City Club of Eugene Board Meeting Minutes May 28, 2026 | 5:00–6:30 PM | KIDSPORTS & via Zoom Present: Alyssa Gilbert (President), Andrew Kalloch, Eric Dziura, Betsy Pownall, Kelly Johnson (Secretary), Ralph Pledger, Joey Bruckner Absent: Meggie Wright
Call to Order The meeting was called to order by President Alyssa Gilbert.
Approval of Prior Minutes A motion was made by Eric and seconded by Joey to approve the April minutes. The motion passed unanimously.
Agenda Review No additional agenda items were added.
Archives and Historical Recordings The board discussed the future of City Club’s archived recordings currently housed at the Eugene Public Library. The collection includes audio cassettes, CDs, and historical program recordings dating back to the early 1990s. Library staff have indicated that they no longer wish to store the materials due to limited use and storage constraints. The board discussed several options, including: ● Exploring digitization of recordings ● Seeking grant funding to support archival preservation ● Determining the historical value of the collection ● Investigating whether another institution, such as a museum or university archive, may be interested in housing the materials Joey volunteered to research potential digitization costs and options.
Sponsorship and Partnership Updates Alyssa reported several positive partnership developments: ● WOW Hall agreed to provide an annual discount of approximately $1,000 in exchange for revised sponsorship benefits. ● City Club will continue its in-kind membership exchange with the Eugene Area Chamber of Commerce. ● The Chamber partnership will include promotional support and advertising opportunities designed to increase visibility for City Club programs and membership recruitment. The board expressed appreciation for these cost-saving and promotional opportunities.
Board Retreat Planning The board reviewed preliminary plans for the summer board retreat. Potential agenda topics include: ● Review of board survey results ● Fundraising strategies and development planning ● Committee structure and responsibilities ● Orientation and onboarding for new board members Board members were encouraged to submit additional agenda ideas.
Committee Chair Appointments The board reviewed committee leadership appointments required under the bylaws. A motion was made by Joey and seconded by Eric to reappoint the following committee chairs: ● Ralph Pledger – Membership Committee ● Marilyn Milne – Media & Communications Committee ● Joel Korin – Program Committee The motion passed unanimously. Board representatives for committees were also discussed, including Betsy Pownall serving as board liaison to Membership and Eric serving as board liaison to Media & Communications.
Treasurer Transition and Financial Systems The board held an extended discussion regarding treasurer responsibilities and organizational financial management. With no incoming treasurer currently identified, the board discussed distributing key responsibilities among board members until a permanent solution is found. Kathryn provided an overview of recurring financial duties, including: Weekly Tasks ● Reviewing and categorizing transactions in QuickBooks ● Processing invoices and payments ● Monitoring financial activity ● Reconciling transactions
Monthly Tasks ● Running payroll for Josh ● Reviewing automated tax filings ● Reconciling bank accounts ● Preparing financial reports Additional discussion included: ● Creating institutional documentation and procedures for financial processes ● Potentially engaging consultant Heidi Larwick to develop a written operations manual ● Improving user access and account management within QuickBooks ● Ensuring organizational rather than personal ownership of financial accounts and logins Andrew volunteered to assist with QuickBooks management, while Alyssa agreed to continue handling online banking and invoice payments. The board noted that these arrangements may be revisited after onboarding new board members.
State Reporting Issue Alyssa reported receiving notices from the State of Oregon regarding missing quarterly payroll reports and associated penalties. Discussion revealed that QuickBooks appears to have automatically submitted the required reports, though the state may not have recorded them correctly. The board agreed to: ● Follow up with the Oregon Employment Department ● Provide documentation of submitted reports if necessary ● Work toward resolving or reducing the assessed penalties
Membership Committee Report Ralph reported that membership currently stands at approximately 98 members following several recent renewals. Discussion included: ● Continued challenges with member renewals and retention ● Past delays in processing mailed membership payments ● Improvements in tracking membership information through Bloomerang The committee noted that recent renewals included returning members who had not renewed in several years. Board members also discussed ongoing limitations in managing household and family memberships within Bloomerang.
Program Committee Report Betsy provided an update on behalf of the Program Committee. The committee recently welcomed several new members. Board members expressed enthusiasm about the additional capacity and fresh perspectives. The board discussed a recent Program Committee meeting during which a long-standing committee member resigned. The discussion centered on longstanding disagreements regarding speaker biography formatting and editing practices. The committee reaffirmed previous guidance that: ● Speaker biographies should generally be published as submitted. ● Edits should be limited to spelling, grammar, and length requirements. Following discussion, the committee member submitted a resignation and indicated they would not be returning to committee service. The board acknowledged the member’s many years of volunteer service and discussed sending a formal note of appreciation. Program Updates Recent programs received positive feedback, including: ● Beyond Enrichment: Arts as a Lifeline for Youth Well-Being ● The Library in the Community Board members highlighted the effectiveness of the interview format and audience participation. The committee reported that programming is largely scheduled through July, with only a small number of remaining openings.
Media & Communications Report The board received an update on podcast production. Following the board’s approval last month, Tom Gillies has assumed responsibility for podcast production and is working through a backlog of recordings. Board members noted: ● Significant improvement in publishing consistency ● Up-to-date podcast distribution on Spotify and other platforms ● Continued efforts to identify volunteers who can assist with content review and quality control. The committee also reported: ● New board members and Turtle Award recipients will be added to the website. Recent program recordings continue to generate strong engagement through YouTube and podcast platforms
Financial Report Kathryn reviewed April financial statements. April Activity ● Net operating result: ($2,175.92) The board noted that April includes the organization’s annual QuickBooks and software expenses, contributing to the temporary deficit. Year-to-Date Activity ● Net operating result: ($2,262.25) Account Balances (as of April 30) ● Operating Account: $32,930.50 ● Holding Account: $4,224.56 Discussion included: ● Seasonal fundraising trends ● Membership and sponsorship revenue ● Potential consolidation of bank accounts to simplify financial management The organization remains in a stable financial position.
Good of the Order Board members reflected on the conclusion of terms for several outgoing board members and welcomed the incoming board cohort. The board expressed appreciation for the service and contributions of departing members.
Next Steps ● Research options for digitizing historical recordings ● Finalize plans for the summer board retreat ● Continue treasurer recruitment efforts ● Develop financial process documentation ● Resolve Oregon payroll reporting issues ● Complete website updates and podcast backlog Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned.
