January 11 2025 Minutes

1/11/25 Minutes

1/11/25 Minutes

AMA Executive Council Meeting

January 11, 2025

Hybrid/AMA International Aeromodelling Center, Muncie, Indiana

8:00 a.m.

Meeting began at 8:02 am

In attendance

  • Rich Hanson, Fishers IN; Randy Cameron, Pittsburg MO; Marc Guerra, Rancho Mission Viejo CA; Andy Argenio (virtual), Smithfield RI; Eric Williams (virtual), Schenectady NY; Randy Adams (virtual), Fairfield OH; Jay Marsh (virtual), High Point NC; Andrew Griffith, Jacksonville FL (virtual); Gary Himes, Kansas City MO (virtual); Randy Gibson, Lansing MI; Lawrence Harville (virtual), Hurst TX; Brandon Koch, Mandan ND (virtual); Greg Stone, Yorba Linda CA (virtual); Phil Tallman, Medical Lake WA (virtual); Interim Executive Director and Senior Director of Government Affairs Tyler Dobbs; Felix Gora, attorney (virtual); Amy Spowart, NAA (virtual); Katie Albert, recording secretary.

Others present: Staff: Randy Batchelor (IT), Eric Bachmann (IT), Steve Haston (AMA Foundation director), Sue Ahlbrand (comptroller; virtual), Rachelle Haughn (AMA Foundation deputy director), Clarissa Poston (AMA Foundation Communication Specialist), Mark Benson (Marketing Sr. Director; virtual), and Kyle Jaracz (Education Director; virtual).
Paul Bretsen (FNIC Insurance), Mark Feist (III Associate Vice President [AVP]; virtual), and David Lindley (National Free Flight Society [NFFS]), and Brenda Scheutte

Opening Business

  1. Introduction of guests
  2. Additions to agenda
  3. Eric Williams (II) added that the AMA Member Discount for Active Military needs to be discussed when Mark Feist presents the Membership Initiative. Randy Cameron (EVP) added that the National Aeromodelling Championship schedule needs to be voted on
  4. Recognition of those who have taken their final flight
  5. Rich Hanson (President) questioned if anyone had additions to the Final Flights list. Randy Gibson (VII) added Bronislaw Kowalczyk to the Final Flights list.

Consent Agenda*

  1. Nov 20th-28th 2024 – Executive Director Evaluation (Chad Budreau)

    The following item was handled on Basecamp in compliance with the AMA bylaws.

    On November 20th to November 28, 2024, the AMA Executive Council conducted an Executive Director evaluation and assessment of Chad Budreau's performance for calendar year 2024.

    Tabulation of the individual evaluations was based on the following scoring values, with Superior equating to a bonus award of 100% and Unacceptable achieving "%" or no bonus.

    Superior 100 - Commendable 75 - Competent 50 - Developing 25 - Unacceptable - Non-Applicable/No Opinion XX

    The outcome of this assessment resulted in a recommended bonus award of 66.6% of a possible 15% bonus, or a bonus of... 9.99% rounded to 10%.

  2. Brandon Koch moved and Randy Cameron seconded a motion to award Chad Budreau a 10% bonus for his 2024 employee performance, that being 10% of Chad's annual baselevel salary.
  3. The staff has compiled, proofed and provided to the Council the minutes for the October 26th meeting of the Executive Council. In the Council review of the minutes there were a number of corrections or modifications noted.

    The staff incorporated these changes/modifications into the draft minutes, and the updated version attached constitutes the final minutes of the Executive Council meeting.

    On Tuesday, December 3, 2024, the Executive Council voted to approve the draft minutes to be the official minutes of the October 26, 2024, meeting of the Executive Council.

    The vote was 12 votes in favor, zero dissensions with 1 Executive Council member not responding to the issue.

    The vote constitutes a quorum of the Executive Council and meets the two-third affirmative vote required for electronic voting.

