committee Chair(s): Lisa Lawrence Active Committee Members: Carol Hopper Brill Person submitting this report: Lisa Lawrence UPDATE Committee activities/accomplishments since last Board meeting:

1. 122 current MAMEA members. a. DC – 4 b. DE – 13 c. MD – 32 d. NC – 18 e. VA – 50 f. Other – 5 g. 14 Lifetime members Lisa reiterated how important mini-conference events are to membership recruitment. She encourages State Reps to plan these and she can help in several ways: promotion on the website, on-line registration with PayPal, etc. But, remember State Reps need to communicate with both Treasurer and Membership Chair during the planning of the mini-conference.

2. Compared to the membership rate from 2016 Spring board meeting, membership is down by 37 memberships (30%). a) At the end of 2016, we had 233 members which means we have 111 members that have not yet

renewed. Renewal notices were sent out on January 18 and from that we have had 20 members renew.

b) I will send a renewal reminder again. c) We will continue to get new members/renewals over the course of the year through mini

conferences, MAMEA & NMEA registrations, etc. but we will really need to promote MAMEA memberships in order to reach the same membership level as in 2016 (233).

d) C. Petrone asked if any sign-ups resulting from the Strategic Planning survey? Lisa cannot tell. e) C.Hopper Brill notes that NOSB New Coach awards will add 8 new members. Currently confirming

contact information for these individuals. 3. New memberships so far in 2017: 2. No new lifetime members added in 2016.


1. Membership update submitted in Mar 2017 for the next Masthead issue. FORECAST Anticipated committee activities (e.g. awards selection, mini-grant reports to Masthead), with one-sentence description, through next MAMEA Board meeting:

1. Provide membership contact information to board and Masthead editor as needed.


1. New memberships generated by state mini conferences conducted by the state reps 2. New memberships generated by NMEA annual conference registration. Need assistance from MAMEA

Rep to NMEA (Kathy Fuller) in obtaining this information. 3. Need board members to check with me for the most up-to-date membership info for MAMEA benefits

like award, grant and officer eligibility and Masthead newsletter dissemination.

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1. Membership equal to or exceeding the 233 members at the end of the year. 2. Add 2 new lifetime members. 3. All official nominees for grants, awards and offices meeting the membership eligibility requirements. 4. All current MAMEA members are receiving the Masthead newsletter electronically.


1. Carry over from last year – members are requesting MAMEA logo wear items to purchase. I would like the board to consider setting up an online MAMEA wear shop that we don’t have to manage the website, ordering or shipping. Jackie Takacs has details. See discussion of this issue in the Treasurer’s report.

2. Members asked for clarification of which member database files in Dropbox to use:

Remember that membership applications come in throughout the year, but our membership year is the calendar year. a) Active: She keeps these names for up to 2 years, sends renewal notices & selected other

announcements to these individuals. b) CURRENT: This is the list to use. These individuals are paid up on their dues, they get Masthead

and all other announcements. c) She can generate the most up-to-date member lists by state.

Mentoring Committee – Chair Andy Gould (as Past-President) Committee Chair(s): Andy Gould (Past-President) Active Committee Members: Carol Hopper Brill Person submitting this report: Carol Hopper Brill UPDATE Committee activities/accomplishments since last Board meeting (November 2016):

1. As noted in the Secretary’s Report, we held a New Board Members Meeting on Nov. 6, at the conclusion of the Annual Conference. A.Gould chaired the meeting. The objective was to review Board position tasks as needed and to introduce new Board Members to the resources that outline their positions, the MAMEA guidelines and procedures for each position. This is a practice that we should strive to continue. Or, if not possible to meet in person at the Conference, a conference call should take place. a) Since the Past-President is also Chair of Mentoring Committee, they can coordinate the New Board

Members meeting (or Conference Call) with the help of the Secretary & collaboration with the Incoming President (for scheduling time and room).

