December 2, 2019

SPJ/LA Board of Directors

Monday, Dec. 2, 2019, 7:15 p.m.

Maria’s Italian Kitchen

10761 W Pico Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90064

Present: Penny Arevalo, Ashanti Blaize-Hopkins, Stephanie Bluestein, Tom Bray, Sarah Favot, Jason Lewis, Elizabeth Marcellino, Navid Nonahal, Richard Saxton, Nathan Solis, Lori Streifler, Roberta Wax, Julia Wick, Natalie Windsor and David Zahniser.

I. Approval of board minutes -- Oct. 7 and Nov. 4. Zahniser moved to approve the October minutes, Saxton seconded. Zahniser moved to approve the November minutes, Saxton seconded. Motions carries.

II. Treasurer’s report – Marcellino -- Nonahal moved to accept the treasurer’s report, Windsor seconded. Motion passes.

III. President’s report – Bluestein reported that chapter presidents and other leaders are upset with the lack of transparency surrounding the hiring of a new SPJ national executive director

.IV. Standing/Ad Hoc Committees

a. Awards –Streifler and Wick. The board selected the winners of the Distinguished Journalists Awards for 2020. Winners will be informed individually before a news release goes out.

b. Banquet – Wax. The banquet is set for March 25, 2020 at the Omni in downtown Los Angeles. The board discussed possible keynote speakers and new efforts to bring in speakers from other parts of the country. Zahniser moved to have the board authorize the banquet committee to spend up to $1,000 to pay for a keynote speaker’s travel costs and overnight lodging the night of the banquet. Seconded by Blaize-Hopkins. Motion passes.

c. Courts – Marcellino (no report)

d. Diversity – Lewis. Xavier Higgs, past president of NABJ, has offered to help with the committee next year.

e. Ethics – Bellman (no report)

f. FOI – Zahniser (no report)

g. Generation J – Blaize-Hopkins (no report)

h. Membership – Nonahal (no report)

i. Nominations – Bray The chapter has four open seats in this year’s board elections, with seven potential candidates. The deadline to submit names is Dec. 7.

j. Scholarships – Saxton (no report)

V. Old Business

VI. New Business

a. Election of new chapter president – Bluestein. Bluestein nominated Zahniser, seconded by Wick. Motion carries.

b. Holiday party – Mottek – The party will be held Dec. 11 at El Floridita in East Hollywood. RSVPs are still coming in. No live music this year.

VII. Adjournment

The board adjourned at 9:29 p.m. in memory of Alan Hagman, deputy director of photography for the L.A. Times; Joe Sullivan, retired TV producer and writer at Channel 2 in L.A. and who later taught at USC; and Louis Brewster, covered motor sports for Southern California News Group.

Next meeting:Board retreat in January 2020Date and location TBA