Oct
06

2007 Annual Meeting Minutes

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Minutes of the Southern Division Reservoir Committee meeting
held on February 8, 2007 (Memphis, TN)

Opening Remarks

  • Vic Dicenzo gave opening remarks
  • Everyone introduced themselves. See roll sheet for attendance
  • Colton Dennis has minutes from 2006 summer meeting.  These will be posted on the web for approval in June 2007.

Financial Report (Dicenzo)

Scholarship Report (Gene Gilliland)

  • 7 applicants for Jenkins Memorial Scholarship
  • 1 new scholarship awarded and 1 renewal from last year

Old Business – Fourth National American Reservoir Symposium

  • Program Update (Mike Allen and Steve Sammons)
    • Presentations
      • Brief overview of invited and contributed talks
      • There are a few alternates for presentations in case of cancellations
      • AFS online manuscript submission will be available
      • Symposium editors want to have Proceedings published 1 year after the symposium
      • Some funding is available for international folks (e.g., lodging)
      • Mike Allen:  we have 4-6 international presentations so should the symposium name be changed to reflect this (i.e., International Reservoir Symposium)?
      • Other discussion
        • Vic:  we need to work on assigning moderators
        • Sammons:  maybe folks putting together the sessions can moderate
        • Maceina:  we need a list of potential reviewers (3 per paper * 40 papers)
        • Allen:  we will have access to AFS reviewer database, we should lean on agency folks as reviewers
        • Maceina:  expect 6-8 week turnaround on reviews
        • Allen:  everyone go back to their agency and send Allen 2-3 potential referees and their specialties
    • Posters
      • Allen:  We need some more posters, we have 11 (not counting alternates for presentations)
      • Poster authors are welcome to submit manuscripts, but not required to
    • Workshop
      • Colvin:  looking for someone that can give state biologists an update on what is going on with NFHI and how it applies to them
      • Jared Koosa, USFWS, gave a brief update on where things are with the NFHI
      • Tim Churchill’s Natl. Conservation Need Proposal was introduced
      • Colvin is still looking for a speaker.  Gary Whelan (MI DNR) was proposed as a potential workshop speaker
      • Heitman:  with the addition of the workshop do we need to plan for more than 350 people?
  • Arrangements
    • Budget / Fundraising (Heitman)
      • Fundraising
        • EPA grant cannot be funded until Congress passes a budget and USFWS cannot likely fund new resolutions either
        • Vic has received $21,000
          • Checks in the mail from Fish Mgmt Section (5,000), S. Division (2,000), and Arkansas (5,000)
          • $25,000 out for request, hoping for $15,000
          • We had planned for $30,000 in corporate donations
        • Heitman:  please identify and provide specific individuals that can make decisions for contributions
        • Vic projected list of potential donors and contact list
        • If you are getting the contact then you should send the letter, however if there are conflict of interest issues either Fred or Vic will send the letter
        • Mike Allen will contact Florida Water Management Districts
        • Neal will contact Cabelas
        • Gene Gilliland will contact Motorguide, Mercury, Lowrance, and Berkely
        • Heitman will contact Triton and Geosyntec
        • Try to get letters out by the end of February
        • Vic projected list of donors
        • Should we contact state chapters?
        • SAS® may donate up to $2,000
        • US Fish & Wildlife Service may donate up to $10,000
      • Budget
        • Major costs include the offsite social, publication costs, and speaker travel
        • Sponsors will be recognized at differing levels
        • Vic projected sponsor levels documents
          • This needs to go out with donation request letters
        • Heitman:  our 501C3 status allows private sector tax breaks
        • Gilliland:  has anyone specifically asked to sponsor a break?
        • Sammons:  breaks are currently $3500-4500, attempts to get Georgia to pay (to eliminate state taxes) failed
        • Colvin:  how do we want to handle Bass Pro Shops donation through the Heritage Program?  He’s open to suggestions
        • Neal Jackson needs all pertinent forms so he can solicit Cabela’s for a donation
        • Heitman will contact other Chapters within other Divisions.  He is interested in volunteer help with this.
        • Other discussion
          • What about power companies outside the south?
          • Lawrence Dorsey has list of power folks he’s planning to contact
          • Heitman:  including a stamped envelope may help get a response
          • Heitman will email out form letter for solicitation of donations
          • Janssen:  get clear instructions about which logo donors want and how it should look
          • Be sure to let folks know who you contact so potential donors do not get contacted multiple times
    • Registration
      • Abney:  Brenda Miles is largely coordinating registration
        • Name tags with a schedule and graphics will be provided
        • There will be 2 registration personnel on duty at all times
        • Signage at the hotel and for busses will be provided
        • Abney will bring a laptop for registration
        • On-site registration will run 2pm – 6pm on June 6
        • On-site registration will run 7am – 6pm on June 7-8
      • On-line registration is in progress and should be finished in the next few weeks
        • On-line registration will not have links for hotel reservations
      • We will have the ability to enter credit card information to the web from a laptop and will avoid costs from having to swipe credit cards
