City Club of Eugene Board Meeting Minutes January 22, 2026 | 5:00–6:30 PM | KIDSPORTS & via Zoom
Present: Ralph Pledger, Andrew Kalloch, Eric Dziura, Thomas Hiura (President), Meggie Wright, Joey Bruckner, Kathryn Adair (Treasurer), Kelly Johnson (Secretary) Betsy Pownall, Alyssa Gilbert Absent: None
Call to Order
The meeting was called to order by the President Thomas Hiura at 5:04 pm
Approval of Prior Minutes
The board approved the prior meeting minutes with one correction:
· Correction of Meggie Wright’s name spelling.
Motion approved as amended.
Agenda Review / Additions
Additional agenda items were added as follows:
· Treasurer’s Report
o Andrew requested an update regarding tax filing requirements.
o Joey requested an item regarding the need to recruit a new Treasurer.
· Treasurer Transition
o The board was reminded that Kathryn Adair is stepping down as Treasurer.
o This is expected to be her final board meeting in that role.
o Kathryn offered to provide limited transition support and assist with onboarding a new Treasurer.
· Google Workspace / Email Systems
o Ralph requested a discussion regarding Google Workspace/email access, noting that John Belcher is not receiving board emails.
o Issues identified:
§ Existing Google Groups for board and program committee
§ Concerns about security, access control, and administration
o Added as a discussion item.
· Budget Approval
o An agenda item was added to approve the budget.
· Website Discussion
o Alyssa asked whether a previously planned website discussion (from the retreat agenda) should occur. Board consensus: Not urgent; defer to a future meeting.
Board Check-In
Board members shared general personal and organizational updates.
Weekly Task Management
Newsletter / Social Media
· Reports indicated consistent progress and positive momentum.
· The newsletter email list continues to grow organically, increasing organizational reach even as membership remains stable.
Mail (P.O. Box)
· Mail is checked regularly; no major issues reported.
Email / Google Systems Discussion
The board discussed the structure of the current Google workspace:
Current setup uses individual accounts and Google Groups, not a managed Workspace environment. Concerns raised:
· Security
· Access control
· Administrative responsibility
· Reliability of email delivery
Discussion points included:
· Possibility of Google Workspace for Nonprofits (via TechSoup)
· Cost concerns
· Administrative workload
· Access-level permissions
· Centralization of control vs distributed access
Clarifications were made that:
· Access is currently limited
· Two-factor authentication exists
· Google Groups access is permission-based
Proposed actions:
· Investigate whether current systems can meet needs without paid upgrades
· Explore nonprofit Workspace options
· Improve password management practices (updating passwords with position turnover)
Food & Beverage
· We still need to explore better systems for tracking lunch sales.
Program Setup
· Operations are functioning effectively.
· Board emphasized the importance of communication and coordination when technical or logistical issues arise.
· Andrew noted that an upcoming program will be held “off-site at the UO Long house. It was acknowledged that off-site programming creates additional setup and logistical demands on the team. The board expressed appreciation for the flexibility and support of board members and partners in facilitating programs in alternative venues, recognizing that the program is well-suited to the space.
· Alyssa will be filling in for Marilyn in preparing and sending the press releases, Marilyn is on call assisting with her daughter’s newborn.
Budget Approval
The Treasurer presented the proposed budget, noting the following key points:
· The budget structure remains largely consistent with the prior year.
· Several line items were decreased based on historical trends.
· Some categories were modestly increased to provide operational buffers.
· Personnel expenses were reduced, reflecting the continuation of current staffing (Josh). While future staffing may be considered long-term, no immediate hiring is anticipated.
· A new grant revenue line item was added to accurately reflect successful grant activity and development efforts.
· The Treasurer is continuing efforts to improve financial processing systems, including clearer differentiation between membership revenue and donations, while recognizing that membership dues function as charitable contributions in practice.
· Lunch income and expenses were intentionally not balanced to reflect current system limitations and inconsistent tracking practices. The Treasurer emphasized the importance of accurate system representation and proposed improving tracking through simple reporting and reconciliation processes.
· Revenue Projections: Membership and donation projections were increased based on three-year historical trends and aspirational growth goals, while remaining grounded in prior performance data.
· Cash Position: Current liquid cash was reported at approximately $36,000, indicating operational stability.
· Systems & Integration Issues: Ongoing challenges were noted with:
o PayPal integration, which is not fully reflected in accounting systems
o Lunch payment processing
o System connectivity between Bloomerang and QuickBooks, particularly in tracking revenue classification (membership vs. donations)
It was noted that Bloomerang and QuickBooks are technically connected, but transaction data currently lacks sufficient categorization detail, limiting reporting clarity. The Development Committee has discussed potential form updates, including the addition of required dropdown selections (e.g., “Donation” vs. “Membership”) to improve tracking accuracy.
Revenue Framing & Governance Discussion
Board members proposed that the revenue side of the budget be reframed from “proposed budget” to “projected revenue”, recognizing that revenue targets represent aspirational goals rather than guaranteed income.
It was suggested that:
· Revenue goals should be collectively set and owned by the board
· Income projections should be discussed as strategic targets, not fixed assumptions
· Historical financial data should inform revenue planning
The Treasurer offered to provide:
· Historical income data from the past three years
· Comparative revenue trends
· Updated spreadsheets reflecting projections
Board members agreed that this information would support more informed goal-setting and shared accountability.
