Members Present: Allan Affeldt, David Connell, Rowena Dickerson, Susie Garretson, Sam Henderson, Leigh Kuwanwisiwma, Jack Metzger, Linn Montgomery, Carl Phagan, Peter Pilles, Katrina Rogers, Carolyn Shoemaker, Octaviana Trujillo, and Stephen Verkamp.

Muses Representative Present: Susan Ritter (substituting for Mary Ann Isom).

Emeritus Trustee Present: Francis McAllister.

Board Members Absent: Susan Golightly, Barbara Poley, Wayne Ranney, and Miguel Vasquez

Staff Members Present: Robert Breunig, Director; Karen Enyedy, Volunteer Development Director; Marlene Lloyd, Executive Assistant; Laura Rogers; and Lynn Yeager Comptroller.

Guests: Becky Daggett, Director, Friends of Flagstaff’s future; Carl Ritter.

Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 9:35 by Susie Garretson, Chair.

Approval of Minutes: The minutes of the February 4, 2006 meeting were unanimously approved.

Approval of the Consent Agenda:
Executive Committee Minutes: Feb 16, March 16.
Finance and Investment Committee Minutes: Feb 1, March 29.
Institutional Planning Committee Minutes: Feb 9, Feb 23, March 9.
Fundraising Committee Minutes: Nov 30, Feb 1.
Governance Committee Minutes: March 2, March 16.
Master Plan Committee Minutes: Feb 3.

The consent agenda was unanimously approved.

Chair’s Report:

Susie Garretson reported that she will co-chair the Program Committee. We are hoping Rowena Dickerson will be the other co-chair.

Robert Breunig has officially appointed Larry Stevens as Curator of Ecology and Conservation. Larry will be paid from operating funds but from grants and contracts he secures, not from the operating budget. His appointment gives us a curator in all of the major science disciplines of the museum. Larry will be bringing additional natural science collections to the museum.

Susan Olberding has had her leave of absence extended by the Executive Committee until June 3rd, 2006, when her term expires.

There will be aboard retreat in July to discuss role of FALA on the MNA campus.

Director’s Report:

Robert Breunig reported that Kalley Keams Lucero had been appointed as MNA’s Retail (Gift Shop) Manager. Kalley is a Navajo weaver and has many years experience selling Native American arts. She is an excellent educator, having given seminars and classes at many museums on Navajo weaving and culture. She also has a good head for business and is already studying various POS (point of sale) systems to find the best one to manage MNA’s inventory. She is committed to turning shop sales around and has many ideas for improving the performance of the retail operation and involving native artists in the museum.

Robert noted that Gil Berg has been serving as the acting retail manager over the past few months and that shop sales were running $10,000 ahead of last year at this time. Robert praised Mr. Berg’s performance and invited board members to a thank you event for Mr. Berg at Colton House on April 7th.

There will be an exhibit of some of the best works in MNA’s fine arts collection in the Lockett Gallery this summer. It will be guest-curated by Allan Peterson of Coconino Community College. Also this summer will be the traditional Hopi and Navajo shows. A renewed Zuni show is under consideration for 2007. For the fall we are negotiating with the Dry Creek Arts Fellowship to bring the 17th Annual Trappings of the American West exhibition to MNA. This exhibit has been held at the Coconino Center for the Arts (CCA) for many years. The relationship between the Dry Creek Arts Fellowship and the CCA ended this past year and this presented an opportunity for MNA to bring this exhibition to the museum. We are consulting with the CCA to ensure that if MNA hosts this exhibit it will cause no concerns for the CCA.

For 2007 we are planning a Therizinosaur exhibit curated by Dr. Gillette opening in late January. We are in the planning and design phases of this project now and have discussed funding with one major Arizona corporation. This exhibit is the first in a series on intermediate term exhibits—one year long--we hope to have over the next several years including one called “Voices of the Forest” on ponderosa pine forest ecology and an exhibit derived from the Hopi Iconography Project.

The hallway in the Branigar Chase Discovery Center (BCDC), the Kathryn Chase Gallery, has been studied by a conservation consultant to get a better understanding of its environmental conditions, especially the light levels. Based on the consultant’s report and recommendations, we may be proposing modifications to the gallery to better protect artworks on display there.

Robert Breunig, Jim Roberts, architect, and the Collections staff met with various tribal representatives to discuss the design of the new Collection Center. Representatives of the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe, and White Mountain Apache Tribe attended and shared their perspectives on the proposed collections facility. Specific recommendations included facing the building to the east, no storage of human remains in the building, and ensuring that Navajo people do not have to see animals preserved in fluids if they visit the Collections Center. A Zuni consultant has also given recommendations consistent with those of the other tribes.

Robert also reported that representatives of the Navajo Nation was reviewing various manuscripts in the museum’s archives and may request that certain documents be restricted due to the sensitive nature of the material contained.

