February 9, 2022

Started 7:06 pm

Board Members Present: Michael Hirsch, Barbara Heninger, Jay Steele, Steve Sammonds, Dan Singletary, Raiña Parks, Aly Suleman, Ed Hunter, Sharon Peng

Not Present: Jennifer Maggio, Doy Charnsupharindr, Tipu Purkayastha

Other members present: Sara Dean (ED), Doug Hughes (Marketing) 

Please note highlights of activities that Board can take, below. ?

DISCUSSION

Updates

Discussed decisions made by other companies. Decision by this team to hold off on performances of Company and Broadway in Love reaffirmed based on what we’ve seen in the industry.

We’re encouraged to see that things are starting to open up.

Marketing report 

Got coverage in Sal Pizarro’s column in Mercury News along with a number of other arts groups who have had to postpone their shows. 

In work, promoting a couple eStudio events.

Social media, on average, showed very slight but upward gains.

Facilities:

  • Company sets were moved back into the setshop, dismantled and placed in numbered locations. Should be easy to reassembly for remount of show
  • Received tool donations from Patti Reed who donated them after her father passed away
  • Still need material to treat with fire retardant
  • City decided to go ahead with replacing stairway in the theater lobby. Will probably make the restroom line worse.
    • City open to carpeting the floor (carpet squares) in the lobby to minimize slickness and echoing. Also floors currently make it difficult to work in the box office because of the echo.

Technology: 

Venue Updates

  • Hosted demos for the city managers and the pre-school children. 
  • There was write-up in the city council newsletter in which Ed was featured. 5X savings in energy moving to LEDs. Also cooler so require less HVAC energy. 
  • Projectors to be installed on 2/20!
  • Just need to host a show! Concert in April is first show planned by SBMT.
  • Maybe offer a demo of our new lighting to the big donors

Box Office

  • Continuing to deal with rescheduling logistics

Financial: 

  • No official updates tonight.
  • Switched insurance providers, lots of little fees and uppers. Braden and Sara researched Cal Non-profit insurance which has been working well for the company
    • Able to add insurance regarding harassment
    • Helped to find us better workers comp benefits at a better price point

eStudio – Programming: 

  • Sold out for Kimily Conkle’s Dialect Workshop – Irish (Dublin) Dialect
  • 6 attendees in both of the classes (Tap Workshop)
  • Name that Show Tune on 2/13/2022

Board retreat summary: 

We had it! Lots of good energy and ideas. People have started to work out issues within committees

Community, Inclusivity, & Accountability: (update from Aly)

  • Questions to the board about how we can hold meetings (i.e. how/when scheduled). Chair would encourage set days/times for meetings.
  • Sharon not able to do a set schedule based on current demands on her time in the evenings.
  • Difficult to find a date between the three chairs of the group.
  • Priorities for the team when they do meet from the ED include:
    • Sign language performances
    • Youth programming: ED Found someone of interest who could be a good addition to our team for youth programming. Person is willing to come and advise us to start with consideration for putting together a summer programming. Would be a paid position.
      • Could be set-up as a subcommittee within the CIA. Would probably grow into its own thing over time.

Development and Fundraising: 

  • Had a great year so far. We received significant $$ over our End of Year Drive goal (YAY!!!!)
  • 107 donors from ~1200 letters. Great response rate.
  • Next meeting we will set fundraising goals for year-end drive for 2022.
  • Meeting held 2/8/2022
    • Development Calendar
      • Next event: Member’s meeting in May/Video “tour” of new lights for donors! The board runs this meeting. Suggestion that we video the lighting tour and show via projection to demo the project system as well.
        • Plan a live event with a Zoom option proposed.
        • Members meeting falls in between two productions so a live meeting makes sense.
        • Look out for request for help from Barbara!
        • ED recommends we look at May 20th weekend for date of meeting.
    • Donor Management and Thanks
      • Singing “thank you” to major donors sent, remaining emails to go out soon
      • Identifying ways to track donors who give through work-based programs
    • Future Funding Sources
      • Brokerage account in progress
        • Board to determine how we are going to handle stock when given. Have to decide what we’re going to do when we set-up the account.
        • [MOTION] Barbara moves that SBMT to put in place a mechanism to convert stock into cash as quickly as possible upon being transferred to the company brokerage account. [Seconded by Michael Hirsch]
          • [Call for a vote from the Chairperson] – 9 yays. Motion passes
    • 60th Anniversary Celebration
      • Discussed the goals and brand/feel of the event
      • Target date range is Spring/Summer of 2023

Organization and Development: 

Committee met January 25.

Focus:

  • Mentorship/apprenticeship/talent development
    • Foothill/DeAnza humanities program funds interns with their own grants
    • Sara creating job descriptions. Next cycle mid-Feb. Deadline for March placements
    • Meeting with West Valley College (WVC) on March 1st with Theater Department Chair, Laura Lowry
    • WVC has no existing program, SBMT would likely have to pay wages.
    • Guest lectures at WVC to raise awareness of SBMT and being in theater. Could tap into our current eStudio instructors.
  • When current facilities leases are up in ~2 years, SBMT needs to evaluate options for spaces
  • Recruiting and retaining key artistic and production staff
    • Seems to be a challenge for most groups; many groups in the areas facing the same challenge
    • SBMT will continue to advertise and network for contacts
    • ED working with contacts at other companies for potential creation of season/residen staff positions to attract talent
    • Everybody is synchronizing on when they are opening shows which creates a problem for designers like Ed.
  • Supporting Development team on process for tracking and acknowledge company-matched and third party portal donations

Vision & Planning: 

First meeting of 2022 delayed due to scheduling conflicts

A standing monthly meeting to be set from results of member polling

Executive Artistic Director Updates: 

Ongoing:

  • Mask mandate changes expected Feb 15
  • On The Town – working on casting
  • Season 2023
    • Will not do a co-production this year. Looking to 2024 to make that happen
    • Concert in Spring of 2023 would align with 60th anniversary

[Action] Start to think about who we would like to nominate for annual awards. Babara will send out descriptions of each award.

Adjourned at 8:50pm.

Respectfully submitted February 9, 2022

Updated per input …