Lisa DeVos, AZADV Chairperson called the meeting to order at 7:45pm. She welcomed all the delegates and thanked Jenni Garcia and her organization of the Greenville Zoo for hosting the conference.
Report of the Credentials Committee
The Credentials Committee reported there were 40 delegates present and 47 voting members including 7 executive board members. This was the highest delegate count in four years.
Roll Call of Organization Members
Mary Ramsey, Extension Director, conducted the roll call of the organization members and reviewed the information in the delegates’ packets.
Conference Rules
Patty Whitecotton, Parliamentarian, read the conference rules, and asked if there were any questions. Since there were none, the rules will stand as written.
Chair Comments
Lisa Devos thanked everyone for coming and for all they do for AZADV. She urged delegates to get involved and to encourage their members as well.
Report of AZADV Officers
Membership: Lisa DeVos, Essex County Turtle Back Zoo
As of August 31, 2019, we have 80 Organizational Members and 1,324 Individual Members. The organizational membership consists of 73 zoos and aquariums, 2 affiliates, and 5 comps. The individual membership identified as 1,271 docents, 47 associates, and 6 volunteers. At the 2018 Conference in Phoenix, it was reported that we had 79 Organizational Members and 1,412 Individual Members. This is an increase of 1 organizational member and a decrease of 88 individual members which includes 333 unrenewed, 182 new, and 63 rejoined members. The following organizations have newly joined or rejoined since the Phoenix meeting: Abilene Zoo – rejoin, Blank Park Zoo – new, National Aquarium – new, Pueblo Zoo – rejoin, The Endangered Wolf Center – new. The following organizations have not renewed: Alexandria Zoo, Chicago Zoological Society/Brookfield Zoo, Great Plains Zoo and Delbridge Museum, National Zoo.
(Note: The National Zoo renewed after the dated report and prior to the delegate meeting, therefore was permitted to have a delegate seated at the meeting.)
Symbiosis and Website: Katie Oeschger, Potter Park Zoo
She is anticipating our new website will be launched in October 2019. The site will include member profiles, where members can see their renew date, change their address, etc. Current and past newsletters will be available. Please remember we are always looking for articles for Symbiosis. AZADV has developed a brand toolkit to align all communication materials and increase the organization’s professionalism. AZADV will be conducting a user experience project to understand the needs and challenges of members, which will be the foundation of future strategic planning.
Conference Advisory: Tim Kouba, Oklahoma City Zoo
Bob Ewald of the Louisville Zoo teased they have a baby elephant for us to greet. Their hotel has 1,300 rooms with a rate of $149. Their conference is scheduled for September 21-26, 2020.
Tim Kouba indicated it is getting more difficult to get zoos to sponsor these conferences. In response to feedback from our organizational members, the board has made the following necessary changes.
Beginning with Louisville in 2020, AZADV will offer a conference host the following option:
Public Relations: Linda Kendzierski, Greensboro Science Center
As the public relations director, Linda contacts organizations encouraging and facilitating their memberships. She has included in the delegate packet talking points for volunteers to encourage membership of individuals and their organizations. She has used them when contacting organizations and has been able to get new organizations to join and to increase reciprocity offers of admissions and discounts from 23 to 32. She is developing a flyer which should be more effective and cost conscious than a brochure. She encouraged the delegates to use the talking points as a guide and feel free to contact her and thanked everyone for their service and dedication.
Extension: Mary Ramsey, Albuquerque BioPark
Mary thanked Kim Houk and Helen Lee Reid for doing an excellent job administering our Facebook Group, which currently has 684 members. New communication guidelines were established and in are in your packet. Future concerns - what effect our website will have on Facebook Group entries since more methods of providing information will be available.
Education Grants
Over the last couple of years we have experienced fewer and fewer grant requests. Mary asked the delegates for input and suggestions were made.
