MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE ERA NATIONAL BOARD OF ADVISORS Sunday, April 29, 2007, at Holiday Inn Portland Airport, Portland, Oregon The ERA business meeting was called to order at 7:15 AM. The following board members were in attendance: Mike Schroeder, Alan Melton, Dan Smith, Henry Henke, Larry Hagemeister, Kenny Turner, Mike Dietrich, Ronnie Charnes, Bob Wagner, Dennis Jacinto, Richard Vensel, Wes Grueninger, Joe Davis, Blaine White, Jerry Keiffer, Ken Plourde, Jim Talsma, Chris Galbreath, and Bob Thomas. The following ERA general members also attended the meeting: Jim Thomas, Daren Roggentien, Joe Bradish, Harald Kober, Bob Hawes, Nick Staub, Paul Lavoie, Thomas Barrett and Casey Barrett. The first item on the agenda was the treasurer’s report. In Chris Thompson’s absence, Mike Schroeder reported that as of 24 April, the checking account balance was $27,753 with an additional $51,270.50 invested in four certificates of deposit that mature annually at three month intervals. He stated that he expects the balance to drop over the summer months but then increase in the fall, because eight seminars are scheduled from September 7 through November 16. He also noted most show expenses were paid prior to the preparation of the report. Next Bob Thomas reported on membership. He said current membership stands at 492 and noted this reflects a net loss of 21 members over the last 12 months. He said 64 new members have joined since the 2006 show, while 85 have not renewed. When asked why so many have not renewed, he stated that there seems to be many reasons. He agreed some have simply closed up shop, but many more have just decided against renewal. He said that a survey by regional vice presidents came up with little helpful information. He said the North East region had a net loss of 14, South East 7, Canada 3, and the North Central 2, while the South Central region had a net gain of 7 and north-west a net gain of 3. Bob said the loss of members is the greatest challenge facing the association. Mike Schroeder asked Joe Davis to report briefly on the seminars. Joe noted that 60 had attended the show seminar, and that the new Friday evening class had been well received. He also said the Saturday seminar structure had been changed slightly to make it easier for attendees to retain the information. Joe emphasized that new information is being added on a weekly basis. Next, Membership Chairman Jerry Kieffer presented a draft of an ERA newsletter and proposed it be mailed to all members several times a year. He suggested the newsletter could be helpful in reaching out to members who don’t use the web site. Discussion centered on what should be included in the newsletter. Among the suggested ideas were ERA news, schedule and advertising of upcoming events, advertising for new technical resources, promotion to increase use of the web site and a technical tip good enough to be worth keeping. It was suggested that the color of paper be kept the same for each issue, making them stand out and easy to find on a cluttered desk. Jerry’s draft was on green paper and everyone liked that. It was also suggested they be pre-punched to fit in a binder. Bob Wagner suggested using non-profit mailing to save on postage. Following the discussion it was decided to proceed with the newsletter. Ronnie