I. MEETING ATTENDANCE AND OPENING

Voting Members: Paul Guyas, Chika Okoro, Vicky Droze, Zack Scharlepp, Sarah Thompson, David Yon, Judy Alexander, Heather York, John Sivyer and Mary Jean Yon

 Non-Voting Members: Bill Lott, Mark Tombrink, Doug Bell, Danny Manausa and Kaari Guyas

 The meeting was called to order by Paul Guyas at 7:33 p.m. A quorum was established. The October meeting agenda was approved with no objection.

A motion to approve the meeting minutes for the September meeting was made, seconded and passed without objection.

 II. OFFICER ANNOUNCEMENTS

 School Grants Coordinator – Paul Guyas

After confirming they would accept the position, Paul appointed, subject to board approval, Carter & Jennifer Hay to assume the duties of the School Grants Coordinator effective immediately. The board approved this appointment without objection.

III.       OLD BUSINESS

 ACT Challenge Update – Danny Manausa

Danny briefed the group on the A Community Thrives (ACT) grant program sponsored by the Gannett Foundation and the USA Today Network.  A total of $7,030 had been raised by GWTC from 74 individuals and business. This placed GWTC in the top 10% of nationwide competitors. The fundraising deadline is Friday, October 16 and all grants, including the amount of the grants, will be announced prior to December 15, 2020. All of the funds raised through this social media campaign can be kept by GWTC.

Holiday Party & Awards Ceremony – Vicky Droze

Following up on the discussion from the August board meeting, Vicky Droze asked the board for guidance on how to proceed with plans for the Holiday Party (December) and Awards Ceremony (January) in light of concerns with COVID-19 and the risks and restrictions associated with large group gatherings. A motion to cancel the Holiday Party was made, seconded and passed followed by a motion to cancel the Awards Ceremony which was also made, seconded and passed.

Race Updates

Doug Bell gave a brief update on the virtual version of the Steve Prefontaine 5K Forest Run but noted that the financial wrap-up could not be confirmed until RunSignUp released its hold on registration fees received. It was decided to wait until the November board meeting for race reports on Prefontaine, Women’s Distance Festival 5K and Sickle Cell 5K Run/Walk.

Tannenbaum 6K – Paul Guyas reported that he received an email from Leigh Davis, Director of Leon County Parks & Recreation, saying no permit would be issued for the Tannenbaum 6K race at Apalachee Regional Park this year.

GWTC Elections – Zack Scharlepp

Zack shared the slate of candidates for the 2021 GWTC Board of Directors and a motion to approve this list was made, seconded and passed. Discussion ensued as to how best to conduct the election…by mail or electronically. In response to an inquiry about the cost of last year’s (mail-in) election, Mary Jean Yon agreed to research this question and share that information. Once this information is received, the board will vote by email to determine how to hold the election before ballots are sent out in early November. The Committee on Nominations, comprised of Zack, Bill Dillon and Jamilia Allen, will continue  collecting bios for each of the candidates. John Sivyer added that he will give Zack the slate for the Tri-Club election which will be incorporated in this process.

IV. NEW BUSINESS

Annual Awards – Mark Tombrink

Mark reported that the Grand Prix Committee has decided to limit the number of awards for 2020 to the following categories: Hall of Fame, Cleveland-Caldwell Advancement of the Sport, Volunteer of the Year, Community Award and two others to be determined by the committee.  Using an estimate of $80/award, Mark requested approval to spend $480 for these awards. The board approved this plan, including the list of award categories and the associated expenditures.  Mark said an award would only be given for each category if the committee believed someone was deserving of the award.

IRS Form 990 – David Yon

David shared a draft copy of the club’s tax filing (Form 990) for 2019 and requested approval to submit this to the Internal Revenue Service before the November 15, 2020 deadline. A copy previously had been emailed to all board members for their review. A motion to approve this submittal was made, seconded and passed.

Turkey Trot Update – David Yon

David reported that plans are underway for a virtual version of Turkey Trot that may involve a Zoom production for participants on Thanksgiving morning. He is currently exploring opportunities with Vaughn Wilson at Mega Ace Productions and promised to keep the board informed.

V. COMMITTEE REPORTS

Treasurer – David Yon

David provided the treasury report as of October 14, 2020. Assets were reported at $254,595.06 and Net Revenue Year To Date was $8,014.92. The Club’s RRCA Membership renewal will be presented for approval next month.

 Triathlete Club – John Sivyer

John reported that the St. Marks Duathlon was held on Sunday, October 11 and had 62 finishers. The GWTC Triathlete Club implemented extensive public health protocols for the race and was pleased with how everything turned out.

Race Director Coordinator – Mary Jean Yon

Mary Jean reported that the GWTC Race Directors met via Zoom on October 11, 2020. The group heard from the race directors of Sickle Cell 5K Run/Walk, Women’s Distance Festival 5K and the Steve Prefontaine 5K Forest Run about how their virtual events turned out during the month of September. More detailed race reports will be available for the November board meeting. The group also discussed the St. Marks Duathlon and reviewed the extensive public health protocols that were in place for that event. Tom Perkins shared a brief review of the plans for Hops & Half Shells 5K Trail Run/Walk which will also be an in-person race and is scheduled for November 14, 2020. Note: Hops & Half Shells is not a GWTC race.

 Newsletter – Robert and Kory Skrob

Paul reported for Robert that there will be a November newsletter.

Membership –Mark Priddy

Memberships and households for the year were reported at 1,315 and 683, respectively, as of October 14, 2020. These figures are compared to those at this time last year, which included 1,156 memberships and 630 households. There are also 280 Tri-Club members.

Diversity Committee – Chris Turner

No report.

 Education and Lecture – Kat Sack

No report.

Trail Work Committee – Dominic Milner

No report.

Website – David Yon

Nothing new to report.

Chenoweth Fund – David Yon

Nothing new to report.

Merchandise –Laura McDermott and Sherri Wise

No report.

Equipment – Bill Lott for Tec Thomas

Bill replaced a battery in one of the finish line clocks at a cost of $30.09. Another clock, used at the St. Marks Duathlon, stopped working during the race and will likely need to be sent to the manufacturer for repair.

Chip Timing– Bill Lott

Bill Lott provided the following chip timing report. One middle school cross country meet was chip timed in September. The St. Marks Duathlon and two cross country meets are scheduled for chip timing in October. All other originally scheduled races for both September and October were canceled or changed to the virtual format.

Trail Running/Racing Coordinator

No report.

Grand Prix Committee – Mark Tombrink

Covered in New Business above.

Volunteer – Lyssa Oberkreser

No report.

Training Groups – Thomas Biance (Interim)

No report.

Youth Council – Kaari Guyas

No report.

Social – Vicky Droze

Covered above under Old Business.

A motion to adjourn was made, seconded, and passed. The meeting adjourned at 8:35 P.M.

Mary Jean Yon, Interim Secretary