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Report from the Board:
Annual Meeting
LLLI Board of Directors
From: LEAVEN, Vol. 40 No. 3, June-July 2004, pp 50, 70-71.
The La Leche League International
Board of Directors held its Annual Meeting on February 21 and 22, 2004,
in Schaumburg, Illinois, USA. We welcomed Hedy Nuriel as LLLI Executive
Director (ED) and enjoyed our first opportunity as a group to meet with
her and work together. We are impressed and energized by her passion
for and commitment to the LLLI mission. She brings broad experience
and innovative ideas to LLL. We look forward to many years of working
together for the benefit of La Leche League and the mothers and babies
we serve.
The Board again wishes to
extend our sincere thanks to Lynne Coates and Marcia Lutostanski who
each, in turn, assumed the challenging role of being Acting Executive
Director while continuing as Chairman of the Board.
Following is a summary of
some of the work we did at this LLLI Board meeting.
From the Chairman, Marcia
Lutostanski
It has been a year of transition
with the Chairman of the Board stepping in as Acting ED and Board members
completing tasks above and beyond traditional Board responsibilities.
One of the things we did this year was position LLLI for reaching more
mothers and babies with our breastfeeding message with the successful
hiring of Hedy Nuriel as Executive Director.
I’m excited about the
developing vision of a distributed organization—one where decisions
are made by those who are directly relevant and affected and in which
the decision-making process is transparent. Our vision is for an LLLI
where all in the LLL community of Leaders, administrators, and staff—if
they step forward and participate/take responsibility/do something —will
be included in the “conversation.” A distributed organization
reflects our history; there is no seniority among Leaders. The Board
is being intentional with this movement toward distributive decision-making.
It will take time to make these changes, but leaders (both large and
small “L,” in whatever leadership role) throughout the organization
are being and will continue to be consulted and actively involved in
clarifying how LLL will operate in the future.
We (all in the LLL community)
are learning as we make these changes, and how we do things today may
not be how we do them tomorrow. While there are a variety of Leader
experiences, we share common goals and are accountable to one another.
We enjoy one another’s success. We each have the responsibility
to carry LLL philosophy into the world. I have faith in the strength
and vitality of our philosophy.
Board Elections and Thank
You’s
Nominees presented by the
Nominating Committee from the Zones and elected to the LLLI Board of
Directors were: Western United States: Betty Crase, LaJuana Oswalt,
Heidi BK Sloss, and Jane Tuttle; Canada: Donna Cookson Martin and Trudy
Hartt; Europe: Rachel O’Leary and Carmen Vandenabeele. The Nominating
Committee also presented a nominee for a Member at Large: Cathy Liles.
A Member at Large was added to increase the financial expertise on the
LLLI Board. The Board passed a motion, as per the Bylaws, to increase
the number of Board members from 16 to 17.
The Board welcomed these
three new and six returning Board members. We also said farewell and
thank you to two retiring Board members: Lynne Coates, who has served
on the Board since 1997, and Anne Easterday, who has served on the Board
since 1999.
The Board officers elected
for the year 2004-05 are: Chairman, Marcia Lutostanski; 1st Vice Chair,
Heidi BK Sloss; 2nd Vice Chair, Nan Jolly; Secretary, Sharon Vines;
Treasurer, Sharon Matuszek; Member at Large to the Executive Committee,
Donna Cookson Martin.
The following members were
elected to the LLLI Board of Directors Nominating Committee for the
year 2004-05: Sharon Vines, Chairman; Betty Crase, Jean Moneyhon, Rachel
O’Leary, and LaJuana Oswalt.
The LLLI Audit
The audit of LLLI finances
for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2003 was completed by Mann, Weitz
& Associates LLC. The Audited Financial Statements and the Statement
of Financial Position were presented to the LLLI Board of Directors
(see Leaven Feb-Mar 2004, pp. 2, 22). The Board was satisfied with the
work of Mann, Weitz & Associates LLC and decided to retain the firm
as auditor for the current fiscal year, ending March 31, 2004.
Financial Policies and
Plans
The Board amended several
financial policies to put them in line with current practice and in
compliance with Illinois laws and the LLLI Bylaws. These were the Bank
Accounts and Transfer of Funds and the Loans policies. Also, the Board
passed a resolution to update the names of those who are authorized
to manage our brokerage accounts. Based on the recommendation of the
auditors, the Board passed a policy regarding the sale and reinvestment
of donated stocks. This will ensure that stock donations given to LLLI
will be cashed in a timely manner so that the funds can be used as the
donor intended. More details on these new or amended financial policies
can be found in the Board February 2004 actions on the LLLI Web site
at www.laleche league.org/llleaderweb/FIN/action2004.html (password
protected).
Budget for Fiscal Year
2004-05
The LLLI Board of Directors
approved the budget for fiscal year 2004-05. This budget includes a
surplus of $34,000 that will be held as reserve. The Board intends to
increase reserve funds. The budget includes income from contributions
of $375,000. The LLLI Board of Directors commits to actively help achieve
this goal.
