FNPS Executive Director
Quarterly Report
August 2006
Chapters
1. New Chapters
a. Jacksonville Ixia Chapter organized under the local leadership of Ann Arthur.
b. Sumter County Chapter organized under the local leadership of Holly Tuxbury.
c. With input from the existing chapters and approval from the Board of Directors, the following new chapters can be pursued:
i. Ocala
ii. Panhandle Area
iii. Kissimmee
iv. Lake City
2. Chapter Assistance
a. In process of pursuing membership recruitment and publicity assistance to FNPS chapters. Priority is Citrus, Cocoloba, Heartland, Lake Beautyberry, Live Oak, Longleaf Pine, Lyonia, Naples and South Ridge.
b. Need feedback regarding how I can be a resource to each chapter. Each chapter has different needs and has unique strengths and weaknesses. I am working to define these attributes in all chapters so as to find the most effective way to serve individual chapters.
c. South Ridge Chapter re-organized and on regular meeting track under the local leadership of Roy Stewart.
d. Assisting Lakelas Mint Chapter with land donation; pursuing conservation easement with St. Lucie County.
e. Found donor for Pinellas County Chapter. Coordinating the funding for a restoration project selected by the Chapter.
f. Made calls to assist Citrus Chapter in finding a new meeting location.
g. Providing assistance to the Keys meeting schedules.
h. Specific issues pursued and assistance given to all chapters when requested during past three months.
i. Communication and questions facilitated and issues forwarded to agencies/FNPS committees/individuals.
3. Chapter Meetings Attended
June, 2006 Tarflower
July, 2006 Pinellas
July, 2006 Searocket Board of Directors
August, 2006 None
Planned for September, 2006 Conradina
Lakelas Mint
Palm Beach County
Dade
Keys
4. The continuous facilitation of communication between Executive committee members and assisting them in their goals and objectives will aid in the production of resources and materials for all chapters. Generate and follow up on Executive Committee Action Item list (see attached).
5. Have completed the research logistics, planning, coordination and publicity of all Executive Committee meetings and Board of Director meetings for entire year.
6. Have written articles for (2) chapter newsletters.
7. Facilitate communication between Board of Directors, Executive Committee and Chapters.
8. Have started working on the Conference Guidelines document and is on track for draft schedule in a couple of months. Have created an example conference finance reporting document and spreadsheet to track expenditures.
9. FNPS Handbook: Completed an outline of information that can be added to the FNPS Handbook. Will follow up with completion of document through out the year in conjunction with the Board of Directors.
10. SPECIFIC CONTRACT DELIVERABLES THIS QUARTER
Contract Deliverable #4 Develop and maintain a contact resource data base for informational resources coordinating with Administrative Services, Sabal Minor Editor and Palmetto Editor as needed. Provide an initial outline of contacts in Month #1.
I have completed a contact data base system to facilitate communication in the Microsoft Outlook software. Using contact name codes such as FNPS Palmetto editor, Chapter Newsletter Editor Pinellas, etc. Publication deadlines and Society contract information, etc. is stored in the notes section of each contact.
As other topics arise, I add them in. I can filter the data to bring up the specific contacts or information that I am seeking. By creating the system in Outlook, I can simultaneously find a contact and start a communication. The Outlook software will allow this information to be exported and utilized from other computers.
Contract Deliverable #5 Develop a working action item list toward accomplishing committee goals.
Action item lists are completed for the following committees and other areas of coordination, each in a separate document: Board of Directors, Communications/Public Relations, Conference, Conservation, Education,
Contract Deliverable #6 Develop and maintain a Society document resource for informational resources coordination.
I have completed the process of obtaining original documents (FNPS Bylaws and Strategic Plan, Articles of Incorporation, etc.) and have started a directory of pertinent information, documentation and related resources for a resource database and society coordination. As documents are added, they will be placed in organized categories for ease of retrival.
Updates and revisions to the Bylaws (after archival review and research) are completed and the updates to the FNPS Handbook will be on-going until such point when a draft of proposed new information in the handbook will be presented to the Board of Directors.
Communications Committee
1. Assist Chair, Cindy Liberton as needed in coordination of projects.
2. Media Communication: Have completed set up of publicity media program for the Tarflower Chapter with local Government TV and newspaper for consistent monthly reporting.
Commentary to reporters for Daytona News Journal FNPS awards (Paw Paw Chapter).
Will be working on media communications for additional chapters in this same manner.
3. Guest speaker at Central Florida Flowering Tree Society.
4. Guest speaker at state conference of International Society of Arboriculture.
5. Scan documents, review archive information, sort information, create digital archives, create databases of information from paper archival records.
