Interim Board MeetingNovember 9, 2019

Holiday InnChampaign, Illinois

Collect Keep us, O God, from Pettiness; let us be large in thought, in word, in deed.

Let us be done with fault-finding and leave off self-seeking.

May we put away all pretenses and meet each other face to face – without self-pity and without prejudice.

May we never be hasty in judgment and always generous.

Let us take time for all things; make us to grow calm, serene, gentle.

Teach us to put into action out better impulses, straightforward and unafraid.

Grant that we may realize it is the little things that create differences, that in the big things of life we are at one.

And may we strive to touch and to know the great, common human heart of us all, and O Lord God, let us forget not to be kind!

– Mary Stewart

EMBLEM BENEDICTIONThis Emblem binds us allIn one great Sisterhood

It bids us heed our conscience callFor nobler womanhood.

God guide us when we wearThis Emblem o’er our heart

And keep us true and always fairGod bless us as we part.

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ILLINOIS FEDERATION OF BUSINESS WOMEN BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Saturday, November 9, 2019 9:00 am – 3:30 pm

Call to Order....................................................................................................Cherie Kesler, State President Collect and Pledge of Allegiance...........................................................Danielle DiMarzio, President- Elect Roll Call ..............................................................................................Susan McGrath, Recording Secretary Approval of Attendance of Observers ....................................................Danielle DiMarzio, President-Elect Correspondence ...................................................................................Susan McGrath, Recording Secretary Minutes of the 2019 Post-Convention Board Meeting .......................Susan McGrath, Recording Secretary Report of Executive Committee ..........................................................Susan McGrath, Recording Secretary Action Taken Since Post Convention Board .......................................................Susan McGrath, Recording Financial Update Financial Statement ......................................................................................................Tina Klein, Treasurer Budget Analysis ...............................................................................................Amanda Burk, Finance Chair Proposed Amended Budget ..............................................................................Amanda Burk, Finance ChairLunch Guest SpeakerReports of the Standing Committee ChairsExecutive Committee ReportsNetworking Chair ....................................................................................................................Susan McGrathEducation.................................................................................................................................Alishia WinklerLegislation....................................................................................................................Jessickya Nix-ColmanERA Liaison....................................................................................................................................Tina KleinFinance.......................................................................................................................................Amanda BurkReports of the Special Appointment Chairs (Time= 5 Minutes)Celia M. Howard ....................................................................................................................Fayrene WrightStrategic Long Range Planning.................................................................................................Susie DewaeleInvestment Fund Oversight..........................................................................................................Carla TuckerOWWI............................................................................................................................................Tina SuarezChair of Nominations....................................................................................................................Beth GaliciaInternational Liaison...................................................................................................................Kathleen RayConvention Site Selection Committee....................................................................................Pat McNicholasReport of the 2018 Convention Chairs..............................................................Sharon Sanders/Karen WalshReport of the 2019 Convention Chair.....................................................................................Pat McNicholasReport of the Scholarship Task Force.............................................................................................Tina KleinReport on Policy and Procedures Revisions.............................................Danielle DiMarzio, President ElectUnfinished BusinessTabled discussion regarding PayPal vs Wild Apricot.....................................................................Tina KleinOpen Forum (20 minutes – may be extended) ....................................Danielle DiMarzio, President-ElectNew BusinessAnnouncementsAdjournment

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IFBWC ~ Board of Directors November 9, 2019

Holiday Inn, Champaign, ILBoard Rules

Motions: Must be in writing, signed by the maker of the motion and the person seconding the motion. Furnished to the Chair before action is take. Motion forms are available for this purpose. Only members of the voting body may introduce motions.

Debate: To ask recognition from the Chair, the speaker should proceed to the microphone and give name and title. The speaker shall state whether speaking in the affirmative or negative. Debate on a motion shall be limited to two minutes per speaker, and ten minutes for each question. General consent is needed for additional time and if there is an objection to general consent, a formal vote must be taken, with 2/3rds vote required to grant additional time.

No member shall speak a second time until everyone wishing to speak has had an opportunity. An observer may participate in debate, provided there is no board member wishing to speak, asking recognition by the same procedure as required by a member of the voting body.

Timekeeper: The Chair will appoint a timekeeper. It is the timekeeper’s duty to indicate to each speaker a 30 second warning before time expires.

Reports: Each standing and special committee chair presenting a report has the time indicated after their title on the Board Agenda. There are also written reports included within your board packet.

Parliamentary Authority: Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, 11th Edition, is the parliamentary authority for this meeting.

Seating: All voting board members should sit towards the head table. Standing Committee Chairs have assigned seating.

Observers should sit behind the voting members. Any Standing Committee Chair or Membership Representatives who are absent may provide a delegate to replace them per Section 6 of the Federation Bylaws.

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OFFICER REPORTS

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Cherie Kesler, President

Happy Holiday season to everyone! They all seem scrambled into one: Halloween-Thanksgiving-Hanukkah-Christmas-New Years. It’s like a fun Holiday marathon with lots of yummy food. I wish many blessings on my IFBWC friends this season. I hope to see all of your happy Holiday photos on Facebook. I am looking forward to joining the Taylorville BWC at their annual Christmas auction in November, which is a great kickoff to the holiday festivities.

