01/12/25 Leadership Team Meeting Minutes

Meeting Start

Updates

MSR Update (Suzanne Guess)

Issue 76 was successfully published despite significant website challenges. Special thanks extended to Jon and Shalom for their assistance.
Training sessions for feedback are scheduled for February 6th (9–11 AM, Central Time) and tentatively for February 11th (6–8 PM), with the possibility of recording sessions.
Submittable is experiencing technical issues with poetry submissions, preventing previous submitters from participating. Suzanne has reached out to Submittable to address this. Editors will not be granted individual Submittable emails for efficiency.
MSR continues to receive a significant volume of poetry submissions compared to other genres.

Finance Update (Monte Man)

Preliminary year-end financials show a $100 surplus compared to projections.
Current cash reserves exceed $40,000, with a strong bank balance.
A mini-grant from Fidelity Choice, suggested by member Jim Done, was secured for small nonprofits.

Communications Update (Jon Fenner)

Testing for an Eventbrite replacement was completed in collaboration with Diane. Although the replacement requires more maintenance, it is deemed necessary.
A new Communications team member has joined and is assisting with the Mad River Workshop.
Continued collaboration with MSR to address website issues.

Programs Update (Samantha Fenner)

Millie’s Master Class: 80 participants have signed up, generating $250 in revenue.
Christine’s Workshops: Upcoming “Embodied” and “Rewilding” workshops focus on connecting with nature and using these experiences for writing.
Mad River Valley Workshop: Rob Ronson and Kimberly Reynolds propose a hybrid format to allow for international participation. This model may be applied to other workshops.
Collaborations: Discussions are underway about policies for collaborating with external facilitators. A draft policy will be written by Samantha to guide future collaborations.

Executive Director Update (Samantha Fenner)

2025 Priorities:
- Replace Eventbrite for event management.
- Establish a website policy section for reference.
- Continue improving conflict-of-interest protocols.
- Create a dedicated section for BWW authors on the website.
- Launch a membership poll to gather input on workshops and advertising.
- Explore using Facebook Business to increase membership and participation.
CLA Update:
- All reviewer roles have been filled, and the reading process will begin next week.
- Submissions end January 31st, with plans to accept 70 authors (10 poetry, 9 fiction, 2 creative nonfiction).

Additional Discussions

Grants and Feedback

Fabian will assist in promoting CLA and MSR events.
He suggests a small poll will be conducted to determine specific program needs for grant applications.
He asks for feedback on Statement on Need from Grant Proposal

DEI Statement

Jon proposed reaffirming the BWW’s DEI statement amidst widespread revocations by other organizations.
The Leadership Team agreed to maintain the statement, emphasizing BWW’s commitment to inclusivity and solidarity.

Meeting Close

Next Meeting: February 9th at 7:00 PM.

The meeting concluded with gratitude to all members at 7:40 PM.