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HomeMy WebLinkAboutVoluntary Advisory Sub Comm. 08/09/2023Volunteer Advisory Sub -Committee Meeting Minutes for August 9, 2023 Present: Ms. Maureen Doherty and Mr. Brendan Roche attended the meeting at Town Hall in meeting room 2 A/B. Ms. Carol Kosel, Chair of Animal Welfare Committee, Mr. Mitch Bregnard, Chair of Recreation Commission and Ms. Sherri Gurnon, Recreation Director were also present to participate in Ae interviews that pertained to their respective boards/committees. N' y} w • Open the Meeting rn c The meeting was called to order by Mr. Roche 5:36PM. r r1l w MM • Consideration to Approve Meeting Minutes of July 12, 2023 cn� U)M Motion: To approve the meeting minutes of July 12, 2023 as written. (Doherty%oahe�as4fb y � • Interview Candidate for Mansfield Housing Corporation —Jeff Plante Ln c) rn Mr. Roche introduced Mr. Jeff Plante who was present and he thanked him for applying to volunteer. Mr. Roche asked Mr, Plante to introduce himself and provide some information on his background. Mr. Plante stated that he moved to Mansfield in 2002, he has three children and has a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering and a Master's in Business and he served in the Army for nine years. He stated that has worked at corporate jobs and recently sold his business that he bought in 2016 and is semi- retired and sitting on a Board of a Technology company and helping with some mergers and acquisitions. Ms. Doherty asked Mr. Plante if he has been active in the Mansfield community. Mr. Plante responded that he has been involved with many charities in Town including being a member of the Knights of Columbus and St. Vincent de Paul and knows there is a lot of need within the Mansfield. Mr. Roche then asked Mr. Plante what interested him in applying to serve on Mansfield Housing Corporation and he responded that from the website he was not exactly sure what they do. Ms. Doherty then provided some background on the Mansfield Housing Group and she stated that she believed he would be a great asset to the group with his work experience and skills. Ms. Doherty then asked him what skills or experiences make him a great fit for the Mansfield Housing Corporation. Mr. Plante responded that the company he just sold he was twelve percent owner and CEO and did everything from soup to nuts. He stated that he has experience with budgets and people. Mr. Roche then asked him if he could foresee any situations where his beliefs could influence his decision. He responded that he did not anticipate there would be a situation, but if there was he would recuse himself. Ms. Doherty asked him if he had any questions and he responded that he did not and thanked Ms. Doherty for her explanation of the committee. • Interview Candidates for Recreation Commission — Patrick Latchaw and Frances Chotkowski Mr. Roche introduced Mr. Latchaw and Ms. Chotkowski who were candidates for the one vacancy on the Recreation Commission. He then introduced Mr. Mitch Bregnard, Chair of Recreation Commission and Ms. Sherri Gurnon, Recreation Director. He then asked Ms. Gurnon to provide a summary of what the Recreation Commission does. She stated that it is a five -member board and they meet the last Tuesday of the month and they review all the programs, discuss fees and anything recreation. She stated that they also ask for members to volunteer at the different events that are held. She stated the goal is to keep people engaged and active. Mr. Bregnard added that it is a fun group and wants to make sure they do things efficiently. Ms. Doherty asked Ms. Chotkowski to provide her background, education and experience. She responded that she moved to Mansfield in 2000 she has two children who are grown. She stated that she has a Bachelors degree in Economics and has a certificate in Accounting from Bentley University and worked for Fidelity Investments. She stated that she has volunteered for many Recreation events through the years and her children participated in recreation activities. Ms. Doherty then asked Mr. Latchaw to give his background. Mr. Latchaw responded that he is from California and graduated from the University of California and after college he joined a diplomatic security service which the law enforcement of the State Department and every two years he would move. He stated that he met his wife in Boston and moved to Mansfield in 2018 and now has three children and has experience working with camps. Mr. Roche then asked Mr. Latchaw how he has been active in the Mansfield community. Mr. Latchaw responded that his daughter was interested in soccer so they signed her up for the Little Kicks program and he volunteered to be a coach. He stated he is now the Program Director for Little Kicks for the past three seasons and it has been great to see the number of participants back to what it was before COVID. Mr. Roche then asked Ms. Chotkowski how she has been active and she responded that she had always volunteered when her kids were in activities throughout the years. She noted her involvement with the Boosters Club at the High School. Ms. Doherty then asked Ms. Chotkowski what made her interested to serve and she responded that there is a need for volunteers in our community and it is good to have fresh ideas and new people on a Board. She stated that it is important to make sure that everyone is being included. Ms. Doherty then asked Mr. Latchaw what about the Recreation Commission interested him in wanting to serve on it. Mr. Latchaw responded that he agreed with Ms. Chotkowski in that the community is very special and it is easy to be vested and everyone is so approachable and to feel part of the community even though he has only lived her five years. He stated that he also has some time to give back and this is a great next step. Mr. Roche then asked Mr. Latchaw what makes him a strong candidate for the Recreation Commission and he responded that he has lots of experience working at camps and with volunteers and has used recreation as a teaching moment as a metaphor for life. Ms. Chotkowski stated that she has been actively involved in many of the Recreation programs as a volunteer since 2001 and was a leader in many of the groups and noted that she is fiscally responsible and extremely well organized. Ms. Doherty then asked both candidates a question in regards to ethics. Ms. Chotkowski responded that she would vote with her conscience and would recuse herself if a situation came up. She stated that now that her children are older and not involved in the programs it will make it easier. Mr. Latchaw responded that he did not see there being a conflict and has ethics training with his work and understands that he would recuse himself should a situation arise. Interview Candidate for Animal Welfare Committee —Amy Tarlton Mr. Roche asked Ms. Kosel to give an overview of the Animal Welfare Committee and she responded that the major responsibility of the Committee is to oversee the operations of the Animal Shelter. Mr. Roche then asked Ms. Tarlton to tell them a little bit about herself. She responded that she has been a volunteer at the shelter for ten years and has worked with the Animal Shelter Friends. She stated that she has lived in Mansfield for 24 years and owns a part time craft business and has adopted a dog from the shelter. She stated that she plans to continue volunteering and has two children that went through the Mansfield schools. Ms. Doherty asked her what interested her in volunteering for this Committee and she stated that she was asked by Ms. Andrews to apply and has talked about it over the years. She stated that she wanted to be involved. Mr. Roche then asked her why she is a strong candidate and she stated that she has interacted a lot with the Animal Control Officer and learned from him and knows there is more to learn and that she brings her love of animals to the table. Ms. Doherty asked Ms. Tarlton if she sees any potential conflicts of interest and Ms. Tarlton responded that if you have a strong personal connection and she couldn't be objective then she would rely on others to help guide her decision. Ms. Kosel also advised her that in that situation you can abstain from voting. Mr. Roche then asked her if she had anything else she would like to highlight. She stated that she is a dog owner and has been a volunteer at the shelter for ten years has given her a lot of experience. • Other items not known 48 hours in advance of the meeting There were no items. • Adjourn Motion: To adjourn the July 12, 2023 Volunteer Advisory Subcommittee meeting at 6:30PM. (Doherty/Roche) Passes 2:0 Signature Prepared by Carrie Champagne lo oa-3 Date