Minutes of NINA Board of Directors Meeting
Minutes of the NINA Board meeting

Dec. 5, 2008
Northern Star, NIU-DeKalb

Members present (8): Wally Haas, Kristen Schmidt, Roger Ruthhart, John Etheredge, Jim Killam (communications coordinator), Pete Nenni (first VP), Sharon Boehlefeld (president), Denise Renckens.

Members absent (13): Penny Wiegert, Jim Slonoff (treasurer), Colin O'Donnell, Lonny Cain, Rick Nagel, Dirk Johnson (executive secretary), Joe Corrado, Mike Cetera, Greg Rivara, Kim Kubiak, Jay Dickerson, Randy Swikle, Pam Lannom.

Boehlefeld called the meeting to order at 10:15 a.m.

Minutes of the Oct. 23 meeting were approved unanimously (Etheredge motion / Nenni second)

President's Report:
Boehlefeld proposed the following slate of officers for 2009:
President: Pete Nenni
First VP: Mike Cetera
Second VP: Denise Renckens
Treasurer: Jim Slonoff
Past President: Sharon Boehlefeld
Communications Coordinator: Jim Killam
Executive Secretary: Dirk Johnson

The slate was approved unanimously (Haas / Etheredge)

Boehlefeld then turned the meeting over to Nenni.

The following board members, whose terms expire Dec. 31, were approved for new three-year terms: John Etheredge, Penny Wiegert, Colin O'Donnell, Denise Renckens, Jim Killam. Approved unanimously (Boehlefeld / Schmidt)

Nenni will contact Kim Kubiak, whose term also is expiring and who is no longer working in newspapers, and report back to the board Jan. 16. [12-9-08 update: Kim is resigning from the board, which creates an open seat.]

Discussion followed about board members who no longer work in the news industry. The board's consensus was that they should be allowed to serve out their terms and, if they have not rejoined the news industry by that point, they would then leave the board. They still would be free to become NINA associate members and would be welcome to attend all NINA functions, including board meetings - just not as voting board members.
No formal vote taken on this matter. More discussion coming in January.

Nenni also proposed "Interactive Journalism" as NINA's 2009 theme. Workshops and conferences all would have some relation to new media but, as board members reminded, will not leave behind smaller papers with more limited resources. One idea mentioned was the possibility of offering low-cost Webinars, in order to reach more journalists who may not be able to free up time to travel to a workshop.
At the Jan. 16 meeting, board members will discuss plans for 2009. Nenni will hold the full board meeting at 9 a.m., and then committees will meet afterward to talk about specific plans. He urged all board members, and anyone else interested, to attend.

Nenni also asked board members to e-mail him with their preferences for committee assignments for 2009.

Executive Secretary:
No report.

Treasurer:
No report

Program Committee:
Nenni said the financial bottom line from the Oct. 24 Fall Conference is not yet known.

Education Committee:
No report.

Membership Committee:
No report.

Communication Coordinator:
Killam will put together the winter newsletter in the next two weeks. Also, NIU will host a journalism workshop for high-school students, July 12-15. Several NINA members may have opportunities to contribute to this.
Killam also mentioned the possibility of offering a 2009 workshop on journalism and trauma. Since the NIU tragedy, he has been in contact with the Dart Center for Journalism & Trauma and has compiled material that would be helpful to journalists at any level or job.

 

Old business:
The revised mission statement will be voted upon at the Jan. 16 meeting, which will be an open membership meeting. Boehlefeld will write about this in the upcoming newsletter and on the Digital Ink blog.

New business:
Meeting and conference dates for 2009 were approved (Haas / Etheredge). Board meeting dates are:
Jan. 16 (9 a.m. start time)
March 20
June 26
Sept. 11
Oct. 22 (dinner)
Dec. 4

Spring Conference: April 24; Fall Conference: Oct. 23

Next meeting: Friday, Jan. 16, 9 a.m. (note earlier time), Northern Star office, NIU-DeKalb.

Meeting adjourned at 11:10 a.m.


Minutes submitted by Jim Killam, communications coordinator, 12-9-08.


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