Agenda10:00 am Welcome and Introduction of Board Members – Sally Wencel10:05 am Election of 2020 Officers and Board members – Lisa Lemza, Past President and

Nominating Committee Chair

10:15 am Bylaw amendment approval – Sally Wencel

10:20 am Report from the Treasurer – Bill Moll

10:25 am State of the Chapter Report - Update on Strategic Plan – Moving into advocacy –Ecosystem workgroup, Working with Landscape Professionals (Kristina); Recognition of Bob and Fran Geier advocating for Quarry Post Oak

10:45 am Volunteer Opportunities – Lena Hall, Volunteer Coordinator

10:50 am BREAK TO VIEW CHAPTER PROJECTS/ACTIVITIES

11:05 am Preview of 2020 Programs; Advocacy Opportunities

11:25 am Member Feedback

11:30 am Tour of Crabtree Farms Propagation Area

12:00 pm Lunch

1:00 pm Native Plant & Seed Sharing – Stephan Eselgroth

Nominations from the Nominating Committee

• President: Kristina Shaneyfelt• Vice-President: Sally Wencel• Treasurer: John Pine• Secretary: Gayle Tucker• Member-At-Large: Marissa Corbett• Nominations from the Floor

BYLAWS

•Bylaws first put in place in 2012•Several revisions since then to adjust staggered officer terms and

provide more specificity about board functions and added more standing committees and committee chair board positions

•Proposed revisions (highlighted in yellow):•Refer to the importance of strategic planning in directing the chapter’s

activities• Detail responsibilities of board members, officers, and committee chairs•Remove succession from Vice-President to President•Move committee details and tasks into an Appendix

Treasurer’s Report2019 Budget Worksheet

2019 Projected Revenue

2019 Actual Revenue 10/12

2019 Symposium 14,875 20,345

Certificate of Native Plants 8,000 6,465

CHAPP 850 817

Programs 0 0

Public Information & Educ. 0 0

Membership 1,500 1,191

Other 170 545Total 2019 Revenue 25,395 29,363

2019 Budget Worksheet (con’t)

2019 Projected Expenses

2019 Actual Expenses 10/12

2019 Symposium (inc. Friday) 14,643 15,835

Certificate of Native Plants 3,920 1,445

CHAPP 4,500 2,106

Programs 2,270 199

Public Information & Educ. 1,000 155

Membership 1,600 1,663

Subscriptions 1,224 989

Other 1,030 9

Total 2019 Expenses 30,187 22,402

Net Revenue -4,792 6,961

STATE OF THE CHAPTER REPORT

Mission: promote the restoration of native plant communities and

sustainable landscaping practices

WILD Center entrance garden

CHAPTER-BASED NATIONAL ORGANIZATION• 501c3 non-profit organization established in 1979• Only national NPO devoted to promoting native plants• Founder Lorrie Otto crusaded against DDT in the 60s - 70s and helped to

form the Environmental Defense Fund• Grew from a Milwaukee WI organization to 50+ chapters primarily in the

Midwest but expanding

What Tennessee Valley Chapter does:• Networking opportunity for native plant enthusiasts• Free educational meetings for the public• Provides grants to local school pollinator gardens• Garden Tours and Landscapes in Progress (“LIPS”)”• Habitat Hero Award• Annual Symposium and Native Plant Expo• Certificate in Native Plants program

Growth in Tennessee

• Tennessee Valley chapter formed in 2012 and now Largest Wild Ones chapter

• Smoky Mountain chapter formed in 2015• Middle Tennessee (Nashville) chapter formed in 2018• Memphis chapter?

Tennessee Valley Chapter – First Years• Deployed first native plant symposium in 2011 while still a special

interest group of the Master Gardeners of Hamilton County• Chartered in 2012 with special event featuring Catherine Zimmerman

presentation “Meadowscaping”• Sold over 1,500 milkweed plants in 2013 as part of Monarch Joint

Venture• Plant rescues on private land slated for development

Tennessee Valley – Continued Expansion• Started the Certificate in

Native Plant program with Tennessee Native Plant Society and Reflection Riding Arboretum and Nature Center in 2015

• Chattanooga Area Pollinator Partnership (2017) modeled after Greater Atlanta Pollinator Partnership

• Began Seeds for Education grant program in 2017

• Pledged to support development of other regional Wild Ones chapters

• “Habitat Hero” awards

Chattanooga Area Pollinator Partnership

https://chapollinator.org/

Working through 2018-2020 Strategic Plan

FIVE key strategic initiatives:• Generate REVENUE from flagship programs (Symposium & CNP)• ADVOCATE and PARTNER for the use of native plants in landscapes• Increase MEMBERSHIP involvement and retention• Build INFRASTRUCTURE• Enhance MARKETING & PUBLICITY

2019 Strategic Focus on Advocacy and Partnerships

We look for guidance from Wild Ones National on limits on advocacy for a 501c3. But meantime, members are promoting our mission:• green|spaces – advising landscape practices for City of Chattanooga’s

GreenLight Program• Representation on the City of Chattanooga’s Tree Commission• Regularly working with the City of Chattanooga’s Water Quality

Department• green|spaces’ Integrated Community Sustainability Plan, Ecosystems

Committee and through it working with Thrive Regional Partnership

2019 Strategic Focus on Advocacy and Partnerships

• Sierra Club Cherokee Council• Tennessee Invasive Plant Council• Third District Garden Club – Pollinator initiative for each affiliated club to

install pollinator gardens using native plants • Bee City – advisory roles for Lookout Mtn., Ga and Lookout Mtn., TN• Bee Campus – advisory role for Chattanooga State’s Green Team, 1st Bee

Campus in TN• Articles with Lookout Mountain Mirror, Signal Mountain Mirror,

Volunteer Magazine• Chattanooga State Landscape Management and Turf Grass Program’s

Advisory Council• Chattanooga Association of Landscape Professionals• Speaking engagements throughout the city as often as available;

individual garden clubs, conferences, pollinator rallies, UTC classes, lower schools, and more...

Opportunities for Advocacy in 2019-2020

2020 Programs - Preview

• Plant Natives Symposium – March 14, 2020• Habitat Hero Awards and Special Lecture –

September 11, 2020• Bringing Nature Home Garden Tour – September

12, 2020• 10 CNP classes (2 core, 8 electives)• 8 Public programs (free and open to the public)• 3 Landscapes in Progress (“LIPS”)• 2 HikesPLUS more!

Feedback!

The Mission Continues . . .

“Saving the Earth One Yard at a Time”