2025-11-26 Executive Board Meeting Minutes

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Minutes
WAML Executive Board Meeting 
11/26/2025
9 am Pacific/12 pm Eastern

Registration link:

https://gmu.zoom.us/j/4431959620

Call meeting to order at 9:02 am Pacific/12:02 pm Eastern

Officers in attendance: 

  • Cheyenne Stradinger (President)
  • Sierra Laddusaw (Vice President)
  • Meg Miller (Past President) 
  • Jack Tiezsen (Secretary)

Absent: 

  • sam hidde tripp (Treasurer) 

Other attendees: 

Ken Rockwell, Georgia Brown, Sarah Zhang, Emma Slayton, Laura K McElfresh, Emilie Ducourneau

Approval of minutes from last meeting:

Officer Reports & Check-In

  • Cheyenne Stradinger (President)
    • Ad hoc committee for MAGIRT Online Guide will include:
    • ·       Chris Thiry
    • ·         Heather Ross
    • ·         Kevin Dyke
    • ·         Nicole Scholtz
    • ·         Stephen Appel
      • As an Ad Hoc committee, do you need a rep from the EBoard? I’m seeing Chris and maybe Heather as a potential lead since they have experience in the Guide.
        • 5.2.a The WAML Executive Board shall create Ad Hoc Committees (including task forces or working groups) as needed to address specific tasks or issues.
        • Examples include the WAML Futures Group (established January 2008), the Ad Hoc Committee on Rules and Procedures (2007-08), and the WAML Scholarship Committee (2017-18).
        • 5.2.b Membership of Ad Hoc Committees shall be appointed by the chair in coordination with the Executive Board.
    • Paige did email and said, “I will continue to participate in this effort for now, not willing to lead unless absolutely needed. Have to admit that leading the discussion with Sierra at the conference did work well though.” And “The MAGIRT “ownership” issue was resolved as I noted during the workshop. There is no “ownership” of the Online Guide by the organization, if anything the one person who “owns” it is the person who brought her idea to the MAGIRT Executive Board for approval and received it, Carol McAuliffe.”
  • Sierra Laddusaw (Vice President)
    • Hotel block agreement signed for WAML 2026 in Denver
      • Hyatt Place Denver/Downtown 440 14th Street – includes breakfast and internet
  • Meg Miller (Past President)
    • Amending the principal region.
    • Someone proposes the amendment in writing, secretary responsible for submitting the ballot.
    • Do we want to get this done before or after Christmas?
      • More likely post-Christmas plans, though the group can work on it before.
    • Discussion of amending the bylaw due to current restrictions in when these amendments can be voted on.
    • Specific rules outlined:
      • 13.1 These Bylaws may be amended by a ballot vote of the entire Membership.
      • 13.2 Proposed amendments must be submitted in writing to the Secretary by members or by the Executive Board at least one week prior to a scheduled business meeting of the Membership. The amendments shall be read and discussed at the meeting. The Secretary shall be responsible for submitting the proposed amendments to the entire Membership by ballot with appropriate explanatory comments with any arguments for or against the proposed amendments.
      • 13.3 The ballot shall state the return deadline date.
      • 13.4 An amendment shall be adopted if approved by a majority of the valid ballots returned.
      • Link to bylaw amendment: Bylaw Amendment: Add Texas
  • Jack Tiezsen (Secretary)
    • No reports.
  • sam hidde tripp (Treasurer)
    • N/A

Actions approved over email by E-Board since August 2025 E-Board meeting

  • N/A

Appointed Position Reports

  • Sarah Zhang (Information Bulletin Editor)
    • spatial data management interview series for the IB
    • Launched last summer. Two interviews done so far.
  • Ilene Raynes (IB Book and Geospatial Resources Review Editor)
  • Emma Slayton (IB Features Editor)
  • Nick Beyelia (Membership Manager)
  • Chrissy Klenke (New Mapping Editor)
  • Zoe Dilles (WAML Archivist)
  • Kevin Dyke (Web Administrator)

Updates from task forces, committees, etc.

  • Continuing Education (Kat Strickland)
  • Communications Committee (Georgia Brown)
  • Scholarship Committee (Jo-Ann Wong)
  • MAGIRT/ALA Liaison Report (Kathy Rankin)
  • ACMLA Liaison Report (daniel Brendle-Moczuk)
  • NACIS Liaison Report (Theresa Quill) – 
  • GSIS (Chrissy Klenke)
  • NGAC Liaison Report to WAML Executive Board – September 2025

Old Business

  • Previous action items:
    • Meg: Figure out who sends the vote out for future conference locations.
    • Meg: Contact Kevin to send a file of membership location and create some type of visualization of institutions affiliated with WAML.
    • Send out a vote for Milwaukee as the destination for the 2027 conference.
    • Cheyenne: Create Ad Hoc committee for MAGIRT Online Guide. Put out a call for the chair of the committee.
    • Put the vote out to add Yukon to the principal region list.
  • Jessica previously indicated interest in seeing if there were any questions regarding Code of Conduct.
  • Ken: Images from conferences and where they end up.
  • Principal region discussion:
    • Meg and Cheyenne had a long discussion as some want to advertise to MAGIRT but people seem to find us regardless. Can we take a large number of new folks showing up? Denver and Milwaukee will give us an answer. Discussion of updating our “where our members come from” in the handbook and visualizing it for potential members.

New Business

  • N/A

Potential Features Announcements

Next Meeting

  • Wednesday January 28, 2026 at 9 AM Pacific/12 PM Eastern

Meeting adjourned: 9:34 Pacific and 12:34 Eastern

Minutes submitted by Jack Tiezsen (Secretary).

Approved by the Executive Board by email on December 1, 2025

Action Items

  • Meg: Go through bylaws and see what needs to be updated.
  • Cheyenne: Send an email for ALA Liaison and new mapping editor.

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