GAZeL Executive Committee Meeting
Thursday, March 13th – Noon.
Audio Bridge Number: 1.888.847.8686 7256108#
Attending: Michelle, Maggie, Bobbie, Casey, Richard, Ted C., Bob R., Sheri, Steve, Kelley and Alex.
Strategy 2008 Maggie started the discussion. Maggie proposed we have a table at the Gala for membership. Sheri, Maggie and Bobbie volunteered for this table to help with the membership. Then a big discussion ensued about getting all Board Members to join and pay their dues. Members will get
a 25% discount but must pay by or at golf Gala or be off the Board.

The Link where interested Board Members can add ideas and topics for Future Networking Events and Fund
Raising and Membership Ideas appears at: http://www.gazel.us/node/510. Click on the Add new comment link to add your
ideas, comments, and discussion topics. Maggie also mentioned an upcoming Sloan-C International Symposium! in May: http://www.gazel.us/node/507 This event is also available online via Second Life.

GAZeL-a-Ganza Update- Alex/Kelley Alex has been talking to Lauryn on a daily basis and thinks things are moving along fine. Kelley is waiting for some graphics materials from Lauryn. We have to get a few details worked out so people can do online registration. When the golf committee meets they will decide the final details and costs. Alex suggested that Lauryn needs more help recruiting Sponsors and golfers especially from the Board. Bobbie and Alex will meet to plan the details of the event dinner. Highlights of the dinner will include membership announcement, also a membership table to gather memberships, OLPC presentation (Kelley), an OLPC table (Brian Basgen???), and a short speech by a San Carlos Apache Tribe member.
Alex will get the necessary information about the event (golfing + dinner) so that the Board can start talking about the upcoming GAZeL event. Alex stressed that we need more participants to play golf and to attend the dinner.

Kelley reported some changes he is making to the website. Registration will go through Global Literacy to get the tax benefits.

Alex mentioned that GAZeL had a good meeting with San Carlos Apache Telecommunications Utility and GAZeL will showcase their need for an eLearning Pilot Project. Apache tribe members will be invite.d to showcase their project. Other tribes need to be invited by the Board to highlight their similar needs.

On behalf of the Global Literacy Foundation (GLF), Alex, Richard, Maggie and Kelley met with Vernon James (San Carlos Apache Telecommunications Utility, Inc. – SCATUI) and others to discuss how to help with their critical needs. James was very aware of the OLPC program and wants us to remember the needs of the tribal children. Alex pointed out that eLearning is a method for these children to join embrace a literacy and economic development solution. The meeting gave him a renewed vision of GAZeL’s purpose. It is a first step in how we can use elearning to improve academic success and improve economic development. San Carlos wants to have their own dinner and golf gala in the fall. GlF will help them with this event. SCATUI has already committed to buying 10 OLPC computers for the Golf event. Four affiliated tribal programs might bring the total to 54 computers.

Then they had a long discussion of how this program would inform us and others of what diverse organizations are doing and how we can help and benefit each other. ATIC is considering another Round Table to bring people together who are engaged in different projects. Alex pointed out that our Gala event is to help this process. Maggie’s summary about the San Carlos Apache eLearning Pilot Project can be found at: http://www.gazel.us/node/508.
Bobbie emphasized the need to continue common discussions between eSATS, ATIC, GAZeL, Global Literacy Foundation, and membership, especially regarding efforts toward tribal communities.

Portal Development Update – Maggie/ Kelley Steve will send photos from Summit so we can put them
the website. Steve will provide the Summit Workshop report so we can highlight and summarize the result of the Summit’s strategic workshops.

Research Committee Update– Maggie No new news and is waiting for research documents from the Summit workshop. Steve said he would try to provide the Summit Research workshop report to Maggie this week. With receipt of the workshop notes, we can plan the next research meeting and begin strategies for 2008.

Networking Meeting - Bobbie doesn’t want to have another meeting before the Gala. There is a forum site for members to offer their ideas and comments about what they want to see happen in 2008. The Link where the Board is interested in adding ideas and topics for Future Networking Events and Fund Raising and Membership Ideas: http://www.gazel.us/node/510.
Click on the Add new comment link to add your ideas, comments, and discussion topics.
Kelley reported some changes he is making to the website. Registration will go through Global Literacy to get the tax benefits.
Steve suggested finding a dedicated place to have all our networking meetings that has the technology to send it out all over Arizona.
Maggie will email a URL where we can make suggestions for our next Networking Meeting.

Marketing Activity Update – Kelley/ Maggie InterMedia hasn’t been doing much, they have to decide whether they are involved or not in the Gala marketing. Lauryn has been working with them but nobody knows to what level.

The next Board Meeting will be March 27th.

Casey Sparrow
Secretary