My heart truly goes out to those apart from family or who have lost someone dear this year. I know this Holiday season will be especially tough for my family, as it is the first since I lost my sister in May. Remember that you have a large family in IFBWC, so reach out to us if you need a caring friend.

My husband and I have been on the journey of redecorating our finished basement on a budget. Oh, what a journey it has been. Our basement had served as a repository of childrens’ toys and a natural space for parties, sleepovers, and the usual collection of the variety of items representing their interests over the years. However, with the children growing older, this playspace became a junk collector. The time had come to repurpose the space and make it functional for the family we are today. After we reached that decision, the children spent the following weekend at their godmother’s house, and from that came ideas for the redesign for a family room lounge and pub.

With sweat equity from my husband, myself, and some dear friends, we made the redesign a reality, creating a designated workout room, a bar with tables and stools, and a lounge space. The junk collection was cleared out, and now we have a space that works for both adults and teens. After we completed the project, I was amazed to discover that my children spent time together hanging out in the new space. My son didn’t go out with his friends, and my older daughter didn’t spend the evening in her room calling her friends. Every moment they spend together as they race their way to college and adulthood will create treasured memories.

This project is analogous to what we are trying to achieve as we continue to redesign and redecorate IFBWC. Over time, we have discovered that what used to work is no longer usable. However, that redesign requires careful planning and hard work to make it happen in a way that works for both old and new members. I hope our locals are finding the five year tool useful in achieving that redesign, as we have also been doing at the state level. We need your feedback on what we have planned and what we need to do in order to ensure the success of our redesign. Our best resource continues to be each other. I have truly enjoyed my visits to our locals and what I have learned each local does to achieve its goals and discover what works for them. IFBWC and our locals should continue to be working partners in this journey.

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Cherie Kesler, President continued…

I invite you to come to our Interim Board meeting on Saturday, November 9 at the Champaign Holiday Inn. In particular, I think you will enjoy and be inspired by our three speaker panel to open our meeting. We will be hearing from two former Celia Howard winners, Kimberly Palermo and Lauren Eiten, and an IFBWC member and former State President, Barb Yong. This distinguished panel will be speaking about female leadership and their individual journeys to their leadership positions. Kimberly Palermo is a legislative and regulatory Liaison for the Illinois Health Care Association. Prior to taking on this new job, Kim was a health policy specialist at SIU Medicine Population Policy and Science, and at the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute. Kim received her BA in psychology and her Master’s degree in social work from SIU. She has devoted some of her considerable skills to combating sex trafficking, and was instrumental in the creation of the Central Illinois Human Trafficking Task Force. Lauren Eiten is attending the University of Illinois College of Law. Prior to enrolling in law school, Lauren was employed for four years by the US Department of Healthcare and Family Services, first as a Public Health Analyst, and then as Public Affairs and Outreach Analyst. She also served first as a federal liaison between the State of Illinois and the federal government, and then as a Public Policy Analyst, for former Governor Pat Quinn. Lauren received her BA in political science and her Master’s Degree in political science from the University of Illinois. Barb Yong is a partner in the firm of Golan, Christie and Taglia, where she specializes in bankruptcy and commercial litigation. She is a Past President of IFBWC, and was the driving force in establishing Equal Pay Day Chicago. Barb is a Past President and Fundraising Vice President of West Suburban Temple Har Zion. She also served as a Park District Commission for the Park District of LaGrange for eight years.

I hope to see you at Interim Board to hear our amazing speakers, and to learn more about what is happening with IFBWC and our locals!

Danielle DiMarzio, President-Elect

Happy fall! Although, since we had our first snow already in October, I feel like it is winter already! One of the perks of being your State President-Elect this fall, has been getting to meet so many new women across the state.

I thoroughly enjoyed seeing all the posts on Facebook of all the different events, across the state, for National Business Women’s Week. It is amazing to see how all our local organizations celebrate this nationally recognized week differently! I am also looking forward to learning about all the different events each local has coming up for the holidays.

I had the pleasure of visiting the Centralia BPW group in September. They had a great informational speaker about grass-fed beef and some of the ins and outs of the cattle business. I learned about some of their scholarships and programs they do locally and had the privilege of also learning about one of their local organizations, SAFE, that helps women. I was glad to be a part of such an amazing group and look forward to visiting all our other locals and finding out more about their programs and events.

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Danielle DiMarzio, President-Elect continued…

I appreciate all the invitations to attend all of your upcoming events and Cherie and I plan to attend a few together! If you have other events coming up that I don’t know about, please reach out to me. I would love to hear what all our locals are doing and will try to make as many events as I possibly can!

I look forward to getting to meet each and every one of you soon!

