June Minutes
 
Date:  June 10, 2019, 7:30 PM

Topic:  Monthly Board Meeting

Next Phone Call or Meeting: August 12, 2019, 7:30 PM

Present:  Kristina Kezmarsky, Patti McGowan, Tina Hertzog, Lisa Lopatofsky, Molly Black,

Excused Absences:  Tammy Kitterman, Gordon Boe

Absent:  Juli Baumgarner and Sandra Salerno

Call to Order:   Kristina Kezmarsky, President, brought the meeting to order at 7:34 PM

There were no conflicts stated with any of the following agenda topics from the Board members present.
 
Motion for the approval of the May 13th, 2019 meeting minutes was made by Patti McGowan and seconded by Kristina Kezmarsky, motion passed. 
 
Treasurer’s Report – Gordon - Excused Absence, will submit Treasurer’s Report in August
 
Outreach Committee – Patti & Molly – Family Learning Conference Update – 29 Families are registered with eight new families coming.  Many Exhibitors and Panelist will attend to support the content piece.  PA Family Network will present “Charting the LifeCourse” a tool for planning a good life through integrated supports. 
 
Budget Discussion
Juli & Gordon:   Continued to next meeting.

Bank refund on fees and transfer of check signage:  Gordon:  ASAP
Bank offices are in contact with each other and Gordon will update upon return from vacation.  Update to be shared at next meeting.

Update Brochure:  Tammy:  To be dropped into the Google Suite:  Completed

Toolkit #3:  Juli:  April 8th:  Determine at which Future Board meeting to complete.
Finalize #3 and possibly begin Toolkit #1

May Shout Out:  Kristina:  5/30:  Completed

June Shout Out:  Patti:  6/30:  Completed

July Shout Out:  Molly:  7/31
 
Share NFADB Finance Committee Examples:  Patti:  When Available:  
Clarification – NFADB Finance Policy is not yet developed, but Patti will share when/if available.  NFADB is still working on policy and guidelines.

 
Old Business:

1. Reminder was given to send a gift card donation to Lisa Lopatofsky at 306 Elk Lake Drive, Waymart, PA 18472 – who will put together this basket for raffle at FLC2019. – Kristina will bring tickets for gift card basket and magnets for sale.  Patti & Tammy have submitted their gift cards already.  So far we have 2 Starbucks, Dick’s and Subway. 

 

1. Deposit was made for the Entertainment for Saturday evening FLC2019 – Gordon has provided a personal check until checking account matter is resolved.  Thanks to Gordon for this gesture.  Noted that Shelley & Gordon attempted to have signature switch made on Saturday, June 1st.  Gordon will report back regarding the status of the checking account.

 

1. Discussion was held around the need to review our current Mission Statement.   This was added as an action for an upcoming meeting.

Current mission:  The PPDB exists to provide support for individuals with deafblindness and their families through a family-driven network. We support our members as they deal with the daily issues of life, such as:

• Relationships with family and friends
• Healthcare
• Education
• Employment
• Insurance
• Service providers
• Life transitions  

 
Purpose, as listed in the Bylaws:    PPDB is organized exclusively for charitable and educational purposes, and more specifically to provide a statewide voice for the promotion of the economic, educational, employment, social equality and just rights and privileges as individuals who are deafblind and their families.
 
Possible additional discussion –

1. Do we support deafblind individuals or families of individuals with deafblindness? 

NFADB endorses the following: 
Promote a strong national Affiliate Network (any association or group organized and led by families with individuals who are deaf-blind is eligible) 
Partner with the Affiliate Network to improve opportunities and services for families.
NEW BUSINESS –

1. Accepted the resignation of Shelley Lill, as General Board Member.  Resignation accepted.  All board members should be recruiting new board members.    A question came up as to the makeup of the Board.  Molly referred to the Bylaws and it does not state that there needs to be 51% family members.  It does state that the Board shall consist of at least 7 members.  The Board shall be the Officers of the Partnership and at least 3 non-Officer members.  New Directors shall be periodically elected by the majority of those members in attendance at a meeting. 

 

1. Molly & Patti agreed to bring information regarding the current goals to the Full Board in a report for further discussion on their relevancy.  Once the Mission is agreed to and voted on, we should be revisiting these goals to determine whether they are still appropriate, and if the current Committees support these goals. 

Shout Outs –
July – Molly
August – Gordon
September – Lisa
October – Tina
November – Sandra
December Juli
February – Tammy
March – Kristina
April – Patti
 
Meeting Adjourned – at 8:33 PM 
 
Respectfully submitted,
Molly Black, Secretary
 
 

May Board Minutes
 
Date:  May 13, 2019, 7:30 PM

Participants:   Tammy Kitterman, Juli Baumgarner, Patti McGowan, Sandra Salerno, Lisa Lopatofsky, Gordon Boe

Excused Absences:  Kristina Kezmarsky, President, Tina Hertzog, Shelley Lill

Topic:  Monthly Board Meeting

Next Phone Call or Meeting: June 10, 2019, 7:30 PM

Discussion Notes:

Call to Order:   Tammy Kitterman, Vice-President called the meeting to order at 7:30 PM

To the Board:  Tammy asked if anyone has a conflict with any of the following agenda topics.   No one did.
 
