UMass Amherst Alumni Association
About Us
Executive Committee Meeting Minutes
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Memorial Hall
UMass Amherst Campus
8:30 a.m.
Committee Members: Ron Grasso, Sean LeBlanc, Kathleen Mitchell, Mike Fiorentino, Hal Lane, Ron Spicer, Mary Custard, Andy Hochberg
Absent: Anna Symington, Christine Lopes, Kim Sherman
Staff: Deb Masloski and Kevin Fleming
Guests: Ed Godek
Call to Order: The meeting convened at 8:31 a.m.
Approval of Minutes
Motion: By Sean, seconded by Mike, to approve the minutes from the August 14, 2007 Executive Committee Meeting. The motion passed unanimously.
President’s Update
Kathleen reported that she had met with Toivo Tammerk, Vice Chancellor for University Advancement, and Mike Gargano, Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs. Kathleen relayed to Toivo and Mike that she was serving on the Chancellor Search Committee, and asked them what attributes they sought in the next Chancellor. Both Toivo and Mike expressed that they would like the next Chancellor to be focused on raising our graduation rate, increase fundraising, and to be adept at involving and collaborating with various constituent groups.
Toivo discussed that we are currently fundraising at a level that sustains UMass Amherst, but that we need to be able to raise funds that take UMass Amherst to the next level. He also relayed that Chancellor Lombardi’s departure had negatively impacted fundraising, resulting in about $14,000,000 in delayed or withdrawn donations. He also touched upon additional fundraising challenges that UMass Amherst has encountered, including the lack of a culture of giving as they progress from students to alumni, and the lack of awareness of the distinction between Alumni Association members and donors. Toivo discussed the Alumni Association’s role as the marketing arm of UMass Amherst, and believed that we can direct the push for awareness and creating a culture of giving. He asked that the Alumni Association increase the number of active clubs, and noted that even a small number of engaged alumni in an area is a positive thing. He and Mike both expressed their belief that the Alumni Association is poised for growth.
Mike Gargano also believes that the Alumni Association could provide great value to students by organizing alumni willing to offer co-ops, internships, or mentorship. He relayed the results of a study showing that college sophomores feel isolated, and suggested that an alumni mentorship program might be valuable to these students. Mike G. had also expressed his belief that the Alumni Association must contact students prior to them getting to campus, and suggested sending a welcome letter to freshmen and their parents that provides an overview of what we do. This led to a discussion amongst the Executive Committee members about increasing the Freshmen Sendoff program. Sean and Kevin explained that the format of the sendoffs had outlived its purpose and become stale. They noted that orientation has done a much better job of educating both students and parents over the last several years, as well as the fact that the venues have been too formal. The group agreed that, if the program were to proceed, they might consider changing the format and locations to more informal, fun environments. Mike G. had suggested that we use our alumni network to organize events in venues typically unavailable to the public. Deb expressed concerns about approaching these alumni too often, noting that the Alumni Association and Development often approach these same alumni for other events. Deb suggested that alumni may be willing to host the sendoffs in their homes.
Executive Director’s Report – None
Life Membership “Endowment” Funds
Sean noted that a significant amount of funds are invested into our Life membership endowment, which the Alumni Association bylaws preclude the Board from using. Deb provided a historical perspective of the current policy. She noted that the Board members who originally created and approved the bylaws intended to grow the endowment and create financial stability for the Alumni Association, which had a much smaller operating budget at the time (about $30,000). They did this by taking interest earned on the principal of the endowment, and investing it back into the principal. Over time, the operating budget has expanded significantly to about $1,500,000, and it may be appropriate to grant access to the Board to use the Life Member endowment funds in support of our programming. Kathleen charged the Finance Committee to review the current structure, and make a proposal to the Executive Committee. Deb thought that the proposal would also warrant a broader discussion of how the Board would use the money in accordance with the strategic plan.
Motion: Hal made a motion, seconded by Mary, to charge the Finance Committee with reviewing all Alumni Association assets and to develop a recommendation for use of these assets to support short and long-term strategic goals. The motion passed unanimously.
Committee Reports
Alumni Career Services: None
Audit: Deb relayed that she and the Audit Committee will be meeting with the new Auditors, and hopes to report the results to the full Board in November. She anticipates some significant changes to policies and procedures, as they have not been updated in some time.
Alumni Clubs: None
Communications, Marketing, and Membership: None
Finance and Investment: Ron noted that the Alumni Association’s money is now with our new investment manager.
Grants Review: None
Governance: None
Honors and Awards: None
Nominating: None
Programs and Services: None
Volunteer Advocacy and Public Affairs: None
Old Business
Ron G. asked Kathleen about an update on meeting with Stan Rosenberg. Kathleen noted that the Board of Directors does not plan to personally engage Stan in a conversation, but will charge the Volunteer Advocacy Committee with developing more initiatives to engage local legislators.
Ron S. asked about the status of a travel reimbursement policy for Board members. Deb noted that the Finance Committee was charged with reviewing this matter and developing a recommended policy that will address all Board of Director reimbursements. Ron S. reiterated that providing reimbursement to those traveling from far distances will greatly aid the Board in achieving their initiative of a Board of Directors with national representation. Mary noted that these considerations had been part of prior discussions regarding travel reimbursement, and agreed with Ron’s concerns.
Kathleen contacted President Wilson’s office regarding the proposed bio-technology even with Governor Patrick on the UMass Amherst campus, and the President’s Office thought it was a fantastic idea. She noted that Toivo will be discussing the event with Chancellor Cole in the near future, and Mike Fiorentino agreed to contact Governor Patrick’s office to gauge the Governor’s interest. The committee members agreed that it might be difficult to pull the event together by the fall, and suggested looking at a spring date.
New Business - None
New Board Member Welcome
Executive Committee members met and mingled with new members of the Board of Directors.
Adjournment - The meeting adjourned at 9:40 a.m.
