NIAAA Board of Directors Meeting
July 10 - 13, 2015 – NIAAA Office
The meeting was called to order at 8:00 am, Saturday, July 11, 2015, by President Trish
Witkin, CMAA, CT. Members present included: Mark Armstrong, CMAA, NE; President
Elect; Andy Chiles, CMAA, FL, Past President;, Doug Killgore, CMAA, AR, Secretary; Gary
Stevens, CMAA, ME, Section 1; Karl Heimbach, CMAA, MD, Section 2; Paul Pendleton,
CMAA, TN, Section 3; Jeff Sitz, CMAA, WI, Section 4; Lane Green, CMAA, KS, Section 5;
Sandra Howell, CMAA, TX, Section 6; Sister Nancy Perlick, CMAA, AZ; Section 7; Mark
Horak, CAA, OR, Section 8; Carter Wilson, CMAA, GA, Region A At-Large; Rich Barton,
CMAA, UT, Region C At-Large; Bruce Bowen, CMAA, VA, NEDC; Bruce Whitehead, CMAA,
Executive Director; Mike Blackburn, CMAA, Associate Executive Director.
President Witkin extended a welcome to all members and commended all for their service; past,
present and future; alerting all that we are on the back half of the year racing toward the
conference. She related the lessons gleaned from the sport of crew, the necessity and benefits
of teamwork and precision.
President Witkin announced Bruce Whitehead’s intention to retire, effective June 30, 2016.
Bruce Whitehead responded by confirming his intentions and the critical circumstances which
precipitated his timely decision. He assured the board of the quality of leadership remaining for
the benefit of all constituents of the association and confirmed his continued and significant
involvement in the coming days.
Action Items
I
The minutes of the April, 2015 Conference Call board meeting were reviewed.
On motion by Gary Stevens, seconded by Mark Horak, the April Conference Call minutes
were approved.
II
Budget and Financial Reports
A
Bruce Whitehead gave the report on the End of Year financial condition of the
association as of June 30, 2015. Figures are unaudited pending resolution of conference
settlement.
1
Income EOY
$ 1,935,323 ( +5.5% on projections)
2
Expenses EOY
$ 1,715,746 ( -6.4% on projections)
3
Reserve Fund EOY
$ 1,151,703
(Up $128,704 for the year; 62.8% of annual budget. 50% is required)
4
Endowment EOY
$ 1,093,084
(+$26,107 increase for the year)
On motion by Carter Wilson, seconded by Karl Heimbach, the financial reports were
approved.
B
Bruce Whitehead reported on status of the Retired account; Mike Blackburn
reported on the Past Presidents’ account. The Retired account balance is $2,223; the
Past Presidents’ balance is $4,173.
C
Mike Blackburn reported on the status of the AAO, the apparel sales account. A
loan balance of $1,629 remains on consistent sales.
D
Mike Blackburn reported on the IAA account. The four issues were provided to the
membership at a net cost of $28,091 or $3.12 per member for the year’s editions.
On motion by Sister Nancy Perlick, seconded by Paul Pendleton, the Retired, Past
Presidents’, AAO and IAA financial reports were approved.
E
Trish Witkin appointed a sub-committee to address allocating the Member Services
portion of the budget surplus. Mark Armstrong will chair with Carter Wilson, Jeff Sitz and
Lane Green as members. Board members are requested to solicit and contribute ideas to
committee members. A target of 75% of the budget surplus is to be spent on member
benefits.
F
Committee Recommendations – Committee placement recommendations were
given by Doug Killgore, Secretary.
On motion by Doug Killgore, seconded by Rich Barton, Holly Farnese, PA, Jeff Morris,
NC, Robert Framel, CO, Stephen Young, NY, and Kris Welch, OR, were approved for
membership on the Accreditation Committee.
On motion by Doug Killgore, seconded by Sandra Howell, Everett Kelepolo, UT, and Mike
Snyder, OK, were approved for membership on the Awards Committee.
On motion by Doug Killgore, seconded by Sister Nancy Perlick, Joseph Paddock, AZ,
and Jim McClowry, WI, were approved for membership on the Certification Committee.
On motion by Doug Killgore, seconded by Mark Horak, Tom Graupman, MN, Mike
Wagner, DE, and Damian Frassinelli, CT, were approved for membership on the
Credentials Committee.
On motion by Doug Killgore, seconded by Jeff Sitz, Jeff Benson, ME, Ryan Tos, CA, Mike
Roy, MI, and Derek Maki, MD, were approved for membership on the Endowment
Committee.
