The Board takes seriously its commitment to transparency and communication with SAA membership. In an effort to act on this commitment, the Board announces that:

  1. Board meeting minutes are now available in pdf format online and will be uploaded on a bi-monthly basis.

  2. The Board will post updates on “Messages from the Board to the Membership” on a monthly basis in the remainder of 2021 and throughout the 2021-2022 fiscal year.

  3. A number of Park Bench Sessions will be offered online beginning August 2021. These sessions, which provide an opportunity for SAA members to connect directly with Board members, were previously offered at Conferences and Leadership Retreats. The Board hopes that moving these sessions online will help facilitate and improve communication. All Board members, current and future, will be asked to demonstrate an ongoing commitment to participating in Park Bench Sessions.

    An optional survey can be filled out by SAA members at the end of each Park Bench session. The survey will be anonymous. Results will be collected in a database and viewed in aggregate form annually by the Board.

    More details regarding scheduling and signups are forthcoming.

All Board members humbly acknowledge and thank the membership for the spectrum of messages they have received. The voices of the membership help the Board to be able to identify what is working as well as where the SAA can grow and do better.We are meeting regularly to process the best ways to meet the needs of our entire membership, enabling us to take the actions that move our organization forward. Look to this Board News for progress updates.

On May 6, 2021, we received Esther Fellows’ letter of resignation from the SAA Board.

The Board thanks Esther for her dedicated and thoughtful service to the SAA. Trina Carey Hodgson will serve the remainder of Esther’s term as Secretary to the Board.

Clarification:

In September, 2020 a Board seat was vacated by Holly Blackwelder Carpenter, causing the number of Board members to fall below the minimum required in the SAA Bylaws.The board sought a person with board experience to fill this vacancy. MaryLouRoberts was nominated, having served on the Board from 2010 to 2013.  In accordance with SAA Bylaws 6.1 and 4.7,on September 15, 2020, MaryLou was voted in by the majority of the Board for that seat, having filled out the new application including the background check questions. This allowed the Board to proceed with its work, including the nominations of new board members. The announcement of this election was unfortunately delayed longer than expected. The Board apologizes for this oversight.