Minutes - June 24, 2013

401 S. Clinton St.
Chicago, Illinois 60607

823 East Monroe
Springfield, Illinois 62704

2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Fred Nettles, Chair; Jim Dixon; Nancy Jameson; Dora Welker; Fred Nettles; Joseph Rives; Barb Tubekis; Debra Marton; Bob McCammon; Beth Ford; Jenne Myers; Cynthia Sims; Bob Dwyer: Jane Angelis; Bob Dwyer; Lorrie Walls; Howard Latham; Ann Schuman; Stephen Silberman; Jeff Turnbull; Jennifer Witzel

Brandon Bodor, Executive Director; Scott McFarland, Deputy Director; Lisa Akers, AmeriCorps Program Manager; Sue Zellers, AmeriCorps Program Office; Karla Kunzeman, Volunteer Programs Manager; Mike Stehlin, Training Officer

None

The meeting was called to order by Nettles

Nettles moved to approve minutes. The minutes were approved.

Bodor gave brief remarks and asked that the bulk of the meeting time go to the AmeriCorps approval process.

No Report

Nettles discussed his vision for a more regional approach for the Commission, harnessing the talents and geographic distribution of the Commissioners. He laid out his plan to integrate the Regional Conferences and the Commission’s Recognition program. Comments from Bob Dwyer and Bob McCammon were that we should try this as a pilot, and that the ‘asks’ of the Regional Commissioner are things that all Commissioners should already be doing. Commissioners agreed to add this as a topic for the October meeting, where a vote would be taken on implementing the ‘pilot’.

No reports

The Commissioners discussed three courses of action regarding funding:
 1. Remove 1-2 underperforming programs so that other programs didn’t get as much of a funding cut
 2. Keep steady number of grantees and distribute funding cuts
 3. Keep steady number of grantees and add a program in a new region (WIU – Quad Cities)

Course of Action 1 was first motioned for a vote, but the vote did not pass. Course of Action 3 was then motioned, and it did pass by a narrow majority, with the contingency that the Commission staff place underperforming programs on a probationary period until they get their organizations in better standing with administrative filings with the Commission.

Commissioners had a few comments related to the budget narrative (and the budget did not require a format vote at that time); review of the budget is a standard agenda item in the past 18 months, given the fiscal cuts due to sequestration, etc.

Nettles adjourned the meeting at 4:00pm