Susan McGrath, SecretaryGreetings, members, from your Federation Secretary! I wanted to take this opportunity to encourage you to let me know of any cards that I should be sending to a member who has lost a loved one or who might be celebrating a special event, or a new member to your organization. We want to do more as a Federation to support our sustaining members as well as those new to our group. Thank you for entrusting me with the responsibility of serving as your Secretary, and I hope to hear from each of you as the year progresses. I am honored to be a part of your Leadership team, and working together to continue our work in planning for State Convention, and a new direction for some of other programs as well. We have an exciting agenda for Interim Board, and I hope to see you there!

Tina Klein, TreasurerI know you will get tired of me talking about 990s, but I want to make sure that we do not have the issue we had a few years ago. All Local Organizations are required to submit a 990 ez (postcard) to the IRS even though you do not pay anything and you have next to nothing in your bank accounts. This has two purposes:

The IRS requires that sub-organizations (Local Organizations) report to the IRS every 3 years so that the Parent (State Federation IFBWC) retains its IRS status (501(c) (6)).

If the Local Organization has its own tax exemption status, submitting the IRS forms are required to retain the status.

If the forms are not submitted and the Local Organization loses its IRS status, it will cost $500 or more, plus a lot of paperwork and headache dealing with the IRS to regain the status. So please submit your forms as soon as possible.

Instructions on submitting the 990 online are on the IFBWC website in the Members Only Section, Under Forms and Manuals.

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Carol Burk, Immediate Past State PresidentWhat an exciting year it is to be the Immediate Past President of the Illinois Federation of Business Women’s Clubs. As Immediate Past President you are given the opportunity to be included in IFBWC business during Board Meetings while not having specific duties to perform. I am enjoying this position immensely as it has given me an opportunity to see some of our younger members who are now Executive Board Members making plans for the betterment and expansion of our organization. Some of our past presidents have taken positions on the Executive Board and have provided guidance when needed, but let me tell you, we have nothing to worry about with the next generation stepping up to be our organization leaders.

I was worried for a time that the same members were being recycled over and over in important leadership positions. Some of those members have provided guidance and continue to serve, thank you ladies. Our current President Cherie Kessler organized and presented a most interesting and informative Leadership Conference. If you missed it, you really missed an exciting event this year.

Welcome to Interim Board Meeting which has been planned to facilitate an opportunity to carry out necessary IFBWC Business, hear an interesting speaker and fellowship with other IFBWC members. I do hope you will make every effort to attend. Seeing and interacting with fellow members from all over the State of Illinois and being brought up to date on State IFBWC business is always a pleasure. Interim Board is scheduled for Saturday, November 9th at the Holiday Inn, 101 Trade Center Drive in Champaign, Illinois. You may register online at www.IFBWC.org or by downloading a paper registration form along with registration fee and mailing it to Tina Klein, 28036 State Highway 16, Jerseyville, IL 62052. The cost for Interim Board is only $27 which includes a scrumptious lunch. I do hope you will plan to attend. The deadline for registration is October 30, 2019. Let’s all get together to “Remember, Renew and Recharge!

Carol E. Burk

Immediate Past President

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STANDING COMMITTEE

REPORTS

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NETWORKING COMMITTEE

On behalf of the Networking Committee, Jenny Ravanh and myself are continuing to work on the face of the Federation. We have already started Women of the Week Wednesdays and Throwback Thursdays on our Facebook page, which we hope you have been enjoying. By now, each local has received worksheets to use to submit photos and information for these ongoing celebrations of our members. It is easy, and fun, to participate, and provides something to share with not only our members, but also people who we want to join us in the Federation!

We also need to have you share with us your upcoming events this year, and that includes your regular meetings. Please send us information about your local meetings, with date, time, location, and program to be presented. This is also for any events you may be planning, such as a working women’s expo (Crawford County), a scholarship fundraiser such as Christmas in November (Taylorville), and the Reality Store (Centralia). If you are planning events with other community organizations, such as candidate forums, we want to know about that as well. We will publicize all of this information on our Facebook page and our website. Please submit this information to either Jenny or myself. Anything like this that you share is also valuable to each of the locals as we seek ideas and programs that we can use to recruit and retain membership. We would like to share information on what our locals have been doing in the next Illinois Bulletin, so please contact Jenny Ravanh or myself with your reports. Any details you can share about how you decided on what projects you would do this year, how you put together your plan for your project, and what happened with the project or projects once you actually did them, would be helpful to us all.

We are excited about our three speaker panel for Interim Board, and will be continuing our new tradition of door prizes that we established at Leadership Conference, to add to the fun of our meeting. You will have to be there to find out what they are! President Kesler has more information about our speakers in her article.

Thank you for the comments we have received on these new ideas. We appreciate them, and encourage all of you to continue to submit information about what you’re local is doing, and submissions for Women of the Week Wednesdays and Throwback Thursdays. We also look forward to seeing each of you at Interim Board!

Membership: Total number of members as of October 11, 2019 is 213

Susan McGrath

Co-Chair, Networking Committee

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EDUCATION COMMITTEE

Even the best-laid plans sometimes don’t go as expected. I had hoped to have finalized copies of the 2020 scholarship applications ready for the Interim Board packets, but I am still working on a couple of things. For the last two years, we have offered two types of scholarships – High School Senior and Returning College Student. This year, I am recommending that the High School Senior award be amended to Incoming Freshman. The goal is to make it available to students who may have voluntarily or involuntarily been unable to enter college right out of high school but meet all other requirements. Since our organization is dedicated to helping women succeed in the workforce, it seems only right that we offer as many opportunities as possible to those who seek to advance their education, even if it doesn’t follow a traditional path.

