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HomeMy WebLinkAbout9.17.25 MAB Minutes Board Members Present In Person: Rick Andrews, Susan Barbee, Nancy Bullock, Lucy Holman, Ben Ivey, Harold Jarvis II, Laura King, Eileen O’Malley Board Members Present on Teams: Dana Crater, Stephen Fortlouis Others Present: Lisa Wurtzbacher, Rich Clerkin Absent: Tim Pinnick, Dan Scalise Staff Present: Kate Baillon, Barbi Baker, Sandra Cintron-Goitia, Heather Yenco, Kitty Yerkes The Cape Fear Museum Advisory Board held its bi-monthly meeting on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, at Cape Fear Museum and via Teams. The meeting was called to order by Rick Andrews at 4:04 pm. Consideration of Absences: Barbi Baker • Tim Pinnick was out of town. Approval of Minutes: Rick Andrews • A motion to accept the July 16, 2025, minutes was made by Holman, seconded by Barbee, and approved without opposition. New Board Member Introductions: Kate Baillon • Baillon shared brief introductions about our three newly appointed board members: Nancy Bullock, Harold Jarvis II, and Laura King. • The rest of the board members welcomed them with applause. Robert’s Rules of Order: Rich Clerkin • Rich Clerkin introduced himself and then asked board members to go around the room to introduce themselves, talk about their interest in board service, and what skills they bring to the board. • Clerkin reviewed a brief PowerPoint presentation that shared the basic Robert’s Rules of Order for meetings. Associates Report: Kitty Yerkes • Yerkes gave an update on the Invest in Grace capital campaign. The goal is to raise $1 million over four years. • Confirmed gifts include $160k from nCino for the Planetarium, $200k from Novant for Science Matters, and $200k from Corning for Science Matters. Cape Fear Museum Advisory Board Meeting Minutes Wednesday, September 17, 2025 4 pm, Cape Fear Museum & Teams 2015-16 Board David Ball Stuart Borrett Gwen Brown Melissa Collins Will Oden, III Dan Owen Tim Potter Nancy Pritchett Bill Terrell Allen Trask, III Rob Zapple NHC Commissioner Ex-officio: Mike Hudson CFMA, Inc. 2025-26 Board Rick Andrews Susan Barbee Nancy Bullock Dana Crater Stephen Fortlouis Lucy Holman Ben Ivey Harold Jarvis II Laura King Eileen O’Malley Tim Pinnick Dane Scalise NHC Commissioner Ex-officio: Toni Pence CFMA, Inc. Lisa Wurtzbacher Assistant County Manager Kate Baillon Museum Director Barbi Baker Museum Manager Operations • One individual gift for $200k is pending and will be voted on at the next NHC Board of Commissioner meeting on Monday, 10/6. • Yerkes noted several active prospects for fundraising and naming rights including Live Oak Bank, REV Credit Union, and Duke Energy. • Live Oak Bank will be joining the Museum team for a hard hat tour of the project site on Thursday, 10/16. • Andrews asked about other sponsorship opportunities. Yerkes mentioned a few such as the Simmons Sea Skiff and film for the 1898 theater. She noted the Associates Board is still working on major gifts before considering smaller gifts. • Ivey asked about the 1898 theater name. Baillon noted the sponsorship is for the film production as the theater is built into the chronological content story. Collections Report: Heather Yenco • Yenco shared information about new acquisitions including a Sock Hoppers Club membership card, rock sample, aerial photos of former rice plantations, and several photos of landscapes and area businesses. • Many of the photos will be included in the new Cape Fear Stories exhibition at Project Grace. Collections Management Policy: Kate Baillon/Sandra Cintron-Goitia • Baillon noted the complete and updated Collections Management Policy was shared in advance with the board via email on 9/4/25. • The policy updates are part of the Museum’s reaccreditation process to better align with best practices and American Alliance of Museums (AAM) standards. • The Museum has been granted an extension for our accreditation review until after we open Project Grace. The self-study will be due in November 2026, the site visit in spring 2027, with a final decision in July 2027. The Museum’s accreditation status remains current while we complete the process. • Holman asked a question about how often a museum has to be reaccredited. Baillon noted it is once every 10 years, with some recent exceptions due to the pandemic. • Cintron-Goitia