May Executive Committee Meeting; May 11, 2021 7:02-9:00pm

In attendance:
● President: Bob Persiko
● Vice President: Kiernan Holland
● Treasurer: Bruce Truitt
● Secretary: Sarah Knorr
● Past President: Melanie Miller Foster
● Membership Committee Chair: Daniel Foster
● Public Relations: Lauren Newton
● Cultural Luncheon: Shannon Holliday

Location:
● This meeting was held via virtual method (Zoom) due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic

Topics of Discussion
Agenda
1) Minutes approved without objections, no corrections
a) Minutes to be filed on Global Connections Google Drive
2) Action Items from April
a) Bruce to explore investment options for checking account
i) Motion to transfer $25,000 from CD to alternate account to earn more interest
ii) Motion seconded
b) Bob and Kieran to communicate with collaboration with Asian student groups coordinator on how
Global Connections can be involved in conversation
i) Plan to follow up and continue to brainstorm ways to interact with Asian American student
groups
c) Melanie to contact George re forwarding global connections PSU email to gmail email
i) Melanie and Bob will have access to Global Connections PSU email account
ii) Email cannot be forwarded to gmail account due to security reasons
iii) Global Connections website is not compatible with iphone browsers
iv) Plan to use gmail email on a consistent basis on accounts, website, social media accounts, etc
3) President’s report – Bob
a) Town & Gown interview will be published in June
b) Centre Gives – Should we apply to be a recipient next year?
i) Added to unfinished business
c) Should we have a target date for a return to (a) in-person membership meetings and (b) executive
committee meetings?
i) Plan to continue to explore options and adjust
d) How to develop one-on-one relationships
i) Brainstorm ways to promote regular engagement like a conversation partners program
4) Global Programs – Wenjie Fu not present
5) Membership Committee – Daniel Foster
a) Next membership committee meeting will be at end of May
b) Global Connections current membership is 61 members
6) Treasurer/Finance Committee – Bruce Truitt
a) Centre Foundation ROI Options
i) See above under action items
b) Attribution of dues payments
i) Daniel and Bruce to meet over conflicting information of membership information
7) Vice President – Kieran
a) Will be attending a virtual event in DC with Afghan embassy
8) Public relations, website and social media – Lauren
a) Send any newsletter information to Lauren by end of week

Unfinished business:
1) Budget for 2021
2) Update on the airport sign – Melanie
a) There will be a one sided sign, budget request $300 to finish sign
b) Motion to authorize $300 for one sided sign, seconded, unanimous vote
3) Digital Education programming update – Melanie
a) Event on May 17, will be taking break over summer
b) Next event features Pennsylvania Dutch culture
4) Centre Gives for next year

New business
1) Committee restructuring and bylaws changes – Daniel
a) Continuation of discussion of committee changes
i) Eliminate finance and audit committee
ii) Create 2 new committees: fundraising and development committee and audit committee
iii) Create public relations committee
iv) Create digital education standing committee: cultural conversation
v) Create small group/book club standing committee: discussion group, english classes
vi) Eliminate program of activities committee and create engagement and innovation committee
b) Plan to continue drafting changes and present to general membership (with 30 days notice) in future
i) Tentative date: August 2021

Miscellaneous

Action Items:
1) Bob and Kieran to communicate with collaboration with Asian student groups coordinator on how
Global Connections can be involved in conversation
Next meeting Tuesday, June 8th

April Executive Committee Meeting; April 13, 2021 7:02-9:00pm

In attendance:
● President: Bob Persiko
● Treasurer: Bruce Truitt
● Past President: Melanie Miller Foster
● Membership Committee Chair: Daniel Foster
● Public Relations: Lauren Newton
● Secretary: Sarah Knorr

Location:
● This meeting was held via virtual method (Zoom) due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic
Topics of Discussion

