EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S REPORT TO BOARD OF DIRECTORS
August 4, 2006
What a year! While still setting up the “systems” and “internal agreements” to keep the Board, the Executive Committee, the Office Manager and the Executive Director functioning effectively through email and occasional meetings, this year we intensified our intent to be more of service to our members and to serve more efficiently as a liaison between the Episcopal Church of the USA and the Episcopal Church of Sudan.
My time has been focused as Executive Director in four major topic areas: communication, service to members, connections/liaisons, internal work.
Communication:
Website: Our wonderful office manager, Susan Jones, bought $40 worth of books, spent about 20 hours and set up a workable, attractive, functioning website which thus far has proven very useful. She also maintains and updates the site. Much forethought and planning time was spent in its design, development, collection of work to be posted, and permissions.
Newsletter:
Three newsletters were produced by AFRECS this year. I served as Editor of Sudan Connections. Debra Maconaughey served as Sudan Connections Coordinator while Connie Wilson modestly chose the title Designer. Connie actually puts all the submissions together and makes it look beautiful. Membership response has been positive and many have contributed articles and ideas. Each issue demands significant amounts of my time to plan the articles, get permissions, read thoroughly and edit, and to work with Carolyn Mackay for more final edits, etc.
Conference Calls:
The Executive Committee initiated monthly and sometimes twice monthly conference calls of which there were 12. I organized the date of each call, facilitated the agenda and the call reminder, facilitated the meetings, took notes, distributed a draft for edit and finalized the minutes. Two face to face Executive Committee meetings took place as well.
Management of Staff:
What a pleasure Susan Jones is to work with. She initiates and suggests improvements on all written work. Her judgment is always good and her skills are excellent. Because of her we are putting forth a far more professional front to the public. She carried through on the paper and email invitations for the conference, the major mailing for the Martyrs of Sudan and conference registration organization. Several times Susan has learned a new computer skill or software to put to use for AFRECS. Examples are the website set up, refugee resettlement forum, bookkeeping software programs.
Communicated the purpose and goals of AFRECS to the US Episcopal Church at General Convention
I developed, wrote and printed organizational brochure which Jerry Drino used to inform many at General Convention of our organization. He handed out pens and our card as well.
Service to members
Refugee Resettlement Web Forum Once again Susan Jones was able to use her own contacts and read a “how to” manual to our benefit to set up this service.
Questions
Inquiries from members come frequently. They have ranged from “how to organize a mission trip” to “my list of what to take to Sudan” to “financial aid questions” to “trauma workshop arrangements.” We also allow members access to our mailing list.
Connections, networking and liaisons
Synod meeting
January 22-29 and Core Meeting Jan 30-31, 2006. Fritz Gilbert and I traveled on behalf of AFRECS to Juba, Sudan to attend the synod for 7 days as observers, to form relationships with ECS diocesan delegations and NGO attendees. I met with each of 24 delegations and bishop to explain and encourage use of AFRECS project registry, giving an explanation directive, pen with address and email and the AFRECS card, all of which I’d organized and had produced.
Round Table
AFRECS has been asked by the Episcopal Church of Sudan to invite 10 delegates to attend the ECS Round Table in Juba, Sudan on November 9-11, 2006. A seemingly simple task this has involved much brainstorming as to whom would be of most benefit to the ECS. Invitees are being encouraged, questions being answered, follow up invitations to more people are being sent out when a negative is received. Soon I will produce a series of communications to all attendees encouraging timely visa applications, good communications amongst us and cultural understandings of the culture attendees will be visiting.
Annual Conference 2006
If you asked me what work I did for AFRECS between November 2005 and February 2006 (other than the trip to Sudan), I would answer that it was all conference related. AFRECS did not move forward on any other front during that time. From reworking the invitational materials from the first conference, to sending all invitations to the 200 US bishops throughout the USA, to trying to remember all the contacts AFRECS has which may or may not be on our lists, Susan Jones and I worked together to invite an even broader group of people for Conference #2. The Executive Committee and I were in frequent communication regarding speakers and workshops, following up on requests for scholarship, and filtering questions to the proper resources. Lists and lists and lists were made. Everyone worked hard.
Project Registry
In order to facilitate better exposure to Sudanese project proposals we developed a project registry feature on our website. 34 projects have been summarized by me thus far for wider viewing and it is hoped more will be submitted for the site. I developed the procedures, the process for publicity of the registry at the Synod, and the summary page.
Martyrs of the Sudan Resolution
Jerry Drino drafted the resolution, the liturgy and the letter to be sent out. Susan Jones and I managed the mammoth job of distributing that to the appropriate Board member to send to each bishop, resolution committee and administrative assistant, personalizing each letter with proper address and personalized note. Several provinces were not represented on the Board and Susan and I filled in to get the letters out by deadline. Seemingly simple to do, this turned out to be an enormous undertaking. Susan used the opportunity to load the bishops’ addresses into a data base so this aspect will be easier another time.
Internal
“The nudge”
Being at a distance one from the other is a challenge at times for the Board and the Executive Committee. I often think of myself as “nudging” things along. The current example is that of the “5%” issue. The discussion has gone round and round the executive committee and is, at last, in the form of a recommendation to the Rev. Enock Tombe that the Executive Committee is happy with. Other examples are of the statement from Russ Randle for the website, minutes corrections, etc.
Thank You notes
Thank you notes were written before May 2006 by hand. Now there is a organizational “form” personalized thank you letter which updates the receiver on what is going on in AFRECS. More than 35 were sent out in May. Periodic updates of the letter will vary some of the news and with an internal system between Susan, Fritz, and me, we should be henceforth thanking all donors in a timely fashion. Membership updates procedures as well as financial reports systems are now in place.
Nancy Frank
Executive Director