Board Minutes December 2025

Minutes for Board of Directors Meeting Lindheimer Chapter NPSOT December 09, 2025

Meeting start time:  Called to order by President Sara Torres at 9:38 AM, at TPML.

In Attendance:  President Sara Torres, Secretary Dick Bigelow, Treasurer Sarah Mato, Director of Plant Sales Debbie Kyrouac, Director of Formal Education Craig Bruska, Director of Communications Marian Stasney, Facebook Coordinator Nancy DeMarco, Past President Mickey Riviere, Membership Coordinator Bev Willmann, Program Chair Mike Laffey, Field Trip Coordinator Christina Campbell, Hospitality Coordinator Charlotte Wright, Future Hospitality Coordinator Jan Walker, Plant of the Month Coordinator Leon Dominick.  Quorum requirement was met, 7 of 6 required directors present.

Not Attending:  Director of Community Outreach (Open).

Old Business:

None.

State Society:

• BBMT Grants and Fundraising Campaign.
• New Executive Director Mary Sirgo.

President’s Report:  Sara Torres:

• Continue Board meetings at TPML at 9:30, on the second Tuesday, reserved for January to April at TPML.  During construction our Board can meet in the Chamber of Commerce meeting room.  We will hold our chapter meetings at Mammen Family Public Library during construction if needed.
• Please turn in your Event Liability Forms.
• Dick will start doing board meeting agenda preparation starting in January.  Please have desired agenda items to him by the end of the day Thursday the week before the board meeting.

Secretary’s Report:  Dick Bigelow

• Dick moved that the November minutes be approved, Craig seconded, unanimous approval.
• The existing board members were unanimously approved at the November chapter meeting to continue in their existing positions with the exception of Sara Torres who becomes past president (replacing Mickey Riviere).  President Elect, President, and Outreach positions are vacant.  According to the By-Laws, Sara Torres as Past President will act as President until we have a President.

Treasurer’s report:  Sarah Mato: 

• Chase Checking $4,716.61 as of 12/08/25.
• Review and discuss 2026 Draft Budget.  Budget was discussed and a number of changes were made.
• Does anyone need reimbursement?
• Dick made a motion to approve $150 to purchase 3 tickets to the Comal Chamber of Commerce Community Awards, one of which will be for Sara.  Craig seconded.  Unanimous approval.

Director of Formal Education: Craig Bruska:

• Native Seed Library Program, upcoming workdays

• December 11^th (second Thursday) Mammen seed cleaning 2-4 PM.
  • December 12^th (second Friday) TPML seed cleaning 2-4 PM.
  • December 18^th (third Thursday) Garden Ridge seed cleaning 1-3 PM.
• NLCP IV will be at the Headquarters of the Comal next year.
• We can’t do NLCP classes at the Museum of Handmade Furniture since they are not ADA compliant, we will look for a different venue.

Director of Community Outreach:  Sarah Torres, acting:

• NICE Committee Leon is drafting a list of plants for 2026.  Leon has completed this and Sara will send it to Lorraine at State NPSOT.
• Chamber of Commerce CLACC – Community Awards/Casino Night – January 16th.

Director of Communications:  Marian Stasney:

• Facebook – Nancy, any new updates? 122 followers currently.
• Website – goal to clean up the resources page and update links.
• Send upcoming events to Dick to be updated on the website.
• Marian will work with Bob to add Jan, Mike, and Christina to the board email list.
• Marian asked for inputs for the newsletter.

Director of Plant Sales:  Debbie Kyrouac:

• Debbie is looking at moving the plant sale to March 28th.
• Does anyone need plastic pots to pot up plants for the plant sale or know of someone who does?

Past President: Mickey Riviere:

Demonstration Gardens:

 Texas Museum of Handmade Furniture – Bev Willmann:

• We wanted to have the MOU signed before sending volunteers back to the site, however with their November Board meeting cancelled, and they do not appear to have one scheduled in December. 
• We have not yet received a response to the MOU.
• Upcoming workdays: Tomorrow, December 10^th (2^nd Wednesday) 9:00 AM.
• Workdays in 2026 are to be determined.

Heritage Museum of the Texas Hill Country:

• Mickey Riviere, 1^st Thursdays at 9:30-11:00.

Chamber of Commerce demonstration garden. 

• We have $171.94 left to spend on plants and $87.23 to spend on supplies. 
• $88 was spent at Native American Seed for two pounds of “Scorched Earth Mix”, their recommendation for construction sites and scattered on site.  Another site was also added.
• Our next workday is on Wednesday, December 17^th at 9:00 (day after chapter meeting).

Membership:  Bev Willmann:

• Bev Willmann, 143 total members, 102 home chapter members and 40 affiliates.

Hospitality:  Charlotte Wright:

• Jan Walker has agreed to be Hospitality Chair for 2026 and is in transition.
• RSVP and Side Dish Signup Genius for Christmas party; RSVP count is currently at 24.

Program Committee Chair:  Mike Laffey:

• December 16^th is our annual holiday party
• January 20^th is Emily Lorkovic, Wildlife & Fisheries Biologist, Ecological Research Group, The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment.
• February 17^th Victoria Raven of the Esperanza Winery will speak on Native Grapes.
• March 17^th Central Texas Mycological Society will provide a speaker via Zoom.
• April 21^st Cyrus Harp, Author of Native Food Plants of Texas: An Austin Forager’s Guide Based on Indigenous Knowledge will speak.
• May 19^th Chapter Picnic.

Field Trip Coordinator: Christina Campbell:

• Looking at doing a Gorge tour January 24^th or 31^st.

• Perhaps a late January or early February field trip to the Meadows Center?
• Central Texas Mycology Tour? March? Will look at doing this as one of their scheduled events.

New Business:

The Agrilife Agrifest will be May 2^nd 9 AM to 1 PM.

Adjournment:

President Sara Torres adjourned the meeting at 11:15 AM.                                           

By Dick Bigelow, Secretary.