San Diego Zoo Global Academy
Usage is very low - 11 registered users even with a discount available. Mary asked for input and many indicated their zoos provide this service for them.
Travel Program
The board’s strategic focus is to grow our organization by focusing on our core competencies, leveraging what’s available elsewhere and ensuring that we reduce potential vulnerability in a legal and public relations perspective. So due to potential liability issues the board agreed to terminate this program. Mary thanked Bert DeVries for her many years providing us the opportunity to travel to great sites. The board has approved an honorarium in her name to be donated to the charitable entity of her choice.
Mary indicated after four years on the board her term will soon expire. She reflected on these four years, especially as she saw AZADV evolve providing strategic focus to our goals and focus on providing added value to our members.
Treasurer’s Report: Julie Reinbrecht, Mesker Park Zoo and Botanical Garden
Julie reviewed the proposed budget for 2019-2020, highlighting an increase to expenses due to the addition of the line item for the conference oversite committee contingency, website expenses, and lower membership dues due to multi-year renewals. In total it is an increase of $7,500 more. The 2019-2020 budget was adopted as presented.
Julie also proposed opening a separate conference oversight bank account to handle the finances of the conference host with $5,000 conference seed money to process conference expenses. The motion was made, seconded, and approved.
Committee Reports
Bylaws: Ellen Orlowski, Milwaukee County Zoo
No proposed amendments to the bylaws were submitted.
Education Grant: Lisa Devos
Lisa DeVos reported that the 2018 Grant was awarded to the Virginia Zoo and applications for 2019 were being accepted and the deadline for submission is December 31, 2019.
Nominating Committee: Betty Dungar, Cleveland MetroParks Zoo
Betty thanked her committee, indicated that it was a difficult decision since multiple nominations were received, and presented the slate of officers for the Executive Board 2019-2020.
Election of Officers
There being no nominations from the floor, the slate was approved as presented.
Election of Nomination Committee
Lisa indicated the organizations not eligible were Bergen County Zoo, Bronx Zoo, Buffalo Zoo, Cleveland Metroparks Zoo, Columbus Zoo & Aquarium, Louisville Zoo, Minnesota Zoo, Oregon Zoo, Pittsburgh Zoo & PPG Aquarium, Santa Ana Zoo, Saint Louis Zoo, and Topeka Zoo; and then asked for volunteers from the floor. Five members and one alternate were nominated and elected: Kansas City Zoo, Ann Pisani; Memphis Zoo, Nora Fernandez; Philadelphia Zoo, April Abrams; Phoenix Zoo, Mary Ann Lefevre; Potter Park Zoo, Julie Brenner; and alternate Greenville Zoo, Sharon Sickler.
Chairperson Lisa DeVos asked if there was any unfinished business and there was none, any new business and there was none, any announcements and there were none.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:06pm.
Submitted by Toni Tront, Secretary AZADV
- AZADV will assume the financial risk of the conference.
- Volunteers will be able to host a conference without requiring the zoo administration to provide valuable resources to manage conference funds and approvals.
- Zoo management must still provide a letter of support.
- AZADV financial controls:
- Conference Management Plan – documented agreement between AZADV and the host organization.
- Conference Oversight committee will review and approve conference financial commitments and transactions.
- It will consist of 4 AZADV board members and a representative of the host organization.
- AZADV Treasurer maintains control of all conference funds
- Conference Planning Committee
- This is a committee formed by the host organization to plan the details of the conference
- Secretary, Toni Tront, Detroit Zoological Park
- Treasurer, Julie Reinbrecht, Mesker Park Zoo & Botanical Garden
- Newsletter, Editor, Katie Oeschger, Potter Park Zoo
- Membership, Lisa DeVos, Essex County Turtle Back Zoo
- Director, Extension, Caryn St. Clair, St. Louis Zoo
- Director, Public Relations, Linda Kendzierski, Greensboro Science Center
- Director, Conference Advisory, Tim Kouba, Oklahoma City Zoo