September 14, 2021
Artisan’s Asylum, Inc.
Minutes of the Meeting of the
Board of Directors
September 14, 2021
Attendance
Board Directors in Attendance:
- Ariel Matisse (co-Chair)
- Thomas Cole (co-Chair)
- Nettrice Gaskins
- Nicolas Warren
- Morgan Pierson
- Ebbe Dahlor
- Steve Derezinski
- Scott N. Miller
Board Directors Absent:
- Romaine Waite
- Sapna Tyagi
- Pamela Rosario Perez
Non-Directors in Attendance:
- Lars Hasselblad Torres, Executive Director/CEO
A scheduled meeting of the Board of Directors (the “Board”) of Artisan’s Asylum, Inc. (“Artisans” or the “Corporation”) was held via Zoom on September 14, 2021 at 18:00 EDT. Tom Cole took a role call and all the directors of the Board listed above were present. The meeting was then called to order at 18:05 EDT.
Approval of Prior Minutes
The first order of business was approving the Board from the May 11, 2021 and July 13, 2021 special meetings. The following resolution was presented to the Board:
RESOLVED, that the minutes of the May 11, 2021 and July 13, 2021 Board meetings, in the form presented to the Board, are hereby approved.
A motion to approve both sets of minutes was made and both sets of minutes were unanimously approved.
Executive Director Report
The next order of business was an update from the Executive Director, who provided an update on the financial highlights and status of Artisans’ pending grants. He then discussed the transition to the new membership portal and the winding down of the existing membership portal. The Executive Director then provided an update on the construction status of the Allston-Brighton location, noting that the schedule was slightly delayed. The Executive Director then took questions from the Board.
Annual Meeting Planning Update
Following the conclusion of the Executive Director’s presentation, Ariel Matisse provided an update on the Annual Meeting of the members, which is scheduled for September 23, 2021. Discussion topics included how to engage the members in the Strategic Plan.
Member Elections Planning
Next, the Board discussed the timing and requirements for the member-election process and approaches to help recruit candidates for Board positions.
Finance Committee
Nicolas Warren then provided an update on the P&L and Balance Sheet. He noted that the Corporation’s Federal 990 had been filed.
Development Committee
Ariel Matisse then provided an update on the status of the Annual Fund.
HR Committee Update
The co-Chairs of the Board noted that the HR matters from last year had been successful closed, and recommendations provided. The appointment of an Ombudsman is in process, and a HR consultant has been retained.
Board Replenishment and Chair Discussion/Nominating Committee Update
The Board discussed the opportunity to add capacity and reviewed the key characteristics of Board members, including willingness to be pubic ambassadors, being mission-aligned and having strong financial connections with potential donors. Also discussed was the creation of a Nominating Committee.
The Chairs of the Board then motioned to adjourn the meeting at 19:28 EDT and as there were no objections the meeting was adjourned.
