PRESENT: Luke Shorty, Celeste Branham, Pam Proulx-Curry, Diane Lebson, Bill Guindon, Brittany Gleixner-Hayat, Tilan Copson
Committee members convened at 3:30 pm using virtual meeting platform. Brittany Gleixner-Hayat was present. Tilan Copson was present for staff support. Luke Shorty sent a message to Committee on Basecamp the prior day regarding discussion items.
1. Commissioner Quorum and Attendance:
- Luke Shorty, Celeste Branham, Pam Proulx-Curry, Diane Lebson, Bill Guindon
2. Key Agenda Items:
- Termination Letter Follow-Up
- The organization sent termination notices to 8 grantees on April 25th, providing them 10 business days to complete closeout activities.
- One-on-one conversations were held with grantees before the notices were sent to explain the situation.
- The legal strategy involves filing a motion for preliminary injunction, which is different from a temporary restraining order (TRO).
- The legal action is being filed by multiple states, with Colorado taking a lead role.
- Regarding funding, FY25 funds are currently uncertain
- Press and Strategic Communications
- Conducting multiple press interviews last week and this week
- A summary of all press is in the works Focusing communications strategy on impact, highlighting community stories
- Potential future communications plans include:
- A social media campaign using #LetThemServe
- Creating an FAQ landing webpage to address evolving situation
- Developing an informational flyer with numbers that speak to impact in Maine
3. General updates and planning:
- Budget Parameters
- Mary Alice submitted a budget based on Part One of the state budget
- The finance task force reviewed the budget and agreed it can be easily amended if Part Two passes
- Motion: Celeste made a formal motion to endorse the finance task force's recommendation: Second: Diane seconded the motion Vote: The vote was unanimous
- The budget will be presented to the full commission at the May 16th meeting
- Potential AmeriCorps Support event
- An event is proposed for May 19th at Thomas College, running from 1-4 PM
- The event aims to support impacted AmeriCorps members by providing:
- Resume building assistance
- College opportunity exploration
- Workforce pathway guidance
- Thomas College is considering honoring the full AmeriCorps education award
- Next steps include:
- Verifying interest from grantee program managers
- Conducting a survey to assess member participation
- Potential partnerships were discussed with:
- Jobs for Maine Graduates (JMG)
- Live and Work in Maine
- Regional development corporations
- Legislative Support for LD 876
- The bill aims to increase Maine Service Fellows to 20 members with $700,000 in funding
- The bill could serve as a backup plan if AmeriCorps state/local programs are terminated
- Jenni will provide testimony on Thursday supported by staff
- Commissioners are encouraged to support the bill
- Efforts are being made to reach out to Republican legislators for additional support
4. Additional Discussion Points:
- Staff Morale
- Britt reported that the staff is:
- Responding in a highly professional manner
- Supporting each other through the transition
- Maintaining a positive attitude during a challenging time
- Meeting frequently to stay updated
- The commissioners remain open to providing support
- Britt reported that the staff is:
- The group discussed potentially reviewing the executive committee action policy
- Britt reported that the office move to MOCA is likely to be delayed to September or October
- Pam volunteered to review the current grant application alongside Bill
General reflections: welcomed new executive director to the meeting and shared gratitude for the press efforts. The meeting was focused on managing the current challenges, with an emphasis on supporting AmeriCorps members and maintaining organizational resilience.