  4. Dec 24th, 2024 – Approve USDSA’s Proposal to host Drone Soccer WC in 2025

    The following item was handled on Basecamp in compliance with the AMA bylaws

    David Roberts of the U.S. Drone Soccer Association (USDSA - AMA SIG), proposed hosting the 2025 F9A-B Drone Soccer World Championship at the SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Utica, NY on June 19-22, 2025.

    The FAI Executive Committee recommended the EC approve the proposal.

    On December 24, 2024, the AMA Executive Council voted to authorize and approve USDSA's proposal to host the 2025 F9A-B Drone Soccer World Championship at the SUNY Polytechnic Institute in Utica, NY on June 19-22, 2025.

    The result of the vote was 9 votes in favor, dissentions and no abstentions. There were 2 EC members that did not respond to the issue.

    The vote constitutes a quorum of the Executive Council and meets the two-thirds affirmative vote required for electronic voting.

  5. The Consent Agenda was passed by acclamation.

President Report

  1. Rich Hanson (President) reported that since the last EC meeting, most of his work has been involvement with the ED search committee, the Membership Growth and Retention initiative as part of the Marketing Committee, and PADCOM. He mentioned that in 2024, the senior members out numbered the adult members. In 2024 the total membership was down 2% from the previous year. There was a small but positive increase in new memberships in the month of December.
  2. 2025 will be Rich Hanson’s (President) last year of his third term as the Executive Council President. His top priorities will be membership growth, outreach to clubs, engagement in community, and finishing the Executive Director selection process. Rich Hanson (President) gave an update on the Executive Director Search Committee’s progress. Over the holidays a print ad in Model Aviation, and online recruitment were both launched. About two dozen resumes have been received to date. Rich Hanson (President) expects to get more resumes before the February 28, 2025 deadline. The committee is currently working on the resume screening document, and there will be a meeting the week of January 12th to finalize this document. The final selections will be available for the April EC Meeting. Rich Hanson (President) asked for additions, and Andy Argenio (I) added that the scoring method used in the past will be used for this search and will be helpful in deciding on who will take the position.

EVP Report

  1. Randy Cameron (EVP) started with collecting each district’s Vice President replacements
    • Andy Argenio (I) stated that Daren Hudson and John Yassenedis are his replacements.
    • Eric Williams (II) stated that Michael Wong and Gary Fitch are his replacements.
    • Randy Adams (III) stated that Jeff Black and Jim Martin are his replacements.
    • Jay Marsh (IV) stated that Nick Burhans and Rick Mooreland are his replacements.
    • Andrew Griffith (V) stated that Bill Barbie and Darrel Sprayberry are his replacements.
    • Gary Hines (VI) stated that Leo Rodriquez and Donald Way are his replacements.
    • Randy Gibson (VII) stated that Mark Robotti and Chris Sterner are his replacements.
    • Lawrence Harville (VIII) stated that Gary Strickland and Pablo Romero are his replacements.
    • Brandon Koch (IX) stated that Zack Heskin and Terry Wiles are his replacements.
    • Greg Stone (X) stated that JR Schiager and Tim Johnson are his replacements.
    • Phil Tallman (XI) stated that Mike Ingram and Rick Crow are his replacements.
  2. Committee review/changes
    1. Randy Cameron (EVP) said that Randy Adams was added to the finance committee. A subcommittee was added under the marketing committee from Rich’s membership drive. Jay Marsh (IV) will be sitting on the Leader Member & Leader Clubs Program Committee and Randy Adams (III) is going to chair the committee. Executive Director Search committee consists of Randy Cameron (EVP), Andy Argenio (I), Rich Hansen (President), Eric Williams (II), Jim Rice, April Connor (HR), and Chad Budreau (former ED).
    2. Equipment lists

      Randy Cameron (EVP) Referenced a form in Dropbox and asked districts to complete forms and send them to Sue Ahlbrand (comptroller) and Cliff McKee (Accounts Payable Clerk). He reminded the attendees to fill out what was purchased in 2024. Sue Ahlbrand (Comptroller) will send the current equipment list and a blank copy of the equipment list to all district VPs.

