Minutes of NINA Executive Board Meeting
Jan. 21, 2000
Northern Star office, NIU

Minutes of Jan. 21, 2000 Northern Illinois Newspaper Association Executive Board.
NINA President Rick Nagel convened the executive board at about 9 a.m. Jan Larsen, second vice president, started taking minutes when she arrived about 9:15 a.m.
Attending: Nagel, president; Cheryl Wormley, past president; John Etheridge, education chairman; Jim Killam, NINA communications coordinator; Lois Self, executive secretary; Jim Slonoff, treasurer, Larsen and later, Lonny Cain, first vice president.
Treasurer's report: Slonoff said our budget had a $1,400 shortfall, mostly due to fewer dues. He said 1999 total revenue was $8,100.

Old business:

Membership: Members who were in the Class of 1999 become the class of 2002 (all were asked by Larsen if they wanted to continue as board members, all said yes) : Rick Baert, Owen Phelps, John Etheridge, Kim Kubiak and Nick Pullia.
Ray Karges of NI Copley/Fox Valley Press and Will Conkis , vp of editorial for Liberty become class of 2000. That makes 20 members. Board should consist of 15 members and six officers, so we need one more member for Class of 2000. Larsen volunteered to check with Linda Cunningham at Rockford Register Star to see if we can get a board member from there.
New committee: Nagel appointed a new committee to look at bylaws, consisting of himself, Etheridge and Cain.
Committee assignments:
Program: Lonny Cain, chairman; Rick Baert, Owen Phelps, Tona Kunz, Joan Heyers and Pam Lannon.
Marketing: Jan Larsen, chairman; Roger Ruthart, Rick Nagel, Ray Karges, Jim Slonoff, and Cheryl Wormley.
Education: John Etheridge, chairman; Richard Parmater, Lois Self, Kim Kubiak, Nick Pullia, Phil Jurik and Will Conkis.
Cain arrived. Killam moved to approve minutes from Dec. 3 executive board meeting; Etheridge seconded; unanimous.

New business:

Membership rates: Nagel proposed new membership rates for discussion, not as a final proposal.
Rates changes :
Individual: $10 $20
Associated $20 $40
Single weekly newspapers circulation up to 5,000: $35 $50
Single weekly newspapers more than 5,000: $60 $100

Get rid of rates for single weeklies that were in order after that. Get rid of old 20 percent to rate for dailies under 50,000 and 30 percent rate to dailies more than 50,000)

Daily newspapers (including groups) and weekly group newspapers
Up to 10,000 $60 $100
Up to 20,000 $85 $150 (note: later amended to $125)
Up to 50,000 $100 $200
Up to 100,000 $160 $250
Up to 250,000 $210 $300
+ than 250,000 $260 $350
#Note these rates for dailies were actually plus 20 or 30 percent.
Group publications are encouraged to join NINA as one parent company. However, an individual newspaper or a group of newspapers within a parent company may join separately.
Slonoff proposed that we offer new membership rates for new members and keep old rates for old members one more year.
Killam inquired what would be in the marketing packet. Benefits? Brochure?
Slonoff said that we lost members when we took accounting away from NIU. Some editors felt strange about sending checks to Slonoff at his place of work instead of NIU. We are now giving accounting back to NIU so this should help. (Dana will do billing from now on.)
Self volunteered to call some prospective members.
Nagel proposed we get some high school advisers in NINA.
Much discussion on rates followed: rates were not based on logic. The proposal doubles individual rates. Slonoff said new rates were too high and we need to take a middle ground. Ruthart wondered if we should phase increase in over 3 years. Wormley said IPA raised rates and there were no objections. Wormley said some increases were too high percentages. Nagel countered: Are they fair for what NINA offers?
Slonoff said, how about a flat 15 percent? Nagel said no. Cain asked how long we had had current dues structure? Slonoff said about five years. Nagel said these rates are simple and easy to understand and attractive to large groups. Proposal changed: up to 20,000 subscribers to $125, not $150.
Cain moved we accept new rates; Self seconded, unanimous.
Slonoff moved to adjourn, Larsen seconded. Adjourned 10:03 a.m.