Patti made a Motion for the approval of the April minutes and Gordon seconded that motion.  Motion passed.
 
Treasurer’s Report – Gordon reported the following:
 
2.026.51
     10.00 – donation
2,036.51
 
Tammy asked if Gordon had a chance to talk to Shelley Lill about getting banking fees refunded back from PNC (a service charge).   Gordon will investigate this refund and report back.
 
Juli brought up discussion around creating budget and do we want to set aside an amount not to exceed a certain amount for specific matters.  Gordon will work with Juli and at next meeting they will have thoughts to discuss in this regard.
 
Outreach Committee – Patti & Molly - On April 16th Patti and Molly presented at the Deaf-Blind Task Force Meeting and shared PPDB information.   Amy Letari, Psychologist from Children’s Hospital presented on CI.  Dr. Kim Mathos of HealthBridges requested our participation.  PPDB Brochures were shared. 
 
Lisa Lopatofsky also shared our brochures at Geisinger, in Danville, at an H & V table/event.
 
Tammy will update the Brochure and share for outreach purposes when completed.  
 
Current Committees:  It was discussed to review the current Committees and review the goals listed on our website as our guiding light to determine what each committee (and work groups) will do.  Are our Committees supporting these goals? Will we have a mission/purpose statement for each?  Perhaps reach out to our general membership to seek how to meet their needs, but keep our eyes on these goals:

• Establish & maintain a network to identify & help connect families with similar needs.
  
• Develop & disseminate accurate, timely information & share resources.
  
• Collaborate with other organizations & groups to ensure that the needs & concerns of persons who are deafblind are addressed.
• Educate policymakers on issues involving the deafblind.
  Current Committees:

 
Fundraising -

• Solicit contributions and other activities
• To support membership and advocacy.

Membership - (Tammy Kitterman & Patti McGowan)

• Recruit new members and retain
• Current ones.

Outreach/Social - (Molly Black & Patti McGowan)

• Disseminate information to
• membership on issues related to
• deafblindness, training opportunities,
• and topics of interest to PPDB
• Plan and implement social events and
  
• Activities for PPDB and its members.
• If you are interested in joining in these

 
Action Plan/To Do:
Task
Lead
Timeline
Questions/Notes
Completed?

Complete Updated Conflict of Interest Forms
Molly
May 13th Meeting
All Board Members submit upon receipt.  Leave no lines blank
One form outstanding.

Set up a Google Suite Account
Tammy
May 13th meeting
If 501(c) (3) status is verified.
Completed. Tammy emailed all with password.

PPDB Roster
Molly
 
All Board Members
May 13th
Forward your own Roster Info to Molly according to when you joined the Board as general member and Officer.
Still working on updating this.  When completed will be dropped into Google Suite.

Toolkit #3
Juli
Future Meeting.
See discussion notes above with regard to budgets.
Finalize #3 and possibly begin Toolkit #1
We will wait until whole board is together to complete this. 

Current Committee Makeup
Molly/Patti
Future Meeting.
See Discussion Notes.
 
Full Board Discussion at future meeting.

May Shout Out
Kristina
By 5/30
 
 New Business: 
  
Formal Discussion and Vote regarding purchasing individual gifts and specifically for Jackie Brennan, former Board Member.

No formal vote had previously taken place regarding a gift for Jackie.  Tammy indicated a worry about setting a precedent in giving a past Board members a gift.  Juli felt this is why we need a policy moving forward.  Patti suggested a sunshine fund account and not have gifts come from the treasury.  Gordon suggests we have a recognition fund with monies that do come from our treasury. 
 
Vote was taken as to whether a gift for Jackie should come from general budget. Vote did not pass to use treasury dollars for this gift.    Gordon will accept donations toward a gift to Jackie, and any amount over the cost of the gift will be donated to PPDB.  If you wish to donate toward a gift for Jackie, please forward to Gordon Boe at 1700 Gwynedd View Road, North Wales, PA 19454. 
 
FLC Gift Card Basket – It was agreed that we would raffle off a Gift Card Basket at FLC.  Lisa volunteered to compile the basket.  Please mail your contribution(s) to Lisa Lopatofsky at 306 Elk Lake Drive, Waymart, PA 18472.
 
Discussion was held regarding co-sponsorship of Entertainment for FLC2019 and possible donation secured by Gordon to financially contribute. Gordon is soliciting $250 on behalf of this effort, and any amount over $150 will be added to the treasury.In the event that Gordon is unable to secure a donation for this co-sponsorship, Patti made a motion to use $150 of our current budget to co-sponsor the puppeteer for FLC, Gordon seconded it.Motion passed.

