SPJ: Phoenix, Arizona Chapter

Minutes

Meeting of the Society of Professional Journalists, Valley of the Sun Pro Chapter

July 9, 2023, 10 a.m.

Started: 10:22 a.m.

Attendees: Tim Eigo, Mark Scarp, Nicole Greason, Deb Krol. Absent: Teri Carnicelli.

Opening

  • Secretary’s report/approval of minutes from May 21, 2023 – Board action: Moved (Nicole) and seconded (Deb) — unanimously approved with removal of line starting with the word “Introduction” that was a mistaken holdover from the March meeting.
  • Treasurer’s report – Teri reports our investments with Russell Life Points/Northwestern Mutual as of July 6 gained $0.33 in the past quarter, to $18,066.33. Our checking account as of the same date contained $3,722.67, compared to $3,997.92 on May 13, 2023.
  • Mark’s Mighty Minute! – No progress on the future of the First Amendment Coalition. The ASU First Amendment Center at the law school appears to have taken over much of the coalition’s one-time role.

Old Business

  • Annual Summer Solstice Mixer, Wednesday, June 21, at State 48 Brewery, included “Beers for Bylines” and annual board elections – About 20-25 showed up; Mark sent invitations to first-time attendees to join SPJ with an offer of a rebate of local dues for their first year, offer good until July 31. Board members discussed membership ideas.

New Business

  • Update on Valley Publicity Summit (Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023) – more information will be available to the board after the committee’s first meeting on Monday, July 10.
  • Planning with ALMA and Al Macias for a public records/open meeting training session this fall at ASU Cronkite – A meeting is planned with Al Macias and Cronkite Dean Battinto Batts, Tim and Mark, about a weekend training session on public records/open meetings for journalists at Cronkite. Deb said the turnout would be improved if the event included success stories from journalists who have been successful with using such laws to gain access. Nicole said we should get assurances from Batts about solid Cronkite staff support, as it had been lacking for the most recent ALMA high school journalists event held at the school. Deb also said the program should be presented in person and via Zoom to attract rural journalists. Also mentioned is perhaps the Thunderbird School might be interested in hosting an event (Nicole has a connection) as well.
  • SPJ annual convention (Sept. 28-30) in Las Vegas: Who’s going? Should we find a way to support a member (student or regular) to attend? https://www.spj.org/convention-register.asp.
    • Tim Eigo, Mark Scarp, Nicole Greason, Deb Krol (maybe)
    • Board action: Moved (Mark) and seconded (Nicole) to send up to the four of us by paying for registration and up to half of hotel and transportation costs – passed unanimously
    • Tim will try to figure a way for the chapter to support student attendance at the convention
  • Call for chapter award nominations (due by June 16 for ceremony on August 24). Discussion of possible honorees – a few suggestions will be emailed separately.
    • Amy Silverman, Ray Stern, David Morgan, Maureen West, Bill Goodykoontz all were mentioned – Tim will create a list of nominees for the board to decide on soon via email. Any other names should be sent to Tim in the next few days.
  • Tim said the chapter will be spearheading the 2024 effort to honor slain Republic reporter Don Bolles with a memorial at Wesley Bolin Plaza. A bill to create (but not fund) a memorial that passed the Senate earlier this year died in the House.
  • Website refresh: Ideas welcome! Tim invited board members to look at seven or eight SPJ chapter sites for features they think we should consider using because they add the most value. Mark and Tim are meeting Thursday to go over our current site and decide what needs fixing or redesigning toward hiring a web designer.
  • Chapter scholarship(s): Suggestions welcome for number/dollar amounts/essay topics (or alternative methods).
  • SPJ annual report. Due: July 13, 2023, covers period from May 1, 2022, to April 30, 2023. Our treasurer has provided the needed financial materials, and the required review by three members of the chapter will be filed by July 11. Chapter members Deb Krol, Ryan Boyd Scott Hanson reviewed Teri’s materials from 2022-2023.
  • FYI: PEN America free event Tuesday, July 11, 6:30-8 pm: Book launch and summer mixer, Palabras Bilingual Bookstore, 906 W. Roosevelt St., Phoenix 85007. Book/author: The Holy Days of Gregorio Pasos, by Rodrigo Restrepo Montoya, of Tucson: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/book-launch-and-summer-mixer-tickets-662659090177?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

PROPOSED NEXT MEETING: Sunday, September 10, 2023, 10 a.m.


Adjourned: 12:01 p.m. (99 minutes)

Respectfully submitted,

Mark J. Scarp, Chapter Secretary