JLS NOTES April 2014

April 2014 • Issue 8

In This Issue: • Spring ODI • Local HT News • Sustainer News • Community Collaborations • HT: Project Outreach • Fund Development • JLS Shop on Zazzle • Meeting Briefs

Record-setting number of ODI delegates

Megan and Jessica with ODI faculty Vicki Clark, Anne Dalton, and Carol Scott

AJLI ODI CONFERENCE SERIES

MARK YOUR CALENDARS April 8: April GMM • JLS Office • Social: 6 pm; Meeting: 6:30 pm

April 20: Easter

April 30: Book Club • “Dark Places”

by Gillian Flynn • JLS Office: 6pm

May Book Club • “The Slave Across the Street”

by Theresa L. Flores • Date / Location TBD

Spring Organizational Development Institute (ODI) Ft. Lauderdale, FL • February 28 – March 2, 2014 Megan Husted and Jessica Murray recently represented the Junior League of Syracuse at AJLI’s 2014 Spring Organizational Development Institute (ODI) training in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The members of the Junior League of Greater Fort Lauderdale were gracious hosts to an ODI record-setting 450 Junior League delegates and went above and beyond to welcome their guests and ensure all were comfortable in “Paradise.”

Beyond the opportunity to enjoy the Florida sunshine (and sunsets!) and network with amazing women from around the world, Megan and Jessica were given the opportunity to participate in an intense training curriculum to develop as League members. (Thank you, JLS!) Megan participated in “Achieving Community Impact,” a community-focused track

moderated by nonprofit consultant Vicki Clark and organizational development expert (and AJLI’s Director of Education and Programs) Janine le Sueur. Megan collaborated and brainstormed with representatives from other Leagues also focused on the issue of Human Trafficking. She reports that the Junior Leagues of Tampa, FL and Birmingham, MI (greater Detroit area) have made great strides in Human Trafficking legislation, and the latter recently discovered two Human Trafficking victims through a community advocacy project! The AJLI staff was so astonished by Leagues’ activities in the Human Trafficking area that they are trying to increase participation in the monthly SPACs’ (State Public Affairs Committees) conference calls to en-

The Junior League of Syracuse, Inc. • The NOTES • April 2014 | 1

courage collaboration and information sharing between Leagues.

Jessica attended “Governing for Excellence,” a track led by Anne Dalton, AJLI’s Chief Officer for Strategic Initiatives, and devoted to effective organizational governance, the process of providing strategic leadership to a not-for-profit organization. Participants reviewed the responsibilities of a board of directors and its members, received a governance toolkit with practical ideas to take home to their Leagues, and learned about different governance models, including the new separated system distinguished by a governance board and management team. Additionally, Anne discussed how the differences between the practices of governance and management are related and have relevance to the nominating function. Jessica and her governance track

colleagues enjoyed highly interactive sessions having broad applicability to a League of any size and board makeup.

In addition to the focused training tracks, ODI participants attended several plenary sessions that covered subjects including change management, diversity and inclusion, and effective communication, and delegates had plenty of opportunities for individual and group networking.

Besides numerous ideas that could be implemented by the JLS, Megan and Jessica left with a great appreciation for AJLI as our governing organization and immense respect for the fulltime staff who support us. Not only are they talented professionals, they genuinely understand the challenges that Leagues face today, including competition from other non-profits and the realities of women’s busy schedules.

At the ODI, they provided straightforward, practical ideas, such as aligning a League’s activities with its strategic objectives, working within its current capabilities, and leveraging technology to increase its productivity.

Megan and Jessica would be pleased to talk to any JLS members about their Fort Lauderdale experience and encourage members interested in exploring future AJLI training opportunities to reach out to their nominating advisors.

Contact the Spring ODI Ladies: (l - r) Megan Husted: meghusted@gmail.com Jessica Walcott Murray: jessicawmurray@me.com

In a first for Syracuse, pimp who coerced prostitutes with drugs pleads guilty to sex trafficking Syracuse, NY – This wasn’t your average prostitution conviction.

Under a trendsetting new strategy, the state Attorney General’s Office today got a Syracuse pimp to plead guilty to sex trafficking.

Eric Oliver, 30, will spend six to 12 years in state prison after pleading guilty before state Supreme Court Justice John Brunetti.

