AAJA-DC Board Meeting Minutes
Saturday, 2/24/07

Officers Attending: President Tan Ly, Membership Chair Wanita Niehaus, Treasurer Cecilia Kang, Secretary Susan Yoo, Webmaster Peggy Hu

1. Treasurer's Report: AAJA-DC's budget is healthy. We don't need to feel so pressured about fundraising. We discussed possible events -- a poker event or a banquet, some social event. We have 140 members in our chapter. We also discussed the possibility of creating a mentorship program, though there was general consensus that this might be difficult to pull off.

2. Tax exemption - Tan filed for DC tax exemption.

3. Mini-Conference - March 31: Online registration has been set up for this event through Activa. Susan will ask Media Bistro to put up a link to this event. Tan will create a one-page flier. Opening panel will feature Len Downie, Exec. Editor, Wash. Post and Ken Paulson, Exec. Ed. USA Today. Sara Goo will moderate. Renee Chou, N.C. chapter president will send volunteers. Print VP HyunJu Chappell-Hine and Renee will be in charge of volunteers. The NY chapter will organize the broadcast section -- it will focus on the 2008 election. Jim VandeHei of politico.com will sit on the panel. Cheryl Tan, from the NY chapter, was able to recruit a political editor from the wsj.com to sit on this panel, too. Tara Smith, former editor at nytimes.com will organize the panel focusing on Online/New Media. The bookend conversation will feature Yuki Noguchi, leading a panel on blogging and "the 360-degree reporter." Bloomberg wants a presence at the mini-conference. We'll have a room for casual networking before the 1st session. The cost should be $3000 for the day, including buffet lunch and service.

4. Mid-Career Seminar - "Sharpening Your Investigative Skills - How to Dig Deeper Faster" 1/25: This was a great session. Tan had 20 RSVP's -- a lot of these were groups of folks; those that dropped, prob. dropped in groups. We had 9 AAJA members attend, but the room at the Press Club was full. We had a total attendance of about 40. Tan distributed AAJA membership forms. The expense for the event was $200.

5. Sponsorship letter: Sherri sent a draft to Tan. Tan to forward this to the rest of the board.

6. National Conference: We will offer stipends for DC chapter members who need financial assistance to attend the conference.

7. Next meeting - March 17, 2007.