6. Started planning for 2008, 2009 and 2010 conferences.
7. Assist in execution of Communication Plan of action distributed by Cindy Liberton in May, 2006. Included here for informational purposes:
MARKETING:
Publicize the Awards (e.g., Endowment awards, Landscape awards, Conservation Awards, Chapter Grants, and Palmetto Awards)
MODEL LANDSCAPE ORDINANCE
Continue efforts to finalize and get it into the "field"
PUBLICATIONS
Sabal Minor PDF on-line - Procedures
Publications Committee activities; coordination, project development and timelines
Palmetto - finalize submission guidelines, support for editor, publicize deadline
WEB
Finish refinements of page layouts
Implement Action Alert submission form
Populate Newsletter Resource pages, Chapter support pages with useful articles to share.
Flesh out our Speakers' Bureau Registry
Establish dev site
Launch and populate forums; moderate discussions and support on-line projects
MEMBERSHIP/CHAPTERS
Directory Project
SOCIETY IDENTITY/PROMOTION
Remodel membership brochure to be more (what are we about)
Conservation
1. Working with Conservation Chair Suzanne Kennedy on setting Conservation policies and goals.
2. Actively trying to recruit a Co-Chair for Suzanne.
3. Have obtained a map of existing and proposed conservation areas. The information is in layers designating research by TNC, FNAI, TPL and FDEP.
Education
1. Successfully recruited Judy Gregoire to join our Education team and am working with her and her committee members to execute the following proposed goals and objectives:
a. Creation of power point presentations with scripts to be distributed to all chapters for use during public meetings/membership meetings for other organizations/events/programs, etc. These canned presentations could be generic for the entire state or regionalized to reflect specific plant species/ecosystems found throughout the state. Main points would include the many values of growing native plant species, the many resources for growing native and how the NPS can help to provide additional resources to the community and anything else we can think of. Ideally, we would eventually want to come up with three versions:
i. One power point and/or scripted presentation for childrens groups; this might need more than just a slide show puppets, activities, other ideas?
ii. One power point, scripted presentation for general public/adult groups
iii. One power point, scripted presentation for municipalities
b. After this first project is complete, we would then come up with a workshop format for sharing the information with the chapters to train members to use the resources in their regions. Steve Johnson with the University of Florida will serve as a resource for sharing our finished products with Master Gardener participants.
c. FNPS general brochure to further educate the public about the value of natives less of a general please-join-the-FNPS-membership-brochure more of an educational tool.
d. School curriculum for a landscaping with natives learning about native plants. This would be a Sunshine State Standard formatted book of activities that can get the mission of FNPS across to school groups. This would be followed by instructor training workshops and then teacher workshops to distribute the materials overall a huge potential undertaking but not impossible.
e. Add materials to the website to include even more educational elements.
2. Have written a draft for a powerpoint presentation to be given to municipalities. This will be completed in conjunction with Director At Large, Laurel Schiller.
Finance
1. Have assisted in procuring the information necessary for this quarters filings.
2. Assistance as needed.
Grant Procurement
1. List of Grant Funding Opportunities: Hand written notes regarding 28 grant funding opportunites.
2. Letters of Inquiry sent: Town Creek Foundation
Humane Earth Foundation
3. Grant Submittal made on August 10, 2006 to Dade County Environmental Education Endowment for $30,700.00
4. Grant submittals due: SWFWMD Env. Ed. September, 2006
Kresge Foundation July, 2007
SJRWMD July, 2007
EPA Env. Ed. November, 2006
Land Management
1. Charlie Pedersen is making great strides with this endeavor. I have not connected with him on this topic as of yet to see how I might be of assistance.
Landscape Awards
1. Submittal form has been updated to reflect improvements and decisions from Landscape Awards committee and next years submittal date has been coordinated with the early timing of the conference.
2. Updated FNPS and Landscape awards listings for website.
Membership
1. Member recruitment ideas were compiled into a document and will be available on the website.
2. I am actively recruiting Membership Committee Co-Chairs presently.
Policy & Legislation
1. Assisting Co-Chairs, Annie Schmidt and Kim Zarillo when needed.
2. Research eco-action issues when called upon.
3. Attending Florida Forever Coalition meetings and reporting back.
4. Have attended My Region, Smart Growth Alliance and ASLA Sustainable Design committee meetings.
5. Wrote FNPS resolution to join Everglades Coalition.
6. Reviewing multiple sources of legislative updates and reporting back (when in session).
7. Have made contact and have affiliate working relationship with:
Florida Forever Coalition
Florida Endangered Species Network
Florida Chapter American Society of Landscape Architects
Florida Department of Environmental Protection
Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission
Florida Nursery Growers and Landscape Association
Florida Recreation and Park Association
Genetic Engineering Action Network
Florida Chapter Intl. Society of Arboriculture
Florida Urban Forestry Council
Native Plant Conservation Commission
Trust for Public Land
St. Johns River Water Management District
Publications
1. Assist Chair Eileen Szuchy when needed in distributing articles and finding photographs to promote FNPS in regional venues through out the state.