Oliver could have faced up to 75 years in prison on three sex trafficking charges from October. If he’d been prosecuted under an older law, he would have only faced 3 1/2 to 7 years in prison, said his lawyer, Ken Moynihan, who said he was “pleased” with the resolution.

Oliver admitted to coercing prostitutes to work for him using drugs in 2012 and 2013.

Authorities say he also employed force and rape to compel the women to work.

The plea will also satisfy charges he prostituted a 15-year-old runaway Syracuse girl in Watertown.

Before now, such pimps were charged with promoting prostitution. But authorities used a recent law aimed at preventing international sex smuggling to go after the ageold problem of traditional prostitution.

Oliver’s helpers Two women also pleaded guilty today to lesser charges in connection with Oliver’s prostitution ring.

Tirra Pate admitted to promoting prostitution

and was sentenced to six months in the local jail, with credit for the time she’s served since her October arrest. Pate admitted that she controlled the prostitution ring for Oliver at various times.

Authorities have said Pate helped Oliver when he was in jail on prostitution charges.

Pate had been charged with sex trafficking, as well. The judge noted that she was offered an “extremely lenient sentence” because she would not get youthful offender treatment. That would have sealed her records upon conviction.

Pate’s mother, Aretha Paul, has said that her daughter was a victim of Oliver’s intimidation.

A second woman, Jessica Moro, also pleaded guilty to promoting prostitution. She was sentenced to three months of weekends in jail, but will also not get youthful offender status.

Her lawyer, Michael McDermott, had called Moro a victim of Oliver herself who was also forced into working for him.

A new strategy This case wasn’t unusual because of the crime, but the way Oliver was punished.

State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and state police launched a new strategy last year to treat pimps as sex traffickers and prostitutes as victims.

In Oliver’s case, he was punished under the sex trafficking law, while his prostitutes were being treated as victims and not charged

2 | The Junior League of Syracuse, Inc. • The NOTES • April 2014

with prostitution.

The state courts also started a human trafficking court, which has started to hear all prostitution cases in the city of Syracuse. Instead of simply convicting the prostitutes, the court offers them social services and counseling, with the goal of rehabilitating the prostitutes and letting them go.

Lawyers said Oliver’s case was one of the first statewide to play out under the new strategy.

– Syracuse.com, Short Link: goo.gl/hg85Dm It Happens Here FACT #1

HUMAN TRAFFICKING ...organized criminal activity in the trade of people for the purpose of involuntary sexual slavery, forced labor, or commercial exploitation...

IT’S A GLOBAL, NATIONAL & LOCAL PROBLEM

NATIONAL HOTLINE: 1-888-373-7888 REPORT SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY: 1-866-347-2423 SPREAD THE WORD: #JLSendHT LEARN MORE: www.JLSyracuse.org

Sustainers and the JLS Human Trafficking Project

The JLS rolled out its new project. The title “Human Trafficking: Project Outreach.” The goal of this project is to begin a grass roots campaign to educate our community that Human Trafficking does exist here.

The bottom line: if the JLS can educate our community at the very basic level, we hope to begin to find help for the victims as well as prevent someone from becoming a victim. The Active members were divided into teams and given a large kit filled with multiple items including books, pamphlets, t-shirts, PSA DVD’s, indicator cards and more. The goal of each team is to distribute these items throughout the community while tracking their progress through social media, Facebook, twitter, etc. each team will receive points for their progress, and the team with the most points will attend the Annual Dinner free of charge.

As Sustainers, it would be wonderful if we could be a part of this campaign. Amy and I would like to bring some of these campaign items to the sustainers. We will be hosting a Sustainer R&R on Tuesday, March 25th and we hope you will join us. We will announce the location very soon and it will be a fun evening. We will have many of the items from the kits available for you to distribute wherever you would like within our community. Perhaps you would like to drop one of the books off to your community library or put up a poster on a community bulletin board. You can chose to be as involved as much as

you would like. Either way, we hope you will join us for a fun R&R! If you cannot join us but would like to be a part of the campaign, please contact Lynn Horowitch or Amy Sumida.

Awards/Upcoming Events

We are in the process of choosing a nominee for the Mary Harriman Award. Please send in your nominations for the Sustainer of the Year Award. We are still hoping for someone to offer their home for the Sustainer Cocktail Party.

