The Arizona Historical Society Board of Directors Meeting Minutes Friday, August 1, 2014 AHS Pioneer Museum Flagstaff, Arizona

Transcription

1 The Arizona Historical Society Board of Directors Meeting Minutes Friday, August 1, 2014 AHS Pioneer Museum Flagstaff, Arizona Present Janice Bryson Kelly Corsette Voie Coy George Flores, Treasurer Tom Foster William Garbarino Bruce Gwynn Lynn Haak Bonnie Henry John Lacy Julie Larson Pat Loven Arv Schultz Greg Scott Richard Shaw Michael Urman, President Michael Wade (telephone) Staff Anne Woosley, Executive Director Bill Ponder, Chief Admin. Officer Madison Barkley, Curator, Natural History/ Education Coordinator Bruce Dinges, Publications Div. Dir. Yanna Kruse, Rio Colorado Div. Dir. John Langellier, Central Div. Dir. Bill Peterson, Northern Div. Dir. Les Roe, Southern Div. Dir. Deborah Ortiz, Executive Assistant Absent Jackie Berkowitz George Hartz Len Marcisz, Secretary Jeannine Moyle Bill Porter, Vice-president Jim Ronstadt Rachel Stallworth 1

2 Decisions taken at this meeting: Approval of the affiliate membership request from the Chino Valley Historical Society Call to Order George Flores called the meeting to order at 12:30 p.m. Roll Call Roll was taken and Flores declared a quorum present. Approval of Minutes Lacy moved approval of the June 30, 2014, minutes as presented. Coy seconded. Motion passed unanimously. Introductions Woosley introduced staff. Call to the Public Flores made a call to the public. Haak presented an artifact she is donating to the museum and asked board members if they could identify that it was used to pleat squaw dresses. Presidents Report Urman commented on the good attendance at the June meeting and thanked board members for making themselves available during the summer. He recognized the AHS-Northern volunteers and thanked them for providing the lunch. Executive Directors Report Woosley called on Jim Norton, AHS Legislative Liaison, to provide an update on the bill that reauthorized AHS for 10-years. Norton said the bill included other state agencies and reported that a group related to Home Ownership Associations filed a lawsuit against the bill. What is important to AHS is that a single subject rule could strike every agency included on the bill. It would mean AHS dollars could not be spent until the issue is resolved. Norton commented he is following the lawsuit and waiting for the State of Arizona s response given the possible impact on AHS. Divisions Woosley asked John Langellier to provide an overview of the Patton and Pancho exhibition scheduled for She reviewed other exhibits and projects: 2

3 Above and Beyond: Arizona and the Medal of Honor exhibit, currently in Tempe will travel to Yuma, November, 2014; Flagstaff, May 2015; Tucson, November 2015; and Sharlot Hall in May Woosley announced the AHS museums will have exhibits relating to Arizona 150 and that the journal is in the final editing stages. Tucson: AHS has committed to a traveling exhibit of rodeo photos by Ken Blackbird, a Northern Plains tribal member. A 30-year photo journalist, Blackbird covered powwows, rodeos, and events from various Native American groups. The exhibit will open in February 2015 to coincide with the Tucson Rodeo, and will include marketing and public programming. Yuma: Woosley reported implementation of the master plan at AHS-Yuma has begun. She acknowledged Gwynn who has been a supporter and commented on the synergy in Yuma with the new museum director, Rio Colorado Chapter Board, local community, the City of Yuma, and the Yuma Crossing Heritage Area. Flagstaff: Woosley commended Peterson and the AHS-Northern volunteers for the museum improvements and reconstruction of the historic cabins. Tempe: Woosley remarked on the improved telephone system in Tempe and said staff is working with the Arizona Department of Administration Risk Management to include AHS buildings into the next budget cycle. She said IT is ongoing to address hardware and software needs and systems integration. National History Day: Woosley announced that in June, Arizona students from around the state competed in the 2014 National History Day Competition held in College Park, Maryland, placing high in many categories. Woosley reported the loan documents with the Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia (INAH) and AHS for the Caborca font are being reviewed at Lacy s law office. Once the agreement is in place, transporting the font to Caborca will be coordinated with the Mexican Consulate and Governor of the State of Sonora. Collections Management Woosley said multi-day assessments were conducted of the collections in Flagstaff and Yuma to determine priorities for collections management. Priority reports outline a plan for the upcoming year. Staff is working on a revised format for the deaccessioning document. She said the first items scheduled to be deaccessioned are historic newspapers from Casa Grande northward, which will then be transferred to Arizona State Library and Archives. Woosley commented that the offgassing of the newspapers has had a negative impact on historic glass plates in the photographic collections. Woosley announced the Walton Family Foundation donated $19,400 for conservation of the Robert Lenon maps. 3

