Dear CWR Friends,
In the interest of keeping you informed, the Communicators for Women Religious Board of Directors shares highlights of our monthly meetings. The Board met by videoconference on Tuesday, March 21 at 10:30 a.m. Central.
Philippa Turney opened the meeting with a prayer for peace.
Minutes from the Feb. 21 board videoconference were approved as submitted.
Sister Angela Szczawinska, CSFN, Board Chair, and Kathy Gatliff, Vice Chair, shared the Executive Committee report.
- Membership Committee: Jennifer Brandlon has agreed to serve as Membership Committee chair.
- The Conference Site Selection Committee reviewed hotel proposals from five cities. Memphis, Tennessee, and Fort Worth, Texas, are possibilities for the 2018 and 2019 conferences. The committee is scheduling site visits, and will present recommendations to the board at its May meeting.
- Conference Scholarship Task Force: One application has been received so far. The deadline to apply is April 15. The scholarship application is available in the member resources area of the CWR web site.
- Email communication: The board discussed ways to streamline internal communication.
- International board membership: The board is considering the possibility of inviting a CWR member from Ireland to serve on the board. This will be discussed further at the May board meeting.
Eileen Dickerson shared an update from the Nominating Committee. Two members have expressed willingness to serve on the CWR board. The board voted to appoint Jennifer Brandlon to replace Sarah Jenkins, who is retiring and leaving the board mid-term. The other candidate is eligible for election to the board, and will be presented to CWR members for a vote.
Executive Director Nick Schafer shared highlights from his written report. The board approved moving forward with a proposal from American City Bureau for contracted grant writing and research services. Nick is registered as an attendee for the LCWR Assembly. CWR will also exhibit, sharing a “mega-booth” with NRVC, Giving Voice, NCSW, and the Religious Formation Conference.
Stephanie Hall, co-chair of the 2017 Conference Committee, shared the latest presenter information and schedule. Save the date: Oct. 3–6! Presenters and topics include: Dr. Moira McQueen (Catholic social teaching and communications); Heather Mansfield (social media), Sister Nuala Kenny (ethics of communication), Blayne Haggart (copyright), and Sister Kateri Mitchell (spirituality of communications). Kate Martin welcomes ideas for conference sponsors/exhibitors, especially in Canada. If you have any suggestions, please contact Kate at: develop@sanrafaelop.org. The exhibitor contract and sponsorship form are available online, along with an option for online payment.
Board members offered their best wishes to Sarah Jenkins, who is retiring and relocating to Houston, Texas.
In other business, the board had a brief discussion about job postings and the opportunity for this to be a revenue stream for CWR, and/or a membership benefit or a benefit of conference sponsorship. The board will discuss this further at its May in-person meeting.
Next Board Videoconference: April 24, 2017, 10:30 a.m. CST.
CWR Board of Directors
Sister Angela Szczawinska, CSFN, Chair
Kathy Gatliff, Vice Chair
Sister Beth Kress, PBVM, Treasurer
Eileen Dickerson
Stephanie Hall
Spalding Hurst
Sarah Jenkins
Kate Martin
Jean Merry
Philippa Turney
Annmarie Sanders, IHM, LCWR Liaison
Carol Schuck Scheiber, NRVC Liaison
CWR Staff
Nick Schafer, Executive Director
Susan Oxley, Coordinator