Agenda
1) Minutes of March meeting – action items
a) March meeting minutes were approved
b) Action items from March meeting were reviewed
2) President’s report
a) Borough will issue proclamation on Global Connections 60th anniversary
b) Plan to use proclamation for advertisement, announcements
c) Bruce connected with Town and Gown to highlight Global Connections, interview with Bob
3) Global Programs – Wenjie
a) Wenjie was not present
4) Membership Committee – Daniel
a) Global Connections currently has 62 members
b) Membership Committee is meeting monthly. There will be no March meeting due to no quorum
c) Membership Committee has divided into 3 sub committees with task of recruitment, retention
and onboarding
d) Next meeting will be Thursday, April 15th
5) Treasurer/Finance Committee – Bruce
a) Disclosure related to QuikBooks account deletion
6) Vice President – Kieran not present
7) Public relations, website and social media – Lauren
a) Requesting newsletter information be sent to her by Friday, April 16
b) Global Connections can now post events on statecollege.com with approval
c) Volunteer match website: can post any GC volunteer options; however this would require
specific job description
d) Plan to eliminate volunteer match website

Unfinished business:
1) Budget for 2021
2) Update on the airport sign – Melanie
a) The airport sign can be displayed on two sides of soffit will include a key for language
identification and personal connection to State College
b) Melanie plans to get quote for 2 sided sign
3) Digital Education programming update – Melanie
a) Group has subcommittee Tuesday, April 20th at 5pm
b) Group will feature program on Monday, April 19th sharing types of agricultural produce grow in
Pennsylvania during the summer months
New business:
1) Collaboration with Asian student groups
a) Discussion and conversation groups of violence against Asian Americans
b) Local affinity group seeking active local organizations to reach out to incoming international
students and to provide a Town and Gown network
Miscellaneous
Committee restructuring and bylaws changes – Daniel
1) Remove past president as elected office
a) Past President no longer an elected office
b) Past President will serve on Executive Committee as an ex-officio member; however, will be
invited to meetings, will not affect quorum, but can vote at meetings; about 3 year window
c) Changes approved by Executive Committee
2) Remove all officers as automatic Chairman of any standing committee
a) Vice president, Treasurer, Past President removed as standing committee chairs
b) Elected officer will not be mandated to be standing committee chairs
c) This change does not preclude officers from being standing committee chairs
3) Change composition of Executive Committee to reflect other changes
4) Plan continue discussion at next EC meeting on May 11th
Action Item
1) Bruce to explore investment options for checking account
2) Bob and Kieran to communicate with collaboration with Asian student groups coordinator on how
Global Connections can be involved in conversation
3) Melanie to contact George re forwarding global connections PSU email to gmail email
Adjournment: 9:00pm

March Executive Committee Meeting; March 9th 7:01-8:12pm

In attendance:

• President: Bob Persiko
• Treasurer: Bruce Truitt
• Past President: Melanie Miller Foster
• Membership Committee Chair: Daniel Foster
• Secretary: Sarah Knorr
• Cultural Luncheon: Shannon Holiday

Location:

• This meeting was held via virtual method (Zoom) due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic

Topics of Discussion

Agenda

• Minutes of January meeting – action items
  1. Executive Committee members approved February minutes with change listed above
• President’s report
  1. Global Programs – Jennifer (if present)
     1. i) Jennifer will be moving on to another position at Penn State; Wenjie Fu will be new point of contact for Global Programs Office ([email protected])

• Membership Committee – Daniel verbal report

1. Membership committee meeting on third Thursday of every month
2. Goals set during committee meeting include: membership retention, recruitment, target population, and refining membership joining process

• Treasurer/Finance Committee – Bruce verbal report

1. Standardization of passwords
   1. Clean up list of passwords associated with accounts
   2. Find secure location to store password document
2. ROI on account at First Commonwealth
   1. Suggestion made to either split funds into higher yield with Commonwealth CD vs interest bearing account, or consider looking at broker account
   2. Finance committee to come up with proposal for account switching

• Program Activities – Kieran, et al. not present
• Public relations, website and social media – Lauren not present
• Unfinished business:
  1. Budget for 2021
     1. i) Bruce will compile questions and comments of responses and will be sending out list via email
  2. Update on airport sign – Melanie verbal report
     1. i) Susan and Melanie are working on airport sign; considering languages to feature on sign; will be working with graphic designer to design boh a static and digital display
  3. Committee restructuring and bylaws changes – Daniel verbal report
     1. i) Motion to postpone discussion on restructuring and reorganizing to next schedule Executive Committee meeting
     2. ii) No objections, motion passed