2. A partial outline of potential Mentoring Committee activities exists and we need to flesh these out. They can include activities that attract new members, as well as those that contribute to preparation of new and existing board members.

3. We had two of the three 2016 NOSB Top Coaches claim their Awards, attending the Fall 2016 MAMEA Conference in Dewey Beach, DE. Bill Dunn from Blue Crab Bowl (VA) and Erica Brower from Blue Heron Bowl (NC) both attended. a) This tested the new procedure for handling NOSB Top Coach Awards on a reimbursement basis.

We knew ahead of time that Bill was attending, so J.Takacs got him the paperwork in advance and he was able to get his reimbursement during the Conference. We weren’t aware that Erica was coming, so her process took longer and was not completed until several weeks after the Conference. So, going forward it will be important for Top Coaches to inform us of their intent to attend, we can flag their conference registration and be ready.

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4. In preparation for the 2017 NOSB, CHB e-mailed Regional Coordinators of Chesapeake Bay Bowl, Blue Crab Bowl & Blue Heron Bowl to introduce them or remind them of the MAMEA awards for New Coaches & Top Coaches. a) 1st e-mail in early January, introducing the awards & information required. b) E-mailed award certificates to distribute 1-2 weeks prior to each Bowl. c) Followed up with 2 weeks after the Bowls with e-mail in late February to confirm names of New

Coaches and collect information about winning Coach and team. 5. Awardee follow-up

a) The award for Top Coaches is complementary registration to the 2017 MAMEA Conference. CHB has sent award letters to the top coaches

(1) Blue Crab Bowl, VA: Carol Stapanowich, Bishop Sullivan Catholic High, Virginia Beach. (2) Blue Heron Bowl, NC: Amanda Martyn, NC School of Science & Math, Durham, NC. She responded, cannot attend and wants to know if she can send another teacher in her place. This has not come up before, how does the Board feel about this? In most cases,

Awards are not transferable. (3) Chesapeake Bay Bowl, MD/DC/DE: Tran Pham, Montgomery Blair High, Silver Spring, MD

b) Up to 4 New Coach Awards are available for each of the 3 regional competitions, this Award is a one-year membership in MAMEA. CHB has sent award/welcome letter, and their names and contact information shared with the Membership Chair.

(1) 3 new coaches for the Blue Crab Bowl (2) 4 new coaches for the Blue Heron Bowl (3) 1 new coach for the Chesapeake Bay Bowl

6. An outline of procedures for coordinating the NOSB Coach Awards have been assembled for inclusion in a Mentoring Committee Procedures Notebook.


1. CHB submitted a 2-part article about the three Mid-Atlantic 2017 NOSB Regional Bowls for the March 2017 Masthead. The 1st part highlights the winning teams (& their photos), and the 2nd part explains the MAMEA Coach Awards and reports the winners.


1. Names of Top Coaches eligible for complementary Conference registration will be sent to 2017 Conf. Chair Lauren Albright, Conf. Committee Registration and J.Takacs. CHB will alert Top Coaches as soon as Conference registration is open and will encourage their participation. CHB will remind them to keep us informed if they intend to attend.

2. Will contribute to contents for a Mentoring Committee Procedure Notebook.


1. Assistance from Membership Secretary for adding 2017 New Coach Awardees’ names to membership database.

2. Assistance from Masthead Editor to include article acknowledging 2017 MAMEA Coach Awardees and winning teams.

3. Assistance from Facebook Manager to include acknowledgement of 2017 Coach awardees. 4. Collaboration with 2017 Conference Committee & MAMEA Treasurer to facilitate Top Coaches’

complimentary registration at MAMEA 2017 Conference – on a reimbursement basis. 5. Collaboration with Committee Chair & interested Board Members on developing contents for a

Mentoring Committee Procedure Notebook.

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1. Regional Coordinators from all 3 Bowls will respond with winning team, New Coach & Top Coach information in a timely fashion (e.g. within 2 weeks following their Bowl date).