On motion by Doug Killgore, seconded by Gary Stevens, Steve Berseth, SD, was
approved for membership on the Hall of Fame Committee
On motion by Doug Killgore, seconded by Paul Pendleton, the invitations to Myles
Wilson, SC, and Phillip Poggi, OH, by the Publications Committee were approved.
On motion by Doug Killgore, seconded by Andy Chiles, Dale Getz (Toro) and Greg
Whitley, MD, were approved for membership on the Sports Turf Committee.
Continued discussion with Bobby Guthrie, Coaches Ed, will address the application of
term limits, rotation sequence and multi-committee membership for that committee. A
report will be given at the December board meetings. Additionally, the mission, roll and
activities of the National Emergency Network will be considered.
G
Hall of Fame Rating Committee – Trish Witkin addressed the needs of this group
related to Sections 1, 2 and 3. Section Reps were encouraged to consider options for
nomination. A Section 2 representative was recommended and recorded. Other
recommendations will be gathered with the board approving the selections at the
February, 2016, meeting.
The 4th Strategic Plan
1
The plan was reviewed, with discussion led by Trish Witkin. Extensive
discussion centered around approving, modifying or deleting points ensued. All
details were recorded on the 4th Strategic Plan and will be reflected on the final
document upon board approval.
On motion by Gary Stevens, seconded by Jeff Sitz, the 4th Strategic Plan was approved.
H
2
Methods for distribution of the 4th Strategic Plan to the membership were
discussed. Various methods were considered including both print and digital
means. For both versatility benefits and fiscal impact, multiple digital methods were
strongly supported. The plan will be available to membership through various
digital options. A limited number of hard copies will be printed.
3
The approved plan was reviewed and items prioritized for recommended
dates to begin addressing and determining relative potential expense to the NIAAA.
4
The acquisition of appropriate gifts to present to 4th Strategic Plan Committee
members was discussed. As an expression of the NIAAA’s gratitude to the
members for their efforts, a gift was authorized.
On motion by Pendleton, seconded by Rich Barton, the executive staff is empowered to
secure appropriate gifts to acknowledge the work of the 4th Strategic Plan Committee.
I
Mentor Webinar Program – Discussion was given to using/adapting the model in
use by Washington state for application to the NIAAA’s needs.
On motion by Paul Pendleton, seconded by Jeff Sitz, planning a webinar addressing
mentoring new AD’s was approved.
J
Awards
1
Award of Merit – Those in the nomination pool were discussed.
On motion by Doug Killgore, seconded by Karl Heimbach, Rich Bechard, MO was
selected as the 2015 Award of Merit recipient.
2
The Kovaleski Professional Development Award – Nominees were
discussed.
On motion by Mark Armstrong, seconded by Lane Green, Craig Perry, MN was selected
as the 2015 Kovaleski Professional Development Award.
3
Distinguished Service Award – The pool of nominees was addressed.
On motion by Gary Stevens, seconded by Jeff Sitz, Sean Dowling, NJ, Ray Ebersole, OH,
Todd Sobrilsky, WI, Jaime Sherwood, MN and Ronald Richards, OR were approved as
DSA recipients.
On motion by Paul Pendleton, seconded by Sister Nancy Perlick, the guidelines in the
POP Manual related to the DSA are suspended until modified by the officers.
On motion by Mark Horak, seconded by Carter Wilson James Gagen, MO, Jim Dorman,
SD, Deb Ofcky, IL and Arthur Ballard, KY are approved as DSA recipients.
4
Special Commendations –
On motion by Andy Chiles, seconded by Sandra Howell, Gretchen Mohney and Christina
Bredhold were approved as recipients of Special Commendations for 2015.
5
Board Rating of Citation Candidates – Should a rating tie result in any
section, the NFHS board asked the NIAAA to institute a system to break the tie.
Various means of tie-breaking procedures were discussed. Modifications will be
determined by the officers and included in the POP Manual.
K
Publications – A report was given by Mike Blackburn. Ad revenues continue
healthy and the use of the Portal Review Instrument is of great benefit to the committee.
L
Insurance – Bruce Whitehead presented the report as given by the NIAAA
insurance provider, Bollinger Insurance. Rates continue to increase a bit to maintain
coverage at current levels.
On motion by Gary Stevens, seconded by Rich Barton, the Bollinger insurance package
proposal was approved.
M
Finance Sub-Committee Report – The report was presented by Mark Horak. The
financial health of the association continues to be good; “The NIAAA is in a very good
place” according to Mike Manion, investment advisor.
On motion by Mark Horak, seconded by Mark Armstrong, the Core Portfolio #1 will be
renamed the NIAAA Endowment Core Portfolio; the Core Portfolio #2 will be renamed the
NIAAA Reserve Fund Core Portfolio.
