(Approved) Executive Meeting Minutes 2013

Iowa Section of the MAA
Executive Committee Meeting
Saturday, October 19, 2013
Science Center 245, Wartburg College

Present:
Ruth Berger (Competition Coordinator), Brian Birgen (Vice-Chair Elect), Debra Czarneski (Vice-Chair), Russ Goodman (Chair), Joel Haak (Past Governor), Al Hibbard (Governor), Amanda Matson (Information Director), Matt Rissler (Liaison Coordinator), Scott Searcy (Treasurer), Ron Smith (Secretary), Jonathan White (Past Chair). Also in attendance, Jenny Quinn (MAA Representative)

Russell Goodman called the meeting to order at 7:07.

• Minutes of October 6, 2012 Executive Committee meeting were approved.
• Amanda Matson, (with baby Erika Matson's picture) was welcomed as a candidate for Vice-Chair Elect as was MAA representative Jennifer Quinn, Second Vice-President of the MAA.
• Russ Goodman gave a report of the MathFest Section Officers' Meeting. Membership numbers are declining. Congratulations to Al Hibbard on election to governor. Emails to the section need to go through the national MAA. Large bank account balances are a concern. 2015 is the MAA Centennial Year, with big celebrations planned. Joel Haack is working on a history of the Iowa section with assistance from Al Hibbard.
• Ruth Berger was called on for a report on the Iowa Mathematics Competition. The trophy goes to ISU this year, with UNI hosting the competition in March.
• Scott Searcy presented the treasurer's report. The MAA has a problem with the sections having increasing balances. Searcy noted that 45.7% of our balance is earmarked for the competition fund. There was a discussion on how to handle the competition funds. Scott asked for initiatives we can take to spend more money on the goals and objectives of the MAA. A number of suggestions were made, including support for NExT members travel to meetings, paying for governors to go to meetings, sending more people to meetings, scholarship funds, small grants for schools to do math things. Russ Goodman asked for any further ideas to be shared with him.
• General discussion was held on other issues:
  • Spring Executive Committee meeting. It was suggested that it be held in conjunction with the competition, and that those who were not there physically could join it electronically.
  • Annual Iowa Section Award winner's talk.
  • Support for a Project NExT Fellow for MAA Iowa. There was some confusion about what would be involved.
  • Continuity in leadership. Should we have a chair for more than one year?
  • Should we decouple hosting the section meetings from the office of Vice-Chair elect?
• MAA representative Jennifer Quinn made some remarks.
• Al Hibbard reminded us that operational plans need updating. There are links to make edits. Al is also looking for a successor as webmaster.

The meeting adjourned at 8:17am.

Respectfully submitted,
Ronald K. Smith
IA MAA Section Secretary