Board Meeting Minutes — December 2025

Minutes - LEAD Foundation Board Meeting
6 December 2025

Meeting called to order by Board Vice President (Belinda Contreras) at 2:03.

Present at Meeting: Dave Arbogast, Lani Cahill, Belinda Contreras, David Dewbre (intermittent), Grace
Edinboro, Shawnie Livera, Roni Lopez, Ken Parris, Dennis Sirkin, Susan Sirkin, Casandra Smith, Mike Smith and
Dan Word. This constitutes a quorum of voting members. Non-voting members present: Andrew Roach,
Marc Cohen, Denise VanLoo, Mike Mizner, Terry Baker, Rhonda Baker.

Approval of Minutes: The minutes from the 1 NOV 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 $232,523.26 as of 5 DEC. New voting members as of today (12/6/25): None.
• IRS Status: No change. Perceived to be valid online.
• Status of Monthly Reconciliation process: Current through OCT 2025. Working NOV.
• Move to accept the Treasurer’s Report made by Mike Smith; Seconded: Roni Lopez. Approved: 100%

Old Business:
1. Move from Volusion to Wix completed. Still need to cancel Volusion contract. Casandra Smith will
follow up on the Volusion cancellation.
2. LEAD Plaques: We will try to find another source for CA shaped plaques if we don’t hear from Karen
Riesse by the end of 2025. (NOTE: Received an email from Karen after the meeting saying she had
closed her business)
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 10
th Brigade
in November. Closed.
7. Update on the billeting reimbursements from encampment. Of the 14 CACC adults LEAD paid for, 4
remain unpaid or partially paid (Natasha Chick owes $95 – paid on 12/9), Cecilia Espinoza owes $735,
Avant Horsley owes $282, and Lorelei Santa Maria owes $570. We have collected $8237 of the total
$9871 we fronted. Mike Smith will follow up with Horsley. Grace Edinboro will continue to follow up
with Espinoza and Santa Maria.
8. 2026 Budget. A draft was sent to voting board members to review before the meeting. Mike Smith
moved to approve the draft budget. The following amendments were discussed:
a. Raise item 5245 for Radios to $2000 Aye: 6 Nay: 5 Abst: 2 Failed
b. Lani Cahill moved to approve $6000 for partial needs based scholarships for the UK Staff
Ride. 2
nd by Ken Parris. Approved 100%
c. Grace Edinboro moved to increase funding for Marksmanship to $2000, 2
nd by Ken Parris.
Approved 100%
d. Ken Parris moved to add $3000 for certification vouchers for Cyber at encampment. 2
nd by
Dan Word. Aye: 7 Abst: 5 Passed
e. Dave Arbogast moved to add $1500 for Culinary Course at encampment. 2
nd by Casandra
Smith. Aye: 11 Abst: 2 Passed.

f. Mike Smith moved to approve the 2026 Budget as amended. Approved 100%
Total $177,900 Net Loss $67,900.

New Business.
1. All were reminded to pay the $25 fee if they want to remain or become voting members of the LEAD
Foundation. Payment available on the Cadet Store website.
2. Belinda Contreras moved for CACC/LEAD to teach a First Aid Instructor Course to their cadre and pay
the fees for it. This will come out of the 2026 Budget. Ken Parris seconded. Passed 100%
3. Dan Word brought up the need for CERT Basic Manuals. He was instructed to make a request to the
CACC fulltime staff to send this request to the CMD Print Shop.

The meeting was adjourned at 2:57.

DAVID DEWBRE
LEAD Board President
13 DEC 2025