If you would like to help plan this fun event, please contact Lynn or Amy. We are planning one or two Lunch and Learn events. We will Contact the Sustainer VP Co-Chairs: (l - r) keep you posted via Lynn Horowitch: lhorowitch@aol.com the e-mail blasts and Amy Sumida: apsumida@gmail.com the Notes.

COMMUNITY COLLABORATIONS Community Collaborations continues to develop new partnerships in the community that will align with our Human Trafficking focus: Joseph’s House, a residence for expectant mothers and mothers needing support, is opening and excited for Junior League involvement, The Salvation Army shelters for teens and women, and McMahon Ryan Child Advocacy Center. We also are working on events, such as “cooking on a budget” and Becca’s Closet prom dress, and the Catholic Charities Downtown Emergency Assistance Program and Food Pantry with the intent of sharing our Anti-Human Trafficking message through informal conversations and serving populations that could be potential human trafficking victims.

Sign ups are open for the second annual STEM Expo May 9 at Danforth School (Contact Cheryl Saidel at csaidel@westgen-

esee.org) and for Darkness to Light Training on Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse April 24, May 16, and June 10 (Contact Janice Timmons at McMahon Ryan 701-2985).

Fund Development

tion. You are invited to watch for more information on the ‘Members Only’ page of the JLS website as well. In the meantime…

Did you know?

At the March GMM, Cathy Dotterer, Treasurer and Sarah Weber, Fund Development VP presented an overview of the JLS’s finances for the 2013-2014 year. Since the League’s finances are an important component of the membership’s knowledge-base, the presentation provided information about the structure of the League’s budget as well as specific funds, such as the Jerri Wilson Fund. The presentation also included discussion about sources of income for the League as well as expenditures for each of the Councils. Particular focus was paid toward our annual Holiday Shoppes event, which will be explored further in an upcoming presenta-

Human Trafficking: Project Outreach We launched our 2.8 MILLION CHILDREN RUN AWAY EACH YEAR IN THE US Human Trafficking WITHIN project at the March GMM! This project HOURS is a grass roots cam/ OF THESE CHILDREN ARE LURED OR RECRUITED INTO paign to educate our PROSTITUTION & PORNOGRAPHY community that Human Trafficking does exist here. We have put together “kits” full of Human Trafficking information. The league was divided into 10 teams. The teams are free to distribute the information as they wish.

We have created some signature posters, stickers, magnets and a brochure to distribute to the community.

In our efforts to educate the community we are also tying it into a social media campaign. We already know the internet is a powerful tool to lure women and children into the web of Human Trafficking, so why not use its powers for good.

We have created a Human Trafficking information page on our website where we can send people for information and links to sites with additional information. We are using Facebook to track where we are visiting and what material we are handing out.

• JLS Facebook page: It Happens Here FACT #4

1

AVERAGE AGE: 12 – 14 YRS OLD

3

Source: National Center for Missing and Exploited Children

NATIONAL HOTLINE: 1-888-373-7888

REPORT SUSPICIOUS ACTIVITY: 1-866-347-2423 SPREAD THE WORD: #JLSendHT

LEARN MORE: www.JLSyracuse.org

Contact the Community Collaborations Co-Chairs: (l - r) Meg Husted: meghusted@gmail.com Kim Lynch: klynch2@twcny.rr.com

The Following Percentage of Your Dues Goes to AJLI: • Active • Sustainer <65 • Sustainer >65 • New Member

39% 54% 63% 78%

www.facebook.com/JLSyracuse Contact the Fund Development VP: Sarah Weber: weber.sarahf@gmail.com

• Rebel Mouse page that tracks all of our social media efforts: www.rebelmouse.com/JLSendHT

The Junior League of Syracuse, Inc. • The NOTES • April 2014 | 3

JLS SHOP ON ZAZZLE www.zazzle.com/jlsyracuse HUNT Real Estate ERA is proud to recognize our 2013 Leading Sales Agent of the Year for the Central & Northern NY Region* Judy M. Winslow Associate Real Estate Broker

Trust your biggest financial asset to the most successful and productive HUNT agent in CNY.

