Call to Order: Deb Cook Lewis, President
The July 5, 2024 ACB Board of Directors Meeting was called to order at 9:00 AM Eastern Time by President Deb Cook Lewis. Members of the Board and guests participated both in person and virtually.
Roll Call: Denise Colley, Secretary
Board members present: Deb Cook Lewis, David Trott, Ray Campbell, Denise Colley, Michael Garrett, Kim Charlson, Chris Bell, Donna Brown, Gabriel Lopez Kafati, Cecily Laney-Nipper, Terry Pacheco, Doug Powell, Rachel Schroeder, Kenneth Semien, Koni Sims, and Jeff Thom. Board of Publications Member Penny Reeder was present representing that body.
Staff present: Scott Thornhill, ACB Executive Director, Claire Stanley, ACB Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs, Swatha Nandhakumar, ACB Advocacy and Outreach Specialist, Dan Spoone, Manager of Special Projects, Jo Lynn Bailey-Page, Associate Director of Development, Kolby Garrison, Development Officer, Nancy Marks-Becker, Chief Financial Officer, Cindy Hollis, Manager of Membership Engagement, Natalie Couch, Membership Services Administrative Assistant, Tabitha Kenlon, Audio Description Project Coordinator, Rick Morin, ACB Media and IT Manager, and Larry Gassman, ACB Media Coordinator.
Staff present at the hotel, but working in registration and the Communications Center were Chris Sawyer, Thrift Store General Manager, Sayuree Naik, Human Resources/Payroll Specialist, Sharon Lovering, ACB Braille Forum Editor and Nancy Feela, Administrative Assistant.
Review and Approval of Agenda: Deb Cook Lewis, President
It was moved by Powell and seconded by Brown to approve the meeting agenda. The motion carried.
Review and Approval of Minutes of April 30, 2024 Board Meeting: Denise Colley, Secretary
Powell made a correction to reflect that he was present for the roll call.
It was moved by Campbell and seconded by Garrett to approve the minutes as corrected. The motion carried.
It was moved by Bell and seconded by Sims to ratify the email motion and unanimous vote by the Board to approve returning to the Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel again for the 2025 Leadership Conference. This needed to be done quickly due to the timing of hotel contracting. We are approving a room rate of $155 per night. There was concern and discussion both concerning the rates and the timing, but these were the best dates we could get. The motion to ratify carried.
Introduction of 2024 DKM First-Timers and ACB JPMorgan Chase Leadership Fellows – Kenneth Semien
DKM First-Timers: Jason Miller and Cassie Trosper
JPMorgan Chase Leadership Fellows: Kaila Allen, Ebony Thompson, Patty Slaby, Jennifer Bazer, and Doralee Martinez
Mission Moment: Scott Thornhill
Scott acknowledged Janet, her committee, the host committee and all those who worked so diligently to put together this year’s Conference and Convention.
Convention Report: Janet Dickelman, Convention Committee Chair
Janet reported that 1,071 people registered via the online registration process. Approximately 175 people from BVA will be participating at the convention. The 2025 Conference and Convention will be July 4-11, at the Hyatt Reunion Hotel in downtown Dallas, Texas. Room nights will be $99 per night.
Consent Agenda: Deb Cook Lewis
It was moved by Powell and seconded by Sims to approve the Consent Agenda. The motion carried.
President’s Report: Deb Cook Lewis
Convention Business sessions and reporting: Things have had to change over time in terms of when reports are given, with the advent and complexity of hybrid conventions. The Executive Director’s Report will be given at Sunday night’s opening session, as in the past. The final Convention, treasurer’s summary, and Resolutions status update Reports will also be given during General Sessions. Most other reports will be given during the Board Meeting. All reports will be made available in podcast form.
Committee restructure and roadmap: As we move into Deb’s second year of presidency, she will be looking at some committee structural changes, and begin talking to committees and individuals about this process. We need to begin looking at how we might consolidate. Some Steering Committees and subcommittees are struggling, and some restructuring needs to be addressed. Processes need to be documented, and there needs to be mechanisms for getting things done that can be passed from one leader to the next.
2025 Leadership Conference/Legislative Seminar: Nancy Becker reported on her negotiations with the Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel for 2025 and 2026. For 2025 the Board has already approved the dates of March 18-25, with the Conference actually being held March 22-25. Since the Board had previously expressed a desire to look at February dates for 2026, the tentative dates for 2026 are February 13-17. After some discussion it was determined that these dates would not work due to a conflict with Sagebrush, staff will go back to the hotel and explore dates in March.
It was moved by Powell and seconded by Schroeder to approve the President’s Report. The motion carried.
