Minutes from Sept. 15, 2014
SPJ Florida Pro Board Meeting
Sept. 15, 2014 – 7:30 p.m.
Panera Bread | 1461 SE 17th St., Fort Lauderdale
Present: Brandon Ballenger, Dori Zinn, Michele Boyet, Dina Weinstein, Chris Persaud, Christiana Lilly, Jason Parsley, Megan Fitzgerald, Andrea Richard, Betty Wells
John Sotomayor joined via Google hangouts
Not here: Kristyn Caddell, John McDonald, Connor Spielmaker
Special Guest: Michael Koretzky, Region 3 Director; James Shermer, grants admin for Broward Cultural Division
Approve the March minutes: August minutes approved unanimously
National Diversity Month: $200 for food at the event (location TBD), passes unanimously
Remembering journalists: Journalists James Foley and Steve Sotloff murdered by ISIS — considering memorial donation. Brandon reached out to family rep, asked to get back to him in two weeks. Dori reached out to CPJ, which said they have already received donations. Christiana reached out to the Newseum and UCF. Betty suggests putting out a letter to the editor for local newspapers from SPJ Florida. Dori, Dina, Brandon, and Christiana on a committee to complete.
Financials and budget:
Checking account: $28,093.33
Savings: $32,460.04
PayPal: $25,483.97
Profit from Sunshine State Awards: $1,550.41
$500 for awards ceremony, $1,720 for WWFF, $2,500 for convention, $250 for brochures. All passed.
Sunshine State Awards recap: Held in August at the Miami Beach Botanical Gardens with NAHJ, we made $1,500 and will be splitting with them (they also got $500 for their entries). THey would like to host the event with us against next year. A huge success, everyone enjoyed the open bar. The $250 in raffles have been allocated to Legal Defense Fund. Will start planning next one in March 2015.
Will Write for Food recap: Michele says it went well, but next year could use more advisers. Issue students put together coming out week of Sept. 22.
Excellence In Journalism 2014: Dina, Andrea, Dylan, and Koretzky attended this year in Nashville. Dina says they were good sessions, namely “Lessons from Ferguson,” big empahsis on freelancing and forming a freelance subgroup in chapters. Andrea says the convention was too big, some panels were very basic, two favorite on Verbal Tech (Google Glass) and 12 apps can use in storytelling. Dylan lost in running for student representative and learned from that, broke story about ethics bylaw meeting moving locations at the last minute, campus reporting, did more campus outreach. Other chapters have the same troubles as us with connecting such a large geographical area. Next times is going to be in Orlando —
Diversity and National Pro Chapter of the Year: Won big at the conference, second year in a row for diversity. Jason kept a spreadsheet of every single thing that we did to help with the annual report. Dina and Andrea, both newbies to the conference, were not aware to be at the session that gave out the awards. Agree that next time have a pre-convention meeting for better planning and so that everyone is on the same page.
Brochures: Brandon and Christiana did copy, Koretzky did design, Dori hooked up printing, only spent $250! Contact Dori if you need some to hand out at events/around the office.
Committee Chairs: Jason is Awards and Diversity, Dina is Programming, Michele is Membership, Bill for Scholarship, FOIA and Ethics are open.
Membership: 106 active chapter members, eight more than last update. Florida Mid Chapter has 46 members, might not be active anymore so we can have them move to our chapter.
Broward Arts Journalism Alliance: Andrea works with James Shermer, grants admin for Broward Cultural Division, who wants to tell us about journalism programs. Open to professionals, citizen writers, and students. Goal is to bring together arts writers, critics, bloggers, etc. bring them together with editors of arts magazines. Working with Syracuse University’s instructors and local editors for a workshop Jan to Feb 2015, including a pitch forum. $25 for each day of workshop (includes lunch and coffee), perhaps a cheaper rate for students. Artists themselves could also use help with learning to writing about what they’re doing. Our duty would be to spread the word for SPJ discount (with ID number), we can put out brochures, be listed as a sponsor. Betty volunteers her expertise as a panel member for the workshop.
First Amendment Foundation: FAF is having an event locally on October 17 we are co-sponsoring, discounts as SPJ members.
FCSPA Fall Conference: – Florida College System Press Association held at the Embassy Suites by FAU on Oct. 17. Looking for anyone to help with training session, night before is a service project.
Journalism Education Association: Nov. 1 is FSPA for high school students, if interested get in touch with Koretzky. Want to start mentoring program for journalists to work with local high schools for a whole year. Reach out to them at FSPA?
JournCamp: SPJ national and the FIU student chapter are doing an event Nov. 2. They are puytting out a survey of what to cover in the meeting and would like a speaker from SPJ Florida.
Death Race: We approved $500 for this event and haven’t done it this year. Koretzky already has the engraved trophy for 2014. Delegate to FIU chapter as face of it?
Digital Media Event: Former board member Rebekah Monson is planning a February event and wants to partner with us. With FIU a Digital Media Event, one-day workshop on a Friday (speakers from different publications and hands on events) and a half day on Saturday (Hackathon). Want to find out who we would be interested in seeing, feedback. They don’t need money at this time
Sunrise Travel Guide: Working with SLA high school students, who are going to team up with five classrooms of fourth graders to work on a travel book. Book will be published in May 2015 and have a “book launch party.”
Scripps: SPJ leadership training. Atlanta in February or March. Can send three people, $50 per person to attend, hotel and meals covered, must pay for transportation. Brandon and Gideon went last year (said it was kind of cheesy).
Meetings: Will continue going back and forth between Boca and Fort Lauderdale.
Dori makes motion to end meeting; Michele seconds. All in favor.
These minutes were approved at the Dec. 9, 2014 SPJ Florida Board meeting.