Personnel
The LLLI Board of Directors
formed a Transition Team to introduce Hedy Nuriel, LLLI Executive Director,
to the LLL community and support her as she gains a more thorough understanding
of the organization. Members of the Transition Team are Hedy Nuriel,
Lynne Coates, Betty Crase, Susan Deo, Nan Jolly, Marcia Lutostanski,
Sharon Matuszek, Jane Tuttle, and Hugh Switzer, a member of the Management
Advisory Council.
On the recommendation of
the LLLI Board Personnel Committee, the Board approved the LLLI Personnel
Handbook/Policies, revised February 2004. The LLLI Executive Director
revised the employee handbook to ensure that it includes current best
practices and the Personnel Committee reviewed the changes and additions
to the LLLI Personnel Handbook/Policies.
Grievance Commission
According to the terms of
the Grievance Procedure ( Policies and Standing Rules Notebook
Appendix 40), the Board of Directors appointed Eileen Harrison as Coordinator
of the Grievance Commission for a two-year term, which will end at the
annual session in 2006. The Board also renewed for one year the terms
of Louise Cox, Joan Crothers, Ilene Traiger, and Nan Vollette and approved
candidates proposed by the Grievance Commission for appointment to serve
on the Grievance Commission.
Changes to the LLLI Policies
and Standing Rules
The Board deleted the following
policies from the Policies and Standing Rules Notebook. After
the title of each policy is a background statement on why it was removed.
Bonus Policy, LLLI Staff:
Decisions about staff bonuses are at the discretion of the Executive
Director because they are personnel and budgetary implementation. Any
possible bonus for the Executive Director is linked to her contractual
agreement with LLLI.
Consultant, Hiring and
Appendix 3—Guidelines for Hiring a Consultant: This policy
and guidelines date from a time when consultants were rare and unusual.
Today, use of a consultant is standard business practice. The policy
and associated guidelines are no longer relevant or needed.
Pilot Projects and Appendix
11—Pilot Project Guidelines: This policy and guidelines, written
to allow for a specific situation, are no longer relevant. Policies
normally cover a myriad of situations that are not covered in the Bylaws.
LLLI Board of Directors, LLLI staff, and/or LLL Leaders may undertake
new and innovative projects that support our mission.
The LLLI Board of Directors
also amended several policies in the Policies and Standing Rules
Notebook. Books Sold by LLLI was amended to read: “All
books offered for sale by LLLI shall be selected from the LLLI Bibliography.”
Mailing Lists was amended to read: “Rental of the LLLI mailing
lists is permitted. Names of individuals wishing to be excluded from
these lists shall not be included in any rental.” These policies
now reflect our current practice of the LLLI Executive Director having
the responsibility to delegate tasks to staff members. Also, the policy
Materials of a Medical Nature in LLLI Publications: Review was
amended to read: “All material of a medical nature shall be published
only after competent professional review.” The previous wording
of the policy limited the review of materials of a medical nature to
members of the LLLI Health Advisory Council. This is not common practice
within our global organization and hinders publications outside the
USA. Competent professional review meets industry standards and LLL
expectations.
Professional Advisory
Board Memberships
The Professional Advisory
Board (PAB) Committee gathered information about the potential for renewal,
retirement, and /or invitation to emeritus status for PAB members completing
their current five-year terms of service in 2003.
The following members of the LLLI Professional Advisory Board, Health
Advisory Council, were invited to continue to serve for an additional
five years: Naomi Baumslag, MD, MPH; Hein Bruinse, MD; Leo Buchanan,
MB, ChB, FRACP; Geoff Cheyne, BDS; Allan S. Cunningham, MD, FAAP; Jay
Gordon, MD, IBCLC, FAAP; Cynthia R. Howard, MD, MPH; Andre Lalonde,
MD; Ruth A. Lawrence, MD, FAAP; James J. McKenna, PhD; Marianne Neifert,
MD, FAAP; Jack Newman, MD; Michel Odent, MD; Jairo Osorno, MD; John
T. Queenan, MD, FACOG; Jan Riordan, EdD, ARNP, IBCLC, FAAN; Judith Roepke,
RD, PhD; Richard Schanler, MD, FAAP; William Sears, MD, FAAP, FRCP;
Christina M. Smillie, MD, FAAP, IBCLC; Harry Torney, M Dent Sc; and
William G. White, MD.
The following members of
the LLLI Professional Advisory Board, Health Advisory Council, were
thanked for their years of service and retired: Katherine A. Dettwyler,
PhD, and Maryelle Vonlanthen, MD, FAAP.
The following member of the
LLLI Professional Advisory Board, Legal Advisory Council, was invited
to continue to serve for an additional five years: Catherine Marquis,
JD. The following member of the LLLI Professional Advisory Board, Legal
Advisory Council, is thanked for her years of service and retired: Ursula
Weitzel, JD.
The following member of the
LLLI Professional Advisory Board, Management Advisory Council, is invited
to continue to serve for an additional five years: Hugh Switzer.
LLLI and LLLUSA
The LLLI Board of Directors
received a proposal from the LLLUSA Steering Committee. The Board acknowledges
the effort put into preparing this proposal. It was discussed at length
and discussions are continuing.
Future Board Meetings
The next LLLI Board meeting
will take place August 20-23, 2004. The following two Board meetings
will be November 4-8, 2004 and March 3-7, 2005.
Page last edited Sun Oct 14 09:32:08 UTC 2007.
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