2. All New Coaches will be entered in the MAMEA member database & will receive an official welcome within 1 month following their Bowl date. 25% of the New Coaches will voluntarily renew MAMEA membership in 2017.

3. Top Coaches will be contacted with information about their Award within 1 month of their Bowl date. At least 2 Top Coaches will claim their complimentary event registration, attending the 2017Conference. At least 2 Top Coaches will maintain MAMEA membership.

4. Mentoring Committee will develop a Procedure Notebook that communicates current Committee efforts, best practices, timelines, sample communications.


1. BHB winning Coach Amanda Martyn, NC School of Science & Math cannot attend and wants to know if she can send another teacher in her place. This has not come up before, how does the Board feel about this? In most cases, awards are not transferable. a) Board discussion – decision is that no, the award is not transferable.

ACTION: CHB will communicate this decision to the teacher. 2. Mentoring Committee has a draft outline for a Procedure Notebook (started in 2015 by S.Nuss &

C.Hopper Brill ) that communicates some current Committee efforts, best practices, timelines, sample communications. Need to complete/update the Notebook with current Past President’s input. Action: CHB will share this earlier draft with A. Gould for his review, editing, additions, etc.

NMEA Rep – Kathy Fuller Committee Chair(s): Kathy Fuller Person submitting this report: Kathy Fuller UPDATE Committee activities/accomplishments since last Board meeting:

1. Attended NMEA Chapter Representative Calls on 11/4 and 2/13 2. Attended NMEA Board Calls on 11/17 and 2/22 3. Completed MAMEA Conference Auction thank you notes and wrapped up auction 4. Set up NMEA Osprey Banding event for the summer; July 1, 2017 5. Registered for the NSTA National Convention as presenter at the NMEA Whale of a Share A Thon and

started to collect materials for the display 6. Collected information on MAMEA members presenting at NSTA 2017 7. Randomly selected a member for submission for the NMEA 2017 conference registration drawing 8. Attended the Maryland Association of Environmental and Outdoor Educators (MAEOE) conference 9. Submitted Masthead articles for the Spring 2017 edition (not sure of issue number)


1. NSTA 2017 National Convention representation (Spring 2017) 2. NMEA 2017 Conference update (Spring 2017). Made a list of NMEA members presenting at NSTA. 3. Save the Date for Osprey Banding opportunity (Spring 2017)


1. Attend NSTA National Convention in Los Angeles, attending the NMEA Mid-Year Board Meeting and representing MAMEA at the Whale of a Share a Thon a) These would be good places to distribute MAMEA logo rulers & pens.

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2. Promote and successfully execute the 2017 NMEA osprey banding event Saturday, July 1, 2017. This is promoted as a NMEA event (but not MAMEA mini-conference).

3. Attend NMEA Chapter Representative calls and NMEA Board calls 4. Attend the NMEA Board Meetings in Charleston, SC 5. Attend as many state/mini conferences as possible offered throughout our region


1. Website and Social Media: Promote NMEA osprey banding opportunity 2. Treasurer: Reimbursement for NMEA Board Meeting travel


1. Attend 100% of NMEA in person Board meetings and 85% of Board phone meetings 2. Attend 100% of MAMEA in person Board meetings 3. Have at least 10 people sign up for the osprey banding event


1. Proper insurance coverage for MAMEA volunteers (Board members and Committee Chairs/Members) and events. See discussion & actions under Treasurer’s Report.

a) For her osprey-banding activities, she is not insured as a NMEA member to conduct these, but has personal insurance that covers.

2. When renewing NMEA membership, MAMEA members can use the discount code “MAMEA” in order to get the Chapter member discount of $15 ($45 instead of $60). No revenue comes to MAMEA from NMEA for renewals, unless someone renews with their annual conference registration. This past year, this was delayed due to FMSEA (conference sponsor) accounting issues. K.Fuller & J.Takacs will discuss accounting so MAMEA gets the appropriate share of Chapter dues paid through the NMEA channel. J.Takacs will make sure we get the membership revenue due to us.

