Board Meeting Minutes 

11/8/2023 

Start: 7:10PM

End: 9:45PM

In Attendance:

  • Michael Hirsch
  • Dan Singletary
  • Braden Taylor
  • Nicole Tung
  • Steve Sammonds
  • Barbara Heninger
  • Tipu Purkayastha
  • Soni Kapoor

Ex Officio:

  • Lori Wood
  • Walter Mayes
  • Ann Lucena

Absent:

  • Ed Hunter

Action Items

ACTION ITEM: Organization Dev committee to coordinate a date (half day session) to create Company Handbook 

ACTION ITEM: Artistic Director reaching out about couch cleaning, group will look into acquiring more chairs for green room

ACTION ITEM: President will send out dates and invite volunteers to prep and paint trailers. 

ACTION ITEM: Treasurer motion to award (XXX*) the Bless Your Heart Award (*name omitted to keep it a surprise!)

  • Motion passed unanimously
  • Artistic Director to reach out to Development and Patron Manager to present award on opening night of ALNM

ACTION ITEM: Motion to round up Health Trust donation

  • Motion passed unanimously

ACTION ITEM: VP will pull show survey data for Board to view

ACTION ITEM: AD, DPM, and Marketing to discuss future student matinees

ACTION ITEM: AD to set up/discuss QR codes and ensure people clock in and out. Involve SM during ALNM

Board Chair

  • Potential New Board Member introduction
    • Ann Lucena
  • Board Term extension
    • 3 Board members’ terms have technically expired but during this time of transition, they are invited to stay on for the time being
  • Trailers: need updating 
    • cleaning, painting, new floor
    • Cleaning 12/4-12/8, 12/11-12/17; flooring goes in 12/18-12/24
  • Awards
    • Previous list of awards given in the past can be addressed at a later date but awards can still be given on a case by case basis
      • Board nominates candidates
  • Annual Survey
    • Updated list of shows patrons are interested in seeing; performers interested in performing in
  • New positions available
    • Kalyn McKenzie has resigned as Production Manager, looking for a new PM. Interviews are being held.
    • Also seeking: 
      • Executive Director
      • Tech Director
  • Rent Retrospective – 10/28/23
    • 16 submissions; summary report will be delivered to Board and top staff
  • Articles of staff
    • Hiring complete: 
      • Lori Wood – payroll
      • Walter Mayes – Artistic Director
  • All Staff Meeting took place on Sun. 10/29
  • City of Saratoga Meeting: 
    • 11/20 meeting – discussion with WVLO to coordinate dates/season
    • Discussion with City in January to lock in dates for 23-24 Season
  • Discussion regarding vote to dissolve membership as it is an old infrastructure
    • Review bylaws for procedure
  • Rent Donations
    • Donation going to The Health Trust through show fundraiser
  • Scaffolding rental
    • Hillbarn 
    • Watsonville High School (interested in partial set)
  • Shared Arts Center
    • No updates so far
    • SCP- Rafael Musni: interest in shared storage facility

CTO:

  • WVLO (YF)
    • SBMT contracted to provide technical crew
  • Foothill Elementary Theater in December
    • SBMT to provide tech crew
    • lighting designer backup
    • 2 students assisting (great for training future tech directors/designers)
  • Key management
    • Dan Singletary to assume key management in light of PD resignation
      • Studio lock database status – needs reorganization
      • requesting more “resident” tech staff

CFO: 

  • Able to pay resident technical director an hourly rate for the season 
  • RENT budgeted target:
    • was for 75%
    • sold at 50% 
    • final sold at 35% (lost last weekend)
    • Expenses were under what was expected 
      • Getting money back from scaffolding company
    • AD resubmitted to rights house with less shows of RENT production (due to cancelled final weekend)
      • should be getting money back because of few shows
  • Discussion to possibly recoup some money by increasing ticket sales

AD:

  • Requesting resident tech director/costume designer/props master
  • ALNM ready to go
    • Orientation on 11/27
    • Show will be completely understudied
      • costumes ready
      • understudy rehearsal planned
      • One u/s has scheduled performance
      • Planning on ASL performance and sensory friendly show
  • Working on staff for Mary Poppins
  • Season lineup is on hold until discussion with WVLO
    • Ideally do a concert musical (2 nights) next season
  • Going forward, PM will answer to AD

Development and Fundraising

  • Applied for/Waiting on Saratoga Rotary grant to cover scaffolding 
  • Increase in individual donations (some from previous fundraising event)
  • No fundraiser this season since 60th anniversary event was a large undertaking
  • DPM reaching out to some patrons about sponsorship
  • Year end appeal in progress – mailings have gone out
  • Applied for SV Creates Arts Access grant to fund ASL Inclusive Performance Pilot Project
    • Goal is to provide 2 ASL interpreted performances of each of our shows for 2024

Organizational Development

  • RENT Survey
    • Received a number of negative experience responses for this production
    • received some helpful feedback on how to improve for future productions
  • Consider college student marketing intern for social media
  • Possible mentorship program for tech training
  • Create documentation for Company Handbook: 
  • role responsibilities
  • Contracts
  • chain of command
  • Protocols
  • COVID policy