Applications are still on track to be available by December 1. They will be distributed to IHSA-partner schools, as they were last year. This was incredibly successful in increasing our High School Senior submissions. This year, I am also going to be sending them to all of the Illinois state universities, some of the private universities in Illinois, and some of the more popular scholarship websites in an effort to increase the number of Returning Student submissions. Of course, they will also be posted to the IFBW website and emailed directly to the LO presidents for local distribution.

One of my other goals for this year is to expand the Leadership University course catalog and provide ideas and best practices for utilizing them. Currently, the courses available include Effective Communication, Business Writing, Resume Writing, Leadership and Influence, Negotiation Skills, Coaching and Mentoring, and Work Life Balance. They can be used as self-learning or training tools. For example, the Centralia LO provided four two-hour workshops for local businesspeople in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce, and a member also presented a portion of one program at a monthly LO meeting. There are many ways that your LO can benefit its members and community using these great resources.

I’m always open to hearing from the membership about your ideas, wants, and needs from the Education Committee. If you have any suggestions or concerns about the scholarships, Speak Off, Leadership University, or anything else Education Committee-related, please contact me at education@ifbwc.org.

Thank you so much!

Alishia WinklerEducation Chair

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PROFESSIONAL LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENTSPEAK-OFF COMPETITION

SPEAK OFF TOPICS1. What is one challenge that faces women in the workplace, and how would you fix it?

2. Why do you feel there are fewer women than men in STEM-related fields?

3. What do you feel was the most influential moment in women’s history, and why?

4. What are some societal impacts on gender equality and/or gender stereotypes, and how

can they be addressed?

5. How would you define feminism, and do you feel that it should play a role in modern

society?

The Education Committee

Alishia Winker

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REPORT FROM THE ERA LIAISON

In the last Illinois Bulletin I posted an article that Virginia is just a vote away from ratifying ERA.

Virginia is just one vote away from being the last state needed to ratify the ERA. Help the ERA get one more vote in the General Assembly this November with a postcard campaign. 

Last year, a tie vote in the Virginia House of Representatives failed to force the ERA out of its subcommittee.  The ERA had already passed in the Senate, and there were enough House sponsors to pass the ERA.  If it got out of committee, it would pass.  Such procedural votes like that are rare, and this one was dramatic, taken before a full chamber.  Because it was a tie, the motion failed.

GOOD NEWS!

This fall, Virginia is having its first election with a nonpartisan map (thanks SCOTUS!).  Therefore, GOTV efforts for the November election are key to getting the last state to ratify the ERA.

Unfortunately I have to report that the bill died in the House. According to a report, the opposition to ERA made their voices heard more than those for ERA.

It seems we still have a lot of work to do to help other states ratify ERA. We still need one more state to add ERA to the Constitution. It also seems that we need to pass an amendment to extend or get rid of the time limit to accomplish the ratification.

Here is the list by state who and who has not ratified ERA:

https://www.equalrightsamendment.org/era-ratification-map

Here is the link to the bill in Washington D.C. You can follow any progress from the link below.

https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/senate-joint-resolution/5/all-info?resultIndex=1

We are so, so close. We just need to get this done. Educating the masses about the reason we still need to get ERA added to the Constitution and making our voices heard more than the opposition.

Tina Klein

ERA Representative

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SPECIALCOMMITTEE

REPORTS

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CELIA M. HOWARD FELLOWSHIP FUND

The Celia M. Howard Luncheon at the 2019 Convention was well attended as always. Inclement weather prevented some of the recipients from attending the luncheon but all in attendance enjoyed the remarks of Illinois Inspector General Carol Pope.

Applications, letters of reference and transcripts for 2020-2021 fellowships are starting to hit my mailbox. This year for the first time applications can be submitted online through the Celia M. Howard website. Committee members will also be able to review and score the applications online. This will be more secure than mailing several packets to committee members containing transcripts and personal information.

Current committee members are: Tina Klein, Vice Chair; Catherine Barbercheck, Secretary; Cathy Clark-Eller; Linda Johnson; Deb Walker; Barb Crowder; State President, Cherie Kessler; Education Chair, Alishia Winkler; and Networking Chair, Jenny Hill-Ravenh. President-Elect, Danielle DiMarzio serves as an ex-officio member of the Committee. Fellowship Trustees are Chris LaFrance, Barb Yong and Pat McNicholas.

Fayrene Wright

Chair

IFBWC INVESTMENT FUND COMMITTEE

Federation Investment Fund CommitteeInterim Board 2019

Greeting from the committee. Our job is to oversee the Federation Investment Fund to provide income for IFBWC and to fund approved special projects.

The market has been good to us this year, and the fund continues to grow in value and to generate income for the Federation. Please see the financial statements for the most current information on the portfolio value.