    3. National Aeromodelling Competition Schedule.

      Motion I: Moved by Randy Adams (III), seconded by Phil Tallman (XI) to accept the 2026 NATS schedule as presented.

      Motion passed: 13 yes, no, absent

CFO Report

  1. Marc Guerra (CFO) presented the 2024 Merral Reserve Fund results, stating that there was a net gain, and presenting the withdrawals from this fund. The use of the reserve fund was within the recommended range. The 2024 budget included withdrawing from this reserve fund. AMA has been doing a good job at using the funds within industry recommendations. The council discussed the use of this fund in 2024 and how it should be used in 2025.
  2. Membership affects the 2025 budget since membership makes up 75% of revenue. The market should be another good year in 2025. The fees charged to AMA are in line with the market standards.
  3. Eric Williams (II) brought up the Club Legal Defense Fund. Tyler Dobbs (IED) is waiting for a response from the club to see when or if this fund will be accessed. The council will get advice from Felix Gora (Attorney). The council discussed how funds are managed in this account and determined that the fund works as a budget item.

Interim ED Report

  1. Government Relations
    1. Tyler Dobbs (Interim ED) stated that the NDAA bill passed. This bill means that DJI was not completely banned, but there is now a process in place where the Department of Defense will look at foreign-made aircraft (China). Tyler mentioned that he got word that there is advanced notice of proposed rulemaking from the Commerce Department that will be looking at what UAS components pose a risk to national security. If there is a ban on these aircraft coming into the US, there is a question as to what will be its economic impact? It is uncertain if the new administration will continue in this direction and what further response AMA might have.
    2. Tyler Dobbs (Interim ED) will be in Washington DC after the inauguration to work on waivers for DOD. If tariffs get rolled out for the products we are purchasing, it will impact the organization.
    3. Tyler Dobbs (Interim ED) went on to talk about TFRs. The drone sightings in New York and New Jersey. State legislators are pushing the FAA to put out temporary flight restrictions over critical areas. Tyler Dobbs (Interim ED) is working with Eric Williams (II) and the FAA to get an exemption from the TFR. The TFR is currently only affecting a small number of clubs and Tyler Dobbs (Interim ED) wants to ensure that by the time the flying season begins clubs can fly.
    4. Tyler Dobbs (Interim ED) is working on finalizing the 7711s for sanctioned events and day-to-day operations. This will help us get higher altitudes for day-to-day operations and events without the need for one-off approvals.
  2. 2025 Program of Work (POW)

    Tyler Dobbs (Interim ED) stated that the 2025 POW will have four focuses this year. The first will be an update to Netforum/AMS system led by Eric Bachmann (IT). The current system is required to be updated in order to move forward. Eric Bachmann (IT) said that he will start this soon, and should be done before summer and events start. The second focus is community engagement. Steve Haston (AMA Foundation Director) will be heading this up, but it is organizational wide. AMA will be working with the university, chamber of commerce, etc., to get people familiar with AMA and into the museum. It’s important for the community to know that we are here. Maintenance is the third focus. On January 10th a new well was drilled because the pond was low and there have been issues with the HVAC. The grounds need to be beautified- painting, fixing signs, improvements inside and on site, etc. The fourth focus is to conduct a web discovery phase so that the website can meet the needs of the members. Mark Benson talked about getting focus groups and user testing as part of the process. The web development phase was not originally budgeted for, but it is a need. Tyler and Mark met in DC with the developers who originally created the website, and they received a bid. Tyler Dobbs (Interim ED) requested the council to approve $30,000 from the reserves to move forward with this project. Andy Argenio (I) requested that the council receive questions to ask clubs about what members think about the website and what they want changed or updated.

    Motion II: By Greg Stone (X) seconded by Eric Williams (II) to approve funding of $30,000 for Web Discovery Project.
    Motion passed: 13 yes, no, absent

    Tyler Dobbs (Interim ED) then went on to mention that Sue Alhbrand (Comptroller) has put in her resignation. Her last day is officially Friday January 17th, but for transition, she will work part time. An offer for the position has been given.