      • Refund policy will follow that of the Lake Placid AFS meeting
        • 80% refund before June 1st
        • No refund after June 1st
      • Heitman will check with Alicia Reed (AFS Bethesda) for AFS liability policy (estimated cost $150)
      • Should we increase spouse prices due to increased social costs?
        • Prices were on fliers distributed at SEAFWA & SDAFS meetings so we cannot change it.
    • Socials
      • Vic suggested a small welcoming reception Wednesday night at the hotel (Finish Line)
        • Maybe some kegs outside the hotel bar/restaurant?
      • Thursday night social expected to cost $50/person
      • Friday night (off-site) social expected to cost $145/person
        • Abney:  busses to off-site social and event tickets are included
          • 3-4 luxury busses seating 55 people each
          • Meeting attendees MUST have their event tickets
        • Abney:  aquarium needs an exact head count a few days in advance
        • Children will be admitted for $60 each, people of drinking age are expected to pay full price
        • There will be an audio system at the aquarium
        • Our viewing hours are from 5-7 ($10.50/ person already included)
        • Open bar begins at 6pm and buffet stations open at 7pm
    • Exhibits
      • No trade show
      • Maybe allow big donors to set up a table if they request that
      • Maybe allow donors to set up posters or extra signage
        • We should have room for this now, but maybe not if we get more posters
      • Have to be careful about what we promise in the donor recognition form
        • The letter currently says large donors may have a “booth,” so we may have to provide that or change the form
        • Vic edited the recognition form by deleting “booth”
        • Heitman defined “special recognition” as a photo opportunity and statement of appreciation during the meeting
    • Audio / Visual Report (Colton)
      • Grand Salon setup
        • There will be 2 projection screens with a podium in the center
        • A laptop will be on the podium
        • Presenters will use the mouse as a pointer
        • We will wait to see the room setup before we decide if we want microphones for the crowd to use when asking questions
        • Moderators will need to loudly repeat all questions
      • Equipment
        • 2 wireless microphones will be rented ($150/day each)
          • handheld for the moderator and clip-on for the speaker
        • Mixer/Amp will be rented ($45/day)
        • Computers and projectors
          • Vic
          • Lawrence Dorsey
          • Colton Dennis
          • Brent Hess
          • Make sure we have compatible machines
          • George Scholten may have several of the same model
        • 2 screens (9’ x 12’) will be rented ($180/day each)
        • VGA splitter amp will be rented ($70/day)
        • 2 computer carts will be rented ($20/day each)
        • No screen needed for loading room
        • Rent cables and cords
          • Will they set this up for us?
      • Set up times for loading presentations
        • Brent Hess will oversee this and Jim Hedrick will assist
      • Colton will check with hotel to see if they require a technician
      • If we were to have a practice room we would need someone stationed there
      • Get students to run A/V during talks
        • Figure out how many shifts/students needed
        • Program committee will set up the schedule
      • Currently have $5,000 budgeted for A/V and cost estimates are $1,000/day (times 4 days) assuming we provide projectors
    • Hotel Report
      • We currently have 7 meeting rooms reserved
        • Entire Grand Salon (seats 800 theater style)
        • Harding and Rabun
        • Ogeechee
        • Allatoona
        • Oconee Board Room
      • We only need 3 meeting rooms (Grand Salon, a storage room, and a room to load presentations)
        • We will drop the Allatoona and Oconee Board Room and Vic will check with the hotel on how dropping other rooms will benefit
      • We can probably close off one section of the Grand Salon for other uses
      • The poster session will be in the Grand Salon Promenade
      • How many guest rooms will be needed?
        • Original figures for rooms were set before the workshop was scheduled
        • Abney will call the hotel and request 40 rooms for Tuesday night
        • Abney will request 150 rooms for Wednesday night
        • Colvin:  see if the hotel has recommendations since they regularly deal with this kind of question
        • Sammons:  probably > 90% of meeting attendees will stay Wednesday night because the plenary starts early Thursday
        • Check to see if room rates will be the same for all nights
    • Website
      • Include registration link when on-line registration is available
      • Add hotel information
        • Room reservation is not online through the website, but a phone number is provided
      • Add sponsor logos
      • Program is already posted on the website
      • Potential links to add:  weather, local map, aquarium, Chamber of Commerce
      • Link to AFS manuscript submission website
      • Announce that room blocks expire April 20th
    • Publicity
      • Janssen has the symposium website going
      • Kim Bonvechio produced a pamphlet that was distributed at SEAFWA and the SDAFS meeting
    • Other, Miscellaneous
      • Do we want to do registration bags?
        • Not really, but registration is expensive
        • Potential ideas:  tackle box/bag, or boat bag
        • Neal may ask Cabelas if they are willing to donate this
        • Put name of symposium and donor on bags
      • Meeting t-shirts?
        • Abney will approach a Georgia student subunit to see if they want to do it
        • If Georgia does not want to, we will allow another subunit to sell t-shirts if they approach us about it.

New Business – none

Meeting adjourned at 4:40 PM.