Call Judy today at (315) 682-1950

Office: (315) 449-6699 Email: judy.winslow@huntrealestate.com Web: JudyWinslowRealtor.com

JLS Office Hours: M/W/Th: 12 – 4 pm; Tue: 2 – 6 pm; Fri: 9 am – 1 pm NOTES Deadline: 2nd Tuesday of each month NOTES Editor: Whitney Daniels: whitney@wrkdesigns.com

2013 – 2014 Board Members President: Heather Ford Wallace President-Elect: TBA Treasurer: Cathy Dotterer Secretary: Jill Lawlor COMMUNICATIONS VP: Sarah Shea Dempsey Community VP: Linda Dombrow Fund Development VP: Sarah Weber Membership VP: Jennifer Jackson Parliamentarian: Anna O’Neil Sustainer VPS: Lynn Horowitch & Amy Sumida

* Gross Closed Commission | $10,000,000 plus Top Producer

Meeting Briefs February GMM: • In advance of the GMM, members took an online questionnaire to identify their individual top five strengths. Guest speaker Wendy Allen, Director of Academic Services at Onondaga Community College, helped members understand the “StrengthsQuest” idealogy and what the 34 different strengths mean.

Through Wendy’s presentation and group exercises, members learned that honest communication is critical to a successful team; how talents interact affect the group dynamic; and teams need to be well-rounded because we, as individuals, are not.

Wendy also shared the strengths of the current JLS Board of Directors to demonstrate how a successful leadership team should collectively possess traits in four categories: Influencing, Executing, Relationship Building and Strategic Thinking.

February Board Meeting: • Board members visited St. Joseph’s Hospital to learn about some of its services, including the emergency mental health facility CPEP. The visit was informational and presented possible collaboration opportunities.

Board members will begin drafting the annual report.

The board discussed how the league should respond to appeals from outside organizations looking for individuals to sit on their boards. A standardized request form may be developed. A suggestion was brough forth by the Nominating Committee to split the position of Online Engagement Chair into two positions: one responsible for social media communications and one responsible for the website. The board was in favor of this change.

March GMM: • Treasurer Cathy Dotterer and Fund Development VP

4 | The Junior League of Syracuse, Inc. • The NOTES • April 2014

Sarah Weber provided an overview of the 2013-14 budget and the league’s financial health. Members learned that Holiday Shoppes represents 75% of the league’s income, with the remainder of income being generated from dues (17%), donations (3%) and advertising (1%). Almost 50% of this year’s expenditures will support council-related activities (community, training, etc). Operating costs (31%) and Holiday Shoppes (21%) make up the rest of the expense budget. The league-wide human trafficking advocacy project was kicked off. Members were divided into teams and each team was given two boxes of human trafficking materials to share with the community. The goal is to educate people at a grassroots level that human trafficking exists in Central New York. Teams can earn points for contacts made. The project will wrap up in May. March Board Meeting: • The new member class stopped by to meet board members.

Members will be asked to vote on policy wording updates and 2014-15 Holiday Shoppes requirements at the June GMM. The board received a formal proposal from the Fund Development Committee for a new fundraiser, a wine-tasting event. Board members were asked to send their comments to Fund Development VP Sarah Weber. The search for this year’s Mary Harriman Award nominee is going well.

Contact the Secretary: Jill Lawlor: jlawlor@twcny.rr.com

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It’s your move now!

Call today to be part of the Spring Market!

The notes By Mail

Amy J. Burnell

Any member who would prefer to receive a copy of The NOTES via USPS can notify the office at office@jlsyracuse.com.

Many thanks in advance!

Administrative Assistant to Margaret Karim

READ THE NOTES ONLINE You can now read The NOTES online on the JLS website: www.

JLSyracuse.org or on Issuu at: issuu.com/jlsyracuse

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The Junior League of Syracuse, Inc. • The NOTES • April 2014 | 5

431 E Fayette Street, Suite 225 Syracuse, NY 13202 O: 315-423-9773 F: 315-471-1464 office@jlsyracuse.com www.JLSyracuse.org Mission The Junior League of Syracuse is an organization of women committed to promoting volunteerism, developing the potential of women and to improving the community through the effective action and leadership of trained volunteers. Its purpose is exclusively educational and charitable.

Vision The Junior League of Syracuse will be an organization of diverse women committed to enriching the quality of life for women, children and their families in the Central New York Community.

Find the Junior League of Syracuse Online!

Visit JLSyracuse.org for direct links.

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