IASB Board of DIrectors Notes – November 2024

Association Officers, Directors, and Executive staff met twice in November to conduct the IASB Board of Directors quarterly business meeting and to organize for the new year following officer elections.

The first business meeting included an Areas of Focus Review, Final Audit Review, Current Year Quarterly Budget Report, Annual Conference Committee Report, Service Associates Report, and Legislative Update.

President Mark Harms shared plans to form a Constitution Review Committee. Harms will soon name a statewide committee of 12-15 directors for the review work to begin in early 2025.

The Board considered recommendations to its Advocacy Core Values, developed in 2022 by the IASB Constitution and Resolution Review Committee and approved by the Board of Directors. The Advocacy Core Values, legislative priorities, and Position Statements guide IASB’s advocacy agenda in support of its membership.

Board discussion also included IASB Division Meetings. Executive Director Kimberly Small, J.D., reported that while attendance across fall Division Meetings held steady, the trend of declining fall attendance over the past five years continues, with spring meeting attendance increasing.

Policy monitoring this quarter pertained to Service Associates. The Executive Director assures fair and clear recruitment and evaluation procedures for selecting IASB-sanctioned vendors through the policies and procedures used by the Service Associate members and staff for recruiting and evaluating new and existing members. The Service Associates’ Executive Committee screens membership applications, making recommendations for membership to the Board. The Board retains exclusive authority to approve and extend membership. These procedures ensure that membership is merit-based.

President Mark Harms (Flanagan-Cornell USD 74), beginning his second term of office, led the reorganizational meeting. Tracie Sayre (Triopia CUSD 27) begins her second term as Vice President, Simon Kampwerth Jr. is the Immediate Past President, and Marc Tepper continues his two-year term as Treasurer.

Directors elected to the Executive Committee for 2025 are Chris Buikema (Northwest Division); Alva Kreutzer (North Cook Division); Jim McCabe (Starved Rock Division); Nick Sartoris (Corn Belt Division); Alternate Linda Eades (Kaskaskia Division); and Alternate Sue McCance (Western Division).

Harms appointed the Conference Co-Chairs, IHSA Representative, and COSSBA Delegate for 2025. Directors were appointed to the Audit Committee, led by Tepper; Policy Review Committee, led by Sayre; and Nominating Committee, led by Kampwerth.

Special recognition was given to Mark Christ, who is retiring from the board after nine years serving as Director for the Southwestern Division and a board member for O'Fallon THSD 203 since 2007. The Board also thanked IASB staff member Carla Bolt for her dedication and support. This was Bolt’s last Conference as Director of Events Management; she will retire next year.
 
The IASB Board of Directors meets five times per year. Its next meeting is scheduled for March 2025. Members can access approved minutes of the meetings from the IASB website.