• New business:
  1. Digital Education programming update – Melanie verbal report
     1. i) Occurs on the third Monday of every month; provides information to international community; encourages person invitation for international community members to events
  2. WPSU digital series World Kitchen – Bruce verbal report
     1. i) A Global Connections member requesting Global Connections to promote ongoing WPSU digital series, World Kitchen
     2. ii) World Kitchen: Learn to make dishes from around the world while hearing from guest chefs about the cultures, history, and traditions each dish represents. WPSU’s new digital series, World Kitchen, is a free interactive cooking class presented on Zoom so that you can follow along to create the recipe with each guest chef.

• iii) https://wpsu.psu.edu/digital/worldkitchen/

• Miscellaneous

Action Items

• Bob to find contact information for Humphrey Fellow’s program coordinator
• Bruce and Sarah to go through password list to clean up unused accounts
• Bruce to risk assess accounts
• Sarah to email George re: securing password account
• Finance Committee to draft proposal re: switching bank accounts
• Lauren/Sarah to add Global Connections pitch to Google Drive
• Continue to brainstorm ideas for how to celebrate Global Connections 60th anniversary, May is the month of anniversary; Shannon suggests WPSU radio announcement, newspaper announcement, and proclamation from Mayor/Borough council recognition
• Bruce to compile list re: Budget and distribute to members

Adjournment 8:12pm

February Executive Committee Meeting; February 9th 7:03-8:24pm

In attendance:

• President: Bob Persiko
• Vice President: Kieran Holland
• Treasurer: Bruce Truitt
• PR Officer: Lauren Newton
• Secretary: Sarah Knorr
• Cultural Luncheon: Shannon Holiday

Location:

• This meeting was held via virtual method (Zoom) due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic

Topics of Discussion

Agenda

• Minutes of January meeting – action items
  1. Change annual report to monthly report
  2. Members approved January minutes with change listed above

• President’s report
  1. Outreach activities
  2. Bob will speak at the TIPS Club, a local networking organization, to exchange tips that affect business on Thursday, February 11th
  3. Survey of internationals (see summary attached below)
     1. Plan to implement survey data into Global Connections outreach resources/future community guidelines

• Membership Committee – (Daniel absent)

1. Membership committee meeting on February 25^th at 7:30pm via Zoom
2. UB Bakker elected as co-chair of membership committee
3. Purpose of meeting is to brainstorm ideas for what membership committee could do to generate more members; Global Connections currently has 46 registered members
4. Plans to have membership committee meeting every month

• Treasurer/Finance Committee – Bruce

1. Swiper for Affinipay payments
2. Ordered 2 swipers to process transactions remotely
   1. Global Connections to keep swipers in perpetuity
   2. Will require download of App from Affinipay website

• Total of $65 to purchase

1. Account cleanup: Continuing with clean up: closed out accounts that were associated with past paid employees
2. Centre Foundation 2021 distribution
   1. As of January 6, 2021 account has approx. $41,000
   2. 2020 distribution check deposited

• There will be another distribution in April: Centre Foundation will communicate when available (total of about $1,558)

1. Move to accept 2021 distribution monies and deposit into expense account
2. Motion approved

1. Budget planning process
   1. Proposes using budget document from last year as budget for current year; plan to distribute to members for input for changes/approval

• Program Activities – Kieran, et al.
  1. Met with Past President Melanie Miller Foster and collaborated on holding events virtually
  2. Proposes idea of a “take away” Cultural Luncheon event
  3. Plans to host Program of Activities member meeting: members to receive email last week of February to meet virtually with goal to brainstorm feasible events in light of pandemic

• Public relations, website and social media – Lauren
  1. Global conversations promotion
     1. Collaborated with Susan: encouraging book club leaders to promote Global Conversations events in groups
     2. There were 32 attendees at previous Global Conversations event

• Other ideas to promote Global Connections: promote upcoming Global Conversations event at Global Connections events (date at least); survey how people found out about event to check outreach strategies; promote events in other activities (ESL Classes, discussion groups)