Discussion was tabled on the following, as the meeting ran too long. This will be added to next month’s Agenda:   Whole Board discussion regarding whether we need to update our Mission Statement:   do we support deafblind individuals or Families of Individuals with deafblindness? 
When NFADB promotes the State Affiliates this is clearly defined:
Promote a strong national Affiliate Network (any association or group organized and led by families with individuals who are deaf-blind is eligible)                             
Partner with the Affiliate Network to improve opportunities and services for families
 
Shout-Outs:
May:  Kristina 
June:  Patti
July:  Molly
August:  Gordon
September:  Lisa
October:  Tina
November:  Shelley
December: Sandra
January:  Juli
February:  Tammy 
March:  Kristina 
 
Meeting Adjourned at 9:00 PM
 
Respectfully submitted,
 
Molly Black, Secretary
 

April 2019 Minutes of Meeting

Date: April 8, 2019 

Participants:   Kristina Kezmarsky, Juli Baumgarner, Molly Black, Lisa Lopotofsky, Sandra Salerno, Patti McGowan, Shelley Lill, Gordon Boe
Excused Absences:  Tammy Kitterman

Topic:  Monthly Board Meeting

Next Phone Call or Meeting: May 13, 2019, 7:30 PM

Discussion Notes:

Call to Order:   Kristina Kezmarsky, President called the meeting to order at 7:33 PM.

To the Board:  Does anyone have a conflict with any of the following agenda topics?   No conflicts reported
 
Motion for the approval of the March 11, 2019 meeting minutes – Gordon moved to approve the Minutes, and Juli seconded the Motion, Motion carried.
 
Treasurer’s report:  Gordon
Starting balance:  $2,022.06
Receipts:             $15.00 (I assume this was for a membership)
Expenses:           $10.55 (To Shelley Lill for postage--mailing treasurer's package to Gordon)
Ending balance:   $2,026.51

Current News:
 
Conflict Policy Statement– discussed and approved a specific policy.  – Gordon opened the discussion by referring to NFADB’s template and comparing that form to our original version.   Gordon suggested that with the following insertion we would be in compliance:
I have received a copy of PPDB’s conflicts of interest policy.  I have read and understand the policy.  I agree to comply with the policy.   I understand the Organization is charitable and in order to maintain its federal tax exemption it must engage primarily in activities, which accomplish one or more of its tax-exempt purposes.
Gordon moved that we accept the modified Conflict of Interest Form, which will become policy and submit to Secretary each year, which was seconded by Kristina Kezmarsky, unanimously carried.    Timeline for submitting Conflict of Interest Form is March of each year, or 30 days after annual meeting.    Gordon will forward the new Conflict of Interest form for completion by each member.
 
Officer Terms, regarding staggering of terms - Gordon led discussion and provided draft of new policy, which includes the following:
The Articles do not specify whether all officers and Directors will be elected at the same time, or whether they will serve staggered terms.  In order to establish uniform election procedures for Board members and officers, and to prevent the possibility of a 100% turnover in officers and Directors in any one year, the Board of Directors has developed the following election policy:

1. Beginning in 2020, the President and Secretary will be elected for a two-year term.Thereafter, these two officers will be elected in even-numbered years.
   
2. Beginning in 2021, the Vice President and Treasurer will be elected for a two-year term.Thereafter, these two officers will be elected in odd-numbered years.

1. For the purposes of term limits, the Board will consider 2019 a transition year for the President and Secretary.  Their first full term will begin in 2020. 
2. In 2020, the majority of non-officer Directors shall be randomly selected for re-election to a two-year term, with the remaining Directors up for re-election in 2021.  For the purposes of term limits, the Board will consider 2019 a transition year for Board members.

 
Kristina made the motion to adopt the above election policy and Juli seconded the Motion, Motion carried unanimously. 
 
In order to preserve the history of PPDB, as well as to secure tracking of elections, Molly requested that each Board member complete and return information on their own history with the Board.  Please indicate when you were elected to the Board and when you accepted any particular Office.  Complete before next meeting and return to Molly for reporting.
 
Discussion on formation of new or continuation of current Committees was tabled until next month’s meeting.  Molly & Patti will provide information regarding current committees to the Board prior to May’s meeting
 
Google Suite Drive and/or current Google Drive Account - Tammy has not received an update yet and will report back next month. 
 
Outreach Report – Dan Miller Disability Expo – Patti & Molly manned table and it was well received and good information shared.  Rich McGann was in attendance and stopped by the table.    On April 16th Patti and Molly will speak at the Deaf-Blind Task Force Meeting and will share PPDB information.   Amy Letari, Psychologist from Children’s Hospital will be presenting on CI.
 
Family Learning Conference – Sandra asked about a presence at FLC. PPDB will exhibit and Kristina will man the table at this year’s conference.  Discussion was held on how to have a larger presence at FLC and perhaps sponsor some social aspect at FLC.  Possible future discussion to be held around outreach and collaboration with PaTTAN and support recruitment. 
 
Gift for Jackie – Patti provided purchasing information and Molly will work with Gordon, Treasurer, to arrange the purchase of the gift as discussed for Jackie Brennan for her years of service on the Board.  A suggestion was made to consider a Sunshine Fund in the future for all areas of circumstances that may arise.    
 