Approval Structure & Amendments
Consensus emerged to separate approval into two components:
- Planned Expenditures – to be approved immediately
- Projected Revenue Targets – to be finalized in a subsequent meeting following further discussion and board alignment
This structure allows the organization to:
· Maintain operational continuity
· Establish realistic governance control
· Build collective ownership of fundraising and revenue goals
Motion: To approve planned expenditures as reflected in the document currently titled “FY25–26
Proposed Budget”, with the understanding that revenue projections will be reviewed, refined, and approved at a future meeting.
Moved: Eric Dziura Seconded: Joey Bruckner
Vote: Approved unanimously
Fundraising
· The organization’s primary annual fundraising effort remains the summer mailer, paired with one or two follow-up emails.
· Historical results for the summer campaign were reviewed:
o Typical annual returns range between $8,000–$10,000
o Results have been consistent across recent years
· The Treasurer noted the need for improved financial tagging and reporting in QuickBooks to better track campaign-specific revenue and improve visibility into fundraising performance.
System Improvements:
· The board discussed the potential use of campaign tagging in accounting systems to improve reporting clarity.
· Cleanup and improved categorization of fundraising data were identified as a transition priority.
Community-Based Engagement Strategy:
· A proposal was discussed to increase neighborhood-level outreach, including:
o Board members attending neighborhood association meetings
o Making brief presentations about City Club
o Encouraging membership and civic engagement
· This approach was framed as both a membership development strategy and a broader community visibility effort, rather than direct organizational sponsorship fundraising.
Election Season Opportunities:
· The board discussed leveraging upcoming high-attendance election forums as opportunities for:
o Membership recruitment
o On-site giving
o Engagement through simple tools such as QR codes linking to donation and membership platforms
· It was noted that this approach could avoid technical barriers while enabling real-time engagement.
Sponsorships:
· Board members reaffirmed interest in pursuing sponsorships but acknowledged the need for clearer strategy and presentation tools to support that effort.
Leadership Transition & President-Elect Process
The board discussed upcoming leadership transitions and organizational governance planning.
Annual Meeting & Transition Timeline:
· The Annual Meeting and Turtle Awards are scheduled for May 31, which will mark the transition of the current President into the role of Past President.
· At present, there is no formally elected President-Elect.
President-Elect Discussion:
· The board discussed Alyssa Gilbert as a potential President-Elect, noting her demonstrated leadership, preparation, and engagement.
· It was acknowledged that Alyssa has been informally preparing for leadership transition and has expressed willingness to serve.
Governance Process:
· The board reviewed governance requirements and bylaws considerations regarding off-cycle elections.
· It was agreed that:
o A formal election process should occur
o A mid-cycle ballot should be sent to the membership
o The process should follow governance norms, transparency, and member engagement
· The board discussed issuing a formal board resolution endorsing Alyssa as President-Elect and proceeding with a membership vote.
Motion: The Board of Directors supports the election of Alyssa Gilbert as President-Elect based on her dedication, leadership, and strong commitment to the organization’s mission. Alyssa has consistently shown good judgment, collaboration, and a clear understanding of the role. The Board is confident she will guide the Board effectively and support the organization’s continued growth. This resolution reflects the Board’s full support for Alyssa stepping into this leadership position
Vote: Motion passed unanimously.
Next Steps:
· A member ballot will be prepared and distributed by Andrew.
· The ballot will include:
o Candidate biography
o Board endorsement statement
o Formal vote mechanism
· Upon successful election, Alyssa will stand for President at the Annual Meeting.
Additional Governance Planning:
· The board noted the need to:
o Continue recruitment of future board members
o Develop a leadership pipeline
o Re-establish a consistent President-Elect succession structure
· It was acknowledged that the organization has not had a consistently timed President-Elect succession since 2019, and that rebuilding this pipeline is a strategic governance priority.
Feedback & Reflections on Recent Programs
The board discussed recent programs and community feedback.
General Reflections:
· Board members affirmed that:
o Programs are well-organized
o The Program Committee is highly engaged
o Planning is occurring well in advance
o Operational coordination is strong
· Appreciation was expressed for the Program Committee’s preparation, structure, and professionalism.
Community Feedback Discussion:
· The board discussed feedback received regarding perceived balance of perspectives in recent programs.
· It was noted that some community members expressed concerns about:
o Limited ideological diversity on panels
o Overrepresentation of certain institutional voices
o Insufficient inclusion of grassroots, labor, and community-based perspectives
· Board members emphasized that City Club is:
o Widely respected as a civic institution
o Expected to present broad perspectives on complex public issues
· Discussion acknowledged that:
o Program development can unintentionally rely on “default voices”
o Longstanding relationships may shape speaker selection
o This can limit representation of emerging or grassroots perspectives
o The board acknowledged that the Program Committee actively seeks diverse perspectives and intentionally invites a wide range of speakers.
o It was noted that efforts to diversify panels are sometimes constrained by speaker availability, including declined invitations, non-responses from alternative or community-based speakers
Strategic Considerations:
· The board identified the importance of:
o Expanding speaker pipelines
o Actively diversifying program voices
o Including labor, grassroots, and community organizing perspectives
o Reflecting the full civic ecosystem in programming
· These considerations were framed as directly connected to:
o Membership growth
o Organizational relevance
o Community trust
o Institutional legitimacy
The board affirmed its commitment to inclusive civic dialogue, balanced representation, and ongoing reflection to strengthen City Club’s role as a trusted community forum.
Kelly Johnson
Secretary
