Questions? Email us at nycaazk@gmail.com or contact an officer or facility liaison.

Meeting Minutes: April 2015

 April 20, 2015 NYC AAZK Meeting Minutes

In Attendance: Members: Tyrone Nickens, Elizabeth Mills, Brittany Murphy, Ashley Herbolich, Brent Atkinson, Avi Shuter, Sara Koplish, Joe Nappi, Michelle Medina, Lora Murphy, Melanie Weber, Cindy Maur; Supporters: Mo Ortiz, Samantha Gaeta, Vanessa Jones, Sosha Fusco, Diane Craft, Cristina Mendonca, Miranda Feldman, Anne Gilewski

Old Business: Nothing to Report

New Business:
* New Amendment Proposed: Effective beginning in 2015, yearly chapter membership dues are $15 for National AAZK members and are $25 for Non-National AAZK members.
o Please note yearly dues are valid from January to December.
o Voting on this amendment will end May 20th at 5 PM.

* Bowling for Rhinos!
o It’s our 5th Annual BFR
o New venue: Woodside, Queens
o New prices:
* $25 for chapter members, $30 for non-members
* To buy a lane: $200 for a member, $220 for a non member
o New deal: 3 hours of unlimited bowling, shoe rentals, 1 drink and 2 pizzas per lane
o New fundraising goal: $10,000!

* To reach this goal we are asking all bowlers to “ask 5 friends for $5”

* Training Demonstration by Cristina Mendonca and Anne Gilewski (and Diego and Bruiser)

* Sea Lion End Tidal CO2 Presentation by Mo Ortiz (in collaboration with Marisa Ostek)

Meeting Minutes: March 2015

AAZK MEETING MINUTES – March 20th
Present: Sarah Parker, Sara Koplish, Mike Wrubel, Brent Atkinson, Joe Nappi, Erin Mowatt, Liz Mills, Cindy Maur, Bill Orrico (telephone), Avi Shuter (telephone)
-          VOTE ONLINE FOR NEW PRESIDENT
o   Poll opens March 20th and closes March 26th
§  Nycaazk.org à About Us à Online Voting
§  OR     http://syntheticmachine.net/forum/index.php?topic=28.0

-          BFR – August 17th
o   VOTE: Budget $2700. Can we cover all BFR expenses?
§  Show of hands à Yes (9) No (0)
§  APPROVED
o   Committee Update: If anyone else wants to join the committee email Sara Koplish or Lora Murphy.
o   Can we put up a BFR sign in Zoo Center? (See attached example *1)
o   If we post to our Facebook about BFR, can we get WCS Facebook to repost it?

-          April Aquarium Meeting
o   VOTE: Food Budget $250.
§  Show of hands à APPROVED
o   See attached flyer for info *2

-          Travel Grant Applications Due April 1st
o   See attached Flyer *3
o   Erin Mowatt and Brent Atkinson joined the travel grant committee

-          Run For the Wild – April 25th
o   Table will be set up manned by Cindy Maur, Bill Orrico and Ashley Herbolich
o   Focus on outreach efforts à Girl Scouts, BFR (Make sure to have website up beforehand), etc
o   What can we hand out at the table? Temporary tattoos?

-          NZKW
o   Meeting with all the departments to be held after March 30th
o   Would like it to be more unified across all parks
o   Will discuss craft fair

So long folks!      XOXO Sarah Parker

Meeting Minutes: February 2015

NYC AAZK Monthly Meeting Minutes – February 20, 2015
Attendees:
Sarah Parker – President, Bill Orrico – Secretary, Michelle Medina, Joe Nappi, Erin Mowatt, Elizabeth Mills, Florence Klecha, Kelvin Alvarez, Brent Atkinson, Andrew Kathriner, Lenny Billie
Reports:
·         Dues must be paid for the new year ASAP
·         Barnanza raised $141 and dues were collected from 12 members
o   Suggestion box a success. Most suggestions for BFR venue change, increase in workshops and panel discussions, monthly meetings shortened in duration, and holding fewer but larger fundraisers
·         Recharter is due March 1 – Officers are working to complete it
·         Bowling for Rhinos – August 17
o   New location “34th Ave Lanes” in Woodside, Queens
o   $25/$30 for 3 hours (includes 2 pizzas/lane and 1 drink ticket/person)
o   Option to buy whole lane for $200/$220
Business/Discussion:
·         March Meeting – Need ideas for type of meeting or it will be another simple business meeting
o   No ideas from meeting – Contact officers with suggestions
·         April Meeting – Presentation Night at Aquarium
o   Aquarium requests funding if food budget is over $100. Will be preparing itemized list and be put to a Chapter vote
·         Run for the Wild – April 25 – Should we have a table?
o   Consensus is that we should have a table at the event. Brent and Bill volunteered to work at table. Anyone else interested should contact officers
·         Panel Discussion
o   Survey results lacking – Many did not receive the survey – will send again
o   If interested in joining committee for future discussions contact Cindy or Avi
·         National Zoo Keeper Week – July
o   Planning has already begun by committee – in contact with management
o   Concerns voiced by members included increased work during week, lack of feeling appreciated by management, and ineffectiveness at reaching public
o   Do we want to keep gifts from chapter to keepers? – Vote
·         Bowling for Rhinos
o   New location and prices should greatly increase interest and attendance
o   Want more involvement from public – Posters/signs, contact NYC Cultural institutions, table at events?
o   Increase fundraising by including individual Bowl-a-thon component
o   Option of second BFR event in Bronx area to attract different subset of Keeper Staff?