reviewed a one-page document with a list of updates and changes to the Museum’s Collections Management Policy. The document was shared with the minutes after the last board meeting. • A motion to approve the Collections Management Policy was made by Barbee, seconded by Holman, and approved without opposition. Bylaws & Code of Ethics: Kate Baillon • Baillon noted the updated Museum Bylaws and Code of Ethics were shared in advance with the board via email after the September meeting on 7/18/25. • Both documents were strengthened to better align with best practices, museum standards, and other county boards. • Andrews asked a question about meeting in-person versus remote attendance. Baillon noted the new bylaws align with other county boards and require in-person attendance in order to vote. Members may attend remotely but will not be able to vote. • Ivey asked a question about the length of the Museum’s strategic plan. Baillon noted the current plan goes through 2028. The board will be included when we begin the next strategic planning process after opening Project Grace. • A motion to approve the Bylaws and Code of Ethics was made by Holman, seconded by Jarvis, and approved without opposition. Board Packet/Engagement: Kate Baillon • Baillon noted that a few board members have requested additional information about the museum. The question posed whether board members would prefer paper or electronic communication. Board members stated they would prefer electronic communication. • The Museum will work on setting up a SharePoint document sharing site to include the bylaws, code of ethics, board contact list, and other information. • Baker noted a lot of information is available on the public website and may be accessed here: https://www.nhcgov.com/548/Cape-Fear-Museum/ • Holman asked a question about the rollout of the Museum’s new logo. Baillon noted that we are beginning to use it now with a full rollout planned in 2026. • Andrews asked about retail and whether the Museum would sell branded items. Baker noted there is a small retail kiosk planned at the new building to sell merchandise. Project Grace Update: Barbi Baker • Baker shared that the planetarium installation began on Monday, 9/15 and will take about a month to complete the dome. • The Luckey Climber installation is planned to begin on Friday, 9/19. • A new flythrough video of the Museum was shared with the board and can be viewed using this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=- Gj8npTnWOc • Baillon and Baker will work on scheduling a tour of the site for the board sometime in November. Possibly the same date as the next meeting on 11/19. • Ivey asked a question about where the board will meet. Baillon noted we will meet at the current museum for now and then eventually both locations once Project Grace is closer to opening. • Holman asked when staff will move into the new building. Baker noted it will likely be sometime in early 2026. Temporary Exhibits: Kate Baillon • Baillon noted that the final two traveling exhibitions at the Market Street location have closed. • The America 250 banner display has been installed in the Museum’s East Gallery. This will be a traveling display and will go to UNCW sometime in spring 2026. • Updated Project Grace exhibit panels have been installed in both the Museum’s lobby and in the East Gallery. • The first traveling exhibition at Project Grace will be Amazing Pollinators: https://www.minotaurmazes.com/amazing-pollinators/ • Other traveling exhibitions that will follow include Wild Kratts: Ocean Adventure: https://www.wildkratts.com/museum-exhibits/wild-kratts- ocean-adventure/ and Brain: https://evergreenexhibitions.com/exhibitions/brain/ • The Museum is also working on a few exhibition collaborations: o Louis T. Moore photography exhibit in partnership with NHC Library o Marine satellite photo exhibit in partnership with UNCW Old Business: Rick Andrews • Andrews invited board members to arrive early at meetings as their schedules permit to give them an opportunity to spend time in the Museum and get to know their fellow board members. A motion was made by Bullock, seconded by Holman to adjourn the meeting. With unanimous consent, the meeting ended at 5:26 pm. The next board meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 19, 2025, at 4 pm at Cape Fear Museum and via Teams.