NAA Report

  1. Amy Spowart (NAA) started off by letting Mark Benson (Marketing Sr. Director) and Tyler Dobbs (Interim ED) know that she is available for any website support if needed. Amy saw on social media that Lichey Nomki, who is prominent in the RC community passed away. Since the council last met the FAI general conference met in Saudi Arabia. Greg Principato is the new FAI President. At the FAI General Conference in 2023, Amy Spowart (NAA) wanted to unite all of the FAI by ensuring quarterly meetings are held and make sure all are on the same page so that national messages are united. She is glad to see an American as an FAI president, Greg Principato is the right person for the task. At the general conference she spent a lot of time with Antonis Papadopoulos discussing general aviation things as well as CIAM. FAI Sporting licenses and AMA Membership are top priorities for FAI Championships and AMA events. There is going to be a crackdown for sporting licenses on the NAA for those who are applying for FAI sporting license who aren’t American and/or don’t have 85 days of residency. The conference also held a demonstration of virtual drone racing. The demonstration showed more accessibility for the sport. The Internation Olympic Committee is looking at this as an opportunity for an Olympic sport starting most likely in 2026.
  2. The NAA Fall Awards were held in November. Trip Barber was presented with the Frank Ailing Award. Some FAI awards are open, so Amy Spowart (NAA) asked the VPs to please share these award opportunities within your districts.
  3. A new NAA board was elected in December. Rich Hanson (President) is now representing AMA on the NAA board and NAA executive board. He will be representing air sports. We went from 2 representatives to 4 representatives on the board- Rich Hanson (President), Jim Burke (International Aerobatic Club), Denise Slaten (Soaring Society), and Albert Birchtold (United States Parachute Association).
  4. Rich Hanson (President) asked about mentions of honors requests. Amy said that nothing is certain yet. She sent requests to John Langford, who is the founder of the National Association of Rockery (NAR). John wants NAR to be recognized as an air sport organization. She has discussed this with Rich Hanson (President), Jay Marsh (IV), and Tyler Dobbs (Interim ED) to see if NAR could be brought in as an organization under AMA. This is an exciting opportunity and mutually beneficial for NAR and AMA. Depending on how this negotiation goes, Amy Spowart (NAA) is hoping to enable a deduction of membership dues to the NAA.
  5. Rich Hanson (President) added that rocketry is part of aeromodelling under FAI and CIAM. AMA is the official delegate under NAA to represent aeromodelling at the FAI. AMA will help with all the FAI administrative issues. Jay Marsh wants to get closer to the NAR because they attract a lot of youth to the hobby. Rich Hanson (President) said that having an additional air sport organization that represents the modeling community can only help AMA.

Committee Reports

  1. Before getting into committee reports, Rich Hanson (President) brought up the wildfires in California. Greg Stone (X) said that he has not heard of any clubs or flying sites that are impacted. Greg Stone (X) mentioned that one individual lost their residence, and their club has put together a GoFundMe to help the individual. News reports of the drones’ strike of the firefighting aircraft. Rich brought up that if clubs are impacted by the fires to make sure that members know that there are Disaster Relief Funds available to help them. Clubs may be eligible to receive up to $100 when they file a claim.
  2. Next, Randy Gibson (VII) talked about the SIG Communities. He and David Lindley had a chance to look at the SIG requirements before renewals started. Randy Gibson (VII) wants to make the renewal process a bit more efficient for SIGs. Randy Gibson (VII) presented the following list of changes he would like to see occur within the SIGs renewal process: create an electronic renewal process, remove membership list requirement, update the renewal form so that W9 information is required, bylaws only need included in the renewal if changes have been made since the last renewal, and including the officer list. Rich Hanson (President) followed up with asking the council if financial reporting should be a new requirement. Discussion within the council determined that since there are so many legalities associated with this kind of requirement it is probably best to table this decision for now.
  3. The membership list requirement was discussed, but it was decided to table this topic to be discussed later. The motion went on with the three other changes presented.

