Meeting Minutes - Transition Board
Transition Board of Directors - Legal Aid of North Carolina
November 30, 2001 Meeting (BOD Mtg #8)
Chairman Pender McElroy called the meeting to order. A quorum was present.
Persons in Attendance
The following board members were present: Cal Adams, Leo Allison, Glenn
Barfield, David Daggett, Rick Fay, Jack Holtzman, Allen Johnson, Caroline Myers,
Pender McElroy, Frank Queen, Willis Williams. The following others were present:
Susan Gottsegen, George Hausen, Richard Klein, Andrea Kurtz, Gina Reyman.
Agenda
The meeting agenda was adopted unanimously.
Minutes of October 26, 2001
The minutes of the October 26, 2001 meeting were distributed for review.
Glenn Barfield moved for the adoption of the October minutes; Frank Queen
seconded the motion. The October 26, 2001 minutes were adopted unanimously.
Barfield Committee Report (by Glenn Barfield)
Barfield reported that the proposal for the unrestricted program in
Winston-Salem was about 95% completed. There are a number of issues that the
committee needs to address, including the lease and ADA compliance.
Susan Gottsegen gave an oral report of the proposal. The "LANC branch in
Winston-Salem" (LANC-WS) would have three (3) attorneys and one (1) paralegal
and would handle basic housing, consumer, benefits and employment cases. The
independent program would have four (4) attorneys and one (1) paralegal; three
of the attorneys would work primarily in the DV area. Gottsegen would handle
housing and consumer for the LANCC-WS branch and be available as a resource to
advise and co-counsel across the state; the proposal also recommends that
another attorney be added in this area sometime down the road. There would be
some transferring of cases between these two programs, depending upon capacities
and restrictions. Initially most of the domestic violence matters would be
handled in the non-LSC funded (independent) program. There will also be at least
one (1) attorney in each program who is fluent in Spanish.
The Committee is looking at additional funding sources for the non-LSC funded
program (independent program) in Winston-Salem, particularly when the state
funding goes back into the LANC-WS branch in 2003. Chris Marks of LSNC has
looked at the budget for LANC-WS and believes they will be able to function, but
on a very tight budget. The Greensboro office would be the primary office for
the LANC region.
A complete copy of the proposal was attached to this meeting summary.
Barfield moved that the Transition Board recommend to the LASNNC (Legal Aid
Society of Northwest North Carolina, Winston-Salem, NC) board to merge a portion
of their program (per the proposal) into LANC and to hold out the various
property and other things mentioned in the proposal. Daggett seconded the
motion. The motion was approved unanimously.
Governance Committee (By Cal Adams)
No report.
Management Structure (By Allen Johnson)
No report.
Client Representative Committee (by Allen Johnson)
Leo Allison, Caroline Myers, Gina Reyman and Linda Rollock have met as a
committee and make the following recommendation: The Committee wants to increase
the number of client representatives on the LANC board to 10 client members
(including two, ex officio members), and the Client Counsel would become the
clearinghouse to screen the nominations from other client representative groups.
During discussion of this issue, it was emphasized that the election process
must track the LSC regulations. It was also noted that this recommendation would
affect the Governance Committee.
After much discussion, the Committee recommended that there be nine (9)
clients plus two (2) client ex officio members.
Adams moved to adopt the recommendation of nine (9) clients plus two (2)
client, ex officio members. Daggett seconded Adam’s motion. Motion
unanimously adopted.
Close Out Grants (By Pender McElroy)
McElroy reported that he had contacted Cindy Schneider at LSC to request June
30 as the deadline for the completion of the close out grants. Schneider denied
the request and suggested that LANC be in the position to begin May 1, 2002
i.e. that the close out grants would be for four (4) months.
With the possible May 1, 2002 deadline, George Hausen agreed that LSNC would
staff the board election process. The Governance Committee agreed to work on
board appointments with a goal to complete this process by March 1, 2002.