§  BFR once a year but different event can be held north. Looking at locations for Croctoberfest in Bronx. Cinco de Rhino?

Meeting Minutes: September 2014

Financials
  • Money has been given to Heather (for meeting food, labels) and Sarah ( for BFR tees)
  • Reimbursement for Robin ($615 recharter fee and $60 banner purchase) needs to be sent…get cashier’s check from bank ~$10 (bc new acct checks cost hundreds of dollars), and mail to her
  • Fundraiser- order forms for items are being sent to us shortly, will be dispersed through interoffice mail
    • Money will be needed up front for items
    • Can write receipts by hand for records
    • Fundraiser can be run during October, order placed Nov, and items arrive for Dec
    • 40% of profits go to our Chapter

October Meeting
  • Will be Discussion Panel!
  • On the 20th, a Monday, at Bronx after work
  • Time and format is in works, Cindy is discussing with Breheny
  • Should only run about an hour long
  • Send questions to Cindy for anonymous asking
  • No FOZ invited
  • What are we doing for food??? Coffee and snacks only??
  • Officer election time- please have nominees or interested person give a brief 5 minute speech about themselves, vote in Nov

November Meeting
  • Will be Enrichment Bonanza
  • Perhaps have facility based if each facility wants, and puts it together
  • Potluck dinner
  • Officer Voting online

December Meeting
  • Will be Holiday Auction
  • Donations are being collected
  • Auction will be before Christmas sometime
  • Cindy is chair
  • Monthly meeting will be facility based, because of busy holiday schedules

Misc
  • Please set up recycle boxes at your department/facility to collect cans!
    • Need to discuss exchanging for money…who will do and when
Attendance from the BZ:           
Erin Mowatt
Rebecca Mitchell
Mary G
Mike Wrubel
Brent Atchinson
Sara Koplish
Kaitlyn Keys
Heather Tassler
Jay Schoen

Attendance from PPZ:
Tierney O’neal
Ashley Herbolich
Denny Muireo
Danielle Taylor
Debbie Dienaman
Brittany Murphy
Andrea Reimold

Attendance from QZ:

Melanie Weber

Meeting Minutes: July 2014

National Zookeeper Week
  • PPZ is getting treats from Education
  • submit childhood photos at the Zoo!!
         --reenact adult version (when possible) for 2015? See Brittany
    Murphy's photo lol
  • Buzzfeed goes out Mon 7/21
  • Keeper gifts given out in Bronx mailboxes, PPZ at Kickball to
    Brittany, and Ashley gave CPZ's to Brian to pass out.
  • Twitter Party is Weds
  • social media will be even heavier next year; very present this year,
    and planning started pretty late
  • auction is in progress; other facilities can bid on higher priced
    items as well

BFR
  • raffle is coming; donations are welcome!!
  • ticket sales go up 7/21 (but postponed to 7/23)
  • 40+ tickets sold, but really need to sell more, more, more over next few days

Other
  • bank account stills needs updated to switch from Cindy to Heather
    (and add c/o line for statements, as they're getting lost)


Attendance: PPZ- Ashley Herbolich and Debbie Dieneman from Education,
Brittany Murphy, Atu Marshall, Justine Wilber, Andrea Reimold (and her
boyfriend Andrew), Juan Alberto Choy Lui, and Morgan Parlo, and also
Takquan McGill and James Savastano from O/M, NYA- Kayla Bergman,
Shoely (I'm butchering this name...), David, and Julie, BX- Cindy
Maur, Sara Koplish, Kaitlyn Keys, and Heather Tassler. Also attending
and not claiming a specific facility were Matt and Shawn (?)


