Financial Asset Development
DRAFT Minutes
May 10, 2018
3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Hilton Garden Inn, Cary, NC

Members Present: Amanda Bergen, Anna Cunningham, Myron Gavin, Dreama McCoy (for William Hussey) Alex McArthur, Will Miller, Jim Swain (for Tara Myers), Teresa Strom (for Wayne Black),

Members Absent: Karen Armstrong, Senator Valerie Foushee, Wing Ng, Dave Richard, Kelly Woodall-Beauchamp

Guests: Anne-Marie Ajei (DSP), Keyoshia Sauls (DSP)

Staff/Contractors:  Donna Gallagher, Kay McMillan, David Ingram, Pat Keul, Michael Roush, Travis Williams

Introduction

Committee Chair, Amanda Bergen, welcomed the members and called the meeting to order.  She introduced an icebreaker exercise then asked everyone to go around the table and introduce themselves.  Minutes from the February 8, 2018 committee meeting were reviewed.   

MOTION:  Anna Cunningham made a motion to accept the minutes from the February 8, 2018 committee meeting.  Dreama McCoy seconded the motion.  The motion was approved by unanimous vote. 

Updates and Motion Items 

NDI Update on Expansion Activity:

Michael Roush and Donna Gallagher presented a report of the expansion activities as part of the NDI initiative.  Michael stated that the NDI website base camp will remain up for the time being as part of the sustainability plan for the Upward to Financial Stability Train-the-Trainer initiative.  As of April 30, 2018, there were 2,000 individuals who completed the Upward to Financial Stability Curriculum.  There have been 18 people trained as Master Trainers and currently, 13 are available to facilitate training sessions. 

Update on Innovative Employment Initiative:

Pat Keul provided an update on the Innovative Employment initiative.  NC Business Leadership Network (NCBLN) will submit to the Department of Labor the first of its kind hydroponic registered apprenticeship. Your Local Greens, based in Burlington will be the business partner in the registered apprenticeship program.  The individual will be instructed on a wide-ranging area of expertise including care for the plant, harvesting, and other aspects of this type of agribusiness.  Catawba Valley Technical Community College in Hickory, NC is interested in developing an apprenticeship in health care and in furniture manufacturing.  Only one meeting held so far, but more meetings are scheduled in May and June to develop these ideas. 

The feeding assistant apprenticeship is ongoing and will be featured in the State’s Leading Age Conference on May 15, 2018, in Asheville.  There have been continued inroads made regarding the Pre-Employment Transition Services technical assistance component of this initiative.  NCBLN assisted Cleveland County Schools (CCS) to write and submit a proposal to NC Vocational Rehabilitation in mid-April.  NCBLN is meeting with NC Vocational Rehabilitation on a quarterly basis to select another school system to assist, preferably one that is in an unserved or underserved area of NC.  Regarding the mentorship for a college age student’s component three of the initiative, meetings have taken place with UNC-Charlotte’s student advisory group for students with disabilities to determine potential mentors for this initiative.  Meetings have also taken place at AB Tech Community College in Asheville to discuss developing a mentoring program to align career services with disability services. Plans are underway to approach other community colleges.

North Carolina Employment Collaborative RFA:

Amanda transitioned the committee to the RFA discussion.  There were questions from committee members related to content and the potential pool of RFA Review Committee candidates which were addressed by staff.  Myron Gavin asked that the posting time is extended from thirty to forty-five days to give applicants more time to draft a response to the RFA.  Committee members Jim Swain and Will Miller offered feedback on the wording of “must” statements in the priority will be given section regarding potential applicants.  Those suggestions and edits were noted.  Anna Cunningham and Amanda suggested separating statements into two sections of required and priority will be given, to provide clarity.  Jim Swain made a motion to the committee that the RFA be approved with the edits as noted above.  Teresa Strom seconded the motion.

Wrap up and Reminders 

Amanda reminded members to fill out their reimbursement forms if they had not done so already, and to be mindful of the survey forms sent out by email and available in their packets.  Lastly, Amanda reminded committee members that the next Council meeting will be held in Asheville, North Carolina August 9th through 10th 2018.

Anna Cunningham made a motion to adjourn.  Myron Gavin seconded the motion.  Chair Amanda Bergen adjourned the meeting at 5:05 pm.