MEETING MINUTES Minutes of the Board of Directors Meeting - March 16, 2020 Minnesota Distance Running Association Foundation (MDRA Foundation) Minutes of the Board of Directors Meeting - March 16, 2020
Members Present: Rochelle Christensen, Steve Hennessy, Chad Austin, Tom Goudreault, Jill Jewell, Chris Turoski, Mark Annett, Perry McGahan, Lou Ann Kycek, Geoff Engelhart, Mishka Vertin, Verna Volker, Diana Jacks (”Majority” quorum met for each of MDRA and MDRA Foundation). Members Absent: Damon Rothstein Guests: Kurt Jewell, Dave Marek President’s Report With the spread of Covid-19, these are fast-changing times. In order to do our part as individuals and an organization we’re holding our firstever virtual meeting. Friday March 13th we had a meeting to discuss upcoming MDRA events and programs. Based on safety we’ve decided to cancel Lake Johanna 4 Mile and to suspend the Polar Bears training runs and the Spring Half and Marathon training programs. Again, things are changing rapidly and we will continue to monitor this situation and make decisions based on what’s right for MDRA and the community. Admin/Governance Proposal: Chris Turoski informed the board that our bylaws are outdated in the sense that they do not allow for virtual quorums or conducting meetings electronically. We also don’t allow proxy or email voting. Bylaws will be revisited holistically during the year, however, due to the immediate impact of Covid-19, Chris Turoski made the motion to allow for virtual quorums via online meetings. Tom Goudreault seconded the motion. The motion passed. Secretary’s Report: Minutes of the Board of Directors’ Meeting for February 17, 2020 were approved by Steve Hennessy and accepted by and seconded by Jill Jewell. Treasurer’s Report: The handoff of this role from Steve Hennessy to Diana Jacks is still in process. Nothing to report at this time. Operations Manager’s Report:
· Memberships are holding steady · Program and Race registrations are all on track · Half and Marathon training program is our largest spring class ever · Grandma’s Marathon Run Club is very popular · Social followers continue to grow Of course, all of this is prior to the Covid-19 outbreak. Since then, we’ve suspended the spring Half and Marathon training program until at least May 12. Kurt Jewell will continue coaching virtually through emails, social sites and the Heylo app. No refunds are being given for this program. The Women’s Running and Couch to 5K programs were cancelled prior to their start date and refunds were provided. As of February 29 Membership Total
2020 2,114
2019 1,938
Committee Reports Admin/Governance: No report. Finance: Committee will be meeting soon to discuss the budget im-
pacts of Covid-19. Concerns regarding registrations for the Victory races and City of Lakes. Foundation: Reaching out to former board members to see if they’re willing to chair the Foundation committee.
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SUMMER 2020
Programs: Committee met last month with Women’s Running coach Kristen Kinnear-Ohlmann to get a better idea of everything that goes into that program and to let her know we’re there to help. It was very apparent that Kristen is passionate about this program and we feel very fortunate to have her leadership. Promotions/Advocacy: We have hired an outside contractor to update or brand guidelines, infrastructure, website and more. On March 6 we kicked things off with a rebranding exercise and talked about objectives. More to come in May. Publications: No report. Race:
· We are considering postponing the Daws 25K & 12K races until the fall · Como Park fees will be the same rates as last year · Looking at new routes for Victory 10K (due to construction) and the City of Lakes half marathon – potentially following the Rose Garden loop to help spread out runners · Potentially adding a Black Friday 5K around Lake Phalen, as well as hosting an outdoor Meet of Miles USATF: No report. We are seeking a new representative in 2020. New Business: Request was made to review our strategic plan with our new board members. Old Business: None. The meeting was adjourned by Steve Hennessy and seconded by Jill Jewell. The next MDRA and MDRA Foundation Board meeting will be April 20, 2020.