Letter of Support for HKNC increased funding – All members agreed that Kristina, as President should forward letters on behalf of PPDB Board, and individual letter are encouraged to be sent as well before April 12. 
 
Action Plan/To Do:  Complete Updated Conflict of Interest Forms
Lead: Gordon
Timeline:  May 13th Meeting
All Board Members submit upon receipt.  Leave no lines blank
 

Action Plan/To Do:  Set up a Google Suite Account
Lead:  Tammy
Timeline:  May 13th meeting
If 501(c) (3) status is verified.
 
Action Plan/To Do:  PPDB Roster
Lead:  Molly
Timeline:  May 13th
Forward your own Roster Info to Molly according to when you joined the Board as general member and Officer.
 
Action Plan/To Do:  Toolkit #3
Lead:  Juli
Timeline:  April 8th
Head up Review for New Members.
Completed.

Action Plan/To Do:  Current Committee Makeup
Lead:  Molly/Patti
Timeline:  May 13th
Proposed Committees  

Action Plan/To Do:  Share NFADB Finance Committee Examples
Lead:  Patti
Timeline:  When Available
Clarification – NFADB Finance Policy is not yet developed, but Patti will share when/if available.
  
Shout-Outs:
April:  Tammy 
May:  Kristina 
June:  Patti
July:  Molly
August:  Gordon
September:  Lisa
October:  Tina
November:  Shelley
December: Sandra
January:  Juli
February:  Tammy 
March:  Kristina 
 
Adjourned at 8:48 PM
 
Respectfully submitted,
 
Molly Black, Secretary

PPDB
 
March 2019 Monthly Board Meeting Minutes
 
Date: March 11, 2019 
Participants:   Kristina Kezmarsky, President, Tammy Kitterman, VP, Molly Black, Secretary, Gordon Boe, Treasurer, Patti McGowan, Juli Baumgarner, Tina Hertzog
Excused Absences:  Lisa Lopatofsky, Shelley Lill

Topic:  Monthly Board Meeting

Next Phone Call or Meeting: April 8, 2019, 7:30 PM

Discussion Notes:
 
Call to Order:   Kristina Kezmarsky, President at 7:32 PM
 
To the Board:  Does anyone have a conflict with any of the following agenda topics?  None expressed.
 
Kristina requested a Motion for the approval of the February 11, 2019 meeting minutes.  Motion made by Tammy Kitterman seconded by Patti McGowan   Full Board – Approved.
 
Kristina requested a Motion to approve the Annual General Membership    Juli made the motion, and seconded by Patti.  Full Board – Approved.
 
Treasurer’s report:  shared by Gordon & Molly, as Shelley Lill, former Treasurer emailed the following information:
 
$111.87 deposit PayPal transfer - donation
$ 15.00 deposit (membership fee)
$ 50.97 deposit from 1and1 website 
Balance of $2022.06

Current News:
Molly reached out to Sandra Salerno regarding her nomination to the PPDB General Board, and she indicated that she would be interested in joining the Board.     Molly nominated Sandra to the general Board and Gordon seconded the Motion.
 
Kristina polled the Board as to how they vote for the addition of Sandra Salerno to the General Board:

Tammy: Yea
Molly:    Yea
Gordon:  Yea
Patti:       Yea
Juli:         Yea
Lisa: Excused
Tina:       Yea
Shelley: Excused
Kristina:  Yea
 
Conflicts of Interest forms for discussion:  Patti and Tammy – these forms are adapted from NFADB.  “Overview” will be changed to “Policy”.  Ask that Lisa, Tina and Sandra will review Modules, which the rest of the Board has already viewed and discussed.  The Board will follow this Conflict Policy as its guide.  Individual Conflict of Interest Statements Forms should be completed by each Board member, signed, scanned and returned to Molly.  Each line of the form should be completed whether there is a conflict or not.  Do not leave any line blank when completing the form. 
 
Juli has indicated that she would be available to discuss the information in the Modules for all new members, if necessary. 
 
A specific Conflict Policy will be placed on the Agenda for the April Meeting for discussion and approval. 
.
New committees (recruit from general membership to play a role):  Molly suggested that we review what Committees we have and whether we need any additional.  She suggested that when Committees are updated and new ones formed, that the lead might look to general membership to help with committee work.   Molly will work with Patti to provide what Committee information we currently have on the Fundraising, Membership, and Outreach/Social Committees and report back next month.
 
Patti will send a copy of the Brochure to the Board and Tammy will to upload to website. (Completed)
 
Create an internal calendar/timeline of events for the board:  Full Board
Tammy will create a private calendar for internal timeline events for committee meetings, membership drive etc. on the website.  Tammy will forward link to full Board for the current Google account. (Completed) A discussion will occur next monthly meeting regarding the Google Suite and/or current drive account. 
 
Discussion was held regarding PPDB funds and should we allocate a specific amount or percentage towards training/marketing/travel etc. and how much of our budget should we not exceed.  Patti suggested we have a small finance committee to work with Gordon and a budget.  She can share examples of what NFADB has done.  If you are interested in joining this Committee please let Gordon know.  Kristina will join this committee.
 
