Minutes of the NINA Board meeting
Friday, Dec. 9, 2011
Northern Star office, Campus Life Building, NIU-DeKalb

Board members present (12):
Wally Haas (president), Jason Schaumburg (1st VP), Larry Lough (2nd VP), Dirk Johnson (executive secretary), Jim Killam (communications coordinator), John Etheredge, Randy Swikle, Sharon Boehlefeld, Roger Ruthhart, Kathy Gresey, Jason Akst, Lonny Cain.

Members absent (6):
Jim Slonoff (treasurer), Pete Nenni, Penny Wiegert, Jeff Wisser, Mark Colosimo, Nick Swedberg

Three board seats are open.

 

Haas called the meeting to order at 10 a.m.

Minutes of the Sept. 9 meeting were approved (there was no formal meeting Oct. 20)

Treasurer’s Report:
Slonoff absent.

Executive Secretary’s Report:
Johnson reported a good turnout at the Oct. 8 gathering of journalists and educators.
Killam distributed a list of thie year’s NINA contest entry numbers by category. Ruthhart suggested that the board look at the past several years of entry stats and give the Department of Communication recommendations.

President’s Report:
Haas proposed 3-year reappointments for board members whose terms expire at the end of 2011. They are Jason Schaumburg, Jim Killam, Jason Akst, John Etheredge and Penny Wiegert. New terms will expire at the end of 2014. The board approved unanimously (Boehlefeld motion / Gresey second).

Haas read a letter from Pete Nenni, who is resigning from the board due to increased responsibilities with the Daily Herald. The board accepted the resignation with regret and thanked Nenni for his years of service.

Haas recommended John Puterbaugh, managing editor of the Lake County Journal, as a new board member. The board approved unanimously (Ruthhart motion / Lough second). Three board seats remain open.

Haas proposed the following slate of officers for 2012:
President: Jason Schaumburg
1st VP: Larry Lough
2nd VP: Kathy Gresey
Past President: Wally Haas
Treasurer: Jim Slonoff
Executive Secretary: Dirk Johnson
Communications Coordinator: Jim Killam

The board approved the new officers unanimously (Etheredge motion / Ruthhart second)

 

Program Committee Report:
Schaumburg said response to the Fall Conference was positive. People liked the intimate venue (University Suite) and enjoyed Kevin Wendt’s talk about tornado coverage. NINA will pay Wendt’s mileage from Huntsville, Ala.; he had to drive to DeKalb because of a delayed flight.

The Spring Conference is tentatively set for April 13 at NIU. Two possible topics have been floated:

1. Stress management and time management for journalists
2. Better ways to cover an election with a smaller staff

The board will take a closer look at this at the January meeting.

2012 is NINA’s 50th anniversary year. The organization was founded Dec. 1, 1962, as the Northern Illinois Editorial Association, under the leadership of Dr. Donald Grubb, NIU’s journalism department founder. The board discussed the possibility of the 2012 Fall Conference could be the 50th anniversary celebration – with special presentations and potentially bringing back former board members and journalism faculty members.

Cain also suggested that NINA look at revamping its annual contest, with fewer categories and potentially cash prizes. The 50th anniversary would be a good time to make a change like that, he said. Good writing and community service could be emphasized, he added.

The board will discuss the 50th anniversary further at the January meeting.

Education Committee Report:
Lough said election coverage would make a good 2012 workshop. Haas suggested that the committee consider a grammar/AP Style workshop. Those were well-received in the past. Swikle urged the board to broaden the scope of the education committee, to regularly update NINA on the status of scholastic journalism. Prior review / censorship cases continue to increase and too many school administrators have been making bad decisions with regard to student rights, he said.

Membership Committee Report:
No report. Killam did mention that two online-only publications have joined NINA this year: eNews Park Forest and the Welles Park Bulldog. Board members asked Killam to invite representatives from these publications to the January meeting.

Ruthhart urged the board to give more attention to the membership issue. The membership committee has not met in some time. “Membership drives contests, revenue, everything,” he said. As incoming membership committee chair, Haas said he’ll hold a meeting at 9 a.m. Jan. 20, prior to the board meeting.

Resource Committee/Communications Coordinator Report:
Killam said the winter newsletter will be done in mid-January; Haas and Schaumburg will write columns as incoming and outgoing presidents. Killam also said that this is his last year working at NIU. He is leaving May 31 to do full-time Christian missions work as a journalist. He does plan to remain on the board and remain as communications coordinator until his replacement is found. NIU’s search process has not been defined yet.

Old Business:
None.

New Business:
Schaumburg is organizing two task forces to study NINA’s future. One will look at board and committee makeup and the other will look at NINA’s mission and purpose. He’s looking for about four board members for each task force. They’ll meet at 9 a.m. Jan. 20. And, he wants to solicit opinions from the board and the general membership, about what they want NINA to be.

2012 board meeting dates are:
Jan. 20
March 16
June 22
Sept. 7
Oct. 18
Dec. 7

The Spring Conference is Friday, April 13, and the Fall Conference is Thursday evening, Oct. 18.

Next Meeting:
10 a.m. Friday, Jan, 20, 2012, at the Northern Star office.

Adjourn: 11:25 a.m.

Minutes submitted by Jim Killam, communications coordinator, 12-14-11.

 

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