Present: Board, Susie Garrettson (president), Susan Golightly, Peter Pilles, and Wayne Ranney. Robert Breunig (CEO), and staff, Karen Enyedy, Dave Gillette, Liz Gumerman, Kelly Hays-Gilpin, and Laura Rogers. Members, Drew Barringer, Evelyn Bills, Dennis Gilpin, Delbridge Honanie, Mike Kabotie, Dorothy Lamm, Ken Lamm, Bob Mark, Gene Munger, Molly Munger, Dave Osborne, John Ossenfort, Cindy Perin, Frank Presson, Sybil Smith, and Peggy Taylor.

The meeting was convened at 7:02 PM.
Robert presented MNA’s nine institutional goals. Following the presentation, members were invited to ask questions and give feedback:

Question #1: What was MNA’s visitation in 2005?
Visitation had been eroding since the 1990s. But, last year visitation increased 10% overall. There was a 30% increase for the Hopi Festival, a 33% increase for the Navajo Festival, and a 35% increase for Celebraciones. An analysis of our audience shows the majority to be upper income, educated, Anglo-Amercian, mobile people. We want to change that profile to include more Native Americans and Latinos. We also want to appeal to young people, and not in a separate kids’ center. We want to make the whole museum exciting for kids.

Question #2: Are there other partnerships to explore (i.e. Discovery Channel and marketing)?
There is a conversation in the works with Channel One in connection to Therizinosaur. We plan to target FUSD and get curriculum to all schools. Therizinosaur has great potential in the Valley and even nationally, to reposition MNA. There is several government agencies (i.e. BLM) partnered with MNA in connection to research. Also, the Natural History Museum in Utah. We already have substantial input from community partners.

Question #3: Collaborations? Outreach support? Synergy?
(question directed to marketing)
We are meeting with the Flagstaff Symphony this spring to discuss ideas for collaboration.

Question #4: What is the condition of MNA’s membership?
We had a 500 person increase in 2005; our current total is 3600. Our goal is to continue increasing our membership by 5% per year. I feel very optimistic about this goal.

Question #5: Expressed appreciation for member emails. How do you plan to increase the endowment?
We received two major gifts in 2005, which we believe are renewable. Overall, we increased the endowment by $1.2 million last year. Private sources comprise the bulk of our endowment with foundations providing much smaller portions. Some prospective funders are saying, “Let’s see you balance your budget.” They are asking us to show them we’re serious. Development is old fashion grunt work.

Question #6: What is the method for donor recognition?
We do need to develop a major gift recognition plan.

Question #7: What’s the ideal size of the endowment?
The ideal size is $2 million each. We can’t draw on the endowment till it reaches at least $750,000. This is the Board Policy.

Question #8: It seems that the majority of visitors to MNA are foreigners: Europeans, Asians, non-Americans. Is there anything special we can do to accommodate these visitors?
We have low marketing funds, otherwise we would devise an international marketing plan. However, the web is very significant in giving us that exposure. We do need to rebuild tour groups, which has been eroding in recent years.

Question #9: What about a partnership with the Grand Canyon? Xanterra?
Conversation in the works.

Question #10: What about a partnership with KAET? They have a bottom-up strategy…
We have done 2 programs with KAET in the past, but haven’t had time to approach them recently. With Therizinosaur there may be a possibility through their program, “Arizona Collection.”

Question #11: Where’s my library??? What is going to happen with the archives, esp. the Goldwater paintings?
We do want to rejuvenate our library. This is an internal debate: what is the library’s role and position in the Museum? Collections? Stand alone? Research? It is currently closed until May 15th for in order to computerize the catalogue. We are concerned with maintenance and improvement. We are committed to the library. Archival material will go in the new collections facility.

Question #12: Will you flush out the details of this plan with the press?
We will tell them about our successes. I am tired of the old museum stories. We do need to sustain our relationship with the press.

Question #13: I don’t come to MNA because it’s always the same. Updates are essential.
I agree with the need to develop our long-term exhibits. We are lacking information on Navajo, Piute, Yavapai, etc. We have a lot of work to do.

Question #14: Where is your primary audience: international or local?
60-70% of our visitors are tourists. We will soon be able to track data from the gift shop (via area codes). The tourists will always be a big part of our audience, I want MNA to be a community museum. I want the individual to have lifelong experiences with the Museum from Discovery to Ventures. I want people to say, “This place is ours. We have been enriched…”

Question #15: MNA needs to work on attracting a local constituency.

Question #16: The arts have always been a vehicle for communication. Now is a good time to look at art expressions that are exploding all over the place. No just 2-D artwork, but: poetry, songs, and writing. Bring in the reservation to the Museum.
Heritage Insights was our attempt to meet those needs. We need to deepen those efforts.

Question #17: Why does MNA still use the term “heritage” for the summer shows? It feels very mid-Western.
Not sure why, it’s been around for a long time and is mostly used for funding purposes as an umbrella term. However, we do call our summer programs “festivals” instead of “marketplaces” because we are presenting ideas, not things.

Question #18: Years ago the Museum had a Hopi children component to the Hopi Show, a Navajo children component to the Navajo Show. It was amazing! Can MNA do this again?
Changes are step by step, incremental. Improvements to Hopi Show last year were good. First, we have to rebuild relationships.

Question #19: The profile of the Plateau is changing. There are Dinosaurs, Indians, and other nations coming to live here. Why not have a White-Anglo exhibit some time?
Celebraciones was introduced for this purpose. Watch the 2006 calendar between October and December, you’re in for a surprise.

Question #20: How did the auction go?
We beat our goal!

Finally, surveys were distributed to members invited written feedback. The results are as follows:
• 3 members consider the nine outlined institutional goals to be excellent.
• Member stated that MNA has overlooked the library as an institutional goal.
• Member stated that the overall outline is good, but suggested that MNA, “partner with NAU for research staff. Have NAU faculty with half-time appointments at MNA. They would bring with them their own state benefits package, a considerable savings for MNA. They would bring students, esp. graduate students, to do research with collections and fieldwork.”
• Member stated that the overall outline is good, but commented, “The main collections identified are paleo, anthro, art, biology/eco—library should be #5.”

The meeting was adjourned at 8:36 PM.

Respectfully submitted,
Laura C. Rogers

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