City Club of Eugene Board Meeting Minutes September 25, 2025 | 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) Absent: Betsy Pownall, Alyssa Gilbert
Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at 5:10 PM by President Thomas Hiura.
Approval of Previous Minutes
Eric moved to approve the previous meeting minutes. Joey seconded. Motion passed with all in favor.
Budget
Kathryn shared that she is working on preparing the FY budget, which begins next month. Historically, the budget would have been presented at this meeting. She believes the budget will not change significantly from last year and will review the numbers. She can either present it virtually or bring a year-in-review plus next-year proposal to the retreat. The budget must be approved soon, so this will be placed on the retreat agenda.
Andrew noted he only needs a basic profit/loss statement to file taxes and intends to file on time this year.
Board Roles & Recruitment / Membership Value
The board then discussed member recruitment and the broader goal of growing engagement:
· Who attends/listens to programs?
· Who feels like part of the organization?
· How do we expand reach and relevance?
This could become part of the retreat or an ongoing strategic discussion.
Thomas shared a detailed conversation with former President Sandra Bishop about City Club’s history. The first paragraph of the bylaws describes broader aspirational purposes and activities that City Club once pursued but no longer does.
The board agreed it could be valuable at the retreat to:
· Revisit original strengths and offerings.
· Reflect on what made membership valuable (e.g., special tours like Hayward Field).
· Consider reviving or adapting past strategies to strengthen the organization.
Members reflected that past efforts focused on stabilization. Now there is more equilibrium, opening the door to growth and innovation:
· What could City Club become?
· How do we build on current stability?
· Fundraising remains an ongoing concern.
There was open acknowledgment of the emotional reality of sustainability (“Some days it feels like keeping City Club alive”).
Retreat Format
Discussion of what typically happens at board retreats—relationship-building, strategy, food. Betsy will host and provide refreshments.
A major theme: burnout and sustainability. To avoid overloading a few individuals, the board agreed to explore:
· Delegating and cross-training tasks.
· Building a deeper volunteer “bench.”
· Avoiding reliance on single people for critical roles (e.g., Marilyn, Ralph, Thomas).
Retreat will include a conversation on sustainability and distributing responsibilities.
Website Discussion & Hosting / Migration
The board discussed challenges with the current website:
· Programs are regularly updated, but other sections (membership, bios, legacy content) may be outdated.
· WordPress is functional but not user-friendly for all.
· Desire to make the site easier to use and update by more people.
· Consider training (“WordPress literacy”) or workshops to spread capacity.
· Possibly redesign or migrate to a simpler platform (e.g., Squarespace) if aligned with needs.
Key insight: Before changing platforms, the board should define: “What do we actually need the website to do?”
This will be a major retreat topic.
Hosting Issue: The current Alpha IT hosting expires Sept. 30. Alpha threatened to shut down the site if not renewed.
Marilyn received an offer from Nine Planets for free managed WordPress hosting (valued at $869/year, 10GB storage, free domain transfer). However, the board would need to purchase a $200/hour “pro support block” for emergencies.
Consensus: Do not rush a long-term decision. Ask Alpha IT for a month-to-month extension (even if it costs ~$10 more/month) to allow time to plan at the retreat. The board authorized an extension.
Program Committee
Thomas reported that programming is strong and fully scheduled. The Riverfront series will be followed by additional programs already in the works.
Beginning next week, City Club of Eugene and Springfield City Club will co-host a two-part series on Riverfront Development:
· Part 1 at Roaring Rapids Pizza (Springfield)
· Part 2 at WOW Hall (Eugene)
Thomas shared historical context: In the past, Springfield has proposed deeper collaboration or even merging the clubs. There are significant bureaucratic hurdles, and Springfield just reorganized as a 501(c)(3). While merger is not currently being pursued, Springfield may revisit the idea in the future.
The board discussed cultural differences in program production (timing, structure, persistence of product). The board agreed to set expectations for joint programs to ensure clarity and quality.
Ideal scenario: both organizations remain independent but collaborate where mutually beneficial.
Membership Report (Ralph)
· Current membership: ~102 (stable)
· 15 memberships expiring end of month
· Renewal notices sent; 4 renewals received
· Concern: Membership is stable but not growing; future decline possible if value isn’t clear
Ralph noted it is difficult to recruit new members when there are no clear benefits.
Thomas is developing content and messaging to increase engagement and hopes to grow membership to 110 in 2025.
Andrew suggested not focusing on swag or perks but on the mission and service as the core value.
Kathryn noted membership organizations across sectors are declining, and we may need to reframe membership as civic support rather than transactional.
Support & Tools:
· Kelly offered to assist Ralph if given access to Bloomerang.
· Ralph agreed to train her via Zoom.
· Better board visibility into renewals/lapses would be helpful.
· Past outreach to lapsed members (emails/calls) had limited success.
Treasurer’s Report
Sponsorships (July–August combined): $12,500 YTD financial position (end of Aug): +$4,300 Cash on hand: approx. $30,000
Kathryn discovered how to properly reconcile in Intuit (via a hidden reconciliation page), which should prevent the discrepancies experienced last year.
Lunch Tracking: Current process is unclear and makes reconciliation difficult. Better tracking needed:
· Use the City Club debit card whenever possible
· Deposit cash with memos indicating “lunch”
· Clarify how Bloomerang/PayPal payments appear
· Needs a protocol/SOP
The board discussed exploring interest-bearing accounts or similar low-risk options to generate passive income. Summit Bank has been a valuable local partner, but could offer or match higher interest vehicles. Options at other institutions may also be considered. A board member offered to ask an advisor about a high-yield option (~5.5%) and report back.
Staffing & Role Clarification:
· Consider a part-time staff position beyond Josh.
· Clarify Josh’s long-term role and whether he wants to attend board meetings.
· Discuss at retreat.
Next Steps & Key Follow-Ups:
Budget & Taxes
· Prepare draft FY budget for retreat.
· Provide Andrew with basic P&L for taxes.
Retreat Planning
· Include budget, sustainability, website purpose, Josh’s role, membership value, recruitment, and historical strengths.
Website
· Request monthly extension from Alpha IT.
· Create website inventory using AI.
· Prepare to define website goals at retreat.
Membership
· Schedule Bloomerang training session. (Ralph & Kelly)
· Share renewal/lapse updates with board regularly. (Ralph/Kelly)
Next Meeting
Thursday, October 26, 2025 – 1:00–4:00 PM (Board Retreat at Betsy’s home) No regular October meeting.
