Pomona College Alumni Association Board Meeting Minutes
March 19, 2022 – 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Via Zoom
Members In Attendance: Andrew Brown ’77, Alisa Fishbach, Paula Gonzalez ’95, Marcel Green ’90, Megan Kaes Long ’08, Carol Kruse ’84, Jeff Levere ’12, Jim McCallum ’70, Vicki Paterno ’75 P’07, Lew Phelps ’68, Andrea Ravich ’06, Alfredo Romero ’91, Julie Siebel ’84, Don Swan ’15, Andrea Venezia ’91, Dominic Yoong ’88
Members & Representatives Absent: Aldair Arriola-Gomez ’17, Terril Jones ’80, Linda Luisi ’81, Veronica Roman ’95, Amy Van Buren Rhodes’07, Kevin Dettmar, Nirali Devgan ’22, Lucy Takahashi
Staff and Representatives: Mariam Khwajazada, Dena LeBlanc, Kerry L. Martin, Paola Odette Franco ’17, Kristen M. Romero
Special Guests: Rodger Devine
Call to order, Welcome and Introductions: President Don Swan ’15 called the meeting to order at 10:07 am. The meeting minutes from January 22, 2022, were approved unanimously by vote.
President’s Report: Don Swan ’15 updated the board on the most recent Trustee discussions: In conjunction with others in the 5Cs the college continues with COVID-19 protocols and testing being administered on campus.
Development Committee Report: Megan Long ’08 gave an update on the DC’s work with Annual Giving. The Development Committee’s presentation gave a progress snapshot of peer-to-peer outreach as volunteers began making stewardship calls and sending emails to constituents. Alumni Board members recently participated in a focus group regarding the Spring Appeal.
Engagement Committee Report: Paula Gonzalez ’95 gave an update on the EC’s meeting schedule, they have split into 2 sub committees: one to address the mission of the committee and one to address possible projects.
Regional Chapter’s Committee Report: Julie Siebel ’84 shared with the board an update on the work of the Regional Chapters Committee. The RCC is actively looking for leadership in the Puget Sound area and there is strong interest in launching a chapter in D.C. The RCC will also be sharing results from the recent RC Events survey with the Board.
Leadership Development Committee (LDC): Alfredo Romero ’91 shared an update on Alumni Board member nominations. In an effort to fill approximately 6 open seats on the alumni board, 17 very qualified candidates have been identified/contacted for interviews (some nominees were rolled over from a previous submission) - 11 responses from those candidates have been received so far. The LDC is committed to fostering a diverse cohort of new and returning alumni board members that are eager to do the work of the board..
Ad-hoc Committee – By-Laws and Board Roles & Responsibilities: Julie Siebel ’84 presented an overview of the work of the ad-hoc committee and their dual focus on reviewing the Alumni Association By-Laws, and also focusing on the creation of a document addressing Board members’ Roles and Responsibilities, and Group Norms for communication and dialogue. Andrea Venezia ’91 provided a specific update and review of the proposed Roles & Responsibilities Document. Dominic Yoong ’88 provided an update on proposed revisions to the Alumni Association By-Laws.
Breakout Room Discussions: The Alumni Board entered breakout rooms to briefly (15 mins.) discuss the by-laws revisions and Board Roles & Responsibilities and Group Norms document in small groups. Upon return to the full meeting, each breakout group summarized their discussion.
A motion was made to approve the proposed revisions to the Alumni Association By-Laws. Motion passed unanimously. The Board confirmed its commitment to the Role & Responsibilities document and recommended that it be posted on the website for prospective Board candidates and for transparency to the Alumni Community. The Board considers this to be a “living” document that should be revisited regularly for edits and/or additions. The document will be sent to individual Board members each new term year for their re-commitment and acceptance/signature.
11:45 a.m Stretch Break
Alumni Weekend 2022 Update: Mariam Khwajazada, Associate Director A&FE, Kristen Romero, Associate Director of ACE and Alisa Fishbach, Director A&FE gave a cumulative update on Alumni Weekend ’22 planning progress, mainly covering COVID-19 protocols, registration, and programming.
Alumni Attitudinal Survey Project: Rodger Devine, AVP Advancement Operation shared a quick update with the board on the progress of the Alumni Attitudinal Survey Project which will launch this spring.
Adjournment: Don Swan ’15 gave a quick update on the new business of the board and adjourned the meeting at 1 p.m.
The next Alumni Board Meeting is scheduled for Sunday, May 1, 2022