On motion by Mark Horak, seconded by Jeff Sitz, $100,000 will be transferred from the
Checking Account to the NIAAA Reserve Fund Core Portfolio.
On motion by Mark Horak, seconded by Gary Stevens, $50,000 will be transferred from
the Savings Account to the NIAAA Reserve Fund Core Portfolio.
N
Office Policy and Personnel Sub-Committee Report – Andy Chiles presented the
report for the committee.
On motion by Andy Chiles, seconded by Carter Wilson, the Staff Salary Schedule was
approved as modified by the sub-committee.
On motion by Andy Chiles, seconded by Mark Armstrong, the Contract Labor Salaries for
2015-2016, a total of $86,225, was approved.
On motion by Andy Chiles, seconded by Paul Pendleton, the NIAAA Executive Director
Vacancy Protocol (2011) was amended and approved as recommended by the Executive
Staff.
On motion by Andy Chiles, seconded by Sandra Howell, the NIAAA Executive Director
Vacancy Protocol, as amended in July, 2015, will be included in the Office Policy Manual.
On motion by Lane Green, seconded by Mark Armstrong, the board went into executive
session at 3:20 pm EDT. Bruce Whitehead and Mike Blackburn were asked to leave the
room.
On motion by Doug Killgore, seconded by Lane Green, the board came out of executive
session at 3:40 pm EDT.
Discussion continued on the vacancy created by Bruce Whitehead’s announcement
of his retirement.
On motion by Paul Pendleton, seconded by Rich Barton, Mike Blackburn will be
promoted to the position of Executive Director of the NIAAA effective July 1, 2016.
O
Marketing Sub-Committee Report – The report was presented by Karl Heimbach.
Board members were asked to review the report for reminders and potential growth
activities. Walt Sargent updated the board on the status and progress of marketing efforts
with existing and potential NIAAA sponsors.
P
Scholarship Sub-Committee Report – The report was presented by Mark
Armstrong.
On motion by Mark Armstrong, seconded by Mark Horak, Josie Wolfe, MD and Michael
Yeradi, WY were approved as the 2015 national Student Athlete Scholarship recipients.
On motion by Mark Armstrong, seconded by Doug Killgore, the Student Athlete
Scholarship nomination form and process will be amended to accommodate a response
question on The Code for Living providing a connection with the Wooden Award
program.
Q
Endowment Efforts and Proceeds Application - Bruce Whitehead shared the fund
transfers involving Endowment Funds. $34,270.50 was transferred to the Endowment
Fund from General checking. This transfer represents funds generated throughout the
2014-15 fiscal year by the Endowment Committee through various sources. $44,374.92
was transferred from the Endowment Fund to General Checking to replace funds spent
on Endowment Grants (eighteen @ $1,000) and Outreach Programs.
On motion by Lane Green, seconded by Karl Heimbach, the 2015 golf tournament fee of
$99 is approved.
On motion by Gary Stevens, seconded by Jeff Sitz, the 2015 fun run fee of $20 is
approved.
On motion by Jeff Sitz, seconded by Rich Barton, the Ft. Collins, CO Outreach
Application was approved.
R
Membership Portal – Discussion ensued concerning communicating to the
membership the benefits and assorted applications of portal use. Information was offered
to make use of it at the state level as well as training videos posted on YouTube and
various other means.
S
Membership – A detailed report was given by Mike Blackburn. Current membership
stands at 9624 for the fiscal year ending June 30; which represents the all-time
largest NIAAA membership. Outstanding growth is being realized with several states
being honored for new records commendations and growth. Questions solicited from
section meetings were addressed. Currently there are 23 dual member states and 20
modified dual.
T
Membership Growth Strategies – Options discussed included:
Value-added benefits: Free and/or discounts for LTI courses to draw and encourage
interest in NIAAA offerings.
Package Membership plans for single schools – Additional personnel (assistant and
middle school athletic administrators, secretaries and supervisors) receive benefits.
Reach out to non-athletic administrators, i.e., principals, superintendents, etc.
Professional Development Academy Reports –
1
Sheri Stice presented the Certification Report. Extensive discussion covered
on-line testing with multiple options being available. The board will consider the
options and accept recommendations as expedient. She also presented test
success statistics related to particular CAA test questions and course content.
On motion by Paul Pendleton, seconded by Sister Nancy Perlick, approval is given for
the Certification Committee to pursue Online Testing Recommendation A.
