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New Executive Director
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Wilma Wells, board chair, reported that the board, in its March 27
executive session, had authorized making an offer to a candidate for
executive director. She expected to have a determination and announcement
before the end of the day. She thanked the search committee members
for their work.
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Legislative Activity
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The governor's budget called for a little more than nine million dollars
for "community initiative." This line item does not specify Caring
Communities or anything else. In the House, the line was increased
to nineteen million. Senate committee action is next. John Russell
is the appropriations committee chair. The issue will go down to the
May 1 wire for the budget as all other state-funded agencies are competing.
As with the House appropriations process, grass-roots action is in
order.
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Strategic Planning
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The board continues to work on determination of what is "core" to
ARCHS, given the financial climate. Wells noted that for the governor,
the issue is accountability, not having the state agencies look away
from the needs. In his budget, the state will not be allocating funds
directly to the community partnerships for programs. However, the
FACT board is to identify problems, develop strategies, and make plans.
Then the state agencies are to carry out the plans in their regularly
budgeted programs.
Wells sees the role of the ARCHS board as: (1) support community-appropriate
initiatives; (2) articulate the real need for ARCHS and control ARCHS's
destiny; and (3) care for the funding allocated for planning, identifying
problems, and advocacy.
Wells believes these roles have implications for the organization's
structure: the board has to do necessary research and evaluation;
the board needs a good mix of members with expertise to carry out
the roles as it becomes more active with its partners; and the roles
of the board and staff have to be settled and the committees have
to be effective.
Wells plans to expand the Board Development Committee (formerly the
nominating committee). That committee will address issues of structure,
definitions, roles, and membership mix. Other committees will be:
Education and Advocacy; and Strategic Planning. By the end of June,
Wells expects agreement on 1- 2-, and 3-year goals. She has asked
staff to develop scenarios for alternate plans for the structure and
function of ARCHS, depending on available funding.
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Meeting schedule
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The Board will meet on April 24 (extra meeting), May 22 (regularly
scheduled meeting), and June 26 (extra meeting). The April meeting
will take up the report from the committee originally charged with
recommending how to proceed with the Caring Communities and Sustainable
Neighborhoods initiatives. Michael Burns now chairs that committee.
Wells plans to make an early announcement of the dates for next year's
board retreat in the hope of securing greater attendance.
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