Iowa AEYC Governing Board
Saturday, October 26, 2013
10:00 – 3:33
Unity Point West Hospital
West Des Moines, Iowa
New board member orientation held prior to the meeting.
The meeting was called to order by President Leann Andre at 10:00 a.m. She reminded
everyone of the HPIO standards to follow during the meeting.
Members present: Mary Airy, President elect; Leann Andre, President, Dianne Casto, Secretary;
Tom Rendon, Treasurer; Cathy Swackhamer, Vice President; Sheila Hanson, Public Policy Chair;
Brian Kingrey, Midwest Rep; Mary Minard, Membership Chair; Joy Brown, Green Valley Chapter
Rep; Linda Eitmann, SW Chapter Rep; Pat Emerson, Dubuque Chapter Rep; Becky Hixson, Quad
Cities Chapter Rep; Annette Koster, West Central Chapter Rep; Amy Liles, SE Chapter Rep;
Pam Mahoney, Mid-Iowa Chapter Rep; Kristyn Mueller, Fort Dodge Chapter Rep;
Connie Schulte, Cedar Rapids Chapter Rep; Leslie Stonehocker, Lincoln Way Chapter Rep.
Excused: Sally Hartley, Siouxland Chapter Rep; Carrie Jones, North Iowa Chapter Rep;
Nichol Kleespies, Northwest Chapter Rep; Mary Lukas, Iowa City Chapter Rep; Brandy Smith,
Black Hawk Chapter Rep; Terry Wangberg, T.E.A.C.H. Advisory Committee Chair
Guests: Scott Christopher, Denman, audit company.
Staff present: Barb Merrill, Executive Director; Pat Dautremont, Administrative Assistant.
Ashley had a baby son and some WAGE$ funding has been received.
Scott Christopher, Denman and Associates, presented the audit. Iowa AEYC had a clean audit.
Accrual system was changed to cash system. Please read the notes on pages 8-10. Taxes
preparation is underway. Federal expenses as per A-133 regulation audited with DHS TEACH
the primary program funded. No material weaknesses or disclosures found. Barb explained the
Note Payable line of credit utilized. There were no significant audit findings. Sheila/Mary A.
move/second to accept the audit report. Approved.
Cathy Swackhamer presented her leadership story. Discussion followed regarding leadership
opportunities.
Consent agenda pages 3-43 consisting of board member/staff reports, committee motions,
WOYC Chairperson appointment, membership numbers, 2014 Leadership Fellowship winners
and July minutes: Please correct board roster information for Pat to update. Clarification of
WAGE$ is currently for targeted centers in designated area where funding by United Way
provided. Iowa AEYC received WAGE$ license August 1, 2013. Kyle hired through ICAA
AmeriCorps project to work half time on WAGE$ and half for IHSA. Dianne/Cathy move/second
to approve the consent agenda. Approved.
Exec Board moved to appoint Brian Kingery to WOYC chair. Approved.
2014 Board meetings:
January 25
February 1
April 6-12
April 26
TBD
June 8-11
July 18
September 19-20
October 25
Board meeting
Snow date
WOYC
Board meeting
Spring Leadership with focus on teachers
NAEYC PDI in Minnesota
Board Retreat
Institute/Annual Meeting
Board meeting
Fall Institute Overview and Evaluation: Need more evaluations to come in. Suggest not get
certificate until complete evaluation. Total attendance was 739. Saturday attendance discussion
suggested a lower Saturday rate to attract more attendees and provide fuller workshops.
Location was good. IT concerns on Saturday but received a refund for site problems. Students
not allowed into café without adult supervision. Suggest give badges to attendees so permitted
to all area except casino. Concern that only vegetarian meals left at end when not order
vegetarian. Did we take in as much for baskets as we spent on them, to put towards Tony Lacy
scholarship? We need to promote this more. Need someone to sit beside baskets to sell tickets.
Baskets did make over $1,000. Small group will meet at April Board meeting to make the
baskets more successful. Possibly put list of items or value of basket on each.
Race to the Top Early Learning Challenge Fund update on pages 47-49. Tom reported the goal is
to increase the number of high needs children participating in high quality programs. Four
sections in grant: high quality accountable programs, promoting early learning and
development outcomes, workforce development, measuring outcomes and progress.
Seventeen applications submitted and will fund top scoring applicants until dollars gone. Tom
was the lead on this and provided major work time to complete.
Small groups met during lunch.
Laurie Jeffries, Leadership Fellowship, reported on her activities for the year. She
recommended more mentoring for participants if possible and scholarships for institutes such
as PDI. Laurie presented 10 hours of PITC training at the Institute. Suggest have a position on
the Board to act as a contact for Leadership Fellowship and other leadership activities.
Group report outs:
Spring Leadership event planning – Do something around leadership with other team members
such as teachers. Committee brainstorming some keynoters. Other ideas were child inquiry or
outdoor nature or teacher/child interaction and the CLASS instrument. Still developing ideas
and need input before January. Powerful Interactions by Dombro, Jabvlon, and Stetson may be
another resource option. Do we want to maintain leadership versus content focus? Brian
suggested a follow-up for credit through AEA to bring in elementary staff on a Saturday.
