CHC Board Meeting: January 7, 2022

CHICAGO HEADLINE CLUB

Board of Directors meeting

Fri. Jan. 7, 2022

President Amanda Vinicky called the Zoom meeting to order at 9 a.m. Also present: Howard Dubin, Christine Wolfe, Rob Elder, Adam Rhodes, Cathy Larkin, Mike Ewing, Maya Duksamova, Olivia Obineme, Blair Chavis, Taylor Moore, Tahman Bradley, Stacey Wescott, Jason Martin, Michael Limon, Ash-har Qurishi, Matt Kiefer, Alejandra Cancino, Suzanne McBride, and Susan S. Stevens.

Minutes of the last meeting were approved as submitted by Susan.

Olivia’s deadline for our personal write-ups is Jan. 14. Amanda says get them in!

Membership: Mike has explored many kinds of software with management features including dues management. He’s working on figuring out what challenges software can help us with. Howard said SPJ HQs spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on new software, and they don’t know how to use it yet. Alejandra said we should use software to keep people engaged. Howard said HQs is in turmoil, with one retiree staying on temporarily to help. He said don’t give up on what HQs already paid for. Mike said he will come back with some concrete solutions. Amanda said we need a volunteer to do social media.

FOIAFest Feb. 24-26: Matt said Marina Walker Guevara will be the keynote speaker at the kickoff Feb. 24, which will be remote. He needs help organizing panels, and is a few organizers short. He wants to announce an almost complete schedule in late-January, He hopes for a space for a watch party with all the COVID strictures. Kelly Garcia will return as a coordinator, with help from two qualified candidates.

BootCamp: Maya said Jan. 14 is the deadline for applications, 3 have applied while most come in at the last minute. 13 of 15 mentors are secured. She’d like to do a coffee/breakfast meet and greet. TBD.

Lisagor: Cathy said the entry deadline is Jan  31. Entrants afterward will pay a $10 late fee. Note the new categories. DINNER WILL BE MAY 6 – not the 13th because of a conflict with the TV Silve r Circle Awards. She has three applications for coordinator. Plaque distribution from last year is ongoing.

Tahman said we will exchange contests with Utah this year. It also has about 800 entries. We’ll get their entries in early April. He asks that we all recruit judges.

Lifetime Achievement Awards: Susan’s committee nominated Bill Cameron, newly retired from WLS-AM, and Dahleen Glanton, who is in semi-retirement from the Sun-Times. Board approved. Susan also suggested special awards to two of our longest-serving and hardest-working members: Casey Bukro for his decades of fighting for journalism ethics and Bob Roberts Rodenkirk for almost 30 years of the JobFile. Board tabled for later discussion.

Watchdog: Jason said the award deadline is Jan. 31 and the deadline for $2,500 grants to pursue investigations is March 31.

Meeting adjourned at 10:05 a.m. Next meeting: Fri. Feb. 4.

Respectfully submitted,
Susan S. Stevens, secretary