Central Region Area Liaisons at the Expanded CRB Meeting:
Back L-R: CRB member/Milwaukee Liaison Kathi Karol Koenig; Minneapolis
Liaison Joey Babay; Kansas City Liaison Tom Moriarty; President Mark
Zimmerman; St. Louis Liaison Michele Burdette-Elmore; Chorus Councillor/Detroit
Liaison Tom Murray;
Front L-R: CRB member/Detroit Liaison Peggy Thorp;
Cincinnati/Louisville Liaison member Clara Harris;
Note: photo is of Councillor/Milwaukee Liaison Dan Mooney, who was
unable to stay for entire meeting.
The first and second of three Expanded Regional Board Meetings were held in Los Angeles (September 9-10, 2007) and Chicago (October 8-9, 2007), respectively, bringing Equity's elected National Officers, Board members and National staff together with Area Liaisons from the Western and Central Regions. President Mark Zimmerman and Executive Director John P. Connolly presided over each two-day summit, along with the Regional VPs Doug Carfrae and Dev Kennedy and Regional Directors Susan Wallace and Kathryn Lamkey. The gatherings delved into a variety of national and local issues with an eye on Equity's future.
"The goal of the expanded Board meetings," affirmed Mr. Zimmerman, "is to begin an ongoing dialogue with our leadership, staff and our area liaisons, to develop successful strategies to deal with the enormous changes in our industry. This process entails analyzing what we're doing and how well we're doing it, refining our mission and objectives, and constructing achievable goals within the framework of our democratic, member-driven structure."
Western Region Area Liaisons at the Expanded WRB Meeting in Los
Angeles:
Back L-R:
Austin/San Antonio Stage Manager Councillor Bill McMillin, Bay Area
Advisory Committee Chair Jerry Mark, Houston Liaison David Grant,
Seattle Liaison Roger Curtis
Front L-R: Phoenix Liaison Tony Hodges, Denver Liaison Lindsey Hanahan,
Las Vegas Liaison Joel Renee, San Diego Liaison Debra Wanger
Both President Zimmerman and Mr. Connolly challenged the participants to look deeply and honestly at what Equity is, or is not, doing for its members: Are we looking ahead? Are we doing the necessary research for our industry that enables us to make intelligent fact-based decisions at the bargaining table? How can we best serve our members' needs with our available financial resources? Do our current policies and practices address our rapidly changing workplace as well as broader social issues crucial to our members and their families?
The Eastern Region's meeting will take place on November 12-13. Ideas and recommendations spawned at these unprecedented meetings will be synthesized and brought back to Council for further action.