Molly reached out to Becky Fogle, Director of PaTTAN East to have another 150 color brochures printed again this year:  Kristina will draft a ‘thank you’ letter and send it to Becky Fogle and provide Molly a copy.    If any other board member wishes to write a thank you letter to Becky, her address is:
          Rebecca Fogle, Director
          PaTTAN East
          333 Technology Drive
          Malvern, PA 19355
 
Future News:
 
Coming up is Rep. Dan Miller’s Disability Summit:  Molly and Patti are attending and will report back to the board at the next board meeting.
 
Juli will do a shout out focusing on Jackie and her long time work and how she was instrumental to PPDB and bringing the national agenda to PA.   Juli will contact Gordon to help her with the history of PPDB and Jackie’s involvement.  If anyone else has anything to add, please contact Juli directly.
 
Gift for Jackie: Please reply to the Board if you have any ideas on a gift. 
 
Discussion was held on when to do the nominations for President and Vice President.  They should stagger every other year opposite of Secretary and Treasurer.  This would become part of the internal calendar.  Patti asked whether Kristina or Tammy would take on an additional year so that the offices become staggered.  Gordon reported that it was originally the President/Secretary that were linked in terms and Vice-President/Treasurer.  Gordon said that he would work on a Policy statement for this. 
 
Shout-Outs:
March:  Juli
April:  Tammy 
May:  Kristina 
June:  Patti
July:  Molly
August:  Gordon
September:  Lisa
October:  Tina
November:  Shelley
December: Sandra
January:  Juli
February:  Tammy 
March:  Kristina 
 
For the Good of the Order:  Juli would like to ask everyone to finalize Toolkit #3 on the next meeting.   Board Agreed.
 
Action Plan/To Do:
Task:  Conflict of Interest Forms
Lead:  All Board Members
Timeline:  April 8th Meeting
Questions/Notes:  Leave no lines blank

Action Plan/To Do:
Task:   Set up a Google Suite Account
Lead:  Tammy
Timeline  :April 8th meeting
Questions/Notes:  If 501(c) (3) status is verified.

Action Plan/To Do:
Task:  Policy Statement for staggering terms
Lead:  Gordon
Timeline:  April 8th
 
Action Plan/To Do:
Task:  Toolkit #3
Lead:  April 8th
Questions/Notes:  Head up Review

Action Plan/To Do:
Task:  Current Committee Makeup
Lead:  Molly/Patti
Deadline:  April 8th
Questions/Notes:  Update

Action Plan/To Do:
Task:  Share NFADB Finance Committee examples
Lead:  Patti
Deadline:  March 31
Questions/Notes:  Forward to Gordon directly.

 Meeting Adjourned:  8:24 PM
Respectfully Submitted,
Molly Black, Secretary

PPDB Annual Membership Meeting Minutes of February 19, 2019
 
Meeting called to order at 7:35 pm by Kristina Kezmarsky, President
 
Members Present:
Kristina Kezmarsky
Tammy Kitterman
Gordon Boe
Shelley Lill
Saneeka Macon
Lisa Lopatowski
Patti McGowan
Molly Black
Juli Baumgarner
Jackie Brennan
 
Member excuse/absent: N/A
 
New Business:
PPDB is celebrating our 10th Year.
We have made some wonderful changes and lots of memories over the past year.  A few of our committees would like to speak about their activities.
 
Outreach Committee:  Molly and Patti
The committee extends the mission of PPDB in a variety of ways:

1. A listserv for the purpose of posting information, questions and resources to its membership.
2. Monthly ‘shout-outs’ authored by its Board of Directors posted to the PPDB Listserv.
3. Facebook Page with posts of interest to its members and followers regarding:deafblindness, disability, education, medical, and other important matters.

Outreach committee events:

1. Dan Miller Disability Expo – March 2018
2. PD Deaf-Blind Family Learning Conference – June 2018
3. Transition Conference – July 2018
4. PTO Meeting at WPSBC – September 2018
5. Residential Program Presentation at WPSD – November 2018
6. Social Event at Indoor Trampoline Park – December 2018

 
Membership Committee:  Patti and Tammy
Lobbying is very important for our future membership goals.  We currently have 40 members and 36 lifetime members!  When a family joins PPDB under the lifetime membership, their children will continue to be covered into adulthood.  All donations to PPDB are tax deductible. 
Treasurer’s yearly report:  Shelley
Beginning Balance:
Deposits:
Spending:
Ending Balance:
 
Sib Shop:  Juli
Juli represented PPDB at the PaTTAN FLC in the sibling group ages 6-16.  It is important to engage siblings to allow them to share their thoughts, feelings, and interact with other siblings. 
 
At this time, I would like to open the floor to any and all nominations for General Board Member(s):  Full Board
 
Nomination of Lisa Lopatowski by Tammy Kitterman
Nomination seconded by Juli Baumgarner
 
Nomination of Tina Herzog by Shelley Lill
Nomination seconded by Kristina Kezmarsky
 
Lisa Lopatowski, present on the call, accepted her nomination of general board member of PPDB.
Proactively, should she be nominated, Tina Herzog, not present on the call, accepted her nomination of general board member of PPDB.
 