We are fortunate to have the services of Denise Pacione at Edward Jones to guide us in these matters. Denise also advises the Celia M. Howard Fellowship Fund. We met with Denise in October. She advised no changes in our investments at this time. We also discussed upcoming cash needs and what might be sold if necessary.

We will re-evaluate early next year, and of course Denise will contact us sooner if there is a concern in the market.

Carla TuckerChair, 2019-2020

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CHAIR OF NOMINATIONS REPORT

HELP WANTED!! Join the IFBWC Leadership Team and work with like-minded women to advance Illinois personally, politically, and professionally. We have a team of experts to help you gain leadership skills, learn how to conduct an efficient productive meeting, and make Illinois a better place for women and their families. Available Positions:

President - Elect: her main duties involve planning and coordinating all state activities for the upcoming year, making appointments and assignments. She is responsible for editing the Illinois Leadership Directory, which is distributed under her supervision. The president-elect presides during the absence of the president and takes the place of the presiding officer whenever it is necessary for the latter to leave the chair. (I.E. if the president decides to engage in debate. The president elect takes the chair when a motion is proposed which affects the president only and remains in the chair until the motion is disposed of). For further discussion of the duties of the president-elect, refer to the bylaws, Article XII, and the “Officers Duties” section of this handbook.

Secretary: Take minutes at all EXCOM Meetings, Interim Board, and Convention. Report on any correspondence on behalf of the organization.

Treasurer: Keep track of all financial transactions and pay bills for the organization

Chair of Nominations: Help the President-Elect fill leadership positions for her year as President

Membership Representatives: Represent the members as voting member of the IFBWC Board at Interim Board, Convention, and any other items that need Board Approval.

Networking Chair: Work with Think Tank to promote the organization in all social media posts and help Local Organizations with membership promotions.

Education Chair: Conduct Speak-off competitions at Convention and update Leadership University Manuals.

Legislation Chair: Be aware of any legislation that helps women in the state of Illinois and report on any progress.

Finance Chair: Work with the President and Treasurer to efficiently use the IFBWC funds to promote programs to help women professionally, politically, and personally.

For more information, go to the IFBWC website in the Members Only section, click on Forms and Manuals. There you will find the manuals for all positions that would be perfect for you. Contact me with any questions.

Deadlines for applications is February 1. Please do not wait until the last minute. Send me your application TODAY.

Beth Galicia – Chair of Nominations

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BPW Illinois Educational Foundation

2019 IFBWC Interim Board Report

Statement reflecting accounts from April 2, 2019 to October 4, 2019

Checking Account:

Starting balance $4,326.30

Income: $ 0.00

Expenses: $ 0.00

Ending balance $4,326.30

Certificates of Deposit:

1 year at .20% $1,230.44

6 months at .10% $1,177.28

90 days at .07% $1,144.55

Ending balance $3,552.27

Total Fund Balance $7,878.57

Respectfully submitted: Deborah J. Pearson, Treasurer

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Outstanding Working Woman of Illinois (OWWI) Report

Hello everyone. It is time to start thinking about prospective OWWI candidates in your area. Tina Klein has put the application online for your review. The deadline this year is February 20, 2020/ If there are any applications postmarked or emailed after that date, they will not be accepted.

Wishing everyone Happy Holidays.

Tina Suarez - Chair

SPECIAL SCHOLARSHIP TASKFORCE REPORT

At the 98th Annual convention it was voted on to create a taskforce/committee to research and create a committee to facilitate the IFBWC State Scholarships. It has grown and become more than the Education Committee can handle and still be able to conduct Leadership workshops and add new modules to the Leadership University. The members of the committee are as follows: Tina Klein, Kathy Clark-Eller, Alishia Winkler, Michelle Hagen, Barb Yong, and Cary Day.

After some research we felt that it since the Education Foundation already was registered with the IRS and had established structure that the committee would use that as a foundation. We all agreed that the bylaws of the Foundation should be changed and updated. We have completed that task and have turned the updated Bylaws over to President Kesler to have a lawyer of her choosing to review the bylaws to make sure that they do not violate any IRS rules for Section 501(c)(3).

Currently the committee is waiting on the response from the lawyer and President Kesler.

Tina Klein

Committee Member

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Pay Pal vs. Wild Apricot Payment System

CURRENT SITUATIONWild Apricot is our member management software, providing us with:

A website (www.ifbwc.org)

A membership database

Event registration

Online payment for dues and events through an interface with PayPal

An email system

The annual fee for Wild Apricot is $1728.

The annual fee for PayPal, at 3% per transaction, is approximately $175.

Our renewal date with Wild Apricot is June 12, 2019.

Total annual cost for Wild Apricot and Pay Pal is Approximately $1903 (2018)

Majority of members pay for membership and events online rather than by check.

As of July 2, 2019, WA will begin charging an online payment servicing fee of $345.60 if we use a system other than Wild Apricot Payments (20% of our annual fee).

PROPOSED Wild Apricot continues to be our member management software and will include a payment system (Wild Apricot Payments), as of July 2, 2019.