Meeting Minutes: June 2014

National Zookeeper Week
  • Meeting with Jim B. and others to discuss developmental planning, get things on track and get interest
    • The auction
    • Keeper chats
  • Need to touch base with management to see who is available to participate
  • Also need to touch base with keepers
  • Pat Thomas indicated that  Julie (photographer) sent him a lot of pictures of keepers to be displayed during NZKW

July Meeting
  • Prospect Park projected for July
  • AAZK has given the OK to Ashley, she has let the liaison Brittany know…she is waiting to hear back from the bosses (delayed because of AZA accred. Coming up)

BFR
  • Code for discounted member tickets: “Imamember”
  • If anyone wants to purchase tickets in person:
    • Get name, email, which park they are from (if applicable), and who is on their team/lane (if applicable), get cash. Lora will add them to the system
  • Max of 256 tickets available
  • $2,000 payment due in June
  • We should set a goal for ourselves to anticipate the next payment that needs to be applied, so no one is paying out of their pocket and getting reimbursed
  • Idea for next year: Early bird special needs a bigger gap between its deadline and the event, to push sales
  • Bake sale should include salty items to go along with refreshments!
  • Having face painting for a small fee this year!
  • Sara has some raffle supplies from last year- gift bags
    • Do we have a list of BFR items sold at holiday auction?? To add to this year’s fundraising efforts
  • T-shirt design is being decided upon, still have shirts from last year
  • Sara will check with her shirt contact about lessening the order
  • Recap:
    • Date: Monday August 11th
    • Tickets are on sale now!!!
      • Members are $35, non-members $40, will increase $5 each after July 20th
      • No tickets will be sold at the door, so we need you and your friends to buy tickets ASAP!!  Go directly to http://nycaazkmeetingminutes.blogspot.com/p/2014.html for ticket purchasing.
      • We need a list of helpers, and what you would like to be assisting with at the event.
      • We will be having a baked goods sale, as well as giving goodies to any parties celebrating a birthday or other special occasion…Please inform us if you are celebrating something!
      • We need donations and sponsors, please help us collect money or items for BFR!!!!

Barnanza
  • Discussed coupling it with the holiday party

Finances
  • New account is open and active!!
  • We need to stay on top of our finances!! Last year was very poor in doing so (cashing checks on time, etc.)
Attendance from the BZ:
Matthew LeBron 
Kaitlyn Keys
By phone:
Melanie Weber- QZ
Ashley Herbolich-PPZ
Jared Ozga 
Sara Koplish
Cindy Maur

Lora Murphy- AQ

Meeting Minutes: May 2014

Official officer announcement
  • Please welcome the following new board members that were voted in:
    • President: Kaitlyn Keys, Bronx Zoo
    • Vice President: Heather Tassler, Bronx Zoo
    • Treasurer: Ashley Herbolich, Prospect Park Zoo

BFR
  • Date: Monday August 11th
  • Tickets are on sale now!!!
    • Members are $35, non-members $40, will increase $5 each after July 20th
    • No tickets will be sold at the door, so we need you and your friends to buy tickets ASAP!!  Go directly to http://nycaazkmeetingminutes.blogspot.com/p/2014.html for ticket purchasing.
    • We need a list of helpers, and what you would like to be assisting with at the event.
    • We will be having a baked goods sale, as well as giving goodies to any parties celebrating a birthday or other special occasion…Please inform us if you are celebrating something!
    • We need donations and sponsors, please help us collect money or items for BFR!!!!
Dues
  • Please pay your national dues if you haven't yet! Most have not paid!!! Also, make sure you show proof of payment and pass it along to your officers or nycaazk@gmail.com. 
  • Please pay your local dues as well, if you haven't!!

NZKW
  • Please let us know if anyone at your facility would be interested in doing a keeper chat
  • Gifts are being ordered soon

Panel Discussion (more details to come)
  • Specific dates are being discussed, we are hoping to find a date in October that works
  • Please fill out and return the surveys that have been emailed, it’s very important to guide us in planning this event, the survey is located below
Attendance from the BZ:
Jessica Chin
Mike Wrubel
Kaitlyn Keys
By phone:
Melanie Weber- QZ
Ashley Herbolich-PPZ
Lora Murphy- AQ
Erin Mowatt
Rebecca Mitchell  
Tyrone Nickens
Heather Tassler
Joe Nappi
Cindy Maur


NYC AAZK words onlyThe NYC AAZK Chapter is hosting a panel discussion this coming summer at one of our monthly meetings. This event will be an open floor format, in which all questions, comments, and ideas are very much welcomed and encouraged to be expressed to a panel of representatives from each of the parks.

Please answer the following questions honestly, to help us determine if this would be of interest to you and the animal department and education staff.

- Would you attend such a panel discussion? Why or why not? If NOT, what could be a better way to voice your questions?



- What do you think would be the pros or cons of having this type of discussion?




- If you could ask 1 question, what would it be? Limit 2 to 3 questions.
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