3. ACTION: K.Fuller will compile a list of MAMEA members presenting at 2017 NMEA Conference. See her e-mail of 4/13/2017.

Nominating Committee – Andy Gould (as Past President) Committee Chair(s): Andy Gould Active Committee Members: Carol Hopper Brill, Lisa Lawrence, Chris Petrone Person submitting this report: Andy Gould UPDATE Committee activities/accomplishments since last Board meeting:

1. Selected Dates for nominations and elections, deadlines are as follows: a. Call for Nominations Opened Feb. 9, 2017 b. Candidates Announced on April 10, 2017 c. Voting Opens May 12, 2017, Closes June 13, 2017 d. Results announced at NMEA Chapter Meeting, June 27, 2017

2. We have received multiple nominations for the following positions: a. President-Elect: A.Gould has one nominee, waiting for responses from 2 others.

There is concern about brand new board members going straight into the PE position without prior familiarization to MAMEA Board operations.

b. Secretary: has 2 (one is also running for PE) c. Maryland Rep: 3 nominees

3. We are still in need of nominations for Delaware and NC Reps. Let’s discuss our options for these.

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Committee articles submitted to Masthead since the last Board meeting: 1. Announcement of call for nominations was submitted to the Masthead.


1. Will create profiles of each candidate for ballot, and will ensure elections occur on schedule a) Secretary can help with this process and will send these out with the candidate announcement


1. Assistance of Lisa and Carol to send out ballots and track votes. Note: Since Carol is on the ballot for secretary, we avoid the appearance of conflict of interest by having another individual conduct some of these tasks.

2. Social Media and Masthead coverage of candidates and voting reminders. What will success look like for the above activities? How will success be measured? (qualitative and/or quantitative)

1. Candidates for each open board position. Elections occurring on schedule. Items of Business to submit to the Board for this upcoming meeting (list or “none”):

1. Discussion of need for NC and DE Representatives a) Andy G. willing to be a nominee, but also seeking additional candidates.

b) There are a couple of folks under consideration for the DE Rep 2. Are we adding At Large positions this year? Do we need to add these to the nomination process? a) We can include the By-Laws change on the May/June ballot for 2017/18 Board members. If the By- Laws change is approved by membership, then we can proceed with nomination of At Large members and conduct a special election at the Fall Conference.

3. There is coordination between Nominating Chair and Secretary’s roles in the election process. C.Hopper Brill and A.Gould should review the SOP and notes we have so far to see if further clarification is needed.

Scholarship Committee- Amy Sauls Committee Chair(s): Amy Sauls Active Committee Members: Sarah Nuss; Lisa Lawrence, Andy Gould Person submitting this report: Amy Sauls UPDATE Committee activities/accomplishments since last Board meeting:

1. Jackie has worked to get folks reimbursed. We need a more fluid process for this (more details up front to applicants on the process).

2. A.Sauls submitted some Committee protocols for review, see Appendix 7. Committee articles submitted to Masthead since the last Board meeting: none FORECAST Anticipated committee activities (e.g. awards selection, mini-grant reports to Masthead), with one-sentence description, through next MAMEA Board meeting:

1. Update actions/guidelines for committee functions and members (still in progress)

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2. Update potential committee members and selection process when reviewing scholarships – please help me do this at the board meeting)

3. Set review dates for next year (Sarah, can you work on this? I assume you are going to be at the meeting


1. MAMEA members to be on the review committee 3. Webpage update by LATE Spring

What will success look like for the above activities? How will success be measured? (qualitative and/or quantitative) Items of Business to submit to the Board for this upcoming meeting (list or “none”):

1. Review updates to details of functioning Scholarship committee and for scholarships, Appendix 7 (below). Amy has suggestions and requests for assistance.