Prohibited Conduct Annual Report – Mitch Pomerantz, Prohibited Conduct Complaint Investigation Panel Chair
Mitch introduced the other four members of the panel who are Becky Davidson, Peggy Garrett, Sue Crawford, and Pam Shaw. Sue and Pam are the Conflict Resolution Team, that is the entity which attempts through mediation to reach an informal resolution of the alleged violation. After conducting a thorough investigation, the Prohibited Conduct Complaint Investigation Panel is charged with drafting findings and making recommendations, with the goal of ensuring that all in-person events and on-line forums foster a welcoming, professional, safe and respectful environment for all who attend or participate. ACB’s Human Resource and Payroll Specialist has also been an invaluable asset to the Panel and the process. During the past year the Panel conducted only one complaint investigation, complying fully with the Prohibited Conduct Complaint Investigation procedures established by ACB.
It was moved by Powell and seconded by Nipper to accept the Prohibited Conduct Annual Report. The motion carried.
Staff Reports
- Executive Director: Scott Thornhill
Accessibility & Training Services concept: Scott shared that in listening to staff and members, three priority areas that have surfaced to the top as driving forces of activity for the organization are accessibility, employment and healthcare. Related to accessibility, he is looking to explore the feasibility of creating an Accessibility and Training Department as a part of ACB to work with our partners. This Department would work on doing assessments, remediation and monitoring. It would be a revenue stream and an opportunity to employ more blind people. We have recently had an opportunity to have agencies reach out to us requesting training on audio description and other things. He says topics. He does not see any immediate budget impact and just a slight staff realignment to begin this program.
Status of Hiring of a Communications Director: The update on plans for hiring a communications director is that Scott is trying to best identify what that person will do and oversee. What do we want our focus, goals and plans to be?
- Advocacy and Governmental Affairs, Advocacy Director: Claire Stanley
(Refer to report in Consent Agenda.)
Plans for additional DEIA training/activities: Claire held a great meeting with MCAC to receive in-put on issues the Committee feels are impacting other racial groups. She came away with a lot of insights and ideas to help generate some projects and work we do in the advocacy spaces that interface with Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility. Since the Leadership Conference, she has had a conversation with Dr. Leslie Dwyer, our DEIA training facilitator at the ACB Leadership Conference, and she is interested in doing some potential follow-up training with us. Claire has been doing some research to try and reach out to other minority-based advocacy organizations such as the NAACP to find ways we can work together.
International Building Code meeting travel request: Board member Koni Sims has been doing advocacy work for the low vision community with the International Building Code.
It was moved by Bell and seconded by Nipper that ACB reimburse Koni for her travel and lodging expenses to attend the October meeting of the IBC Committee in California. Bell followed up his motion as follows. The international Building Code is an incredibly important vehicle for providing accessibility for all people with disabilities. Koni attended the March meeting of the Committee and offered testimony on low vision accommodations regarding such things as contrast, lighting and glare. He acknowledged the importance of their recognition of the contribution that Koni, as a low vision person, can provide the IBC Committee.
President Lewis said that we don’t have a good process in place for determining these kinds of expenditures. Sometimes these types of requests come to us out of the blue, but the ACB committee the request would most fit under does not have this type of activity in their workplan. We need to put processes in place for determining how such requests are to be handled from both the committee and administrative level.
After a lot of discussion about funding, budgetary concerns, the need for more involvement by ACB and CCLVI itself in the providing of subject matter information to the IBC, and no formal processes, the motion passed with one no vote by Lopez Kafati, and one abstention from Garrett as treasurer. Sims recused herself from the vote for reimbursement for attending the IBC in October in Long Beach, CA.
- Audio Description Project and awards Gala — Tabitha Kenlon, Audio Description Project Coordinator
(See report in Consent Agenda.)
Tabitha reported that, as a result of collaboration among herself, Jo Lynn Bailey-Page, Rick Morin, and Dan Spoone, ACB successfully pursued and was awarded a grant from the Consumer Technology Association to create an Alexa Skill that will be linked to the new database that is being created for the new ADP website so that people will simply be able to ask their device if a particular program or movie has audio description and any other information about it that is included in the database.
- Resource Development Update: Jo Lynn Bailey-Page, Associate Director of Development and Kolby Garrison, Development Officer
(See report in Consent Agenda)
ACB has received $64,500 in Foundation Sponsorships and another $90,000 are projected by the end of the year, bringing us to $154,500, helping us meet our goal of $150,000 for the year. We continue to incorporate corporate giving across all ACB activities. We had a Convention sponsorship goal of $344,000 for the year and we are currently at $342,300. The budgeted goal for the ADP Awards Gala is $150,000. We’ve identified a total of 48 potential sponsors.