1. Newsletter: using Wild Apricot email feature, establish timeline of newsletter publication: deadline one week after Executive Committee meeting have info sent to Lauren for newsletter (due by next Tuesday February 16^th)

• Unfinished business:
  1. Budget for 2021
  2. 1. Susan requesting Global Connections to budget $2,500 for annual book group to purchase books
     2. Executive Committee proposing book group members join Global Connections if organization agrees to sponsor booksBook groups request

• Executive Committee to approve book group budget item of $2,500 for book groups to purchase books with attached condition that all book group members must be Global Connections members; Global Connections will not pay for memberships
  • Motion for Global Connections to budget $2,500 to book groups; books provided will only be provided to members; book club members must be Global Connections members
  • Motion passed

1. Application for airport sign funding through 3 Dots Downtown Awesome Grant was approved & funded
   1. Currently in design phase, the welcome sign will feature different languages and will be placed in the University Park airport to greet visitors in multiple languages
   2. Will design be presented to Global Connections?

• New business:
  1. 2021 is the 60^th anniversary of the founding of Global Connections
  2. Think about how to advertise and present ideas at next meeting on how to celebrate this!
  3. Proposed changes to the bylaws (Daniel) – Postpone until March
  4. Shannon discussed the Community Diversity group Cultural Corners Bridge program and asked to include Global Connections events on the Community Diversity group listserv and vice versa; requesting Global Connections sponsor two Penn State Humphrey Fellow students at luncheon on February 25, 2021
     1. Bruce will divert money ($22/person total $44) from expenditures budget: Sponsorship budget to sponsor 2 students

• Miscellaneous

Action Items

• Bob and Lauren will collaborate on an outreach statement
• Bob will add survey on Global conversation on how viewers found out Global Conversations event
• Plan to create press release for advertisement of GC 60^th anniversary (newspaper article, etc?)

Adjournment

Summary of problems and concerns expressed by international residents surveyed

Renting an apartment or house – extras such as electricity; leasing terms (start/end dates)

Opening a bank account, applying for a credit card

Social contact – how to meet Americans (exacerbated by the pandemic, inability to work for spouses)

Communication – fear of making English mistakes; how to find an English class

Medical care system – insurance, in-network providers, copays, etc.

Lack of transportation – without a car

Need for identification card other than passport    

Help finding a school for one’s children; children not knowing English, adjusting to US educational system

Resources – especially for spouses

January Executive Committee Meeting; January 12th 7:00-8:26pm

In attendance:

• President: Bob Persiko
• Vice President: Kieran Holland
• Treasurer: Bruce Truitt
• Membership Committee Chair: Daniel Foster
• PR Officer: Lauren Newton
• Secretary: Sarah Knorr
• Global Programs: Jennifer Alison Theiss
• Past President: Melanie Miller Foster

Location:

• This meeting was held via virtual method (Zoom) due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic

Topics of Discussion

Agenda Items:

1. Minutes of December meeting – action items follow up
1. Lauren: composing Monthly Report
2. Global Programs – Jennifer Theiss
1. Global Programs is continuing Penn State First program
2. Jennifer will provide updated enrollment report of international students
3. Annual Tax Workshop will be in March virtually through Zoom

1. Included will be a recorded webinar about tax changes for international students and scholars
2. Contact person: Wenjie Fu ([email protected])

1. President – Bob
1. Reviewed Executive Committee officer goals for 2021
2. Membership Committee –  Daniel
1. Organization currently has 37 paying dues members
2. Encouraging Executive Committee (EC) officers and members to consider future of Global Connections (GC) in a physical and/or virtual context
3. Encouraging mobilization of organization programming: Kieran to reach out to Ten Thousand Villages volunteer base
3. Treasurer/Finance Committee – Bruce
1. Recommendation that the organization absorb the membership processing fee until our financial situation dictates that we can/should change this

1. Increase in membership dues to cover processing fee OR does GC absorb cost without change in membership dues?
2. Bruce motioned for GC to absorb cost for total of $59.00

• Motion passed unanimously

1. Account clean up

1. GC has a total of 87 accounts
2. Bruce to categorize accounts based on active/priority accounts

• Bruce to email Excel spreadsheet to EC with all listed accounts for discussion of which accounts to close and which to retain

