Executive Committee
FINAL Minutes
Monday, April 20, 2015
10:30 AM – 12:30 PM

Members Present: Caroline Ambrose, Adonis Brown, Anna Cunningham, Sam Miller, I. Azell Reeves, Ron Reeve
Staff present: Chris Egan, Shayna Simpson-Hall, JoAnn Toomey, Yadira Vasquez, Letha Young
Others present: Barbara Brent, Joshua Strasburg, Cindy Thomas, Mya Williams

I. Approval of Minutes:
The draft minutes of the March 16, 2015 Executive Committee meeting were discussed.

MOTION: Caroline Ambrose made a motion to approve the March minutes. Sam Miller seconded the motion. The motion was approved.

II. Financial Update:
Chris Egan began the update by explaining the ramifications of the recent reduction to federal fiscal year (FFY) 2015 funding and how it affects planning for subsequent FFYs. The approximate $25,000 reduction must be budgeted and planned for the next four years resulting in more than $100,000 of lost federal revenue over a four year period of planning.

Yadira Vasquez then reviewed the financial reports for the NCCDD. There was some discussion on the FFY balances and initiative expenditures. Ms. Vasquez also provided FFYs 2016-2018 budget summaries as requested at the March meeting. Azell Reeves asked that the In-House projects of ADA Network and SELN be moved to Cross-Cutting Initiatives, along with Alliance of Disability Advocates/ADA Network Fiscal Agent initiative. All the members agreed this was an appropriate move to Cross-Cutting. Ron Reeve asked the members if there were any further questions and there were none.

III. State Employment Leadership Network (SELN) Update:
Barbara Brent, Cindy Thomas, Joshua Strasburg and Mya Williams came into the meeting to give an update on the SELN initiative that the Council is supporting and to discuss the efforts to expand the state SELN team. They reported on the exciting work that is happening in NC and feel there is a “fresh start” occurring. They reminded the members that there was a webinar later that day.

IV. Conference Funding Requests:
Before the members reviewed the four requests, JoAnn Toomey informed the members that the balance of the In-House Conference Funding initiative was $7,100. The four requests were asking for $3,000 each. The members carefully reviewed each request and approved the following:

MOTION: Azell Reeves made a motion to fund three speakers for up to $3,000.00 for the Alliance of Disability Advocates 2015 NC Youth Leadership Forum being held June 14-19, 2015 in Raleigh, NC. Anna Cunningham seconded the motion. The motion was approved.

MOTION: Anna Cunningham made a motion to fund two speakers for up to $1,100.00 for the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute’s 2015 National Early Childhood Inclusion Institute being held May 12-14, 2015 in Chapel Hill, NC. Caroline Ambrose seconded the motion. The motion was approved.

MOTION: Anna Cunningham made a motion to fund six speakers for up to $3,000.00 for the NC TASH Annual Conference being held May 15-16, 2015 in Greensboro, NC. Adonis Brown seconded the motion. The motion was approved.

The request from the Down Syndrome Association of Charlotte was not approved due the low balance of the fund and as NCCDD previously provided funding for a conference of theirs in September, 2014 for the same speaker.

V. Approve 3-month cost extension for In-House Jean Wolff-Rossi Fund for Participant Involvement:
Chris Egan updated the members on the Rossi Fund. There have been more requests for participant travel and the fund has been depleted. He explained that considering discussions during previous Council meetings, coupled with careful evaluation of purpose, managing the effort is primarily a function of NCCDD staff. He also described the importance of a fiscal intermediary component similar to that currently in place for the Council Development Fund. Managing this fund in-house will result in greater resources being available for the fund. Staff will not be recommending a RFA for this initiative. The transition will take some re-working and a request to extend the existing fund for participants until September 29, 2015 was made. Staff will bring recommendations at the August Council meeting for continuation funding of this internal in-house initiative for the time period of September 30, 2015-September 30, 2016.

MOTION: Anna Cunningham made a motion to grant a cost-extension to the In-House initiative, Jean Wolff-Rossi Fund for Participant Involvement, through September 29, 2015 with an additional $10,000 to fund participant travel. The $10,000 will be transferred from the Council Development Fund, also funded from FFY 2013. Adonis Brown seconded the motion. The motion was approved.

VI. Discussion of the May Council Meeting Agenda
Ron Reeve and Chris Egan discussed with the members the anticipated events of the May Council Meeting. There are many initiatives due for approval of continuation funding, as well as Council approval of the administrative and programmatic budgets. Ideas were brought forth and a draft agenda was presented to the members for their review. Minor revisions were suggested and will be made. Staff will include the Ad Hoc Committee minutes in the mail-out and will solicit from members their input and expectations for a productive meeting for the Thursday agenda during the morning welcome period. Chris Egan will double-check Robert’s Rules regarding the process of Council committees recommending motions for approval at the Friday meeting. He will e-mail the Executive Committee of his findings.

VI. ED Interim Performance Review Process
Anna Cunningham reviewed with the members Chris Egan’s Interim Performance Review survey and the process for member participation. Given the timing of this survey, this information will be used for annual rather than interim review.The confidential and anonymous survey will be renamed as the “Annual Performance Review Survey” and will be released to all members through Survey Monkey. Anna will call those members who do not have electronic access.

MOTION: Caroline Ambrose made a motion to accept and release to Council members through Survey Monkey, the Annual Performance
Review Survey for the NCCDD Executive Director. Azell Reeves seconded the motion. The motion was approved.
Ron Reeve asked for a motion to adjourn.

MOTION: Caroline Ambrose made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Azell Reeves seconded the motion. The motion was approved.