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HomeMy WebLinkAbout3.18.26 MAB Minutes Board Members Present In Person: Rick Andrews, Lucy Holman, Harold Jarvis II, Tim Pinnick Board Members Present on Teams: Susan Barbee, Eileen O’Malley, Commissioner Dane Scalise Absent: Nancy Bullock, Dana Crater, Stephen Fortlouis, Ben Ivey, Laura King Staff Present: Kate Baillon, Barbi Baker, Kitty Yerkes, Amy Thornton, Tess Will, Darcie Roten The Cape Fear Museum Advisory Board held its bi-monthly meeting on Wednesday, March 18, 2026, in the museum’s first floor classroom at Grace Street and via Teams. The meeting was called to order by Rick Andrews at 4:03 pm. Consideration of Absences: Barbi Baker • Nancy Bullock, Dana Crater, Stephen Fortlouis, Ben Ivey, and Laura King were unable to attend. Approval of Minutes: Rick Andrews • The January 21, 2026 minutes were reviewed but an in-person quorum was not met at this meeting. The minutes will be approved at the next meeting on May 20, 2026. Associates Report: Kitty Yerkes • The Associates Board is working on the Summer Soiree grand opening event scheduled for Saturday, August 22, 2026. The event is from 6 to 9 pm with a VIP reception from 5-6 pm for sponsors. Tickets are $125 and include food, beer, wine, and entertainment. • The board is currently working on sponsors for the event. Sponsorships range from $500 to $10,000 with a goal of reaching $50,000. • A sponsorship brochure is in the works and should be ready soon. • We are also working on a new volunteer program and Yerkes handed out rack cards with more information. Volunteer recruitment open houses have been scheduled for Saturday, 5/16 from 11 am-12 pm and Wednesday, 5/20 from 2-3 pm. • Andrews asked what type of work volunteers will do at the museum. Yerkes noted they will help refresh exhibits, reset interactives, be ushers for the planetarium, and more. • Andrews suggested Newcomers Clubs as a potential resource in Brunswick County. Yerkes noted these groups are on our radar and we are presenting to them. Cape Fear Museum Advisory Board Meeting Minutes Wednesday, March 18, 2026 4 pm, Grace Street & 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 • Holman suggested retirement communities and UNCW’s Seahawks that Serve program. Collections Report: Tess Will • Will reviewed several new items coming into the collection including Air Jordan shoes, a Corning optical fiber sample, coffee bags from Folks’ Café, medical papers, and sports memorabilia from the Greater Wilmington Sports Hall of Fame. • Will noted that many of these items will be on display in the new Cape Fear Stories exhibition at Grace Street. Proposed Officer Slate: Rick Andrews • Andrews presented the proposed officer slate for the next fiscal year: o Lucy Holman, Chair o Harold Jarvis II, Vice-Chair o Tim Pinnick, Secretary • Baillon noted that a vote to approve the officer slate will take place at the next meeting. • Andrews also noted two members are about to complete six-years of service and will roll off the board in the new fiscal year: o Dana Crater o Eileen O’Malley • Baillon noted a more formal thank you will take place at the next meeting. Grace Street – Science Matters: Darcie Roten • Roten shared a visual presentation of the new Science Matters exhibition. • It included a walkthrough of the exhibit with explanations of each of the primary zones. • The presentation may be viewed on the Advisory Board SharePoint site by clicking this link. • Roten also noted that Corning and Novant are sponsors of this gallery. • Jarvis asked if we provide science content materials to teachers to aid in lesson planning. Thornton noted that we are currently planning new field trip experiences that align with the gallery content and state science standards. • Baillon noted that all schools within New Hanover County can come to the museum for free. Fees only apply to added programs. A250 Event/National History Day: Amy Thornton • Thornton noted that the museum is hosting a One Day Wonder event in partnership with the state of NC and Azalea Festival on Saturday, 4/11 from 11 am to 4 pm. • The state will bring four of the founding documents to the museum and library’s shared auditorium at Grace Street to have on display for visitors. • The museum hosted the Southeast Regional History Day Competition at the NHC Government Center on Saturday, 3/14. Approximately 150 students submitted projects and 60 judges volunteered. • Lucy Holman and Nancy Bullock were judges at the event and Thornton thanked them for their service. • The contest is always fun and a great way to celebrate student achievement and ongoing research. The winners from the regional competition now advance to the state competition. • Next year’s event will be held at the Grace Street facility. • Here is a link to our Flickr album with photos from the day: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjCNbG6 FY2026-2027 Budget Update: Kate Baillon • Baillon noted that we continue to finalize our budget for next fiscal year. • Budget meetings are public and the next one is on Thursday, 4/30 from 12-3 pm. The public may also watch the meeting online. More information about the county budget process may be found here: https://www.nhcgov.com/2936/Fiscal-Year-2026-2027 • The museum is requesting one additional position, a Planetarian Educator. This position will allow the museum to operate the planetarium seven days per week and offer shows on free Sundays. • There is a slight change to the admission fee schedule due to a clerical error. NHC resident admission will remain at 50% of standard admission or $8 for adults and $5 for children. Non-resident admission will be $16 for adults and $10 for children. • The board and county management continue to be supportive of the budget needs for the new museum. Old Business: Rick Andrews • No old business was discussed. A motion was made by Holman, seconded by Jarvis to adjourn the meeting. With unanimous consent, the meeting ended at 4:50 pm. The next board meeting will be held on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, at 4 pm at Cape Fear Museum and via Teams.