U
On-line testing will be piloted at the 2016 national conference in Nashville with a
plan to exclusively conduct only on-line testing beginning January 1, 2017
2
Jim Watkins presented the PDA report as it related to the LTI program.
Changes will occur regarding course evaluations, printing of certificates, course
registration/change and additional areas. Beginning with the 2015 conference in
Orlando, students completing courses will complete the course evaluation and print
their certificate of completion through the on-line membership portal. The office will
no longer print certificates. Regarding NCA Re-Accreditation; course chairs will be
asked to complete a course template for presentation in December. New course
development and existing course revision continues as scheduled. The new
structure of the PDA was clarified and presented in a flowchart format. Bruce
Whitehead related the plans to convene an international professional development
group during the December conference to pilot a course for international
application.
On motion by Doug Killgore, seconded by Jeff Sitz the board approved LTI 790 manuals
will be offered to states for state presentation at a price of $35 per student effective
immediately.
On motion by Andy Chiles, seconded by Sandra Howell, the PDA hierarchical structure
flowchart is approved.
On motion by Andy Chiles, seconded by Mark Armstrong, the board approves the
501/502/503 revision meeting in September to coincide with the State Leadership
Coordinators’ conference.
On motion by Gary Stevens, seconded by Carter Wilson, the board approves limiting InService offerings to only the 90 minute versions.
On motion by Mark Armstrong, seconded by Karl Heimbach, the board approved Roy
Turner, NC as the recipient of the Jim Teff Achievement Recognition.
V
QPA Program – Trish Witkin reviewed the progress of the program. A request was made
by one board member to adapt the QPA document to accommodate multi-high school and/or
county districts applications. The PDA Coordinating Committee will be asked to review this
request to see if it is possible and report back to the board in February.
On motion by Rich Barton, seconded by Gary Stevens the successful QPA applicants,
Northern York Co, PA, Newton HS, IA and Cardigan Mountain School, NH were approved
as recommended by the PDA staff.
W
NIAAA Advocate – Terri Lakowski of APS presented a report and update of activities
related to the NIAAA. She reported on past, current and plans for the future on actions
impacting the NIAAA, members and member programs. Terri was pleased to report that
language had been inserted into the Senate version of the ESEA bill recognizing athletic
administrators. What happens to the bill remains to be determined.
On motion by Doug Killgore, seconded by Gary Stevens, the APS proposal for 2015-2016
is approved with the increased cost ($9,000) beyond the 2014-2015 agreement being paid
from the 2014-2015 Budget Surplus.
X
Transfer of AIAAA affiliate membership to CIAAA – Bruce Whitehead relayed the desires
of the AIAAA (Alberta) and the CIAAA (Canada) to transfer affiliate membership status for the
benefit of all programs in that nation.
On motion by Sandra Howell, seconded by Karl Heimbach, the AIAAA membership will
be transferred to the CIAAA.
Y
Orlando Conference
1
Accreditation Functions – Additional time/events will be necessary as a result of the
AdvancEd Re-Accreditation process. Accommodations will be necessary with meeting
schedules, travel plans, etc.
2
Alternative Board Attire – Options were considered for use by board members at
conference events at which “formal” attire may not be required. Consideration resulted in
no recommendations.
A detailed examination of the conference schedule ensued specifically addressing board
member involvement, functions and obligations.
Z
Technology Items
1
Replacement Plan – Hardware items continue to function; a long-range plan is in
place to allow for consistent replacement or as necessary.
2
Wireless Access Capability (Hot Spots) – Access will be pursued with decisions
being deferred to accommodate additional research. The issue will be addressed at the
October Conference Call. To fully utilize the portal at the conference, committees will
require wireless access to the internet. Hotel costs for wireless internet can be cost
prohibitive, thus the concept of the NIAAA owning a number of wireless hotspots.
AA Budget Surplus Sub-Committee Report – Mark Armstrong presented a report of the
group’s meeting. Possibilities for Member Service expenditures ($164,000) included:
LTI Manual Credit (14 man/state = $980)
$49,980
1st Time Conf Attendee; Reimburse Reg Fee; 2/state@$245 $24,990
CAA Study Guide Video
$ 5,000
4th Strategic Plan Flip Page Format
$ 350
Upgrade Gov’t. Advocate (APS) Level for one year
$ 9,000
PSA Audio/Print Continuation
$75,000
On motion by Mark Armstrong, seconded by Andy Chiles, the Sub-Committee’s
recommendation for a member services’ use of $164,320 of the 2014-2015 Budget
Surplus was approved.
BB 2015-2016 Budget Development – Bruce Whitehead led discussion on a detailed address
of the coming year’s proposed budget. The proposed budget represents a 2.1% increase from
the 2014-2015 budget.
