MCPP Board of Directors Meeting  February 2025 Minutes

MCPP Board of Directors Meeting February 2025 Minutes

Virtual Meeting, February 23, 2025, 9am-10:30am

Present: David Freiband, , Elizabeth Waiess, Marissa Keep, Linda Young, Eve Avrin, Carol Stratman, Robert Cohen, Shil Sengupta, Miriam Lorrain, Karen Weber,

Lisa Larson

President: D. Freiband

Freiband voted to approve Sengupta’s Minutes. Avrin seconded. Board passed unanimously.

Status of Recruiting for Co-VP for Programs & President Elect.

• Has approached a number of people for the VP of Programs and for the President Elect position, but without any commitment for either.
• Clarified that, given this outcome, MCPP may have to consider wrapping up as an organization as early as July 2026

Timeframe in which each position needs to be filled

•  For the organizations to continue, the organization would need someone for the Co-VP by October 2025 at the latest, because we need that person to start recruiting speakers for the following year.
• Without this second Co-
• VP, we would have programs though May of 2026 and Lorrain would be present to run those.

Steps Required if these positions are not filled.

• If we have to wrap up, it is important not to seek funds from members again starting in 2026 because we are not going to be continuing past May 2026. We would have enough funds to run programs without more membership dues.
•  Reiterated that this is the reason why the decision needs to be made by early Fall, because seeking membership renewal, and creating programs, need to start happening by then (for the following year).
•  Members for 2025 would be grandfathered in for 2026.
• We would need to decide whether to charge non-members for that year or not.

Other Steps if MCPP shuts down operations

Per the by-laws, MCPP, remaining monies would be distributed to 3 organizations: AAPCSW (social work oriented), APA Division 39 (psychology-oriented), one psychiatry oriented (though this would require further discussion)

Discussed Challenge & Solutions Recruiting Younger Members in order to have Organic Pipeline to Board Roles

•  Lorrain suggested that there may be a few contacts in Grand Rapids she could follow up with, despite the fact that they are not already members of MCPP
•  Stratman suggested the possibility of the organization becoming the Division 39 Representative to the APA, since it is not required for MCPP to have atraining program in order to do so. This would allow Division 39 members to become involved with MCPP.
• Young suggested highlighting the ACCESS program at the monthly meetings as a means of bringing in early career clinicians to MCPP.
• Freiband communicated that he will follow up with Sonya Freiband about the current functioning of the ACCESS program (as a means of recruiting youngerprofessionals to the organization).
• Stratman offered to follow up with Frank Sollars, who had previously run for an MCPP leadership position, and who has a network of clinicians.
• Keep offered to send template she has already created for student recruitment, in order to send to Stratman

Treasurer: T. Frei

• Freiband provided an overview of finances (in the absence of Frei)
• Between November to January, the organization had an overall increase of income of $4100 in the UMCU account, and from January to February, the organization had an increase of $3,000 in the same account.
•  During that same period, there was $2600 in withdrawals to pay for speaker honorariums and room rentals at the Michigan League.
• Weber and Freiband have discussed and identified an approximately 3% surcharge for people paying for programs using credit cards accounting for approximately four hundred dollars.
• Overall net worth has increased by approximately 8K, partially due to Schwab accounts fluctuations.
• The organization is generally in strong financial health. 

Co-Vice Presidents of Programming: M. Lorrain General Remarks on upcoming Meetings

• Grossmark, who was going to be presenting in May, is no longer going to be presenting in person, only virtually.
•  Only in-person meeting remaining is Fors’s workshop in April.
•  Hazel Ipp is presenting in March, replacing Fors who was previously in this slot.
•  Lorrain clarified that the Fors workshop on April 13,

Details Regarding Dinner Prior to Workshop

•  Keep volunteered to host the dinner prior to the day of the workshop, in Avrin’s absence.
• Avrin provided suggestions for metrics necessary to put together successful dinner, including generic menu, accessible parking, and sufficient notice to potential attendees from the MCPP community.
• Lorrain had not yet confirmed whether Fors’s wife will be travelling with her but plans on making clear to Fors that her wife’s meal is paid for, while remaining attendees

       will pay for their meals.

•  Avrin offered Dixboro Project as alternative to our typical options for restaurants.
•  Young recommended a small group gathering in the context of Passover, preferably just the Board members

Funding for the Fors Workshop

• Freiband put together proposal to the MCP Foundation, on behalf of Lorrain, for the Foundation to fund Fors Workshop.
• The Foundation agreed to fund $3,000 of the $5,400 requested.
• Lorrain clarified that the Board had decided to make the event free to members, so asked how much to charge non-members?
• Lorrain suggested that If non-members get CE credits, then the minimum should be $50 for 2-hour presentation.
•  Contextualized that the issue of how much to charge would be for the purpose of offsetting the difference between the cost of the event and the amount given by the Foundation.
• Young expressed her concern about charging too much, especially given that this is in-person workshop dependent on a sufficient turnout.
• Cohen emphasized the focus on turnout as well, given the chance to recruit for Board positions.
• Freiband moved for the following: no charge for students, non-members will be charged $60 for attending with CEs, $30 for non-members not requesting CEs, Cohen seconds, Board votes unanimously.
• Lorrain will follow up about available restaurants the day of the event, in case Fors and a small group informally decide to go out to lunch.
• Weber confirmed the following with Lorrain to advertise on the website: cap of 64 attendees to accommodate the meeting room, the duration of the workshop from 10am to 330pm with a break from noon to 130pm; registration deadline 10 days before the official event (April 3), so that catering can be managed for the event.
• Lorrain will put together a flyer and send it out within a few days, based on all the figures that have been clarified at this meeting.

New and Continuing Business

Discussion and Arrangements for End of Year Banquet

• Freiband has started looking into venues for the Banquet and made contact with Paesano’s event planner. He asked if the date of Sat June 7 from 6-9pmat Paesano’s works for the Board members who are present. Majority of Board members confirmed this date works for their schedule.
• Freiband requested that the Banquet be made free for Board members, as a sign of appreciation for the cumulative effort of the Board. 

Membership (Young & Larson)

• Membership is up to 93 members, a significant jump from the previous count.
•  Many of the new members are new students, which reflects the recent successful advertising of free membership for students
• Weber confirmed that there are 96 attendees for the current day’s event (Martha Stark) including 40 non-members
• Freiband confirmed that we have, at minimum, covered the cost of the honorarium
• Weber confirmed that she has sent out renewal letter to 29 members who didn’t renew their membership: several have responded and renewed.
• Weber will be sending out the letter for the Visiting Professor event (that includes the details and registrations) after the current day’s lecture.
•  Avrin will send out at least one more email reminding people about the upcoming Visiting Professor Event

The Board thanked Avrin (for her services), who will be leaving the Board once her term is up at the end of 2025.

Freiband motioned to adjourn the meeting, Waiess seconded. Passed unanimously.

Meeting adjourned.

Next MCPP Board Meeting will be held virtually on March 23, 2025.