2. Have assisted Rosalind and Marjorie in securing articles for the Sabal Minor and Palmetto.
Science
1. Assist Chair, Paul Schmalzer with conference programming coordination.
Priority List Executive Director
Board of Directors
Start liaison relationships with general public, FNPS membership, partner organizations, advocacy entities and governmental officials.
Provide support, reminders and assistance to have BOD members at BOD meetings. Objective is to get chapters more active.
Assist all Committee Chairs with their respective projects.
Assist with recruitment of Communications Co-Chair, Membership Co-Chair, Landscape Awards Co-Chair, Conservation Co-Chair, Education Co-Chair and additional committee members for all committees.
Start / gain approval of a new committee: Development and assist Joanne Trebatoski in strengthening fund raising.
Initiate the start of new chapters: Mid-Panhandle, Coastal Panhandle, St. Augustine (St. Johns County), Lake City area, South Ridge and Kissimmee/St. Cloud.
Attend one Chapter meeting minimum per month.
Prepare quarterly reports on Exec. Dir. Activities.
Provide and maintain FNPS document /resource data base.
Provide and update matrix of contacts.
Ensure all FNPS documents are up to date and accurate.
Develop a list of conferences, state conservation initiatives and public education events to attend and promote FNPS strategic plan and mission.
Attend (2) non-governmental conferences per year with FNPS Display.
Attend (1) governmental conference per year representing FNPS
Develop fund raising strategies.
Research and prepare grants for external funding.
Develop Conference Planning guidelines.
Assist with updating and implementing Strategic Plan. Develop a prioritization list of FNPS strategic plan and mission goals.
Update and maintain FNPS Handbook - (Review and revise Board of Directors, Executive Committee and Chapter Representative orientation & training guidelines).
Provide regional plant lists to municipalities and developers
Conservation
Obtain an FNAI working map of existing and proposed conservation areas in Florida
Find a GIS specialist within FNPS to assist with map production
Regional representatives to report to Conservation Chair Distribute information to Govt. Policy (eco-alert), Communication and Publication Committees
Join and participate in the Florida Forever Coalition
Ecosystem / habitat conservation support
Aid with national efforts to get real protection for rare plants ( Coordinate with Emily Roberson of NPCC)
Communication
Start a media/public relations program.
Produce one media contact minimum per month.
Facilitate communication by and between the FNPS Executive Committee, Board of Directors, Chapter Representatives, and Chapter Officers to coordinate programs, events, informational resources and projects, etc.
Create a database for external information sources and references.
Provide and maintain contact data base.
Education
Assist in completing (3) powerpoint presentations with scripts for the following user groups: Municipalities / General Public-Master Gardeners (utilize existing material) / Children
Finance
Ensure IRS filing and assist with coordination
Government Policy
Join and participate in the Florida Highway Beautification Council
Finalize Model Ordinance
Assist the Policy and Legislation Committee with research for writing policy and position statements. Start with mulch. Find and archive existing policies/position statements
Assist FNPS President, Communications Chair and Policy Co-Chairs in developing an Eco-Alert Format
Legislative Updates
Issues to Follow:
Heartland Highway
Fowlers Prairie SR 20
Brooker Creek
Big Bend Canal Development
Biomass Energy Grass Kris Serbesoff-King
Cedar Key Scrub Preserve
Ocala National Forest ATV usage
Hometown Democracy Referendum
Babcock Ranch
Tostohatchee status
Land Management
Assist with productivity
Landscape Awards
Assist with productivity and archiving methods
Membership
Assist Chair in obtaining Chapter Membership Representatives and ensuring that consistent communication takes place with the objective of constant membership recruitment and retainage.
Facilitate ideas list (separate attachment)
Assist with the development of an educational/field trip weekend for members
Publications
Coordinate ordering of 10,000 coloring books for price break. Seek outside organizations as well.
Assist with article generation for Sabal Minor and Palmetto
Assist Chair in developing Plant Profiles for (10) regional newspapers on a regular basis (G.Bauer pics); VP Admin. to assist with photos; Communication Chair to assist with process
Grants
Executive Director Salary
Intern to organize Archival information
Educational programs and distribution
Land Management
Science / Conservation
Conference Scholarships
Powerpoint projectors
Outreach/education grants (publications, CDs, Color Book, etc.)
Community Model Ordinances Guidelines and distribution.
Science
Assist as needed.
Assist with conference programming coordination.