The annual fee for Wild Apricot is $1728.

The annual fee for Wild Apricot Payments is 2.7% per transaction, which would result in a slight savings of .003 for total transactions (@$158 for 2018, a savings of @$17).

Total annual cost for Wild Apricot including their payment system would be @$1886.

  Current If We Don’t Switch

Proposed

Wild Apricot $1728 $2074 $1728

Pay Pal $175 $175 $158

Totals $1903 $2249 $1886

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Local Organization REPORTS

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Crawford County

2019 has been an exciting year so far for the Crawford County Business Women!  Our committees have a lot of new faces on them in addition to familiar ones from years past, and the excitement to move our organization forward is palpable.  Our first major event of the season took place on Monday, October 14th, when we hosted the Working Women's Expo.  We did something a bit different this year by scheduling it from 9-1 on Columbus Day instead of in the evening as we had in years past.  A local bank agreed to sponsor a free lunch for attendees, and the day was a success!  We had over 20 vendors, served approximately 80 meals, and had over 100 attendees, several of whom expressed interest in learning more about CCBW and potentially becoming members.  As we head into the frantic pace of the holiday season, our committees are busy making preparations for our upcoming events that will be here before we know it.  It is hard to believe that 2019 is coming to a close.  Our goals for this upcoming year revolve around consistent branding and spreading awareness of CCBW, and we are laying the groundwork now to achieve our 2020 vision!

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FINANCIALS

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Board Meeting Minutes and Actions Taken

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Post-Convention Board Meeting MinutesApril 22, 2018

Effingham, Illinois

 Post-Convention Board Meeting Minutes April 28, 2019

Thelma Keller Convention CenterEffingham, Illinois

President Cherie Kesler called the meeting to order at 9:40 a.m. She welcomed the attendees and thanked them for supporting her candidacy, and for their willingness to work with her to achieve her Presidential goals for the coming year.

The Collect and Pledge was led by President-Elect Danielle DiMarzio.

The keynote speaker, Sami Anderson, was introduced by Secretary Susan McGrath. Ms. Anderson, an attorney and judicial candidate, spoke to the attendees about the importance of involvement and achievement in the political and community realm, and how to succeed despite overt and/or covert discrimination. She also talked about her experience as a military spouse whose husband was seriously wounded during his service.

After a health break, President Kesler introduced the 2019-2020 Executive Committee as follows:

Carla Tucker, Parliamentary AdvisorCarol Burk, Immediate Past PresidentTina Klein, TreasurerSusan McGrath, SecretaryDanielle Dimarzio, President-ElectCherie Kesler, President

She then introduced the Past State Presidents in attendance:

Patricia McNicholasFayrene WrightBarb YongSusie DewaeleLynette JonesTina KleinKathy Clark-EllerSusan McGrathTina SuarezImmediate Past State President Carol Burk

President Kesler asked Secretary McGrath to call the roll:

Elected Officers:

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Cherie Kesler, President, PresentDanielle DiMarzio, President-Elect, PresentSusan McGrath, Secretary, PresentTina Klein, Treasurer, Present

Immediate Past President Carol Burk, Present

Membership Representatives:Karen Walsh, PresentCindy Stock, PresentDeanna Whittington, PresentNikki Timberlake, Present

Alternate Membership Representatives:Carrie Schnicker, PresentVi Lighthall, PresentAmanda Spade, AbsentGina Mills, Absent

Standing Committee Chairs:Education Chair, Alishia Winkler, AbsentFinance Chair, Amanda Burk, PresentLegislation Chair, Jessicyka Nix-Coleman, PresentNetworking Co-Chairs, Jenny Ravanh, Present and Susan McGrath, Present

Secretary McGrath reported that 13 total voting Board members were present, and that a quorum was present.

Motion #1: Maker of the Motion, Danielle DiMarzio, seconded by Jenny Ravanh: I move to allow observers to attend the Post Convention Board Meeting of the Illinois Federation of Business Womens’ Clubs. Motion approved.

Secretary McGrath stated that there was no correspondence to share with the Board.

President Kesler announced that minutes from the Pre-Convention Board meeting on April 26, 2019 were available to review at each place setting. There were no corrections or additions to the minutes, and the minutes stood approved as read.

President Kesler described her motto, “Remember, Renew, Recharge” and its relation to her focus areas, as set forth in the Post Convention Board booklet at each place setting.

President-Elect Danielle DiMarzio introduced the Standing Committee Chairs present:Finance, Amanda BurkLegislation, Jessicyka Nix-ColemanNetworking, Jenny Ravanh and Susan McGrath

 President Kesler then introduced the following members who agreed to serve as Special Appointees:

Tina Klein, Illinois Bulletin Editor, Webmistress, and Data Base Administrator30

Tina Klein, ERA LiaisonAmanda Spade, Historian and Golden Book of MemoriesTina Suarez, Outstanding Working Woman of IllinoisBarb Yong, Wage Project LiaisonKathleen Ray, BPW International LiaisonAnna Humphrey, Investment Fund Oversight CommitteeTina Klein, Celia Howard CommitteeFayrene Wright, Celia Howard CommitteeDanielle DiMarzio, State Policies and ProceduresTina Klein, 2020 Convention Chair

There was no Unfinished Business.

