In attendance:

Scott MacPherson, E.D.
Mike Hines, Vice-President (remote)
Omar Torres, Treasurer
Ismary Santiago, Clerk
Koco Givner
Derek Baez (Remote)

Not in attendance:

Daniel O’Sullivan
Vinnie Bonilla
Keshla Archeval (Remote)
Gloria Caballero-Roca
Carolyn Rogers-Harris, R.I.P.

Call to Order 6:36

Acceptance of prior meeting minutes – March 19, 2026

• Motion to Approve prior meeting minutes Koco
• Second: Ismary
• Vote: Unanimous approval.

Director’s Report

P and L

Balance Sheet

Q1 Budget Reconciliation

2026 Budget Revision

• March activity:
  • 9 public events
  • 420 total visitations
  • April is expected to be slower; activity increases again in May/June.
  • July bookings being limited due to staffing constraints.
  • Late 2026 / early 2027 bookings proceeding as normal.
• Annual Meeting with City Officials
  • Required annual meeting held with Mayor and School Department.
  • Initial confusion due to lack of review of provided reports by other parties.
  • Outcome:
    • Agreement to maintain MOU largely as-is.
    • Addition of biannual capital needs meetings (considered reasonable).
    • Movement toward eliminating Mobile City Hall (unused asset).
  • MOU Updates
    • Removal of outdated transition language (2015).
    • Added language ensuring access to city/school networks for the purpose of signal origination.
    • Anticipated addition of regular capital planning meetings.
• Staffing Updates
  • Two staff resignations since last meeting.
  • One resignation tied to long-term disability transition.
  • Staffing challenges acknowledged; further discussion deferred.
• 2026 Budget Revision
  • News Director position removed.
  • Director of Production converted to full-time ($50,000 starting salary).
    • Salary framework based on internal pay equity document.
  • Digital Navigator salary adjusted to align with pay scale.
    • $25,000 allocated for contract labor (potentially for leadership support).
  • Health insurance budgeted at worst-case scenario.
  • Motion to approve revised budget: 
    • Motion Omar
    • Second Koco
    • Passed unanimously
• Financial Updates
  • New accounts:
    • • Money Market account opened ($75,000 deposit).
      • Two CDs opened ($10,000 each).
    • Planned:
      • $25,000 mortgage principal payment.
  • Q1 Budget Reconciliation
    • Motion to approve and submit to Mayor:
      • Motion Omar
      • Second Koco
      • Passed unanimously

•  Membership Update
  • 4 new members added in the past month.
  • Growth largely driven by event participation and hosting interest.

Old Business:

Comittee Reports

• Committee reports
  • Marketing & Development
    • Developing marketing plan
    • Event presence strategy
    • Pre-recorded audio welcome  (including future sponsorship messaging)
  • Facilities & Technology
    • Window replacement completed.
    • Upcoming:
      • Elevator inspection
      • Fire and building inspections (for Certificate of Occupancy in August)
        • New shared “important dates” document created includes when regular insections and reports are due.
• Personnel
  • Discussion of staffing capacity and transition planning.
  • Emphasis on avoiding staff burnout during transition period.
• Finance
  • Covered within the Director’s Report and financial updates.
• Editorial
  • No updates.
• Executive Director Transition
  • The director formally noted resignation.
  • Strong recommendation to:
    • Hire Interim Executive Director
    • Conduct national search for permanent replacement
  • Search Process Recommendations
    • Update job description
    • Publish posting in English and Spanish
    • Develop evaluation criteria
    • Conduct:
      • Initial screening
      • Zoom interviews
      • Final in-person interviews (including staff involvement)
      • Estimated timeline: 4–6 months
  • Board encouraged to consider hiring HR/search consultant.
  • Advisory Note
    • Board advised not to base expectations on current director’s workload.
    • Emphasis on sustainable role expectations for next hire.
• Transition Planning
  • Director will:
    • Continue limited support after departure (June events, onboarding support)
    • Create:
      • Operational guides (payroll, reporting, etc.)
      • Vendor lists
      • Document archive (budgets, reports, minutes)
      • Shared drive being populated with organizational materials.
    • Development of a Strategic Plan
      • The Director recommended using the interim period  between his departure and the hiring of a new Executive Director to develop a strategic plan. He noted that this process could help maintain member engagement while also providing stakeholders with a sense of ownership and input in shaping the organization’s future direction. All of the surveys to request information have already been created, and the organizations grant writer is prepared to aggregate the data into a report.
      • A new strategic plan could assist a new director in shaping the organization’s future.

Tasks & Next Steps

• Board Chair to:
  • Coordinate formation of search committee
  • Communicate with full board on participation
• Director to:
  • Continue documentation and knowledge transfer
  • Share prior contract template for interim role
• Next board Meeting May 21, 2026

Motion to adjourn

• Motion: Koco
• Second: Ismary
• Vote: Unanimous

Meeting adjourned at  7:43pm