06/08/2025 Leadership Team Meeting Minutes*

• approved 07/13/25

Attendance:

• Janet McKeehan-Medina (Chair)
• Sam Fenner (Executive Director)
• Jon Fenner (Comms)
• Suzanne Guess (MSR)
• Nancy Kilgore (Board Member)

• Julie Hay (Board) – Absent
• Monte Mann (Finance) – Absent
• Fabian Aruquipa (Secretary) – Absent

Convened: June 8, 2025, at 7:00 PM EST

1. Quorum and Meeting Format

Due to multiple absences (Julie, Monte, Fabian), there was no quorum. No official decisions or votes were taken. The session focused on updates and discussion items only.

2. Approval of Previous Meeting Minutes

Corrections noted to the April minutes by Sam Fenner:

• Clarified that she and Megan cleaned up MailerLite, not the workshop or email platform.
• Updated language on a new fiction workshop (approved, pending location confirmation).
• Corrected names of MSR guest editors: Rebecca Star and Danielle [surname pending spelling].

Vote deferred to next meeting pending incorporation of changes.

3. Cold Lake Anthology Book Launch

Janet and Sam provided updates:

• Book ordered by Nancy Volkers; ongoing delays from Ingram Sparks.
• Possible issues with card processing; Monty intervened.
• June 22 launch remains scheduled; rescheduling to be considered if books don’t arrive.
• Mailing books to attendees considered a last resort due to cost.

4. MSR Update (Suzanne)

• Current managing editor is unresponsive; search underway for a replacement (WordPress experience required).
• Jon will assist with the upcoming issue; resumes will be shared with Comms for vetting.
• Art editor is stepping down; Michelle Kite has been onboarded to take her place.

5. Poetry Path Update (Sam)

• Mary Chaffee stepping away due to personal reasons; 26 authors have submitted poems.
• Sam seeking additional volunteer to assist Lorraine Ryan in poem selection.
• Targeting a mid-to-late July installation to avoid seasonal flooding.
• Group involvement proposed for preparing and hanging panels; possible use of Hotel Vermont for a public write-in event.

6. Communications Update (Jon Fenner)

• Event calendar system fully functional; users receiving timely reminders.
• No reported spam or access issues.
• Collaboration with Rob Rosin (UI/UX) to redesign the website is underway; member surveys forthcoming to guide design.
• Goal: streamline usability and reinforce brand cohesion.

7. Executive Director Update (Sam Fenner)

Book Inventory & Outreach

• BWW has excess book inventory (CLA, MSR 2 & 3, Best of BWW 2015).
• Options explored: stocking Little Free Libraries, renewing Hotel Vermont partnership, donation by request.
• New suggestion: publish select stories on the website to promote books.

Organizational Needs

• New board member and funding lead needed following Jane Nevins’s departure.
• Gloria considered as a potential candidate for funding coordination.

Internal Operations

• Branding streamlining needed across projects (e.g., standardizing email domains).
• CLA materials migrating from old Gmail Drive to BWW’s shared Drive.
• Members asked to ensure all BWW materials are stored in shared locations for continuity.

8. Program and Workshop Updates

• New “Mindful Outdoor Writing Adventure” workshop launched by Christine Badamente-Smith, aligning with solstice dates. Early sign-ups observed.

Retreat Planning

• Leadership expressed strong interest in organizing a writing retreat.
• Short-term idea: single-day genre-based retreat in Burlington area.
• Long-term vision: weekend retreats; venues like Rock Point or Sugarbush discussed.
• Sam and Nancy to explore location options.
• Survey to gauge member interest and accessibility planned.

9. Announcements & Other Business

• Nancy Kilgore announced a new book expected in September, based on her family history through letters from the 1910s.
• Members expressed interest in a potential workshop or retreat based on historical correspondence and turning archival material into fiction.

10. Adjournment

Meeting adjourned at 8:55 PM EST.
Next Meeting: July 13, 2025, at 7:00 PM EST