April 1, 2019
SPJ/LA Board of Directors
Monday, April 1, 2019
7 p.m.
Louise’s Trattoria
10645 W. Pico Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90064
Present: Penny Arevalo, Joel Bellman, Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins, Stephanie Bluestein, Tom Bray, Sarah Favot, Jason Lewis, Kathryn Mora, Frank Mottek, Navid Nonahal, Nathan Solis, Alice Walton, Julia Wick and David Zahniser
Bluestein called the meeting to order at 7:11 p.m.
I. Minutes: Wick moved to approved the February minutes, Blaize-Hopkins seconded. Motion approved. Bellman moved to approve the March minutes; Favot seconded. Motion approved.
II. President’s Report –The Region 11 conference in Las Vegas, which Bluestein attended on behalf of the chapter, was very informative. SPJ/LA board member Tom Bray also attended. It had several good panel discussions, including one on the Las Vegas shooting from a year ago. Bluestein feels there should be some standard guidelines regarding how the Mark of Excellence student awards are given out at the regional conferences because in Las Vegas the students didn’t go up at the luncheon to collect their awards -- only their names were read. The next regional convention will be March 20-21, 2020 in Hawaii. Bluestein also reported the chapter released a statement on AB 700, a proposed bill to exempt a vast swatch of university research materials from the state’s public-record disclosure law. The bill is due to be heard soon by the Assembly Judiciary Committee.
III. Treasurer’s report – In Marcellino’s absence, Bluestein reported that the banquet finances still need to be reconciled. Bluestein reported that Morgan Stanley now requires that a very detailed financial account form be completed by everyone who has access to the Morgan Stanley account. Bellman moved that Navid Nonahal and Stephanie Bluestein be the authorizer signers on the Morgan Stanley account. Favot moved to receive the treasurer's report. Zahniser seconded. Motion approved.
IV. Standing/Ad Hoc Committees
a. Awards – No report
b. Banquet –The SPJ/LA banquet was held on March 20. Walton reported there was good feedback from the honorees. One hundred and twenty-five people attended. Marcellino is continuing to work to reconcile the banquet payments but preliminary estimates are the event made about $2,000.
c. Courts – No report
d. Diversity –Solis reported that the L.A. chapter of NABJ is a potential partner for a four-person panel on a Saturday in mid-May. The Diversity Committee is working to secure panelists and figuring out the date and location with NABJ-LA.
e. Ethics – Bellman reported that he, on behalf of the chapter, sent a letter to the UC Board of Regents, calling to their attention our California Public Records Act request that was filed a year ago and still hasn’t been fulfilled. The story was picked up by City News and the Daily News (March 28). UCLA only responded briefly. The letter was posted on the chapter’s website
f. FOI – No report
g. Generation J –Blaize-Hopkins reported there are two events are in the works. On April 17, the chapter will host a workshop for journalists on how to deal with online harassment. The event will be held on Santa Monica College’s Bundy campus; On April 26, at 11 a.m., the chapter will host a tour of KCRW newsroom. The audience for the tour will be primarily students.
h. Membership –Nonahal reported that she will be sending out emails to all of the attendees from the banquet inviting them to join the chapter.
i. Nominations –No report
j. Scholarships –In Saxton’s absence, Bluestein reported that a news release soliciting scholarship applications will be sent out in late April. The chapter will have a total of five scholarships this year, including the new Richard Hendrickson Scholarship, which might be $2,000. The chapter’s other four scholarships will be $1,000.
V. Old Business
a. New Scholarship Funds: Bluestein reported she is continuing to work with a non-profit organization that is going defunct and wants to transfer their funds to our chapter, to be used for scholarships.
VI. New Business: Bluestein reported that the chapter needs to find a new meeting space because staff has told us that Louise’s Trattoria is closing.
VII. Next board meeting is Monday, May 6 at 7 p.m. Adjournment Zahniser moved to adjourn the meeting at 8:26 p.m. in memory of in memory of journalists Antonia Myrup Frank and Tom Hatten. Mottek seconded. Approved.