Board Meeting Minutes — January 2025

Minutes - LEAD Foundation Board Meeting

26 January 2025

Meeting called to order by Board President (David Dewbre) at 11:10 am.

Present at Meeting: Dave Arbogast, Lani Cahill, Belinda Contreras, Kenny Cook-Askins, David Dewbre, Grace Edinboro, William Hicks, Shawnie Livera, Roni Lopez, Paul Saba, Susan Sirkin, and Mike Smith. This constitutes a quorum of voting members. Non-voting members present: Sarahy Barrera, Dustin Dionne, Michelle Torp.

Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the 4 JAN 2025 meeting were reviewed and approved as published. Move to approve minutes as published: Will Hicks; Seconded: Belinda Contreras. Approved: 100%

Treasurer’s Report:

• Current balance $208,099.16 New voting members as of today (1/26/25): None.
• New IRS Letter saying we’re not in compliance and our status is suspended. Written a week after the letter that said we were good to go. Susan tried submitting the 990’s electronically and they went through, which is usually a sign of current status. Susan may try calling them again. Paul’s sister works for the IRS – he’ll see if she can check our status.
• We need to draft, discuss, and approve a budget for 2025.
• Monthly reconciliation once new software has data in it. Susan and Roni to meet this week.
• Should update Cadet Store to charge sales tax for uniform items (GE task)
• We really need a better website for Cadet Store sales. Reports are unclear on the source of charges or income and make it very difficult to reconcile the books. Dave Dewbre will look into the Stripe website option.
• Question was raised as to when Lani Cahill will be reimbursed for food purchases for BCTA (next few days)
• Susan confirmed that she has been paying CA Sales Tax quarterly for Cadet Store Sales.

-Move to accept the Treasurer’s Report made by Belinda Contreras, seconded by Roni Lopez. Approved: 100%

Old Business:

1. Grace Edinboro gave an update on the CERT grant. We need to complete the purchases for the grant ending 31 March 2025, with $18K left to spend. We recently purchased $16K of CERT Backpacks, and will purchase the 2 approved Stop the Bleed Training Kits this week.
2. No update on AEDs in CSLO facilities. MSG Barrera will look into it. There should be 5 AEDs in CACC facilities at CSLO. The S2 will take over inventory and update of the devices. The end state for their plan is to have available in 1402, 1301, 754, and 1311: an AED, an STB Kit, Narcan, and a First Aid Kit.
3. MOU between LEAD and CMD: A rough draft has been sent to the Military Department JAG.
4. Annual Report: Zak Lara started working on this with input from Grace Edinboro. The draft is available for review and suggestions for completion. Need to meet to finalize. Meeting set for Monday, 3 FEB, either at 1730 or 2000 hrs.
5. Update on LEAD website, which still needs to be developed. Susan says a website came with the APLOS software. Or Jed Soriano may be able to help out. No change. Dave Dewbre will follow up with Susan.
6. 1SG Dionne has been reimbursed for expenditures for the Wilderness Skills Course in DEC. Finally received check from Greenfield HS for participants. Item closed.
7. No movement yet at getting a price (or gift) for the container of NVMI equipment that’s still sitting at Fort Irwin. No movement on seeing if the Cal Guard can move the container to CSLO for us. Note that we could put it at California City HS (Belinda Contreras), near Ft Irwin, if needed.
8. Elections for the LEAD Board positions of Vice President and Treasurer are scheduled for 8 FEB 2025.
9. Grace Edinboro identified acceptable Asset Tags to be used to label LEAD equipment. Item approved by Will Hicks. Grace Edinboro moved to authorize $150 to purchase 500 tags. Seconded by Will Hicks. Approve 100%
10. Follow-up on the purchase of CAT-T Tourniquets for brigade STB Training Kits. Grace will make the purchase.
11. Still waiting for requests for reimbursement for purchases of online ads (Zak Lara) or snacks for IMA (Lani Cahill) or Red Cross receipt for Instructor Certification (Belinda Contreras). No Recondo purchases yet.
12. Update on the plaques ordered: Received the 3 for the UK Staff Ride. Have not developed verbiage for the ones for CSLO DFAC and PX and JFTB Los Alamitos. No change.

New Business.

1. It would be more efficient to make the LEAD Accounting forms online, with a resulting spreadsheet posted on the form site. Grace Edinboro recommends we create a SharePoint site for LEAD on the Microsoft site which LEAD pays for. 1SG Dionne later informed us that a LEAD SharePoint exists. Grace will follow up.
2. Received outreach from our Listos Grant Manager saying we need our insurance bond to cover ALL grants. We got insurance for the 2023 grant, but not the 2022 grant (which expires 31 MAR). Grace will follow up with the insurance company to see if we can add $15K to the policy and cover both grants.
3. Regarding the umbrella insurance policy for LEAD, we got the IRS letter (pending further research on that), but the insurance company has a temporary moratorium on non-profit policies. It was a complex policy request to put together, so we want to wait for the moratorium to be lifted rather than start all over again with another insurer. We anticipate movement in February.
4. It was brought up that the CalOES Grant cycle starts again soon. LEAD members are asked to consider what type of support we wish to request for an FY24 grant.
5. Grace Edinboro brought up the possibility of offering some type of stipend in the future for people who spend significant time doing LEAD business. We don’t want this to mean we have employees of the non-profit, but there are times when significant hours are required by the Treasurer and Grant Managers. To be considered and discussed.
6. Grace Edinboro moves to authorize reimbursement of up to $300 the purchase of two timers for IMA speeches and possibly marksmanship competitions. Belinda Contreras seconded. Approved 100%.
7. Michelle Torp introduced the advisability of whether she can use STB certification and STB Kits as part of a fundraiser for her school dance team. Kits would be issued to school staff attending the training. Any fees collected would be for the training, not the kits. The board members indicated that they thought that was a legitimate use of the grant provided kits.
8. Mike Smith introduced the CONOP for a SCUBA Course at the 2025 Summer Encampment. They have received pledges of donations to offset $2K of the cost, which is estimated at about $4200. Michelle Torp says the LifeGuard Unit can share the pool. Dave Dewbre says he can get the unit added to the encampment registration process before 1 FEB. Ryan Smith will lead Mountaineering if he can’t get a replacement. Paul Saba moved to authorize up to $4200 in support of SCUBA training/equipment for encampment. Will Hicks seconded. Approved. 6 Aye; 2 Nay.

The meeting was adjourned at 12:16 pm.

DAVID DEWBRE

LEAD Board President

26 JAN 2025