4 Arizona Exhibition Series Jaye Wells, President, Rillito Park Foundation, gave a presentation on the Arizona Exhibition Series concept (see attached). He reviewed the Joesler renovation project with capital campaign and scope of construction at AHS-Tucson and outlined three potential exhibitions for AHS: Patton and Pancho in 2015; The Buffalo and Indian in 2016; and Carlota, Empress of Mexico in Business Plan Working Group Woosley reported that she, Coy, Lacy, Marcisz, Peterson and Roe, have met twice to review the organization of AHS, the support groups, and chapter boards. The group is identifying major issues and developing an implementation timeline. Their next meeting is August 29, and the group would like to hear from board members on issues such as fundraising and chapter board functions. Committee Reports Community Outreach Bryson reported the committee met to consider a request from the Chino Valley Historical Society for Affiliate membership. Action Item 10 A was moved forward. Flores moved approval of the affiliate membership request from the Chino Valley Historical Society. Haak seconded. Motion passed unanimously. Bryson reported 36 grant applications were received from certified museums for a total request of $63,263. She said there is $39,000 available for distribution. The committee will meet to review the applications and bring a funding recommendation to the board. Development Flores said the Business Plan Working Group recommendations will refine the roll of the committee and AHS, Inc. The annual fund has received $22,395, the highest amount since He commented that not all board members participated and encouraged them to do so. Education & Public Programs Wade said the committee has requested a report from staff for items in the pipeline. Finance Ponder reviewed the financial reports for months ending May and June He commented that IT issues continue to challenge resources. Governance & Policy Lacy said that numerous issues are being identified by the Business Plan Working Group. Before the plan is brought to the Board for approval it will be sent to the appropriate committees Library, Archives, & Collections Henry said the committee received 15 responses to the oral history survey that was sent to 70 certified museums. Two of the museums indicated they had no oral history program; others reported various levels of participation, ranging from 1 to 25 oral histories in their collections, to more than 400 in Bisbee, which are online and available only to members. Six others submitted lists of their oral histories, some numbering more than 200 names. Details of the survey have been provided to the executive director. In June, the committee toured the AHS museum collections and library/archives in Tempe and Tucson. The tours were designed to give the committee a better sense of what is in the museums, what staff does, what issues they are facing, and how the committee can help. The committee came away with a better appreciation of the challenges the museums are facing, particularly with regard to storage and preservation. The 4

5 committee will be tasked with helping in whatever way as staff works to deaccession certain materials from its permanent collections. Nominating Coy reviewed board vacancies and asked board members to send the committee recommendations for officers for next year and candidates for the vacancies. Property & Building Management Lacy said the deeds for the Oro Belle property have been signed and wait processing at the Yavapai County recorders office. Publications Haak commented on the work being done for the Arizona 150 issue of The Journal of Arizona History. Dinges said the Chronicles of War manuscript galleys are back and the Arizona 150 Journal is on schedule and looks terrific. Discussion and Action Items The Chino Valley Historical Society request for Affiliate membership was considered under the Community Outreach Committee report. Chapter Board President Updates Rio Colorado Chapter Gwynn thanked Urman, Woosley, Ponder, Ortiz, and Whitaker for their support at AHS-Yuma. He highlighted some of the ongoing $30K renovations at the Sanguinetti House Museum and Gardens and Molina Block. Gwynn commented on the new library space for AHS in the Yuma County Library District that opened in May. He said the offsite storage units have been emptied and everything relocated into the new space at the old City Hall. The garden renovation will be completed in time for the Arizona Medal of Honor exhibit in November. He recognized the new museum director Yanna Kruse. Central Chapter Corsette said the chapter board is working on updating the bylaws. Eastern Chapter Haak said they are making headway with new contacts. Northern Chapter Coy thanked the volunteers for providing the board meeting lunch and organizing the volunteer recognition the night before. He said the Gregg cabin is being reassembled with funds from the Northern Arizona Pioneers Historical Society support group. Southern Chapter Scott announced the fundraising event on August 16 to support the pupfish project in the courtyard and the AHS 150 exhibition preview on August 27. He said the chapter board has been working to fill board vacancies. Requests for Future Agenda Items There were no requests. 5

6 Announcements of Current and Future Events Woosley commented that architect Josias Joesler designed part of the AHS-Tucson museum in Tucson. Roe shared a copy of the 1954 Joesler drawings of the building and reported staff has begun some interior restoration. Lacy said the Arizona History Convention raffle raised $1,805 in support of the certified museum grant program and Bill Porter contributed an additional $695. Woosley recognized Lacy for his donation for conservation of a document in library archives. The next meeting is Friday, September 5, at the Bullion Plaza Cultural Center and Museum in Miami. Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 2:30 p.m. Signed: Date: Michael Urman, President 6