- ACB Membership Engagement Update: Cindy Hollis, Manager of Membership Engagement
(Information provided was in the Consent Agenda report)
- ACB Media Update: Rick Morin, ACB Media and IT Manager
During the virtual week of the Convention ACB Media had 9,000 listener hours. If the average listening hours per person was 15, this would mean there were approximately 600 unique individuals listening on ACB Media and hundreds of people listening on zoom. The plan is to have all the sessions from the hybrid sessions posted within 90 days after Convention.
One of the things the ACB Media Support Committee has been recently working on is the development of content management guidelines or processes, particularly as it relates to copyrighted materials, and are in the process of socializing that and will be implementing those processes.
Rick provided a brief update on the JPMorgan Chase Force for Good Project. They are working with us to help ACB Media recast their infrastructure for ACB so more people will have the ability to do things within ACB Media than before. They are working on developing and implementing a new scheduling system.
- Chief Financial Officer: Nancy Becker
ACB is continuing to look for an accountant for the Minneapolis Office. With the skill level to use our accounting software, complete charity registrations, will work in-person and can handle miscellaneous tasks.
It was moved by Campbell and seconded by Powell to approve the staff reports. The motion carried.
Financial Narrative for 2024 Year-to-Date: Michael Garrett, ACB Treasurer
(See reports in Consent Agenda.)
Michael said that, based on the reports, we provide an incredible amount of service based on the assets we have in hand. We need to develop expanded revenue streams, and improve relationships that can leverage our position and bring in additional revenue. Increases in other revenue sources include MMS, planned giving, and grants.
If we increase our scholarship outreach, we have the potential of bringing in new members, new resources, and you never know who those recipients know and the help and resources they can bring to ACB.
A motion was made by Trott and seconded by Campbell to approve the financial reports. The motion carried.
ACBES Update: Michael Garrett
Through May 31, 2024, ACBES had total combined sales of $534,807, which is about $43,500 above budget. Expenses were $362,500, which is under budget by approximately $4,000. The net profit of $172,300 was contributed to ACB. This was about $48,000 above budget. In May and June, both stores exceeded $50,000 in sales.
It was moved by Brown and seconded by Powell to accept the ACBES report. The motion carried.
Proposed ACB Media Policy: Rick Morin and Rachel Schroeder
(See policy in Consent Agenda)
ACB Media Four is the only ACB Media stream that is licensed to play commercially available audio content under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Everything that we play on Media Four must have metadata tags that say what you are listening to. This has to be the case whether the content is commercially available or public domain. We cannot play anything that is streamed from a smart speaker because it doesn’t support metadata, and We cannot screenshare anything from Zoom for the same reason. It is assumed by our license that anything played on Media Four is owned, tracked and verifiable. There will be times when permission can be granted to play something, as long as the copyright holder grants that permission in writing to play certain tracks and ACB media is notified in advance. When we air these items, we must stream them with tags, which is why they cannot be played in zoom. This also applies to podcasts. Things can be re-aired but cannot be podcast.
The Community Support Committee is behind this policy, and is looking at how we will be training and supporting those who want to continue providing programming. Community will no longer be able to play anything from YouTube. As long as a karaoke participant purchases their track we are in compliance. Training will be provided on using KaraokeVersion.com, and they are working on putting together a bank of tracks that can be legally shared.
It was moved by Brown and seconded by Sims to adopt the ACB Media Policy on Playing Content. The motion carried.
Board of Publications (BOP) Report: Penny Reeder, BOP Director
Deb announced that Penny would be stepping down as BOP Chair because this was her sixth and final year on the BOP, and she would be rotating off at the end of convention. She wanted to publicly thank Penny for her six years of excellent service to the BOP.
Penny reported that the BOP believes they have seen improvement in posting on the Conversation list. Posts to a thread can now only go on for five days. The ACB Communicators Group for affiliates that Zelda Gebhart facilitates continues to meet quarterly and feedback is that it is useful to participants. They held a training course on how to communicate what they want to communicate in an interesting and brief way, and they may run this on Community in the future. The BOP also sponsored two training sessions on Groups.io and both were podcast.
Penny thanked her committee, the staff, and all the members who attended the BOP meetings and offered input over the past year.
It was moved by Powell and seconded by Thom to accept the Board of Publications Report. The Motion carried.
Charlson acknowledged and thanked Doug Powell for his eight years of service to the ACB Board of Directors, and wished him success in his continued work with ACB.
Hotel Proposal Update for 2026 Leadership
During the meeting Nancy Becker was in contact with the Sheraton Pentagon City Hotel, and they have proposed the dates of March 6-11, 2026 at the same $155 per night room rate.
It was moved by Thom and seconded by Powell to accept this proposal. The motion carried.
It was moved by Brown and seconded by Campbell to adjourn, and the meeting was adjourned at 3:35PM Eastern time.
Denise Colley
Secretary
Date submitted: 8/13/2024
Date approved: 8/20/2024