Chapter Meeting Notes Discussion

AIGA Metro-North Annual Meeting Notes, October 1, 2009

Officer, Board Member, and Committee Leadership Attendees Included
Pamela DeCesare, Gary Esposito, Karl Heine, kHyal, Scott Lerman, Roy Levitt, Lee Moody, Richard Shear, Adam Wahler.

The attendees included about 35-40 people with a significant number attending as non-members

Agenda

1. Pam DeCesare called the meeting to order
Pam began the meeting with a discussion of the history of the AIGA, the background on our chapter formation and the general accomplishments of its first year.

These included evenings events such as One True City event with James Sanders, Fast Brands: Reimagining McDonalds with Mathew Biespiel, and Joshua Onysko, CEO of Pangea, as well as 2 social networking evenings at local restaurants.

2. Richard Shear reviewed the financial and business issues of the chapter
The chapter currently has 36 members and has grown steadily in the last few months. The chapter is financially healthy with a net income and cash balance of $3,984.63 as of September 30th.

3. Scott Lerman discussed programming issues and upcoming events
These will include the Dead Brands event on October 30th with a talk by Michael Bierut and a Dead Brands costume competition, Why We Brand, Why We Shop, with Debbie Millman at the Aldrich Museum on December 3rd

4. Roy Levitt discussed the Do Not Enter program
He described how this unique initiative will honor mid-to long-term effectiveness of brand programs. This will be driven by a committee that will choose the entries, and plan a yearly Fall event. Brands will be judged on their overall quality of visual expression, strategic underpinnings, public acceptance and commercial success.

5. Karl Heine discussed the start of a membership drive
He will be formulating a plan to build awareness and increase membership in the coming months.

6. kHyal discussed the communications program
She reviewed the ning site, as well as the creation of a facebook and twitter presence, and will be building a communications plan, with a sense of how social networking will be integrated, in the next several months

7. Adam Wahler discussed his vision of building an education initiative
He described the possibility of creating a mentoring program, building a student membership base, and creating a scholarship program

8. Lee Moody discussed her personal involvement in the chapter
She described the long and supportive relationship between companies like Mohawk Paper and the AIGA

9. Gary Esposito continued with a discussion on the need for personal involvement
He emphasized the need for everyone who came to join the chapter, pick an area of interest, and get personally involved in helping to build the chapter

10. Pam ended the meeting by leading a discussion on the specific interests of the attendees
She ended the evening with a simple question for the audience, “Why did you come this evening”.

There were a number of individual answers but they included,
- The interest in networking
- Building a local community of design
- Becoming involved in specific activities with local businesses