    Motion III: By Gary Himes (VI) seconded by Greg Stone (X) to make the 3 changes to the SIG program criteria as recommended by the SIG committee regarding W-9s, bylaws, and officer lists.

    Motion passed: 13 yes, no, absent

  4. Rich Hanson (President) asked David Lindley (NFFS) and Randy Gibson (VII) to do more research regarding membership lists. There was discussion around membership lists being mutually beneficial to AMA and SIGs. Rich requested that David and Randy work with the membership, marketing and IT to figure out what data is needed and obtainable.

Education Committee

  1. Greg Stone (X) stated that UAS4STEM is underway. The AMA Foundation is funding 5 new teams. He challenged the districts to look into funding teams. The UAS4STEM teams are all made up of AMA Members. All individuals interested in sponsoring a team should reach out to Kyle or Emily.
  2. Kyle Jaracz (Education Director) and Emily Rice are working on an FAA workforce development grant. This grant will help support career paths for pilots and mechanics.
  3. The Know Before You Fly contract was awarded to AMA for just under $600,000. This will cover administrative costs associated with this program. A reminder that this is not an AMA program, but it was awarded to AMA by the FAA. Students who receive the kits will be given information regarding how to find and join AMA clubs.

Membership/Marketing Committee

  1. Mark Feist (III AVP) has been working on the Membership Growth and Retention plan. He went through his recent and current short and midterm plans, which include AMA value prop, charted club survey, social media strategy, version 1 of AMA club toolkit, Model Aviation presentation, new member email campaign, social media blitz, and video on AMA value and accomplishments. Mark Feist (III AVP) then went on to explain the ongoing activities which include identifying and presenting to potential partner organizations, distributing AMA value prop, helping chartered clubs publicize programs and events, AMA club toolkit, creating a series of “how-to” and “high energy” videos, and regular market campaigns.
  2. Next, Mark Feist (III AVP) talked about the next steps, which include scheduling district meetings, scheduling regional Chartered Club Officer meetings, the full launch of the 2025 Membership Drive, and scoping phase two of the Membership Growth and Retention Plan.
  3. Tyler Dobbs (Interim ED) added that Grouper should be included in the value proposition. AMA started a partnership with Grouper last year and already about 2,000 have applied, 800 are eligible, and 500 have gotten membership reimbursed. Mark Benson (Marketing Sr. Director) went on to describe the Grouper business model change that will ultimately change the eligibility process.
  4. Eric Williams (II) mentioned that the Executive Council previously approved a new member discount for active-duty military, making first year membership $49. The first year had 4 new members, the next year had approximately 20 new members. This discount allows for the program and membership to grow, helps with the work within government affairs, and it is the right thing to do.
  5. Rich Hanson (President) questioned why the numbers are so low. Eric Williams (II) responded that there might not be that many service personnel that know about it, junior grade service personnel or funding, and not advertised well.
  6. Motion IV: By Randy Cameron (EVP) seconded by Phil Tallman (XI) to extend the active-duty Military ($49) intro membership discount for an additional 3 years.

    Motion passed: 13 yes, no, absent

Executive Session

PADCOM

  1. HVAC and Pond Well
    1. Randy Cameron (EVP) stated that the HVAC system and pond are the biggest issues. The HVAC has not been well maintained and will be pricey to get it up and running properly. One repair that needs updated immediately is the software. The new software is expensive, but it will go with our current server and will serve as insurance so that if the “brain” goes out, the HVAC will continue to work. This is a required repair and it was not budgeted for. There is money in the capitol budget that can be used for the HVAC and pond. Tyler Dobbs (Interim ED) said that the camp site repairs can be postponed, and that some of the budget could be shuffled around if the council is willing to put them on the back burner for now so that we don’t need to draw as much from reserves.
    2. Brandon Koch (IV) explained that there will be additional costs beyond the initial cost to cover electrical components, flushing the system and treated again, and other costs due to it not being maintained for so long. An automated control system is included in the bid. Tyler Dobbs (Interim ED) stated that the options for funding this are to either shuffle around the capital budget and put some things on hold, or to pull funds from the reserves to cover these repairs.
    3. Tyler Dobbs (Interim ED) went on to say that this maintenance needs to be done immediately. When this is being done at HQ it will mean that there will be work from home day whenever this system gets fixed. The individual heat pumps will be able to be repaired after the larger system is fixed.
    4. A discussion was had regarding pulling from reserves or putting other projects on hold, most agreed to draw additional funds from the reserve for these projects.
    5. Motion V: By Greg Stone (X) seconded by Gary Himes (VI) to approve the spending of $200,000 drawn from reserves to address the HVAC System repairs and upgrades.