Kristina asked the full board to vote yay or nay to the nomination of Lisa Lopatowski.
Yay:  Juli, Patti, Jackie, Tammy, Gordon, Saneeka, Shelley, Molly, Kristina
Nay:  N/A
Welcome Lisa!
 
Kristina asked the full board to vote yay or nay to the nomination of Tina Herzog.
Yay:  Juli, Patti, Jackie, Tammy, Gordon, Saneeka, Shelley, Molly, Kristina
Nay:  N/A
Welcome Tina!
 
 
Jackie’s term on the General Board has ended.  PPDB would like to sincerely thank Jackie for her extraordinary contributions to PPDB.  PPDB would not be celebrating 10 years without Jackie Brennan.
 
 
Shout Outs:
March:  Juli
April:  Tammy
May:  Kristina
June:  Saneeka
July:  Patti
August:  Molly
September:  Gordon
October:  Lisa
November:  Julie
December:  Tammy
 
Meeting adjourned at 8:00-ish
Respectfully submitted,
Kristina Kezmarsky, President and volunteer note taker

Meeting called to order at 7:30 pm by Kristina Kezmarsky, President 
 
Members Present:
Kristina Kezmarsky
Tammy Kitterman
Molly Black
Gordon Boe
Patti McGowan
Jackie Brennan
Juli Baumgarnen
Saneeka Macon
Shelley Lill
 
Kristina motioned for the approval of January 14, 2019 board meeting minutes
Patti seconded the motion for the approval of the January 14, 2019 meeting minutes
 
 
 
Treasurer’s Report:  Shelley
Starting Balance:  $1,849.41
In/Out:    02/05/19 conference line -$0.19
               02/19/19 deposit $10.00
               02/19/19 1and1.com -$50.97 
Ending Balance:  $1,808.25
 
Tonight’s discussion focused on the Modules relating to Board Business
Julie:  The biggest takeaway from the Modules are the 3D’s (Duty of Care, Duty of Loyalty, & Duty of Obedience)
 
DUTY OF CARE examples are:  active board members, structure/agenda, meeting minutes, responsibility, listserve/shout-outs, By-Laws, treasurers report.
Molly would like PPDB in the future to look into how we can allocate our current budget for training/marketing/travel etc and how much of our budget (dollar amount or % should we not exceed).
Patti added, to the topic of Duty of Care, that Board Members are ambassadors for PPDB.
PPDB should create an internal calendar of events for the board members so we can prepare for the Annual Membership Meeting, fundraising events, etc.
 
Julie:  The next of the 3D’s is DUTY OF LOYALTY
Transparency is key to duty of loyalty.  Make sure there are no conflicts of interest.  (we should add to the next agenda a topic to further discuss).
Patti suggested starting all of our meetings with “does anyone have a conflict with the agenda items.”  
Patti and Tammy volunteered to work on a conflict of interest form.  
 
Julie:  The last of the 3D’s is DUTY OF OBEDIENCE 
This concerns compliance, to carry out and stick with out mission policies and budget.
Molly inquired about liability insurance? 
Patti offered to speak on behalf of NFADB relating to this specific question.  NFADB has discussed liability insurance at great detail over the years and in their discussion some professions say ‘yes’ while other professions say ‘no.’
 
 
Upcoming News:
Kristina:  On February 19, 2019 is our Annual General Membership Meeting.  Does the board have any thoughts, questions, or comments?
Juli suggested resending the ‘save the date’ letter to the listserv for the annual meeting.
Tammy volunteered to resend the email.
 
Shout-Outs:
February:  Shelley
March:  Juli
April:  Jackie
May:  Tammy
June:  Kristina
July:  Saneeka
August:  Patti
September:  Molly
October:  Gordon
November:  Shelley
December:  Juli
 
Respectfully submitted,
Kristina Kezmarsky, President and volunteer note taker

PPBD Month Board Meeting Minutes
 
January 14, 2019
 
Meeting called to order at 7:32 pm by Kristina Kezmarsky, President
 
Members present:
Kristina Kezmarsky, President
Tammy Kitterman, Vice President
Saneeka Macon, Secretary
Shelley Lill, Treasurer
Molly Black
Gordon Boe
Patti McGowan
Jackie Brennan
Juli Baumgarner
 
Member excuse/absent: n/a
 
Treasurer’s report:
Beginning balance $2009.87
Deposits $24.37
Go Daddy $133.86
Ending balance $1900.38
 
Approval of minutes:
 
Motions to approve full board meeting minutes for August, October, and December were made individually, motions second and carried. Let the minutes reflect approval to post the minutes to papdb.org
 
New business:
 
Website:
 
Tammy contacted GoDaddy.com and the transfer to their domain was successful. Tammy has assumed the responsibilities as PPDB webmaster. The board is encouraged to review their bios on the website, forward Tammy updated pictures and content.
 
