Board Meeting Minutes — November 2025

Minutes - LEAD Foundation Board Meeting

1 November 2025

Meeting called to order by Board President (David Dewbre) at 1:58.

Present at Meeting: Lani Cahill, Kenneth Cook-Askins, David Dewbre, Grace Edinboro, William Hicks, Shawnie Livera, Roni Lopez, Ken Parris, Casandra Smith, Mike Smith. This constitutes a quorum of voting members. Non-voting members present: Dustin Dionne, Sarahy Barrera, Marc Cohen, Helen Hansen

Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the 4 OCT 2025 meeting were reviewed and approved as published. Move to approve minutes as published: Ken Parris; Seconded: Roni Lopez. Approved: 100%.

Treasurer’s Report:

• Current balance $230,584.47 as of 1 NOV. New voting members as of today (11/1/25): None.
• IRS Status: No change
• Status of Monthly Reconciliation process: No change; Current through AUG 2025.
• Move to accept the Treasurer’s Report made by Ken Parris; Seconded: Will Hicks. Approved: 100%

Old Business:

1. Move from Volusion to Wix completed. Still need to cancel Volusion contract. Discussion of the possible need to access Volusion before we cancel to collect reports for 2025. Grace Edinboro will follow up on this with Susan Sirkin. If we need to do it, we’ll need to move the domain back to Volusion, access the reports, then move it back.
2. LEAD Plaques: We will try to find another source for CA shaped plaques and give up on Karen Riese.
3. CAT-T Tourniquets: we will ask Brigade Advisors to bring medical/STB training kits to IMAs and will issue them the CAT-T tourniquets to add to the kit.
4. Update on the MOU between LEAD and CMD: Pending response from Mike Smith, then response from CMD. No change.
5. Microsoft is ending its Office E1 skew for non-profits. May get Business Basic. 300 accounts free or Business account for $11K. 365 days to make a move. Status on IRS website could be a problem that costs full price. Basic Business accounts don’t get Teams, keep email. IF the IRS status is fixed. Consensus is that we need to put our issues with the IRS in writing. We are still waiting on a path forward. It might be cadet.org, which is grandfathered at the higher numbers of accounts. But Matt Cross who controls access has been unresponsive. No change.
6. Motion by Belinda Contreras to authorize $1000 to support Command & Staff School for 10th Brigade in November. Need to see what was spent (she did “purchase” portfolios from the Cadet Store to issue to the staff).
7. Asking to send a thank you letter to dive shop acknowledging their support of the SCUBA course. Mike Smith sent the letters. Closed.
8. Lani Cahill reported spending $371.37 on the morale event on 31 OCT. Will request reimbursement. Closed.
9. Mike Smith purchased the HQ Staff ID Badges for $431 and was reimbursed. Closed
10. Update on the billeting reimbursements from encampment. Of the 14 CACC adults LEAD paid for, 4 have reimbursed LEAD; 3 are in the process of sending their reimbursement. 5 haven’t yet to our knowledge received their reimbursement check from J8. 1 did not sign for the check so it was returned to J8 (status of sending the check again unknown). 1 hasn’t answered emails. We’ve received about 25% of the funds back so far. Shawnie Livera volunteers to call the scofflaws to create movement on this. Pending another update from Melinda Kong on check status.

New Business.

1. Mike Smith moved for the Board President to appoint an ad hoc Budget Committee to draft the LEAD 2026 budget. He appointed Casandra Smith, Mike Smith, Grace Edinboro, and Susan Sirkin. The committee should present the budget during the December meeting. Ken Parris seconded. Approved 100%
2. The Board discussed encampment fees. Mike Smith moved to keep the $150 encampment fee. Seconded by Ken Parris. Approved 100%
3. Dave Dewbre moved that LEAD pay the copay for any new prescription medications for cadets who get medical care during encampment, but not for prescription refills. Ken Parris seconded the motion. Approved 100%
4. Grace Edinboro moved to authorize $50 encampment scholarships for the 2026 encampment for those who apply between 1 FEB and 10 MAR. Ken Parris seconded the motion. Approved 100%
5. Lt Roach submitted a request for LEAD to approve expenditures to support the phased improvement of our web services. It would increase from the current $63 per month to $231 per month for the next phase, and eventually to about $633 per month. Mike Smith moved to approve the increase to $231, and Ken Parris seconded the motion. The vote was: Aye: 6, Nay: 2, Abstain: 2. Approved 60%
6. Lani Cahill moved to authorize expenditure of up to $1000 on the Wilderness Skills Course. The course should collect about $1500 in fees. The 2025 budget authorized $500. Will Hicks seconded the motion. Approved 100%

The meeting was adjourned at 3:02.

DAVID DEWBRE

LEAD Board President

1 NOV 2025