Minutes

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

January 9, 2022, 10 a.m.

Started: 10:10 a.m.

Attendees: Tim Eigo, Mark Scarp, Teri Carnicelli, Doug MacKenzie, Deb Krol

Opening

• Secretary’s report/approval of minutes from Nov. 13, 2021 – Moved (Teri) and seconded (Tim) — unanimously approved.
• Treasurer’s report – Teri reports our investments with Russell Life Points/Northwestern Mutual as of Jan. 8 lost $244.11 in the past quarter, to $20,166.58. Our checking account as of the same date contained $4,961.20, compared to $6,009.02 on Nov. 12. 2021.
• Mark’s Mighty Minute! – As requested at our Nov. 12 meeting, Teri attempted to try again to contact First Amendment Coalition of Arizona board president Morgan Loew about the amount the chapter owed in dues and if there is to be a meeting of the coalition board, which hasn’t been meeting for several months. (She first sent an email that wasn’t responded to in July.) Loew responded to a second email in November and said he would send an invoice. He has yet to send one. Teri estimated that we would owe $1,000 ($500 each for 2021 and 2022) if we were so invoiced. Board members discussed what they believe to be a bleak future for the coalition if it doesn’t meet and handles fewer and fewer media requests for free advice about public meeting and records access, and coalition attorney Dan Barr is approaching retirement.

Old Business

• Recap of Holiday Mixer, Dec. 9: Tim reported about 30 people attended, a good turnout since it started raining during the gathering. Food costs were about $700, but Tim said he felt it appropriate to add a generous tip to total $878, about $30 per person.

New Business

• Collaborating on 2022 Valley Publicity Summit: Board members discussed PRSA Phoenix’s offer to meet and discuss options for cooperation on the 2022 Summit. Tim asked Mark to contact PRSA Phoenix and set up a meeting for Tim and Mark and PRSA representatives soon.
• Multi-chapter recommendations from SPJ HQ: Tim sent board members an email from Hilary Niles, chair of the SPJ Freelancers, regarding requests for chapters and communities within SPJ to recommend needs/wants to the headquarters staff in 2022. An online meeting is scheduled for chapter/community leaders Jan. 12. Board members agreed to have Tim join the conversation. Board members suggested that HQ send notice to chapter presidents of new members joining the chapter, something not always apparent from the list of members HQ maintains on the website. Another idea: A general SPJ brochure listing benefits (both print and digital).
• Plans to welcome ASU Cronkite Dean Battinto L. Batts Jr. ourselves: Likely an event for late spring, given current concerns about the omicron variant of the COVID-19 virus. Mark said he would contact Dean Battinto Batts’ executive assistant to remind her of the dean’s willingness to join us.
• 2022 programming and membership-building suggestions: Board members discussed several ideas including Sunshine Week in March and a primer on covering the Legislature along the lines of one this month held by the Salt Lake City chapter. Tim encouraged the board to forward ideas from other chapters to him.
• Possible limited-category journalism contest: Tim brought up the possibility of such a contest, contingent on finding a separate panel of judges to pair with another chapter to swap entries for unbiased judging. It would be a fundraiser. Tim will do more research with a goal of talking about rolling it out later this year.

PROPOSED NEXT MEETING: Sunday, March 13, 2022, 10 a.m.

Adjourned: 11:32 a.m. (92 minutes)

Respectfully submitted,

Mark J. Scarp, Chapter Secretary