WOYC Planning Committee Report: Celebration will be April 6-12. Committee
recommendations included proclamation on April 1st or 3rd by Governor; state map with
chapter divisions on it and chapters put story on it; fitness day such as healthy walk day for
birth through 3rd grade. Committee waiting for theme from NAEYC. Display table at capitol
suggested by Sheila for one day. (Deb Scrowther contact) Proclamations by supervisors and
mayors recommended.
Leadership Fellowship and Emerging Leaders Recommendations: use to promote membership;
market to non-members who come to Institute; consider more outreach to market this
opportunity; consider doing four at $2500 instead of two at $5000; chapters identify one
emerging future leader who given free registration to spring leadership or reduced registration
for PDI; mentoring from board through match and one board contact. Perhaps have a board
member serve as Leadership Development Chair.
Membership committee report: Promote benefit of membership to Institute and Spring
Leadership; promote benefits of membership; encourage centers to pay membership; send
reminder postcards to renew with a personal note; send chapter email of membership with
renewal dates at least quarterly; send email when new members join to welcome; attend
CCR&R trainings to promote Iowa AEYC membership (at least the series trainings); provide
benefits brochure/flyer to chapters; encourage centers to use membership for staff incentives;
need to recruit center directors and public school staff and administrators; compare NAEYC to
NEA; how can we help school administrators to understand value of Early Childhood Education;
training entities encouraged to promote membership; attend director symposiums to promote
membership. At the January meeting, bring name to contact in chapter regarding membership
for state chair with membership committee being developed. Conduct a membership chair
meeting at the Fall Institute or a half day at the July retreat.
Treasurer report: pages 50-52. Closing balance sheet shows an increase in assets. One
investment is coming back at this point to no loss. Second is not doing too well yet. Discussion
explained the contracts and conference expectations in budget. Conference statement shows
about $25,739 net income after all expenses paid. Sheila/Connie move/second to accept the
treasurer’s report. Accepted.
Public Policy Agenda: page 53 and 54
Federal agenda – concern about Head start and child care. Sequestration is still in effect. In year
ten, Head Start will be wiped out because this is a ten year process. Priority is to get rid of
sequestration effect on Head Start and child care. Senator Grassley is on budget conference
committee for 2015 budget. He and King voted against plan that reopened the government last
week. Others voted yes to reopen. We are unsure where Grassley stands on these issues.
Another shut down highly unlikely this year. Over 600 slots in Head Start and Early Head Start
and 80 positions lost. President’s proposal: Harkin has bill that echoes President’s proposal
which request $100 Billion for early childhood services.
Policy priorities rather than legislative priorities. We may be able to accomplish in departments
versus legislation. Work on ensuring low income into public school programs. There is concern
about pots of carryover money of $24 million. Suggest use to start up or pilot programs in rural
areas and make it easier for community partners to provide services. Need to figure out longer
day and/or transportation. Discussed incentives for recruitment. Chronic absenteeism and
reading deficiency need to be worked on. Expansion of 1st Five, Project Launch and ACES to
continue to work on. Mental health work group to reconvene to make some decisions.
Encourage more school to participate in Grab and Go lunches and after school snacks. Will work
with AMP (Achieving Maximum Potential) kids in foster care. Increase child care eligibility,
reimbursement rates and eligibility reapplication time.
2013 Increasing the EITC has been increased so no longer on the agenda.
Iowa AEYC policy: recommendations given to Sheila who will work with Barb to develop
proposal to be sent out for consideration and approval in January by Board. Suggest sub-bullet
under collaboration with statewide preschool to ensure low income enrollment prioritized.
Executive Director Review: Cathy in charge of process. It will be done the same as last year.
Email with survey to fill out. Wherever possible give examples to justify score. Job description
will also be attached. Staff will be asked to also provide input. We can use Tom’s survey
monkey. Respond as quickly as can when get survey. New members should answer whatever
they can. Barb suggested we look at Board members who just went off to participate. Survey
will come out in November.
Midwest Update page 19 by Brian. Midwest will dissolve December 31. Around November 30
remaining funds will be split among remaining states (approximately $5-6,000 per state). How
Iowa will spend this additional money will be finalized at January Board.
PDI in Minneapolis in June 2014. Want to publicize and schedule car pools. Do we offer
scholarships and to whom? Registration usually about $300-$400 plus food and hotel. We have
conference revenue, Midwest income and increasing membership to assist with some funding
for possibly $5,000 available to do something. Barb will send a survey re would you be
interested or more interested with financial support or not without it. There will be an Iowa get
together.
Chapter updates shared. Iowa Non-profit Summit to be attended by Leann and Barb in
November.
Joy/Becky move/second to adjourn. Approved at 3:33 pm.
Submitted by: Dianne Casto, Secretary