Association of Professional Administrators

Minutes 2025-5

Date/Time: Friday, May 16, 2025, 10:00am
Location: ZOOM Room

Present

APA Statewide

  • Rosa Di Virgilio Taormina, President
  • Rebecca (Becca) Ramirez-McKinley, Vice President
  • Mark Powers, Secretary
  • Aaron Childs, Membership Coordinator (Non-voting)
  • Julie Dunlap LePoer, Web Manager (Non-voting)
  • Sean Barrett, MTA Field Representative (Non-voting)

APA Chapter Presidents

  • Brian Cahillane, Westfield State University
  • Kelly DeMello, Massachusetts Maritime Academy
  • Peter Fenuccio, Worcester State University
  • Gretchen Mayhew, VP Fitchburg State University
  • Susan McNeil, Massachusetts College of Art & Design
  • Michael Merriam, Framingham State University
  • Rosa Taormina, Salem State University

Guests

  • Maggie Shirland, VP Massachusetts College of Art & Design

Absent

APA Statewide

  • Sherry Horeanopoulos, Health & Welfare Trust (Non-voting)

APA Chapter Presidents

  • Seth Bean, Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts
  • Eric Feibel, Bridgewater State University
  • Rebecca Shersnow, Fitchburg State University

Call to Order

  • May 16, 2025 Time: 10:04am

Approval of Minutes

  1. Approval of April 18, 2025 Executive Board Meeting Minutes
    • Amendments: None
    • Motion to approved the minutes of the April 18, 2025 Executive Board Meeting as presented/amended made:
      • by: R. Ramirez-McKinley 2nd by: S. McNeil
    • Vote: Unanimous Action: Motion Carries

Public Comments

Secretary Powers wishes to acknowledge the outstanding work of MassArt Chapter President McNeil and Chapter Vice President Shirland for their exceptional leadership and contributions to the Massachusetts College of Art and Design chapter.

President’s Report –
Rosa Di Virgilio Taormina

  1. MTA 2025 Annual Delegate Meeting Recap
    • Overall fees increase is now $37.00 as a result of a New Business Item (NBI).
  2. Membership boundaries/leadership treatment
    • Addressing APA member behavior towards the APA Chapter Leadership.
  3. Employee Relations Committee (ERC) as per the APA CBA
  4. Upcoming meeting with Julayne Lazar (Ruben & Rudman) and Vincent Pedone (Council of Presidents)
    • Making sure each Chapter President is receiving Board of Trustees (BoT) minutes.
    • Consistent review of Compensation (Promotions or Salary bump) Requests as it differs at each campus.
  5. Contract finalization status
    • Ruben & Rudman is still working with APA to have a final correct version.
  6. APA Members teaching a Day Division course Recap
    • Issues with MSCA contract and NUPs and some APA members teaching a Day Division course as part of their APA job description.
  7. MTA Grants – All-In Grant. PR&O Grant being submitted.
  8. Sean Barrett, MTA Representative
  9. Motion 2025.05.16-01
    • Move to have today’s APA Executive Board meeting extended to 2:00pm.
    • By: R. Taormina 2nd by: R. Ramirez-McKinley
    • Vote: Unanimous Action: Motion Carries

Treasurer’s Report – Maria Brunelle

  1. Payroll due on Friday, April 18, 2025 by 12:00pm
  2. Approval of March 2025 Treasurer’s Report – Vote Postponed until the June meeting.
    • Amendments: None
    • Motion to approve Treasurer’s report as presented made:
    • by: 2nd by:
    • Vote: Unanimous Action: None

Membership and Data – Aaron Childs

  1. 1549 Overall Membership since April 2025. An increase of 4.
  2. B. 292 Non-Dues Paying Member. An increase of 2 since April 2025.