      Motion passed: 13 yes, no, absent

  2. Randy Cameron (EVP) continued the topic of PADCOM with bringing up Site 6. He mentioned that control line speed and control line racing will be combined into the same site (Site 6), rather than being on both Site 2 and Site 6. JC Zankl (Competition Director & Technical Director) will confirm the scheduling for this project. This will be completed by AMA’s maintenance team. Site 2 will be decommissioned and will most likely become overflow parking.
  3. Rich Hanson (President) brought up Site 3, asking what will be done with this site. In 2024 Site 3 was budgeted for but it was not completed, and it was not brought over into the 2025 budget. We have a bid from Grady Brothers and are waiting on a bid from Mike Barbee. The removal process for the asphalt is holding up Mike Barbee’s bid. It was decided by the council to budget for the re-pavement of Site 3 in 2026. Some temporary fixes may be needed before the World Championships this year.

Old Business

  1. Crops
    1. Tyler Dobbs (Interim ED) started by talking about removing some crops outside of HQ. He said that at the last meetings it was discussed to remove a portion of the crops (about 33 acres) because a lot of free flight aircraft land in this area and it is difficult to retrieve aircraft and can be a safety concern for members during summer months. When previously discussed, some of the council didn’t like that it removes about $7,000 revenue, but others didn’t like that members have to go into the crops to get the planes, which causes a risk for members. Since there is no other option for crops to replace the corn or soy, the current options we have for this area are to keep it as is, or to remove the crop and plant field seed in the area.
    2. With the loss of revenue from these crops, AMA will need to get about 100 members for the loss of additional income.
    3. Motion VI: By Brandon Koch (IX) seconded by Randy Cameron (EVP) to remove approximately 33 acres of crops near Site 1 and replace them with field seed. NFFS to pay for grading and seeding.

      Motion passed: 13 yes, no, absent

  2. Site Usage – Randy Cameron (EVP)
    1. Tyler Dobbs (Interim ED) stated that during the council’s call last month, there was a discussion to raise the site fees, but no direction was agreed upon.
    2. Randy Cameron (EVP) said that the committee recommended $30 per site and $200 for the whole IAC per event. Camping fees would be on top of these costs. If anyone rents out pavilions, they need to pay AMA 50% of whatever they rented it out for. When someone rents out the whole site, there will be an area carved out so that other members are able to stop by and fly. As of now, the $200 fee for the whole IAC does not have a specific timeframe- it can be rented out for a few days or a few weeks and either way the cost would be $200. Rich Hanson (President) suggested that the $200 should be per day, not per event. This topic was further discussed, but Rich Hanson (President) tabled the issue until the April EC meeting.

New Business

  1. Foundation—Steve Haston (AMA Foundation director)

    Steve Haston (AMA Foundation director) started with a presentation regarding the Foundation’s vision for 2025. He presented the Foundation mission statement and proceeded to discuss the initiatives that the Foundation would like to pursue, including their 2024-2027 strategic plan.

    The Foundation’s initiatives include fostering donor giving and continuing their programs. One program will be Stewardship. Steve Haston (AMA Foundation director) hopes to amp up stewardship in the coming year. The Foundation to date has inspired at least a 900% increase in plan giving, which will be vital to the growth of the endowment. When bequests come to fruition, they will go into the endowment. Part of stewardship will include going out and talking to others within the AMA Community and inspiring them to make gifts now. The Foundation will also be attending events and focus on meeting with donors in person. The Foundation has the capability to identify past donors in a certain region so they can reach out to those donors while at events.