2. Note added by CHB: Jaclyn Beck generated a notebook outline for the Scholarship Committee in 2015. She drew from the previous Chair and added some material. We should review/combine the contents of both to be sure we don’t lose any information.

3. Suggestions were made for committee operations. a) Improve communications re: who committee members are (some folks didn’t realize they were

on the committee); communications between committee members re: the applications, reviewing candidates, decision making. And, Treasurer J.Takacs requests more timely communications re: names for reimbursement, so she is better prepared.

b) J.Takacs asked if we have all the needed wording in the announcement and application to be sure that applicants know that the scholarship is a reimbursement process. And, we need to establish guidelines/procedures regarding how to handle applicants who are awarded a scholarship, but then do not attend the conference. Feeling is: Scholarship awardees are not eligible for the scholarship (or refund) unless they actually attend the conference.

4. Amy has mentioned that she’d appreciate stepping down. a) If Amy’s availability has changed, S.Nuss is open to advising a new Chair or to taking the role, if Carrie C. can handle Awards Chair on her own.

Social Media Committee -- Chair Chris Petrone Committee Chair(s): Chris Petrone Committee Members: A. Gould, M. Madero Person submitting this report: Chris Petrone UPDATE Committee activities/accomplishments since last Board meeting:

1. Mainly focusing on MAMEA’s Facebook presence, pictures, upcoming deadlines, and member news has been posted with a some engagement. a. Likes have increased to 586 from 521 at annual board meeting (12.5% increase; much less of an

increase than in past reports) b. 71% of Likes are female; 28% male

i. Most woman fall in the 25-34 and 35-44 age ranges (level from last report) ii. Most men fall in the 25-34, 35-44 and 45-54 age ranges (level)

Committee articles submitted to Masthead since the last Board meeting: none

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1. More posts about mini-conferences, #NMEA17 and #MAMEA17, and topics of interest. 2. Recruit additional committee members and develop a social media plan


1. None. 2. Volunteers for the committee and time to develop a social media/communications plan.


1. Continue to drive engagement and additional Likes, with the hope that we can recruit new members, re-recruit past members, and retain current members.

2. An active committee of interested MAMEA members who can grow the MAMEA social media presence.


1.C.Petrone is ready to pass job this along to someone else. Ask Ali T. if she is interested?

Website –Lisa Lawrence Committee Chair(s): Lisa Lawrence Active Committee Members: Lisa Lawrence Person submitting this report: Lisa Lawrence UPDATE Committee activities/accomplishments since last Board meeting:

1. Jan – Dec 2016 Website Stats are as follows: a. Unique visitors: 520 (monthly avg); 6,236 (annual) up 11% b. # of Visits: 826 (monthly avg); 9,906 (annual) up 15% c. Page Accesses: 1,671 (monthly avg); 20,047 (annual) up 26%

2. MAMEA listserv had 246 subscribers and 42 postings in 2016 (about half of 2015 postings) 3. MAMEA Paypal account regularly used for:

a. MAMEA membership dues b. Mini-conference fees c. Conference registration

4. Updates made to webpages as needed.

Committee articles submitted to Masthead since the last Board meeting: none


1. I have started on a website redesign using a free template from http://www.os-templates.com/free-website-templates but have not completed it. Would like to get the full site redesigned by summer.

2. Updates of website information and toolbox resources. 3. Set up of any additional state event website pages & registration. 4. Online board elections through SurveyMonkey

https://email.vims.edu/owa/redir.aspx?SURL=mjTeVNbrb2Li1esAYk3hj3b3ncI-Z4HAG_LTtojfwWoTZ1xtbVrTCGgAdAB0AHAAOgAvAC8AdwB3AHcALgBvAHMALQB0AGUAbQBwAGwAYQB0AGUAcwAuAGMAbwBtAC8AZgByAGUAZQAtAHcAZQBiAHMAaQB0AGUALQB0AGUAbQBwAGwAYQB0AGUAcwA.&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.os-templates.com%2ffree-website-templates