There was no Old Business.

There was no New Business.

President Kesler asked President-Elect DiMarzio to lead the Open Forum. At the close of the Open Forum, President Kesler reminded those present about the Wild Apricot website available for the updating of contact information by the members. She encouraged those present to bring the news about the Leadership University to all of the locals, scheduled to occur on June 29 at 9:30 a.m. at the Champaign Public Library. She also noted the calendar of events in the convention packet, and talked about the Leadership Directory.

There were no announcements. President Kesler asked the Executive Committee to remain for an Executive Committee meeting. Past President Susie Dewaele announced that SLRP would meet briefly after the Post Convention Board Meeting. President Kesler then announced the meeting adjourned at 11:48 a.m.

President-Elect Danielle DiMarzio led those present in the Emblem Benediction.No old business.   

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ILLINOIS FEDERATION OF BUSINESS WOMEN’S CLUBS, INC.Board of Directors

2019-20 Actions Taken

Post-Convention Board April 28, 2019Approved To allow observers to attend the Post Convention Board Meeting of the Illinois Federation of Business Women.

Executive Committee2019 -2020 Actions Taken

September 18, 2019

Approved The following members were appointed to the Empowering Women Event Committee: Emily Kracht, Carol Burk, Jennifer Hargrave, Debra Lowrance, Kathy Clark-Eller, and Amanda Spade.

August 21, 2019

Approved Interim Board budget as follows:

INTERIM BOARD Champaign Holiday Inn, Champaign, IL November 9, 2019

QTY COST BUDGET INCOME

Registration 30 27.00 $ 810.00

 

TOTAL EVENT INCOME $ 810.00

EXPENSESite Rental

Room Rental included with meals 1 - $ 54.75 Podium and mic 76.5TOTAL Room Rental Expense $ 131.25

Meal ExpensesHotel Meals for 30 $ 455.71 TOTAL MEAL EXPENSE $ 455.71

Printing ExpensePrinting $ 125.00 TOTAL PRINTING EXPENSE $ 125.00

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Misc Expense-Speaker 1 100.00 $ 100.00

TOTAL CONVENTION EXPENSES $ 811.96

Variance $ (1.96)

Approved Appointed Pat McNicholas to serve as Convention Chair. Other members of the committee are Tina Klein, Emily Kracht and Susan McGrath.

July 10, 2019

Approved Appointed Danielle DiMarzio and Susan McGrath to serve as the committee to review and evaluate the candidates for the marketing consultant.

June 29, 2019

Approved The creation of a Special Event Committee for 2020 – 2021 to create a special Women’s Empowerment Statewide event. Committee Chair is Gina Mills and will contain up to 6 other members that will be appointed by the President. All committee members must be IFBWC members.

May 18, 2019

Approved The following were appointed to the State Scholarship Taskforce: Tina Klein, Kathy Clark-Eller, Cary Day, Michelle Hagan, and Barb Yong.

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Approved Accept the Strategic Plan as presented.

2019 – 2020 Strategic Plan

MISSION: IFBWC advocates professional and personal growth, leadership development and participation, equity and economic self-sufficiency for working women through education, legislation and networking.

Key Objectives

Networking Finance Education Legislation

Goa

ls

To maintain and grow the organization with active and engaged members

To responsibly manage assets and have a responsible plan for the future for both positive and negative possibilities

To both educate our members and to expand our scholarship programs for the women leaders of tomorrow.

To educate our members and promote legislation that impacts women.

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The Committee to Implement the new social medial plan with strategic member relevant material 3-4 days a week.

The committee to plan how they will continue to investigate and prepare these posts in the future

The Committee to educate the membership on recruitment events and membership recognition for retention

The members to increase our membership by 40 new members

The executive team to engage a marketing consultant to define our brand and how to reach our target audience

The executive team to research and review the work

SLRP to research and make recommendations to resolve the bylaw issue of dissolving when we fall below 300 members and/or whether the bylaw needs to be amended as to what organizations shall receive funds upon dissolution and/or creating a dissolution plan

Study the information Carla announced at Convention about IRS codes and plan for it in dissolution plan

Education Task force to evaluate how to expand and best manage the scholarship program and report at Interim Board

The committee to continue to increase the number of applicants of the scholarship program and speak-off.

The committee to do a survey of interest on and increase the number of Leadership University modules based on feedback

Advertise the uses of the Leadership University modules

SLRP to work with potential EXCOM members for next year to continue/update with the 3 and 5 year plans

Work with new members to

The Committee to update the membership of mission focused legislation through reports in bulletin, interim, and convention.

The committee to plan for and recruit an engaged group of IFBWC members to attend a legislation day in Springfield.

The Committee to organize and circulate a plan for membership to support at least one piece of legislation which supports the mission.

