2020 Oct 28th - Board of Directors Meeting Minutes 📝
MEETING NOTES
IN ATTENDANCE: Stephen Janes, Katy Rogers, Wayne Kelterer, Nicholas Miller, Riley Slack, Tim Snider, Tyler Thomas
Item 1: Call to Order
o Meeting called to order (10:05am)
Item 2: Discuss Status of Wine Preserve
o Alison gives Board a status of the Wine Preserve and the growing opposition of it
o Multiple stories in the press from wineries opposing the Wine Preserve
o Santa Barbara County is asking if we will continue to pursue the Wine Preserve
o If we continue with current structure of SBV, we will reset our fiscal year to July-June
o We will invoice for six months if we continue
o If we continue with dues structure, we must reconstruct
o Structure going forward must be inclusive and defensible
o Create fund or committee(s) for Advocacy & Marketing
o These committees will be more powerful and have more say
o We want to be inclusive and incorporate the wineries that are opposed to Wine Preserve
o The sediment that SBV is dysfunctional and not inclusive needs to be addressed
o Alison does not want anyone to step down from Board since this would cause the loss of seasoned Board members
Item 3: Open Forum for Board Members to Speak
o Tyler Thomas
§ Should not be concerned with inclusion, we have not shown any efforts of being exclusionary
§ Other AVA associations require minimum number of sales to be included
§ We can combine our structure with other association’s format
§ Agree, By-Laws need to be re-vamped going forward
§ A lot of wineries in SBC are small and need to unify
§ Benefit based model: a la carte except for higher tier
§ Simple two tier model with lower intro tier and higher tier with more benefits
§ Dues should go up
§ Simplify categories
§ I can offer my seat if we need to recycle the Board
o Nicholas Miller
§ Dialogue from people not supporting Wine Preserve that SBV is exclusionary is not true
§ We have continued to help non-members
§ If Board feels beneficial, perhaps stepping down could help open seats to non-members to join and run for seat
§ We have always strived to work with all wineries
o Katy Rogers
§ Board members should work together to reach out to non-supporters of Wine Preserve
§ Invoice for six months of 2021 and go to Plan C if we have to
§ We can offer open board seats in 2021, not now
o Wayne Kelterer
§ Agree with Katy, we should reach out to those opposing the Wine Preserve
§ SBV and Board believe in listening
§ Wine Preserve was a collective decision made through compromise
§ Took community’s guidance into account
§ Going forward, seek a happy medium
§ Start with six month invoicing and reset fiscal year
o Riley Slack
§ Recommends no one step down from the board. Feels not constructive
§ Recommends By-Laws be updated
§ Consider increasing dues for the six month window
§ Proposed Advocacy & Marketing committees should be effective and come out with action plan and executable items
o Stephen Janes
§ Suggest we build upon structure we created and target new members, listen to their feedback, revise
§ We should invoice as usual and not increase dues
§ Membership Committee should work on “Plan C”, new model
o Tim Snider
§ No one should retreat or resign
§ We should reiterate our goals and aspirations
§ We will continue to pursue inclusiveness and not divide
§ Wine Preserve was constructed to be inclusive and bring our community together as one
§ Wine Preserve was issue, SBV still inclusive and will continue to achieve our goals
§ SBV will still work for our community and will encourage others to join us to be a bigger voice
Item 4: Action Items Going Forward
o Address press as effective as possible with message Wine Preserve not intended to be divisive
o Meet with non-supporters of Wine Preserve: Wayne Kelterer, Tyler Thomas, Stephen Janes volunteer
o Membership Committee for Plan C
§ Tim Snider, Katy Rogers, Karen Steinwachs volunteer
o Six month invoices should be considered for 2021 membership
o Pursue Advocacy & Marketing Committees
o We will not abandon our goals in 2021
o At next Strategic Planning meeting, we should start discussing the Plan C more in-depth
o Katy makes motion to invoice for first six months of 2021 without increase in dues. Stephen seconds. Board approves.
Item 5: Meeting Adjourned
o Meeting adjourned at 11:38am