Meeting Minutes

Minutes from Dec. 6, 2020, CTSPJ board meeting

CT SPJ board meeting minutes

Sunday, Dec. 6, at 2 p.m., via Zoom

1. Call to order – Viktoria Sundqvist calls the meeting to order at 2:09 p.m.

Present: Lindsay Boyle, Viktoria Sundqvist, Mike Savino, Darren Sweeney, Cindy Simoneau, Jordan Fenster, Bruno Matarazzo, Ayah Galal, Aaron Johnson, Jodie Mozdzer Gil, Jackie Stoughton, Jeniece Roman

2. Approval of minutes

  1. Action item: Approve minutes from July 12 board meeting
  2. Action item: Approve minutes from special meeting on Nov. 15 date

-Viktoria makes a motion to approve the minutes

-Mike seconds the motion

-Motion unanimously approved

3. President’s report

  • Update from national
  • Membership update
  • Regional conference 2021 update

-New database should help user experience for members; no votes taken

4. Treasurer’s report

  • Financial overview
  • Action item: annual approval of donations
  • SCSU SPJ, $750
  • CCSU SPJ, $500
  • Bob Eddy Scholarship, $1,000
  • CFOG, $250
  • CCFOI, $500
  • SPJ LDF, $500
  • No money needed this year for SPJ Region 1 ($500) or CT FOI Day ($500)

-All scholarships were paid; board’s financial health is strong

-Jordan makes a motion to approve all of the suggested funds for donations

-Mike seconds the motion

-Motion passes 9-0 with three abstentions (Mike, Jodie, Aaron)

5. Committee updates

  • Programming (Mike)
  • Contest (Jodie)
  • Scholarship (Lindsay)
  • Membership (Vik)
  • FOI (Mike)
  • Communications (Mercy)

-The board will add COVID categories to the contest

-General, features, data?

-Viktoria asks committee to have a meeting and report back

-More discussion but no action taken

6. Dinner/Awards

  • Discussion: Do we start planning a virtual event?

-The board will wait until later to decide

7. Adjourn – Viktoria moves to adjourn at 3:18 p.m.

-Jodie seconds the motion

-Motion passes unanimously

Minutes from Nov. 15, 2020, CTSPJ special board meeting

CT SPJ special meeting 

Sunday, Nov. 15, at 2 p.m., via Zoom 

MINUTES

  1. Call to order – Called to order at 2:06 p.m. by Viktoria Sundqvist

 Present: Lindsay Boyle, Mike Savino, Jordan Fenster, Mercy Quaye, Viktoria Sundqvist, Bruno Matarazzo, Ayah Galal, Jackie Stoughton, Jeniece Roman, Jodie Gil, Aaron Johnson

  1. Plan of Action in response to RC’s request for 3 board members to resign:
    1. Review of letter 
    2. Review national’s response 
    3. Discussion 
    4. Action: Vote of confidence in board leaders 

-Jordan Fenster moves for us as a board to make a vote of confidence in order to express solidarity with and support for our board leaders, Viktoria Sundqvist, Mike Savino and Bruno Matarazzo

-Jodie Gil seconds the motion

-Motion passes 8-0 (with 3 abstentions)

-Mercy Quaye moves to pursue signatures from our chapter membership on a letter in support of our current board leadership: Viktoria Sundqvist, Mike Savino and Bruno Matarazzo

-Jordan Fenster seconds the motion

-Motion passes unanimously

  1. Legal representation: 
    1. Review list of lawyers who specialize in non-profit governance
    2. Review hourly rates 
    3. Action: Vote on allocating funds for legal representation for the board 

-Discussed; no action taken

4. Adjourn.

-Viktoria Sundqvist moves to adjourn at 3:42 p.m.

-Jodie Gil seconds the motion

-Motion passes unanimously

Minutes from July 12, 2020, CTSPJ board meeting

CT SPJ board meeting

Sunday, July 12, at 11 a.m., via Zoom

MINUTES

 1.         Call to order – Called to order at 11:02 a.m. by Viktoria Sundqvist

Present: Lindsay Boyle, Viktoria Sundqvist, Bruno Matarazzo, Mike Savino, Jordan Fenster, Ayah Galal, Jackie Stoughton, Aaron Johnson, Jodie Mozdzer Gil, Cindy Simoneau

2.         President’s report

-Viktoria runs through her priorities of increasing membership, putting on the regional conference and finding someone new to own the contest

-Bruno Matarazzo is awarded a plaque for his two years of service as president

3.         Treasurer’s report

-Bruno discusses the balances of the board’s accounts (checking, savings, scholarship) as well as the checks that were cashed since last meeting. Checking balance is up a bit because the board did not have its annual dinner as an expense.

4.         Committee assignments

·   Jordan: Dinner, ad-hoc website redesign, FOI

·   Bruno: Contest, membership, finance

·   Ayah: Communications, programming, dinner

·   Mike: FOI, contest, programming

·   Lindsay: Scholarship, ad-hoc website redesign, charter revision

·   Jackie: Communications, programming

·   Aaron: Programming, communications, contest

·   Vik: Membership, contest

-Notes: Treasurer Bruno is chair of the finance committee, Communications Vice President Mercy Quaye is chair of the communications committee and Programming Vice President Mike is chair of the programming committee.

5.         Conventions update

-The board discusses the national conference, which will be held virtually Sept. 12 and 13, and whether to allocate some money to help people cover registration costs as there will be no need for travel stipends.

-The regional conference is slated to happen virtually April 9 and 10 next year, with Roger Williams University serving as the hub of activity.

-Board agrees to watch the national convention closely and learn from the things people do and don’t like.

6.         Scholarship update

-Board discusses whether to hold a virtual event for the winners and what to do with the donations that came in on behalf of late local journalist Jack Kramer.

        -Board will offer a one-time $1,000 scholarship in his name in the spring.

7.         Contest update

-Board discusses what was spent for website fixes related to the contest and votes on the clerk’s pay for next year.

-Bruno makes a motion to set pay for the contest clerk at $2,200, to be paid out in two installments ($1,000, $1,200)

-Mike seconds the motion

-Motion passes unanimously

8.         Racism discussion follow-up – Aug. 20 virtual panel is still on and will feature Quinnipiac University’s Don Sawyer and Connecticut Mirror reporter Jacqueline Rabe Thomas as well as board members Mercy and Jordan

9.         Programming ideas for the year – Board discusses ideas; Mike agrees to ask the national organization whether there is a shared Zoom account CTSPJ can join

10.    Adjourn – Meeting adjourned at 12:02 p.m.

CTSPJ Meeting Minutes

The CTSPJ board approved the following minutes at its December 2012 meeting.

Click each link to download a Word document with the minutes.

July 23, 2012 Special Meeting — Conference Call

July 27, 2012 Special Meeting — Online

Oct. 23, 2012 Special Meeting — Online