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Thre

e to

Fiv

e Y

ear P

lan

Continue to find new ways to advertise IFBWC to attract new members

Continue to update ways to communicate with members be it Social Media, Email, Phone Calls, Video Blog/YouTube, letters, and personal visits

Grow the organization by 20%

Get an outside company to update and maintain website (3 years)

Work on a packet to send to Local Organizations for Dissolution plan and submit suggestions to Convention body for vote and finalize bylaws changes depending on the vote (3 years)

Set up State Scholarship with either Education foundation or new committee (depending on what the Taskforce presents) (3 years)

Continue to add new Leadership University modules

To research and focus on specific areas of interest.

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April 30, 2019

Approved by Email the Leadership Training Budget as below:

LEADERSHIP TRAINING Champaign Public Library, Champaign, IL June 29, 2019

QTY

COST

BUDGET

INCOME

Registration 15 10.00

$ 150.00  

TOTAL EVENT INCOME $ 150.00

EXPENSESite Rental

Room Rental 1 - $ -

TOTAL Room Rental Expense $ -

Meal ExpensesLunch 15 $ - TOTAL MEAL EXPENSE $ -

Printing Expense

Copies & Binders 15 - $ -

TOTAL PRINTING EXPENSE $ -

Misc Expense-Speaker 1 75.00

$ 150.00

TOTAL CONVENTION EXPENSES

$ 150.00

Variance $ -

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April 28, 2019

Approved the appointment of Education Committee Chair, Alishia Winker, Finance Committee Chair, Amanda Burk, Legislation Committee Chair, Jessickya Nix-Coleman, Networking Chair, Jenny Ravanh and Susan McGrath, International Liaison Kathy Ray, Celia Howard Tina Klein and Fayrene Wright, Convention Chair Nikki Timberlake, Convention site Selection Chair Pat McNicholas, Golden Book of Memories Amanda Spade, Historian Amanda Spade, and OWWI Tina Suarez.

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More Information

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SPEAKER INFORMATIONLauren Eiten

Prior to enrolling in law school, Lauren was employed for four years by the US Department of Healthcare and Family Services, first as a Public Health Analyst, and then as Public Affairs and Outreach Analyst. She also served first as a federal liaison between the State of Illinois and the federal government, and then as a Public Policy Analyst, for former Governor Pat Quinn. Lauren received her BA in political science and her Master’s Degree in political science from the

University of Illinois.

Barb Yong – Say YesBarbara L. Yong has been a practicing attorney for over 35 years.  She is a partner at the downtown Chicago law firm of Golan|Christie|Taglia LLP where she practices in the areas of bankruptcy, business law and commercial litigation.  She has tried cases in both state and federal court and argued before the Illinois Appellate Court, the Illinois Supreme Court and the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. 

Barbara has been named a Super Lawyer by Chicago Magazine and is a Leading Lawyer in the areas of bankruptcy and

restructuring.  Barbara graduated from Loyola University School of Law and received her undergraduate degree in Political Science/Pre-Law from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she was elected Phi Beta Kappa.

Barbara is a powerful advocate for women’s rights generally and for pay equity specifically.  She is a frequent speaker on the Wage Gap, its causes and what we can do about it, and, ten years ago, she single-handedly initiated the Equal Pay Day Rally held annually in Chicago.  Barbara is a Past State President of the Illinois Federation of Business Women’s Clubs and an active member of several women’s rights organizations including the American Association of University Women, the League of Women Voters, the WAGE Project, ZONTA, the Exclusive Professional Women’s Networking Group (EPWNG) and the Professional Women’s Club of Chicago (PWCC). 

She received the 2012 Person of Impact Award from the LaGrange Area League of Women Voters for her work on the Wage Gap.  

Barbara is married to James C. Yong, an attorney practicing Securities Law, and together they have three children -- Jennifer, who received her Ph.D. from Stanford University in Bio-Mechanical Engineering, Stephanie, a full-time school social worker, and Jameson, who is enrolled in the Masters in Archaeology Program at SIU-Carbondale.

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Kimberly PalermoKimberly Palermo, MSW is a Legislative and Regulatory Liaison at the Illinois Health Care Association. Ms. Palermo earned her Masters of Social Work and Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. She was selected as the 16/17 Celia M. Howard Fellow at the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at SIU Carbondale.  During her fellowship, Ms. Palermo served as an advisor the Governor’s Statewide Human Trafficking Taskforce and Illinois Department of Children and Family Service to develop new strategies to fight the problem and help victims. Ms. Palermo also continues to serve on the Central Illinois Human Trafficking Taskforce and be a voice for this vulnerable population.

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Upcoming IFWBC Events For more information on Local Events and deadlines got to www.ifbwc.org and click on Events, then go to Federation Google Calendar.

Equal Pay DayDate: March 31, 2020

Place: 1871 Auditorium in the Merchandise Mart at: 222 W Merchandise Mart Plaza #1212, Chicago, IL 60654

Time: 12:00 noon to 1:00 pm

Stay tuned for more information. You can follow on Facebook at Equal Pay Day Chicago.

Annual State Convention 2020Dates: May 1 – 3, 2020

Place: Holiday Inn, 101 Trade Center Drive, Champaign, IL 61820

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