Nominations, Elections, Board Terms and Tenures:
 
The role of secretary and treasurer are open for nominations. Shelley and Saneeka have completed their second terms in their respective positions. In March, President and Vice President, Kristina and Tammy, will have completed one term and are able to be nominated for a second term which sparked lots of discussion about the bylaws (amended bylaw from 2011 and 2015, which Saneeka sent to the board during the meeting). There were questions regarding the annual general board meeting. Juli recommended creating a committee to review the bylaw, look to create a foundational schedule, and produce a document or plan separate from the bylaw that will allow the board the flexible e.g. move the annual meeting to fit the current circumstances and environment Gordon, Jackie, and Tammy will meet to review the bylaws (over time) and bring their recommendation to the board. This newly created team will be known as the Bylaw Review Committee.
 
The PPDB board will hold the monthly board meeting on February 11, 2019 @ 7:30 pm.
 
Annual General Membership Meeting: Kristina, President, will send an email to general member and post the call for a general board meeting on the list serv. 
 
The PPDB board will hold the Annual General Board Meeting on February 19, 2019  @ 7:30 pm.
 
Discussion of Module/Toolkit #3: Discussion postponed until next meeting on Feb. 11. The board is encouraged the review the first and second modules before the meeting. Juli suggested we a spend 30 minutes discussing.
 
Good of the order: Juli, Gordon, and Jackie encouraged and thanked board members for their service and commitment. 
 
Shout outs
Jan: Gordon
Feb: Shelley
Mar: Juli
Apr: Jackie
May: Tammy
Jun: Kristina
Jul: Saneeka
Aug: Patti
Sep: Molly
Oct: Gordon
Nov: Shelley
Dec: Juli
 
Meeting adjourned 8:34pm
 
Respectfully submitted by Saneeka Macon, Secretary

PPDB Notes of December 10, 2018
 
Present: Kristina Kezmarsky, Jackie Brennan, Juli Baumgarner, Tammy Kitterman, Patti McGowan, Molly Black, Shelley Lill, Gordon Boe Excused: Molly and Shelley 
 
Absent:  Gabe Radzik
 
Meeting called to order by President, Kristina Kezmarsky at 7:40 p.m.
 
August and October minutes will be reviewed via email Tuesday, 12/11/18.
 
Treasurer’s Report Balance as of 11/30/18  $1885.63
 
Outreach Committee Tammy shared an update on the Trampoline Park outreach event, it was a success! We’ll looking forward to doing another event in the spring.
 
Tammy has a friend (Vanessa) that owns a web hosting business (evolve ). Tammy will set up a meeting with Vanessa and the EC board Thursday at 7 p.m.
 
Jackie will look at date for the Overbrook swim in the future.
 
Family Learning Conference The Project is still trying to finalize things. It will be at The Penn Stater Hotel and Conference Center in State College, PA June 21-22, 2019
 
Membership We need to talk about recruiting and membership. We need to tighten up and make sure we are following the bylaws. The EC needs to revisit membership and the bylaws. We missed a year of membership and need to get on track with dates, and set up an annual meeting.
 
Kristina as president can make appointments so the EC and board need review the Annual General Meeting requirements and whether nominations for additional Board members is warranted. This will be an agenda topic for our next board meeting. 
 
New Business Should we start meeting monthly again for 1 hour? As a board we should discuss conversation the direction for the board, set goals for ourselves. 
 
Kristina will reach out to Gabe to see if he wishes to continue as a member of the Board of Directors, due to recent absences.   


NFADB Affiliate modules - Tammy asked to entire board to review the modules. She will send the modules to the board and we will discuss at our next board meeting.
Please review the legal responsibilities modules.
 
Good of the order As a Board, let’s check on one another and the family.
 
Upcoming Shout-Outs
January Gordon
February Shelley
March Juli
April Jackie
May Tammy
June Kristina
July Saneeka
August Patti
September Molly
October Gordon
November Shelley
December Juli
 
Meeting adjourned at 8:42 p.m.
 

PPDB Notes of October 8, 2018
 
Present:
Kristina Kezmarsky
Jackie Brennan
Juli Baumgarner
Tammy Kitterman
Patti McGowan
Molly Black
Shelley Lill
 
Excused: 
Saneeka Macon
 
Absent:
Gordon Boe
Gabe Radzik
 
President, Kristina Kezmarsky, called the meeting to order at 7:36 PM
 
August Meeting Notes were unavailable to review, but will be made available at next scheduled meeting to be approved along with the notes of this evening. 
 
Happy Anniversary to us – we have now been in existence for 10 years!  A special thank you to Gordon Boe for spearheading our 501©(3) status and pushing us into being.
 
Congratulations to Patti McGowan as the new President of NFADB.  She reminded all that PPDB was the first Affiliate, and Tammy is our Liaison.  NFADB is up to 11 parent family groups across the nation as Affiliates.
 
Treasurer’s Report –
No deposits and no deductions, since last meeting so our balance remains $1931.49.  There is a $10 check that needs to be deposited and Shelley will forward that to Kristina for deposit.   There needs to be follow-up asap to verify whether we can use the donation button on our web page.  Shelley, Kristina and Tammy will follow-up with Saneeka to verify the use of PayPal account or any credit card since our Membership Drive is on the horizon.
 
