Board Approves Strategic Framework with Priorities and Goals

The following are highlights from the KCBA Board of Trustees meeting held on August 21, convened by KCBA President Erin Overbey.

The KCBA Board of Trustees held their first Board meeting of the 2024–2025 fiscal year on August 21, 2024. After President Erin Overbey called the meeting to order and welcomed the Board and guest, Housing Justice Project (“HJP”) Transition Administrator Lisa Stone, the Board approved the meeting minutes from the Board meeting on June 21, 2024, and the Board retreat on July 17, 2024.

The meeting began with committee reports and other updates, including reports from the ABA Delegate, Treasurer, Membership Director, and Pro Bono Services Director. In lieu of verbal reports, written reports were provided to allow time for the remainder of the agenda. The Board accepted the written reports without any questions or comments. Highlights from the reports included that KCBA received additional grant revenue and expenses came in as planned which resulted in a slight year end surplus, membership renewal is in full swing and that KCBA had conducted contract monitoring sessions with two of our funders.

In addition, the New Lawyers Division (“NLD”) Chair, Amanda Simantov, briefly reported that the NLD board met and completed a retreat. Their main focus this year is recruitment. For readers, if you are a new lawyer, please consider joining or volunteering with the NLD.

Next, the Executive Director Christina Coad presented the background of the work done to prepare the final Strategic Priorities and Goals, the Board approved them as presented for implementation by September.

In other business, the Board discussed a list of asks to KCBA Management and the Board, from a select group of staff, regarding the February Bar Bulletin issue and ways to best respond. The Board will continue this discussion, and Ms. Overbey is going to follow up with the Board to do so. In addition, Ms. Stone presented highlights from her HJP Spinoff report and noted that she is experiencing difficulty finding pro bono attorneys for HJP for the filing of IRS Form 1023 and review of the Administrative Services Agreement. The Board discussed potential resources and the need to keep the transition moving forward.

The Board then entered into an executive session.