https://email.vims.edu/owa/redir.aspx?SURL=mjTeVNbrb2Li1esAYk3hj3b3ncI-Z4HAG_LTtojfwWoTZ1xtbVrTCGgAdAB0AHAAOgAvAC8AdwB3AHcALgBvAHMALQB0AGUAbQBwAGwAYQB0AGUAcwAuAGMAbwBtAC8AZgByAGUAZQAtAHcAZQBiAHMAaQB0AGUALQB0AGUAbQBwAGwAYQB0AGUAcwA.&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.os-templates.com%2ffree-website-templates

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1. Photos of MAMEA activities & members for use on the new website. Can we set up a flickr site for this?

2. Assistance from state reps with information regarding state mini-conferences. 3. Assistance from president with news for homepage. 4. Assistance from past-president in setting up the online elections. 5. Assistance from committees to provide information update for their webpages.

What will success look like for the above activities? How will success be measured? (Qualitative and/or quantitative)

1. Quarterly news announcements for the homepage from the President. 2. Information on all pages within the MAMEA kept up-do-date with information from the committees

submitted on a quarterly basis. Items of Business to submit to the Board for this upcoming meeting (list or “none”):

1. Set up of a flickr site for sharing MAMEA related photos. a) This would help provide a supply of more and better photos. b) What about permissions to use photos of event participants? This is not needed for adults. c) We would make it clear that any images posted to the flickr site would be fair game for use on

the website, so we want folks to select image, not dump everything. d) Could invite great photographers like K.Richardson & M.Sutton to contribute their nature shots.

Youth Engagement – Maria Madero Committee Chair(s): Maria Madero Active Committee Members: Andy Gould, Christina Romano, Brieanna Smith Person submitting this report: Maria Madero UPDATE Committee activities/accomplishments since last Board meeting:

1. Youth Committee ideas were represented at the annual board meeting. 2. There were mixed reviews about youth participating in MAMEA. See notes in the Minutes of the

Nov. 2016 Board meeting. Committee articles submitted to Masthead since the last Board meeting: none FORECAST Anticipated committee activities (e.g. awards selection, mini-grant reports to Masthead), with one-sentence description, through next MAMEA Board meeting:

1. Hopefully, figure out what direction the committee can go with board support.


1. Social media posts, webpage What will success look like for the above activities? How will success be measured? (qualitative and/or quantitative)

1. Leaving the board meeting with action items

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Items of Business to submit to the Board for this upcoming meeting (list or “none”): 1. Action items for this committee

2. Is MAMEA really interested in this initiative? Do we pursue it just because NMEA does it?

a) At NMEA, it’s one person’s key project. It’s a great idea, but how many resources can we devote? b) K.Fuller feels that the key is how “youth” is defined. Currently means 15-24 years, so includes

college undergraduates. c) D.Christopher notes that if we want to develop future professionals in our field, then college

certainly is a market. Board is interested in undergrads. C.Petrone agrees, college students yes, but not children (who bring up several liability concerns). The age at which individuals can sign for themselves is 18 years.

d) Makes more sense to approach college, and if not a membership category, then offer programs. Still the question remains: how much to we integrate younger audience into our existing events or offer separate events for them. J.Takacs noted that we already have a grants program and educators can use grants to offer programs for youth.

e) K.Fuller asked if this effort could fall under the Mentoring Committee? f) We tabled the discussion and will see if it comes up during the Strategic Planning session.

President C.Petrone: Any further business? Motion to adjourn: A. Gould. Seconded by J.Takacs Meeting adjourned at 5:15 p.m.