On motion by Andy Chiles, seconded by Mark Horak, the annual budget of $1,871,704.00
was approved.
AA NFHS Hall of Fame Screening Committee – Mike Blackburn commented on the NIAAA
slot on the committee.
On motion by Rich Barton, seconded by Doug Killgore, Craig Gladwell, UT is approved to
take the NIAAA seat on the NFHS Hall of Fame Screening Committee.
III
A
Information Items
Review of 2015 Goals
1
Board Goals – Mark Armstrong reviewed the progress on fulfilling the goals
adopted by the board. Progress and/or completion were noted on all goals.
2
Staff Goals – Bruce Whitehead will present the 2015-2016 staff goals prior to the
October Conference Call.
B
Professional Outreach Cumulative – Mike Blackburn reported expenses of $178,000
which served 752 members in addition to 65 scholarships to the national conference.
C
Spring/Sumer Section Meeting Reports – Section Board members reported on the results
of the Section meetings which occurred. A vast body of information was gathered for the benefit
of members and the association.
D
Citation Recipients – The NFHS Citation Award Recipients for 2015 were reviewed.
E
Bruce Bowen presented the NEDC Report. The Summer Summit will be August 2 – 5,
2015, in Williamsburg, VA. Approximately 40 will attend. Trish Witkin, Bruce Whitehead and
Mike Blackburn will attend on behalf of the NIAAA board and staff.
F
Trish Witkin led discussion regarding future board members. All imminently upcoming
positions have been addressed. Board members were reminded to address future needs in a
timely manner within their sections.
G
The Hall of Fame Rating Rubric was viewed as a reminder of the Hall of Fame process.
Mike Blackburn reviewed the general topics of the committee’s meeting. In the interest of
efficiency and conservation of funds, discussion ensued concerning revamping the onsite
meeting format to a webinar format. This year the on-site meeting of the Hall of Fame
Screening Committee will be July 26-27.
H
Legal Services Report – Bruce Whitehead reviewed the expenses involved in securing
legal services for association business for the past fiscal year.
I
The totals of state association reimbursements from On-line course participation was
reviewed. About $20,000 was returned to states as a result of their members’ participation.
J
The costs of LTI manuals were reviewed; it was noted printing costs continue to increase.
K
Staff Reports
1
Mike Blackburn reported on communications with Positive Coaching Alliance. That
group is seeking a presence in NIAAA activities. Members are asked to contribute
information to Mike as opportunities arise.
2
Mike debuted an outstanding “Year in Review” presentation giving an historical
perspective to the activities and accomplishments of the association during the previous
year, 2014. The template can be applied and updates produced in ensuing years.
3
Bruce Whitehead updated the activities involving NCS4 and the NIAAA. The
association’s relationship continues at current levels.
4
Bruce reported on the progress of Sideline Access utilization. Board members are
encouraged to make use of the opportunity for their schools. Currently, about 1,500
schools have signed up for the free APP.
L
Coaches Education Royalty Report – The association, to date, has realized about
$13,000 in revenue from NFHS Coaches Education course participation for the first nine months
of this past fiscal year. The final quarter’s income has yet to be received and will be added.
M
Members are reminded to review the POP Manual for mentor duties for new and incoming
board members.
N
Board members are encouraged to continue to visit state conferences to appear and
present on behalf of the association. Ample information is available on the portal to allow for a
consistency in messages delivered.
O
Trish Witkin related to the plans for the general process of filling the Associate Executive
Director position. The review committee will consist of the Executive Director Designate and the
Officers of the Board of Directors. Selection Timeline:
Application Window – September 15 – November 15
Applications Review – December Conference
Candidate Interviews – Prior to February Board Meeting
Selection Recommendation for Board Approval – February Board Meeting
On motion by Paul Pendleton, seconded by Lane Green, the departing Past President will
continue in the process until the project’s completion.
P
Future Meeting Dates
1
Fall Conference Call – Tuesday, October 20, 2015, 1:00 pm Eastern
2
State Coordinators – September 12-14, 2015; Indianapolis
3
NIAAA Annual Meetings and Conference, Orlando, FL; December 10-16, 2015
4
Board Meeting – Indianapolis, February 6-9, 2016
5
Board Meeting – Indianapolis, July 7-12, 2016
6
NIAAA Annual Meetings and Conference, Nashville, TN. December 8-14, 2016
Once Around the Table
On motion by Rich Barton, seconded by Sister Nancy Perlick, the meeting was adjourned
at 11:00 am, Monday, July 13, 2015.