Outreach Committee will send out another reminder of the 10 for 10 fundraiser.
WPSBC will be approached by Kristina to choose a date for bowling or swimming day. 
 
Tammy shared the Trampoline Park in Bridgeville, PA, is available for use by children with special needs on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month, 6-8 PM, $20.00 plus a free family member or support person.  Tammy will ask about a group discount.  She suggested December 4th.     Tammy will create a Flyer and we will ask WPSD and WPSBC to send home with their students with deaf-blindness.
 
Overbrook will also schedule a date for bowling or swimming.   Jackie will check on a date in January.
 
Membership -  Patti & Tammy - January 1 – December 31.    Solicitation will take place to Lifetime Members to encourage them to donate $10 for 10.   Membership Annual Drive will begin in December.   Promotion this year is a suggested 10% Discount to go along with the 10 for 10 theme. 
 
Motion made by Kristina Kezmarsky to promote the 10% Discount for Lifetime membership and seconded by Tammy Kitterman.  Motion Passed. 
 
Kristina shared an opportunity on the emailed Agenda to attend “The Essentials of Special Needs Planning” and will share it on the listserv as well. 
 
Kristina will check with Gabe to see if he wishes to continue as a member of the Board of Directors, due to recent absences.   
 
A review of the Annual General Meeting requirements and whether nominations for additional Board members is warranted will be placed on next meeting’s Agenda. 
 
Shout Outs:
October – Saneeka
November – Patti
December – Molly
 
Meeting Adjourned at 8:30ish
Respectfully submitted,
Molly Black, volunteer note taker

PPDB August Board Meeting
 
Tammy, Patti, Juli, Saneeka, Gordon, Shelley, molly,  (Kristina, Jackie) Roll call
 
PPDB Full Board Meeting: August 13, 2018 at 7:40pm
Phone number: 515-604-9524 Access code: 965265
 
Welcome and Call to Order (Kristina)
 
Treasurer’s Report (Shelley)
 
Approve April and June minutes (Patti motion, Juli, second) Board will approve April minute via email
 
Old Business 
 
Outreach - Report from FLC (Molly) Regards to PPDB the basket was a success. The current board member introduced themselves.   26 families attended FLC 
Letter of Support from PPDB to the PA Deaf-Blind Project.
 
The Project is  writing for the new 5 year grant. PA DB projects grant ends at the end of Sept (9/30). To families that attend FLC there was a sample letter in the package (Patti trying to get an electronic copy). We don’t know who the letter should be addressed to nor what will be in the letter yet.  PPDB will fall under agency, (president or secretary of PPDB) and the family should be submitted letter and anyone that has benefited from the project. Molly or Patti will send to a request to the EC board. 
 
Two updates - Lynn Fox is leaving PATTaN and Michele Balynnski too. Jane Freedom is retiring. There will be new positions down the road. 
 
New Business 
 
Medical Marijuana--should we resend letters (Full board) Tammy send the letter she sent out were returned undelivered. So suggested we wait until the dispensers are up and running. (Pitt, Philly, and middle of the state areas have some opening) Shelly will try to get a list of the open dispensaries. Shelley will work with Tammy to get new letters out. 64 letter in total were sent Sept 2017.
 
Fundraising (Gordon) Send out a doodle, with ideas, the board will vote and talk about those things our next meeting.  
 
Good of the order
 
October 2008 (check the date) our 501c3 was created. We can come up with a campaign to play on the year. (August 2008)
Gordon will forward the email he has about the 501c and Patti will work with Molly on a flier and we’ll see what we come up with.    
 
Annual Membership meeting  (Jackie?) EC will review minutes to see when the annual membership meeting should be. 
 
Committee updates - Saneeka will reach out to Jackie about the OBS swim. 
 
Tammy will the DB list-serv. after Kristina sends shout-out for Sept
Families or parent families to families communities F2FC (sept-may) monthly conference call.
 
There are a number of opportunities for family to get involved and have a different way of networking. There will be also be info in Spanish for Spanish speaking family
9/19 modules (pattan) link to pattan.net (training calendar)
 
The State Deaf-Blind Projects are still anxiously awaiting the release of the next 5 year grant.  (It is really late this year)    
 
NFADB has announced their new NFADB Board Members post nominations which will begin October 1, 2018, 
 
They are:
President Elect:  Patti McGowan, PA
VP:  Diana Griffen, PA
Secretary:  Julie McGuire, Nebraska
Treasurer:  Jacqueline Izaguirre, TX
Affiliate Coordinator: Edgenie Bellah, TX
Mary Gyori, VT
Kim Houston, TX
Melanie Knapp, TX
Debra Pickens, NC
Myrna Medina, CA
 
NFADB is always looking for general members to be a part of their Action Plan Committees, the committee information can be found here: https://nfadb.org/ support-nfadb/volunteer/
 
Shout-out assignments
August  Tammy
September Kristina - 501c campaign 
October  Saneeka
November Patti
December Molly
 
Adjourned 8:27 pm