1. Global Connections fund at Centre Foundation

914. As of 1/6/2021 fund has $41, 914.69 (does not include investment Q1 activity)
915. GC can receive 2020 distribution monies and 2021 distribution monies

• Do we want one, the other or both distributions?
  1. Bruce proposes taking 2020 distributions and revisit 2021 distribution in April
  2. 2020 distribution will be moved to spending account to be used for operating funds

1. Move does not need motion due to Bruce submitting in Treasurer report
2. Bruce to reach out to Centre Foundation on any restrictions of using funds

1. Program Activities – Kieran, et al.
1. Bob reports discussion groups continue and are active; English classes are virtual and are active; Global Conversations to continue into February featuring Mexico and Mexico border culture; March featuring Puerto Rico
2. Melanie reports on opportunity for partnership with Friendship Force for a virtual event and to expand audience, community and to share mission of organization
3. Kieran to pursue 3 international contacts to present for future Global Conversation events
2. Public relations; also website and social media – Lauren
1. PR Goal to focus on making the website organized in a way that targets the right audiences

1. Plan to direct website vision to have inclusive membership of local and international communities
2. Global Programs to promote GC to international community and those affiliated with PSU

1. New business:
1. Susan Steinberg’s request for $2500 budget for book groups

1. Bruce to draft Annual Budget, Executive Committee to facilitate
2. Daniel encourages membership meeting for membership to discuss and vote on budget

• Susan requests book group members retain books which would require change in policy

1. Discussion of paying members retaining books which would promote membership growth
2. Kieran to draft letter to Susan addressing:
   1. Annual budget request, book group members to become members-if there is a financial burden organization will and timing book group needs funds
   2. Will review letter with Bruce

1. Airport welcome sign (Melanie)

1. Propose sign at airport and on airport television-ad promoting GC
2. Plan to apply to Awesome Foundation grant to cover costs

• Melanie requesting to apply to grant

1. Executive Committee approved for Melanie to apply to grant

1. Question: Should we continue the monthly newsletter to our members? If so, what is the timing and how should we focus the content?

1. Content should focus on: Highlighting membership activities, link for Global Conversation recordings, committee meetings
2. Consensus is to send out monthly newsletter

• Submit material to Lauren by January 18^th for monthly newsletter

Action items

• Add Amazon Smile account to newsletter, social media
• Kieran and Melanie to connect to discuss Global Conversations expansion

Unfinished Business

• Drafting of 2021 annual budget

Tellers Report
The 2020 Global Connections Election was conducted virtually utilizing Election Runner (www.electionrunner.com) to deliver secure ballot to the registered members with voting privileges. The ballot was sent on Monday, November 16th at 7:00amEST. The election was closed on Friday, November 20th at 11:59pm EST. Fraud analysis conducted via the digital platform evaluating digital fingerprints was unable to detect any potential voter fraud in this election.

There were 92 eligible voters provided from the executive team representing the 2020 membership roster. A total of 41 ballots were cast yielding a voter participation rate of approximately 45%. President
Number of Votes Cast
41
Votes required for Election
Majority
Number of votes required to elect
21
Bob Persiko Received
41
Write-In Candidates
0
Illegal Votes
0 Winner of Election: Bob Persiko Vice President
Number of Votes Cast
40
Votes required for Election
Majority
Number of votes required to elect
21
Kieran Holland
40
Write-In Candidates
0
Illegal Votes
0 Winner of Election: Kieran Holland
Public Relations
Number of Votes Cast
41
Votes required for Election
Majority
Number of votes required to elect
21
U.B. Bakker
9
Lauren Newton
32
Write-In Candidates
0
Illegal Votes
0 Winner of Election: Lauren Newton Past President
Number of Votes Cast
40
Votes required for Election
Majority
Number of votes required to elect
21
Melanie Miller Foster
40
Write-In Candidates
0
Illegal Votes
0 Winner of Election: Melanie Miller Foster Election certified on November 22, 2020 by Daniel D. Foster, Professional Registered Parliamentarian [email protected]; @FosterDanielD; 814.753.2102