Common Ground Board of Directors Meeting Minutes: Meeting May 19, 2025 (DRAFT)

May 19, 2025

Board of Directors Minutes

Microsoft Teams Link

Microsoft Teams Recording

Present: Alexis Smith, Brian Kelahan, Carly Osborne, Jeff Carter, Ky Andersson, Liz Cox, Peter Ludwig, Sarah Field, Terri Snell.

Staff: Amanda Byam, Deborah Greig, Elena Augusewicz, Joel Tolman, Monique Frasier, Rebecca Holcombe.

Public: Margaret Randle

Welcome 

Public Comment (5:30) (two minutes per person for a total time limit of 30 minutes, or by email; see instructions below) Sign up for Public Participation HERE

• The meeting was called to order at 5:36 PM on May 19th.

Business Requiring Approval 

Minutes of the April 28th Board Meeting

• The minutes from the previous month’s meeting were approved unanimously.

Motion for Certified Resolution: 

• Motion to remove Beth Klinger and Robert Parker from the Schwab account

Jeff motioned to approve this and Liz seconded. The motion was approved unanimously.

• Motion to add the following people to the Schwab account:
  • Genevive Walker
  • Elena Augusewicz
  • Jeff Carter

Brian motioned to approve this and Sarah seconded. The motion was approved unanimously.

Invoices Needing Approval

The two invoices below were presented for approval: one for the Greenhouse Foundation and another for iWave software. Both invoices were approved after a motion and second.

• LaRosa – Greenhouse Foundation $10,400 – grant funded
• iWave – Audrey’s donor researcher application – budgeted expense

Executive Director Report

Link to May Director Reports

• Genevive shared insights from a board matrix survey, highlighting the need for better representation in certain areas.
• Areas identified for recruitment focus include school operations, HR, IT, union negotiations, and 501c3 operations.
• Genevive reported on the ongoing deficit reduction process, which has reduced the deficit from $800,000 to $150,000.
• An analysis will be conducted in preparation for strategic planning in June.
• The organization is planning a staff retreat to discuss funding, development, and finance.

Committee Reports

Minutes of all Committee Meetings will be posted on the Board of Directors Webpage by the end of each month.

Finance Committee (Jeff)

The regular meeting of the finance committee was held on May 15th.

The meeting agenda and minutes from the Finance Committee can be found HERE.

CGHS April Financial Report

• The current projected deficit for the end of the year is $422,000.
• Efforts are being made to reduce the budget deficit significantly, with a goal to present a balanced budget.

Governance Committee Report (Alexis)

The governance committee met on May 13th. 

Minutes from the Governance Committee Meetings can be found HERE.

• The Governance Committee is working on board member nominations and evaluating the role of student representatives.
• There is a focus on creating a mentoring experience for student representatives on the board.

Development Committee Report (Brian + Committee)

This committee did not meet this month. They gave a verbal report.

• Audrey Nefores reported on fundraising efforts, including successful events like Rock to Rock and The Great Give.
• The organization is focusing on securing pledges and increasing individual donations.

School Committee Report (Liz) 

The School Committee met on May 14th.

Minutes from the School Committee Meetings can be found HERE.

Monique presented CGHS Dashboard Data SY 2024-2025 

• Monique reported on chronic absenteeism and its impact on academic performance.
• Data showed that 41% of students are chronically absent, with various factors affecting attendance.
• The school is implementing strategies to improve student engagement and attendance.

New Business

• No new business was raised for discussion before moving into executive session.

Executive Session

Adjourn

Next Meeting: Monday, June 30th on Microsoft Teams.

Public Comment: 

In order to comply with Connecticut Open Meeting laws, any member of the public wishing to participate in the meeting must sign up on the Public Participation Sign-up Document. Sign-ups for Public Participation will open at 5 pm on the last business day before the meeting (Friday, June 27th) and will close at 5:00 pm on the day of the meeting (Monday, June 30th) Public Participation is limited to 2 minutes per person up to 30 total minutes. Anyone wishing to make a statement to the board can also submit testimony in writing to Alexis.Smith@nhep.com  by 5:00 pm on the day of the meeting. All submitted documents will be included in the publicly shared meeting minutes.