2025 May - Board of Directors Meeting Minutes 📝

Santa Barbara Vintners – Board of Directors Meeting Minutes

Date: May 20, 2025

Time: 10:00am – 12:00pm

Location: Brave & Maiden Estate

In Attendance:

Pierre LaBarge, Steven Gerbac, Jason Djang, Dan Glaeser, John H. Haan Jr. (Zoom), Keith Saarloos, Amy Christine (Zoom), Nicholas Miller, Kevin Gleason, Denise Shurtleff, Mike Testa, Brooke Christian

Item 1: Call to Order

Meeting called to order at 10:11am.

Item 2: Approve Minutes

Approve April 2025 Meeting Minutes.

Motion: Kevin.

Second: Mike.

Unanimous approval.

Item 3: Finances

Dan provided update on April 2025 financials.

Working with bookkeepers specializing in BID funding.

Nonprofit fiscal audit not required until $2M annual budget.

County will request use-of-funds review.

HdL calculations corrected to reflect full state scope.

HdL payment portal in development.

Item 4: CEO Update

Alison provided organizational updates for April 2025.

a. Grant strategy work underway.

b. Wine BID POS systems stable with no customer complaints.

c. Board Committees Progress Reports

• Transition & Strategy: new mission statement in development.

• Marketing: interviewing firms and evaluating build-in-house strategy.

• Events: planning for current and future event cycle.

• Finance: no additional updates.

• Board (Governance, Elections): interviewing candidates.

• Membership: improving communications; survey proposed.

d. Staffing — Emily Byram to begin full-time Sept 1; portion of time sold back to Foundation.

e. Sunstone Mixer recap — strong turnout.

f. Annual Meeting — July 23 at Fess Parker.

Item 5: Events

Golf Tournament sold out.

Health & Wellness Fair scheduled for August 2 in Santa Maria.

Vintners Festival has 75 wineries confirmed; invoicing underway.

Item 6: Meeting Adjourned

Meeting adjourned at 11:49am.