Location of LANC Central Office
There was much discussion about whether the Central Office of LANC ought to be
located in Raleigh or should it be somewhere in the Triangle. Discussion also
centered upon whether this Transition Board should be the board making the
decision about location of the Central Office. George Hausen expressed concern
that he hoped people would continue to let his staff (LSNC Central Office staff)
know what’s going on with their jobs.
There was a good deal of discussion about how the financial operations of the
four, currently LSC-funded programs would come together. This discussion
included whether the smaller programs’ chief financial officers would report to
LSNC’s CFO Chris Marks on an interim basis or whether they would operate as
co-equals on an interim basis.
McElroy expressed that he hopes that the CFOs, human resources coordinators
and executive directors can come together to work things out. The four executive
directors should come to the January 4, 2002 meeting with recommended guidelines
as to how thing will be worked out.
There being no clear consensus on these issues, Willis Williams moved that the
Transition Board recommend that the LANC board of directors and the new
executive director examine the Central Office functions of LANC in due course
after assuming office from the standpoint of efficiency and to maximize money.
Rick Fay seconded the motion. The motion was unanimously approved.
Barfield moved that at its January meeting, the Transition Board name an
interim assistant director in the most vital and administrative functions,
included but not limited to finance, human resources, information technology to
take the title on May 1, 2002; that the Board directs subcommittee appointment
of Susan Gottsegen, Ken Schorr, Gina Reyman and George Hausen to develop
recommendations for who would serve in those positions; they should also
recommend to the Transition Board a process for transition in these areas; and
after those persons are named, at the February meeting the Transition Board
should adopt a plan to make the transition for May 1, 2002. Fay seconded the
motion. The motion carried unanimously.
Planning Council (By Gina Reyman)
The Planning Council will have more to report in January, 2002.
Michael Hamden is now the chair and Ted Fillette is the vice chair.
Search Committee (By Glenn Barfield)
Barfield circulated a proposed job description, position announcement and
asked for feedback. Transition Board members provided Barfield with constructive
feedback including changing the requirement of 5+ years experience in
state/federal/appellate litigation to 5+ years experience in the practice of law
and state/federal/appellate litigation experience preferred. Also, the
Transition Board agreed to increase the starting salary to $80,000. The
Transition Board further agreed that a completed application would include a
letter of interest, resume and three professional references. It was also agreed
that Michelle Cofield would serve as receiving address for the applications of
interest. Cofiled will coordinate the distribution of materials to the Search
Committee. A copy of the revised job description and position announcements
were attached to the meeting summary.
Real Property Committee (By Frank Queen)
Queen reported that this Committee is in the information-gathering stage and
expects to have a report and a proposal regarding LSC’s potential claim to real
property under federal and local law. A negotiating team will be formed to deal
with LSC on this issue. Queen also indicated that the Winston-Salem and
Charlotte boards will have to sign on to this process.
Personal Property Committee (By Gina Reyman)
This Committee is looking at the transfer of assets from the four LSC-funded
entities to LANC. They will work with Moore & Van Allen in Durham to prepare the
various documents that would achieve the consolidation.
George Hausen and Richard Klein have been added to the Committee.
LSNC Case Management System (By Glenn Barfield)
Barfield reported that LSC did not provide a grant to LSNC for the balance of
the case management system (currently LSNC’s budget lacks $500,000 for this
project). LSNC will continue installation of the system. LSNC decided that it
will mortgage the building to recover the $500,000 needed. This cost will be
passed down to the field programs.
Next Meetings
The Transition Board agreed upon the following meeting schedule for meetings
following the January 4, 2002 meeting (North Central Legal Assistance Program in
Durham). Locations for these future meetings will be determined and announced by
Michelle Cofield at a later time.
Thursday, January 24, 2002
Friday, February 22, 2002
Thursday, March 28, 2002
Friday, April 26, 2002
Friday, May 31, 2002
With no further business, the meeting adjourned.
Meeting summary prepared by Michelle Cofield.
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Mission Statement
Legal Aid of North Carolina is a statewide, nonprofit law firm that
provides free legal services in civil matters to low-income people in
order to ensure equal access to justice and to remove legal barriers
to economic opportunity.