An effort to preserve Picture Canyon, an archaeologically significant canyon with hundreds of petroglyphs, from development is underway. The land, just east of Flagstaff, is owned by the State Land Department of Arizona. It is the mandate of that department to sell all of its lands to fund the education in Arizona. Many non-profit groups and local governmental entities are participating in the initiative. Coconino County Supervisor Deb Hill is a key organizer of the preservation group. Dr. David Wilcox has been providing information on the archaeological significance of the area. Picture Canyon was one of the first archaeological areas described by Dr. Colton. Director Breunig recommends that the museum support the effort by passing a resolution encouraging the preservation of the canyon. The proposed resolution reads:

Resolution on Picture Canyon: T 21N, R8 E, Section 4, a State Land Section
• Whereas the Picture Canyon Petroglyph Site (NA 17897, AZ I:14:346 [ASM]) was one of the first sites in the Flagstaff area to be scientifically studied by Harold Sellers Colton and his wife Mary-Russell Ferrell Colton in 1919 and 1921,
• Whereas the Picture Canyon Site is the type site for northern Sinagua rock art style,
• And Whereas Picture Canyon is a beautiful, scenic location in the City of Flagstaff and Coconino County, Arizona,

The Board of the Museum of Northern Arizona hereby resolves to call upon the City of Flagstaff, Coconino County, the State of Arizona, and the University of Arizona (the beneficiary of the State Land Section in question) to find a way to preserve Picture Canyon in perpetuity for the enjoyment and education of all citizens.

After a discussion of the resolution, a motion in support of the resolution passed unanimously.

Robert will write a letter to the Governor and state land commissioner in support of Picture Canyon.

Director Breunig recommended that the board pass a resolution and award a lifetime membership in thanks to attorney Whitney North Seymour Jr. of New York for his pro bono services to MNA in support of the recently resolved lawsuit against Santa Fe art dealer Steve Diamant. The board unanimously endorsed the resolution.

The director requested that the board grant a sewer and drainage easement across a portion of MNA property to Robert Montoya, owner of property adjacent to the museum on the south side of the Rio de Flag called “Farm House Estates”. In return, Mr. Montoya has agreed to give an easement across his property for a portion of the FUTS trail, thereby obviating the need for an unsightly bridge for the FUTS trail across the Rio de Flag on museum property. MNA granted the City of Flagstaff the FUTS easement across its land as a concession to the city when the Peaks Senior Living Community was built. With the provision that the agreement contain a “hold harmless clause”, the board voted to grant the easements. There was one “no” vote.

Robert Breunig introduced Laura Rogers who has replaced Ann Deegan as the accreditation and institutional planning coordinator. He reminded the board that our accreditation “self study” is due September 26.

The Director reported that we are looking for candidates to serve as incorporators and initial board members of the MNA Endowment Foundation.

Robert Breunig reported on recent development activities. Karen Enyedy has applied for two grants from the Arizona Commission on the Arts: a general operating support grant (GOS) and a grant in support of the third year of the Celebraciónes de la Gente; a proposal to the Arizona Community Foundation for $10,000 to purchase a new server; an operating support grant to the Flagstaff Cultural Partners (approximately $25,000); $5,000 to the University of Arizona for weed control on MNA property; and $5,000 has been received from Wells Fargo for the Discovery Program. We are submitting a pre-proposal to the Nina Mason Pulliam Trust for a planning grant of $300,000 for new long-term (“permanent”) exhibits; and we have received $8,100 for the Danson Endowment this year. Robert also reported on the Baxter Black “friend raiser” in Sedona in May and encouraged all board members to attend. Finally, he noted the need to launch an endowment campaign in the near future.

Institutional Planning Committee Report

The Institutional Planning Committee recommends nine major goals as outlined to the member’s meeting on March 28. These goals were reviewed in a power point presentation by Robert Breunig:

1. Build a sustainable Financial Base
2. Protect and Enhance the Collections
3. Foster Excellence in Research
4. Build Exciting Exhibits and Educational Programs
5. Improve the Stewardship of our grounds, assets and facilities
6. Invest in our Staff
7. Develop Strong partnerships
8. Restore Our Good Name
9. Operate at the Highest Standards

There was a discussion of the role and place of the library in the organizational structure of the museum. Since the librarian position was terminated in 2002 it has been under the Collections Department. There was some sentiment that it should not be part of the Collections Department but an independent unit of the museum. After some additional discussion of the major goals, a motion to approve the goals was passed unanimously.

Finance and Investment Committee Report

Finance Committee Chair Linn Montgomery gave the Finance and Investment report. He reported on the February financials. He noted the improved gift shop sales, the best since 2003. He also reported that $150,000 had been paid on our line of credit with National Bank of Arizona and an additional $50,000 would be paid soon. The motion to accept the February financials was unanimously approved.

Dr. Montgomery reported on the research by Miller Russell on socially responsible investment (SRI’s) portfolios. There will be further discussion on April 12 when Lori Booth-Houle meets with the committee. David Connell made the point that Miller Russell now “owns” the MNA stock portfolio as they selected all of the funds in the portfolio, if we require a certain type of fund they would have less responsibility for the over-all performance of the fund. It was agreed that perhaps a separate SRI fund could be set up for those donors that prefer such funds.

A resolution adding Kalley Keams Lucero as an authorized signer on the Gift Shop Checking account was recommended by the Finance and Investment Committee. The motion passed unanimously.

Linn Montgomery reported that the field work for the 2005 audit was completed in early March The audit should be complete in May and the auditors will attend the June meeting to give a report. The committee and staff are not aware of any significant issues or problems that they have to report.

Muses Report

Sue Ritter gave the Muses report for Mary Ann Isom. The Muses have gone through a major transition this year, now welcoming male as well as female members. Membership has grown by 30. The Sedona Lecture series has been successful. All Muse members are asked to sell tickets. The Muses are trying to raise the visibility of MNA in Sedona. The Muses will give their annual contribution to MNA on May 4th at our annual picnic.

Other Business

Becky Daggett of Friends of Flagstaff’s Future gave a presentation on the proposition to set aside and preserve certain state trust lands: Conserving Arizona’s Future. It would set aside 694,000 acres of state trust land from development.

The regular meeting adjourned at 1:00 and the board went into Executive Session.