September 2024 ABA Board Meeting Minutes

Thursday, September 5, 3:00 pm – 5:00 pm ET

In Attendance
Danny Caine
Diane Capriola
Jenny Cohen
Cynthia Compton
Jake Cumsky-Whitlock
Joy Dallanegra-Sanger (ABA COO)
Ray Daniels (ABA CCO)
Allison Hill (ABA CEO)
Brein Lopez
Christina Pascucci-Ciampa
Raquel Roque
PK Sindwani (ABA CFO)
Jessica Stockton Bagnulo
Lisa Swayze
Tegan Tigani
Holly Weinkauf

Absent
Kathy Burnette

3:08 pm ET: Call to Order
Tegan reviewed the one word check-in; the Board’s commitment to antiracism, equity, access, and representation; and disclosures of dualities of interest. (Visit BookWeb for the full list.) The Board welcomed recent appointee, Brein Lopez.

3:10 pm ET: June Minutes
Holly made a motion to approve the June minutes with minor edits, including updating Diane's name spelling. Lisa seconded the motion. The Board unanimously approved the motion.

3:10 pm – 3:22 pm ET: Committee Updates

Nominating Committee

The Nominating Committee is composed of Board Members Diane (chair) and Lisa, as well as the following booksellers: Tina Ferguson of Face in a Book in El Dorado Hills, California; Dara Landry of CLASS Bookstore in Houston, Texas; and Melissa DeMotte of The Well-Read Moose in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. The committee is planning its first meeting. Directors are encouraged to nominate or encourage potential nominees to self-nominate before the October 13 deadline for nominations.

Audit Committee

Tegan announced the Audit Committee will be composed of Board members Holly (chair) and Christina, as well as the following booksellers: Rosa Hernandez of Third Place Books in Seattle, Washington, and Zsamé Morgan of Babycakes Book Stack in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Board Document Committee

This committee consists of Tegan, Kathy, Lisa, and Jessica. The committee recommended minimal Governance Policy changes, including updates to the orientation checklist and vendors.

Finance Committee

This committee consists of Tegan, Holly, and Allison. The October agenda will include the Financial Report and Budget Presentation, as well as the Investment Policy review.

CEO Review Committee

This committee consists of Tegan, Cynthia, Lisa, Raquel, and Jenny. No updates.

Vendor Review Committee

This committee consists of Cynthia, Danny, and Jenny. No updates.

Agenda Committee

This committee consists of Tegan, Jenny, Cynthia, Danny, and Allison. Tegan reports they are finalizing the October Board Meeting agenda (October 24–25, 2024).

3:22 pm – 3:43 pm ET: Governance Policies Discussion

The Board discussed the purpose of the Governance Policies and completed the annual governance review process.

3:43 pm – 4:26 pm ET: Board Calendar and Schedule for 2025

The Board reviewed the Board calendar and discussed priority agenda items to be included in the regular annual schedule.

4:26 pm – 4:50 pm ET: Board Officers Discussion

The Board discussed the role of officers on the Board and eligibility for the next election in preparation for upcoming nominations of officers.

4:50 pm – 5:00 pm ET Housekeeping

The Q4 BTW Board Edition will be in November. Tegan will prepare a draft.

Fall Shows: Directors compared schedules, attendance, and notes about recent and upcoming fall regional shows.

5:00 pm ET: Meeting Adjourned

Motion made by Lisa to adjourn the meeting at 5:00 pm ET.