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Appendices to the Minutes:

APPENDIX 1: Proposal to add At-Large seats to the MAMEA Board of Directors – From President Chris Petrone (below). APPENDIX 2*: J. Dindinger Scope & Budget for MAMEA Strategic Planning, March 2017 – From President Chris Petrone

*For a copy of Appendix 2, contact MAMEA President Chris Petrone, [email protected] APPENDIX 3: MAMEA Board & Procedure Manuals - Status – From Secretary C.Hopper Brill (below) APPENDIX 4*: 2016 MAMEA Working Budget-updated 3/14/17 – From Treasurer Jackie Takacs APPENDIX 5*: 2017 MAMEA Working Budget – From Treasurer Jackie Takacs APPENDIX 6*: 2017 Proposed MAMEA Budget – From Treasurer Jackie Takacs *For copies of Appendices 4, 5 & 6, contact MAMEA Treasurer Jackie Takacs, [email protected] APPENDIX 7: Scholarship Committee Protocols – from A. Sauls, March 2017 (below)

mailto:[email protected]

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APPENDIX 1: Proposal to add At-Large seats to the MAMEA Board of Directors Submitted by Christopher Petrone, MAMEA President-elect Submitted for board discussion on April 9, 2016 (MAMEA Mid-year Board meeting) Resubmitted by Christopher Petrone, MAMEA President Resubmitted for board discussion on March 24, 2017 (MAMEA Mid-year Board meeting) *Note: Adding board positions requires changes to two separate bylaws—Article IV, Officers, and Article VI, Duties of Officers). Because of this, if the MAMEA Board approves this change, the membership must also vote to approve. Voting can be done online per the bylaws. Per David Christopher, we may have to amend our constitution, on file with the Commonwealth of Virginia. Update: Requires vote from the Board; then vote from the membership; then a change to our Constitution (costs $25). Rationale: Currently, to join the MAMEA Board, the roles available are state representative, who are tasked with Masthead articles, running at least one annual mini-conference, enlisting award nominees, etc.; and the Executive Board positions, including Secretary and Treasurer, which carry significant responsibilities; and the President’s chain, which again, comes with significant duties including ensuring the annual conference occurs, leading the organization, etc. Ideally, the Executive Board positions require previous MAMEA Board experience—typically serving as a State Rep—so that procedural and institutional knowledge are gained. Since the current Board roles all involve a fair amount of time commitment, many younger, newer, or later-career members are hesitant to join the Board, and thus, we are left with a very small pool of members to serve. By creating two new several At-Large Board positions, we are providing those younger/newer members who are hesitant to take on large organizational responsibilities, the opportunity to ease onto the Board and learn how the organization operates and prepare for greater responsibility, while at the same time, contributing to the organization’s future. The At-Large positions also allow veteran MAMEA Board members the opportunity to return to the Board and serve again, allowing us access to their institutional knowledge and years of experience. Description of At-Large positions: Like current Board positions, nominations for the two At-Large positions can come from any member in good standing during the normal board nominations period. Persons nominated can be from any state within the MAMEA region, though diversity is encouraged. Elected At-Large officers would serve a two-year term., staggered so that one officer is elected each year. The exception would be the first year of elections (2016-2017). In this inaugural year, the nominee with the highest number of votes would serve a two-year term, and the nominee with the second highest number of votes would only serve a one-year term. This setup will allow MAMEA to establish the staggered two-year rotation. There are no term limits for At-Large positions, and the Board will set the number of At-Large positions at the mid-year Board meeting for the next calendar year. at no time shall the MAMEA Board contain more than three At-Large members. Note: The final wording proposed indicates from one to three At Large officers. Since At-Large positions are elected and not appointed, they are voting members of the MAMEA Board.

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Expectations: At-Large officers shall:

- Participate in all MAMEA Board of Directors meetings, including, but not limited to the annual meeting and mid-year meeting, as well as any related videoconferences or teleconferences.

