MVHA Board Updates
By Nicholas Perry MVHA Past President
Your MVHA Board of Directors has been hard at work ! Read on for some important updates :
Bylaws Update . On May 10 the Board and members in attendance unanimously approved revisions to MVHA Bylaws . The only edit to the proposed revisions ( published in our spring newsletter ) was to retain the section noting Honored Membership was conferred to Mercedes Castro in recognition of her family ’ s contribution to our community . This section was proposed for deletion but those in attendance on May 10 decided to keep it in the bylaws as part of the historical record . If you would like a mailed or digital copy of the adopted bylaws , please email : info @ mountainviewhistorical . org .
Melissa Rusch
New Faces on Board ! Please join us in welcoming two new faces to our MVHA Board : Melissa Rusch and Carol Donahue . Melissa was appointed Treasurer , replacing Emily Ramos who stepped down to focus on her role on the City Council . Carol Donahue joins our Board as a Director-at-Large focusing on community outreach . Both Melissa and Carol are already making great contributions to our board and we are thrilled to have them join our team .
Familiar Faces , New Positions . A few board members have been appointed to
Carol Donahue new positions . IdaRose Sylvester is now serving as a Director-at-Large , focusing on the organization ’ s long-term strategic planning . Replacing IdaRose and returning to her past role as Membership Director is Lisa Garcia . Check out the Membership Update on Page 9 for a message from Lisa . Gill Lane , formerly at Director-at-Large is now our Historical Data Director ; a role where his in-depth knowledge of Mountain View history and familiarity with our archives is sure to come in handy . We thank all our returning board members !
New Director-at-Large Position Open . Now that the dust has settled on our bylaw revisions and board elections / appointments , we are looking to fill a newly created third Director-at-Large position . This role is flexible and a great introductory role for those interested in serving on a non-profit board . If you are interested please reach out ! You can share your interest with any of our friendly board members or contact us at : info @ mountainviewhistorical . org .
Financial Report
By Pamela Baird MVHA President
Checking Account Balance as of 3 / 31 / 2023 : $ 17,501.52 YTD Income : $ 1,485.86 YTD Expenses : $ 2,028.39 Key expenditures : Newsletter , “ Then & Now ” book purchase , Adobe Building Reservation Deposit , website design Key income : Membership , Donations , book sales , walking tours
Certificates of Deposit : $ 60,615.22
MVHA Project Updates
By Nicholas Perry MVHA Past President
The MVHA continues to work on a number of interesting projects , some of which have been shared in previous editions of this newsletter . Read on for some quick updates !
New MVHA Webmaster . As reported in our last newsletter , the MVHA has a new website . And now , we are pleased to welcome Osama Alamidi as our new volunteer webmaster . Osama is a graphic designer by training looking to build his skills and portfolio in web design . He moved to the Bay Area recently and is interested in learning more about our region ’ s history . The MVHA board will work with Osama to keep our new website fresh and up-to-date .
History Center Updates . Mountain View Public Library staff leadership recently met with representatives from the MVHA board to share a variety of exciting updates related to the Mountain View History Center ; the shared home of our MVHA archives and the City of Mountain View archives . The library is in the process of hiring a new librarian who will serve as the coordinator of the History Center . In the interim , librarian Tarri Ryan is serving as the interim coordinator and main pointperson to the MVHA . The recently approved City budget for fiscal year 2023-24 included funds to make some small but much-needed upgrades to the History Center ’ s carpeting , seating , and other improvements . Library leadership invited the MVHA to help curate a new gallery wall and relocated display cases along the walls just outside the History Center ; with a goal of making some of its collection more visible when the Center itself is closed . An intern is also working to inventory the collection . More extensive plans for upgrades are planned once the new librarian has been hired and on boarded . The MVHA and Library Leadership are planning to begin meeting quarterly to strengthen or long-standing partnership at the History Center , so stay tuned for more updates !
Social Media Updates . MVHA member Jerry Steach is volunteering his professional communications skills to help us increase the amount of fun and interesting historic content we share on various social media platforms like Facebook , Twitter , and LinkedIn . We are investigating setting up an Instagram account as well . If you use social media , we encourage you to connect with us for some great historic content !
Chinatown Interpretive Placard . City staff shared a mock-up of the sign in spring with members of the Race , Equity , and Inclusion Council Subcommittee and is also engaging groups like the Chinese Civil Leadership Academy for feedback on the content . Once this round of important vetting is complete , the City will provide an update on next steps .
MV Eagles Monument . At the time of publication there were no major updates on MVHS Eagles Monument at Eagle Park , but plans continue to progress . Specific questions can be directed to Alberto Olmos at : bombero1 @ ymail . com .
3