July 2026 Board Notes

Date:

07/14/2026

Attendance:

Board Attended: Christina Kramer, Denon Schaefer, Echo O’Donnell, Jeannette Wallen, Lori Fischer-Fairbanks, Nick Nelson, and Josh Snead
Board Absent:
Observers: Alli Cassel, Jacob Warner, and J.C. Horvath

Notes:

Anime Twin Cities Board Meeting Minutes

July 14th, 2026
7:01 PM

Board Present – Christina Kramer, Denon Schaefer, Echo O’Donnell, Jeannette Wallen, Lori Fischer-Fairbanks, Nick Nelson, and Josh Snead

Board Absent –

Public – Alli Cassel, Jacob Warner, and J.C. Horvath


Agenda is available in the link in the description of the livestream, these meetings are counted for attendance for voting rights please comment your name in the chat and fill out the google form in order to gain voting rights.
We want to remind you at the end of the meeting we have an open session if there are any questions for the board please put it in the chat ahead of time so we can answer it when we get to it at the end.


Agenda

  • Recap off cycle board actions and votes
     
    • We will be receiving a donation of 1900 manga from a private collector, looking for help picking this up before the next Anime Detour staff meeting.
      • We are happy to accept the donation which we will pickup this weekend.
         
  • Planned Discussions from scheduled visiting parties/ATC Partners
     
    • None

       

Coordinator Updates
 

  • Finance – Jeannette Wallen
     
    • Dollar amounts:
        • Business Checking: 270,541.15
        • Education Fund: 3,098.76
        • Business Market Rate Savings (Community Fund): 14,509.08

           
  • Anime Detour – J.C. Horvath
     
    • It is still early in the planning cycle, so there are no major updates to report.
    • A few guest announcements have been made, with additional announcements expected soon.
    • The Chair Team has completed interviews for the second staff cycle. Appointment announcements will be made at Sunday's meeting.
    • Efforts are ongoing to fill several remaining department head positions.
    • A partner supporting the Manga Reading Lounge has generously offered a manga donation, which was greatly appreciated.

       
  • Charities – Jacob Warner
     
    • It is still very early in the planning cycle, with few updates to report.
    • Jacob has been busy assisting with tabling efforts. The Normandale Garden situation is still being discussed, and Alli will provide additional details, as it may be related to recent donations.
    • Christina asked whether Jacob had signed up for the AUSM Puzzle Event at the Mall of America. He had not realized it was a Charities event but will look into participating.

       
  • Communications – Makaila Kozitza (Absent)
     
    • There are no updates to report.

       
  • Special Events – Alli Cassel

 

    • Twin Cities Pride
      • Twin Cities Pride was held the weekend before Convergence and received an excellent response.
      • Attendance exceeded expectations, and the team ran out of flyers, requiring additional copies to be delivered.
         
    • Kitsune Kon
      • Staffed Kitsune Kon in Green Bay last weekend.

 

    • Convergence
      • Tabled at Convergence for the first time in several years and received a very positive response from attendees.

 

    • Upcoming Events
      • Excalibur Con – Full weekend event in August.
      • Obon Festival (St. Paul) – Volunteers are needed in August. Local events are a great opportunity for new volunteers to get involved.
      • Normandale Japanese Garden – Recently added to the event schedule and is fully staffed.
      • FallCon – Application was submitted today for the comic convention at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds.
      • Nebraskon – Scheduled for October.
      • Twin Cities Con – Scheduled for November.

 

    • The organization is entering its busiest outreach season, which will conclude after Twin Cities Con before shifting focus to Anime Detour planning following the holiday break.


 

15 Minute Break (If the preceding topics take little time, the board may vote to skip this)
Motion to Skip
Lori / Nick seconded
All in Favor (All of the present Board)
Motion Passes


 

Current Month Board Topics

 

  • Mailbox Policy
    • The Board discussed creating a centralized system for storing organizational mail. Rather than using a shared drive, the preferred approach is to establish a dedicated Anime Twin Cities inbox where all mail can be forwarded and archived.
    • Physical mail requiring action, such as checks for deposit, should be forwarded to Jeannette / handled by Jeannette for processing.
    • The Board agreed that organizational correspondence should be retained in a central location, though a digital solution is preferred over maintaining physical storage or relying on individuals to retain documents.
    • Christina will investigate setting up the dedicated inbox.
       

 

Open Session (up to 30 minutes)
 

  • Any members of the community can bring new business to discuss with the board
    • None
       
  • Current Month Board Topics
     
    • Lori attended the Geek Partnership Society (GPS) update meeting at Convergence to maintain the organization's relationship and show support.
      • Initial discussions were held about potential collaboration between organizations, including shared board training opportunities.
      • Partnering on board training could allow participating organizations to receive group discounts.
      • No formal plans have been established; discussions are still in the early stages.

         

7:13 pm meeting closed


Please contact atcboard@animetwincities.org or atc_secretary@animetwincities.org if you would like to be added to the agenda for discussion items.