- Serve on at least two one MAMEA Committee. - Be encouraged, but not required, to chair (or co-chair) at least one MAMEA Committee in their

second and subsequent years as an At-Large member. - Carry out other duties as directed by the Executive Committee. - Prepare reports for Mid-Year and Annual Board Meetings

APPENDIX 3: MAMEA Board & Procedure Manuals – Status

Board Position Manual Status Last Update Updated by Reviewer(s)

Committee Manual Status Last Update Updated by Reviewers

President

Past-President

President Elect In process C.Petrone

Secretary Completed Oct. 2016 C.Hopper Brill

Treasurer In process J.Takacs

State Rep “How To” outline Oct. 2010-CHB

Awards 1st edition Updated

2010 Nov. 2016

A.Besch & CHB Brill S. Nuss & C. Carlin

CHB

By-Laws/Stding Rules To start D.Christopher

Conference Advisory 1st edition In process

<2010 A.Wilson C.Petone & A.Wilson

Finance Committee

Grants Completed April 2016 C.Hopper Brill

Masthead SOP, press times Nov 2016 C.Petrone C.Cackowski

Mentoring (Past Pres) -general -NOSB coach awards

Partial outline Completed

2010>2016 Oct. 2016

S.Nuss & CHB C.Hopper Brill

A.Gould

NMEA Rep Completed July 2015 K.Fuller, T.Lunsford

Nominating (Past Pres & Sec)

Partial outline 2010>Oct. 2016

C.Hopper Brill A.Gould

Scholarship draft outline draft outline

March 2015 March 2016

J.Beck A.Sauls

S.Nuss

Communications In process C.Petrone

Social Media “

Website L.Lawrence

Youth Engagement

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APPENDIX 7: Scholarship Committee Protocols – from A. Sauls, March 2017 Red text = Amy’s notes and questions re: Scholarship Committee activities. The CONFERENCE SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE CHAIR shall (per Standing Rule 104.7 b), 3/21/07: a. Be appointed by the President. b. Be responsible for overseeing the operations of the Paul Standish Scholarship program. c. With the Committee members, develop rules, guidelines and application procedures for the scholarships;

work with the Newsletter Editors to ensure that application forms and guidelines are published in the MASTHEAD as appropriate. (The MAMEA Scholarship Program application and guidelines shall appear in every regular issue of the MASTHEAD.) The scholarship app and guidelines are not being published in the MASTHEAD every issue.

d. Develop evaluation procedures to be used by the Scholarship Committee during the selection process. e. Coordinate selection process and oversee the selection of awardees. f. Notify promptly in writing the results of the selection process to awardees and all other applicants for

scholarships. How does the board feel about the “in writing” meaning via email? g. Prepare an announcement of the awardees for publication in the MASTHEAD. I am dreadful at

remembering to do this; it is usually at a busy time for me…….. I would love some help with this. h. Keep a comprehensive file of records and communications collected during his/her term as chair. At the

end of the term, materials for the archives shall be turned over to the Archivist. Relevant materials shall be turned over to the incoming Scholarship Committee Chair.

For applicants: Things that can be reimbursed and the paperwork you need: Scholarship money must all be disbursed as a reimbursement, which includes conference registration, food, mileage and room cost. To get reimbursed for other costs associated with the conference (up to 300.00) they must submit a receipt (or equivalent paperwork) to Jackie Takacs at the conference or in writing via mail afterwards. In order to pay for a teacher’s sub, there must be some paperwork to reflect the cost that was incurred. Committee members: the Chair with the help of Lisa Lawrence and the current Secretary will confirm membership status and eligibility before sending applications to committee members for review. Scholarship committee members will consist of: Amy Sauls (Chair), Sarah Nuss, Lisa Lawrence, and Andy Gould. In the event that a member applies for a scholarships, the president elect, secretary… PLEASE help me add some backup people to review scholarships in the event that someone is not available.

Secretary’s Note: We did not address all of these items during the meeting. But, will need follow-up by the Board and Committee before the next round of scholarships are announced and awarded.

march 24, 2017 lake anna, vaweb.vims.edu/adv//mamea/mins/mamea 2017midyrbdmtngminutes … · 2....

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