Website – Julie Dunlap LePoer

  1. Regular updates made to website

Health and Welfare Fund Report –
Sherry Horeanopoulos, Susan McNeil

  1. Adding another company, Altus (sp?), for the request for RFB (Request for Bids)
  2. Next meeting May 24, 2025

Committee Reports

  1. Budget Committee – Vacant
  2. Committee on Professional Development – Vacant
  3. Special Committees:
    • Committee on Legislative Action – Vacant
    • Committee on Health & Safety – Vacant
    • APA/Management Working Group – Vacant
  4. Employee Relations Committee (ERC) as per the APA CBA – Vacant

Old/New Business

  1. Review applications for Treasurer’s position (Taormina)
    • Three applications submitted. One applicant meets all of the requirements.
  2. Motion 2025.05.16-02
    • Move to hire Sharon Francis as the APA Treasurer effective June 1, 2025.
    • By: S. McNeil 2nd by: B. Cahillane
    • Vote: Unanimous Action: Motion Carries
  3. Building our Dues-Paying membership and Getting Dues-Paying Members involved.
    • Entry Level Dues Structure (Taormina/Ramirez-McKinley)
    • Brainstorming about proposing an entry level dues structure for new members. Basically, it would be a lower entry-level dues for the first 1-3 years and then the member would go to the full dues in their 4th year and beyond.
  4. Creating a self-reporting form (Taormina/Ramirez-McKinley)
    • Where employees can submit anonymously instances of alleged bullying or changed work conditions or change in job responsibilities without compensation. Pros & Cons were discussed.
  5. Proposed E-Board Meeting Calendar Dates/Times for Academic Year 2025-2026 (Powers)
EventTimeDateFormatLocation
APA Executive Board10:00amFriday, September 19, 2025HybridZoom/Worcester
APA Executive Board9:00amFriday, October 17, 2025RemoteZoom
APA Executive Board10:00amFriday, November 21, 2025HybridZoom/TBD
Annual State-wide Membership12:00pmFriday, November 21, 2025HybridZoom/TBD
APA Executive Board10:00amFriday, December 19, 2025HybridZoom/Worcester
APA Executive Board9:00amFriday, January 16, 2026RemoteZoom
APA Executive Board9:00amFriday, February 20, 2026RemoteZoom
APA Executive Board9:00amFriday, March 20, 2026RemoteZoom
APA Executive Board9:00amFriday, April 17, 2026RemoteZoom
APA Executive Board9:00amFriday, May 15, 2026RemoteZoom
APA Executive Board10:00amFriday, June 19, 2026HybridZoom/Worcester
APA Executive Board Meeting Schedule 2025-2026
  1. Motion 2025.05.16-02
    • Motion to approved the APA Meeting Schedule 2025-2026 scheduled as 4-hour time blocks.
    • By: R. Taormina 2nd by: R. Ramirez-McKinley
    • Vote: Unanimous Action: Motion Carries

Institutional Issues

Information has been redacted.

Announcements

  1. None

Adjournment

  1. Adjournment
    • A. Motion to Adjourn made at 1:40pm
    • by: R. Ramirez-McKinley 2nd by: B. Cahillane
    • Vote: Unanimous Action: Motion Carries

APA Meeting Schedule 2024-2025:

EventTimeDateFormatLocation
APA Executive Board10:00amFriday, September 20, 2024RemoteZoom
APA Executive Board10:00amFriday, October 18, 2024RemoteZoom
APA Executive Board10:00amFriday, November 15, 2024HybridZoom/TBD
Annual State-wide Membership12:00pmFriday, November 15, 2024HybridZoom/TBD
APA Executive Board10:00amFriday, December 20, 2024HybridZoom
APA Executive Board10:00amFriday, January 17, 2025RemoteZoom
APA Executive Board10:00amFriday, February 21, 2025RemoteZoom
APA Executive Board10:00amFriday, March 21, 2025RemoteZoom
APA Executive Board10:00amFriday, April 18, 2025RemoteZoom
APA Executive Board10:00amFriday, June 20, 2025In-personTBD
APA Executive Board Meeting Schedule 2024-2025

webmanager