    The next topic Steve Haston (AMA Foundation director) talked about was the Legacy and Heritage Programs. The Foundation has been reimagining how these programs can play a part in the Foundation. The naming rights are a golden opportunity to reimagine how that is applied. The Foundation also plans to extend external partnerships and find out what grants the Foundation can apply for and figure out how best to apply for the grants.

    Steve Haston (AMA Foundation director) went on to talk about a new fundraiser with the Education team and Greg Stone (X), who will be the chair. Rachelle Haughn (AMA Foundation deputy director) is the project manager and stated that there was a meeting on January 9th where the goals and timeline of this fundraiser were discussed. The current goal is set at 1.35 million. The hope is to complete this fundraiser in the next 12 to 24 months.

    Steve Haston (AMA Foundation director) then discussed the 2024 donations overview. 2024’s goal was 66% of the way completed with a goal of $400K and $263,971 donated. Part of the goal was in anticipation of a bequest donation from the estate of Barbara and Richard Barker, who were a part of the soaring community. This bequest does not come to completion until 2025, with a total of just shy of $681,000. This funding is for FAI F3 soaring and their travel needs. In their estate, they did bequest another 5% to the League of Silent Flight via the AMA. The original 2025 goal was $700K, but it will be adjusted to $800K.

    Next, Clarissa Poston (AMA Foundation Communication Specialist) discussed digital engagement. She stated that each week the Foundation will be sending out at minimum one email, one blog post, three social media posts, and one AMA This Week blurb. The Foundation recently started using LinkedIn and Instagram, so these will be built up through 2025. The key publications used will be In The Air in Model Aviation and Torchbearer exclusive content sent out monthly. The Foundation’s plans also include website updates, 2025 media and travel schedules, and social media growth.

    Clarissa Poston (AMA Foundation Communication Specialist) went on to discuss social media. There has been growth in the followers on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. She will be starting two new initiatives- #FoundationFactFriday videos and Donor Spotlights. These will be posted on all social media platforms.

    Clarissa Poston (AMA Foundation Communication Specialist) shared the 2024 Foundation Road Trip that Steve Haston (AMA Foundation director) went on last year. As a result of the road trip, a 10-week video series about various clubs will begin on January 29th, 2025, and continue for the following nine weeks. This allows the Foundation to become part of the solution to whatever issues they have, and inspiring people to join and grow the hobby. There will also be another road trip in 2025 that will be advertised beforehand so that clubs can reach out if they are interested in being featured.

    Rachelle Haughn (AMA Foundation deputy director) talked about the corporate partner initiatives. This will provide non-dues revenue for AMA. The Foundation is working on setting up meetings with corporations to work on potential partnerships. Getting some partnerships on board with the education fundraiser is a goal. Follow ups with corporations who have already shown interest will occur in early 2025.

    Next, Rachelle Haughn (AMA Foundation deputy director) talked about the 2024 Torchbearer Drive. The number of Torchbearers before this drive was about 30, and it is now up to 80. The most recent drive gave challenge coins to Torchbearers who started or raised their donation from October 1 to December 31, 2024.

    Rachelle Haughn (AMA Foundation deputy director) mentioned that other benefits were added for 2025 which include: get a 15% discount to the website store, monthly email newsletter, a mug, and a magnet.

    Next, Steve Haston (AMA Foundation director) discussed the Walk of Fame. There is an updated online tour of the walk. Soon there will be added bios for each of the brick donators. There is an addition of a 3D model of the full IAC site. There are also info boxes throughout the tour that link the naming rights to some of these tours. The current price of the bricks is $150, $500, and $1,000 depending on the material and size of brick.

Awards*

Rich Hanson (President) asked for any awards to be discussed, and none were presented or mentioned.

Adjournment

Meeting adjourned at 3:06 pm

*Requires EC Vote

Release Date: Tue, 02/25/2025 - 08:43

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2025-01-11