Minutes

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

July 18, 2021, 10 a.m., via Zoom

Started: 10:10 a.m.

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

Opening

• Secretary’s report/approval of minutes from May 15, 2021 – Mark added a sentence referring to the moving of the July 10 meeting to July 18. As amended, moved (Teri) and seconded (Doug) — unanimously approved.
• Treasurer’s report – Teri reports our investments with Russell Life Points/Northwestern Mutual as of July 16 gained $352.25 in the past quarter, to $20,293.28. Our checking account as of the same date contained $5,066.28, compared to $5,104.91 on May 15.
• Mark’s Mighty Minute! – Mark recapped the June annual elections and mixer, mentioned two things relating to the First Amendment Coalition of Arizona and updated the board on planning for a mixer to allow media community to meet the new dean of the Cronkite School:
• Our chapter officers were unanimously re-elected in June via online voting on Survey Monkey. Our annual mixer was June 23 at Southern Rail in uptown Phoenix with about 20 attendees; we spent $213.48 on food.
• It is probably time for the chapter’s annual $500 financial contribution to the First Amendment Coalition. Mark said coalition attorney Dan Barr recently has been in the news more often than usual, giving his opinion on public records and access issues surrounding the state Senate elections audit. Motion made (Mark) for Teri to inquire about invoices/paying for 2020 and 2021 (possibly $1,000) and seconded (Tim) to send $500 to the coalition. Approved unanimously.
• The chapter is a coalition charter member and should be represented at its quarterly lunchtime board meetings, which probably have resumed in person. Mark suggested Deb Krol. Motion made (Mark) and seconded (Tim) to appoint Deb Krol as the chapter’s representative to the coalition board meetings. Approved unanimously.
• Now that he has started work July 1, Mark will ask the executive assistant for Cronkite School Dean Battinto Batts Jr. if he would like to be hosted by the chapter at a meet-the-new-dean mixer that would be held in early fall (after faculty have returned and school has started Aug. 19).

Old Business

• Publicity Summit Committee – Mark reported a summary of the most recent Publicity Summit Committee meeting July 13. Committee members further researched the “hybrid” idea for the Oct. 16 Summit, which involves in-person pitching in the morning as usual, with an hour or so set aside in the afternoon, perhaps 2 to 3 p.m. for online pitching. (A lower price would be offered for the afternoon-only session.) This setup would accommodate people who might not want to attend in person due to COVID concerns or other reasons. So far about 10 media people have expressed strong interest or committed to the event, with six of them willing to do either both morning and afternoon and one afternoon only. After discussing the possibility that there may be so few people wanting an online-only experience it might not be worth it, the committee suggests a brief poll to be posted for about a week on Phoenix PR Pros’ Facebook page to gauge the PR community’s views. Mark has prepared one that he presented to the board. Board agreed to have Mark proceed with the poll, which will be posted for about a week during the week of July 19.

New Business

• SPJ national conference, Sept. 2-4. Register by Aug. 8 for in-person/virtual for $260; register by Aug. 25 for virtual alone for $200. Motion made (Mark) and seconded (Teri) to spend $200 on registration to fund Tim’s attending the convention virtually. Approved unanimously. Motion made (Mark) and seconded (Doug) to name Tim Eigo as delegate and Deb Krol as alternate delegate, and some funding under usual board policy of costs for Deb, who is attending in-person, being possible if the Republic or her RC fund doesn’t). Approved unanimously. National SPJ must be notified of our delegate selection by Aug. 6. Tim said he would make the notification.
• Arizona Newspapers Association annual awards: Ceremony is Saturday, Oct. 9, and the ANA will be having a sit-down dinner for the evening event. They want us to use their award nomination forms. Sense of board is that our forms should be returned to the chapter, not the ANA. Motion made (Mark) and seconded (Tim) to pay for a ticket for the SPJ presenter. Approved unanimously.
• (Honorees should be determined by middle or end of August, awarded on Oct. 9):

Board members discussed several possible recipients. The board will reconvene in late August to decide on the 2021 recipients.

Teri Carnicelli left the meeting at 11:32 a.m. during the Chapter FOI Awards discussion

PROPOSED NEXT MEETING: Saturday, September 11, 2021, 10 a.m.

Adjourned: 11:50 a.m. (100 minutes)

Respectfully submitted,

Mark J. Scarp, Chapter Secretary