Spark NH Executive Committee Meeting

2 Delta Drive, Concord

May3, 201610:00 – 12:00 pm

Meeting Summary

Attendance:Erika Argersinger, Katie Brissette, Jackie Cowell, Ruth Littlefield, Effie Malley, Laura Milliken, and Debra Nelson.

Minutes Recorder:Katie Brissette

  1. Debrief Council Meeting

We stayed on track, and there was a good discussion around Mark Vallone’s member presentation. It would be great to have more council members participate in the whip-share. A reminderabout this opportunity to quickly share somethingthat’s happening within their program will go out with the next meeting reminder.

  1. AprilExecutive Committee Meeting Summary

There was anedit to the meeting summary. Under section 8, the Children’s Behavioral Health Collaborative is doing the report, not Effie.The committee came to consensus to approve the April meeting summary with this change.

  1. Equity Work Update

One of Spark’s Equity Leader Fellows attended the Policy Committee meeting. She gave some feedback and initially noted that there was no one of color or different ethnicity at the table. The plan is to build the equity work into the strategic planning process. Learning about how other states are doing it well and understanding NH’s statistics could be helpful. It was suggested that the two equity fellows be involved and provide their perspective to the process. Details of the retreat will be discussed at the next Executive Committee meeting in June. Debra offered to follow up with Deirdre Dunn about her work as an Equity Ambassador and where she left off.

  1. JuneSpark NH Council Agenda

The June 23 agenda was drafted. RichieColardarchi is set to do the next member presentation. A budget update will be given. An update on the Gubernatorial Forum will be shared as well as an update on the toolkit being created by the Quality Committee.

  1. Spark NH Budget

Laura and Jackie are meeting with MCH on Friday to discuss the ECCS and Project LAUNCH funding. There will be an update at the next Council meeting on the status of funding for Spark NH. Three grants were submitted to the Endowment for Health. One would fund the strategic planningprocess, one would continue the Community of Practice work, and one was a recoverable grant to be used if Project LAUNCH funds don’t go through by July 1. The Endowment Board meets mid-Juneand will make a decision on the grants at that time. Funding for a gubernatorial forum and the Mind in the Making Institute were included in the Community of Practice grant.

  1. Council Seats

Council Seat for Regional Initiatives: Marti Ilg will be stepping down from the Council and another member of the Community of Practice group will be nominated to take her place. “Local providers of early childhood services.”“A coalition.” Every two years in May the Executive Committee will check in with the COP to address this and decide who their representative is. Exec will also check in on the Legislative rep. member. Timeframe –by the June meeting they should appoint someone to replace Marti.

Head Start PAC Council Seat:

The question about substituting members with someone else was brought up.

Turnover and busy schedules prevent the PAC seat from having someone attend. Alternates can sit as a member of the public but not participate in consensus. The alternative is to have a proxy who can vote on their behalf. Continuity is important, and with meetings only every other month there are expectations…

PAC formally elected an alternate internally but they will sit as a member of the public when they attend Council members.

Exec Committee proposes not making any changes at this time.

Medicaid Council Seat: This position on the Council is required by the MCH grant. Tricia Lucasmay become the member who represents this position.

  1. Report on Meeting with Commissioner Meyers

Laura, Jackie and Effie had a great meeting with the Commissioner. He had an understanding of Spark and was very appreciative of the work. A request was made to increase the amount of CCDF quality dollars that are used to support Spark NH’s core operating to $200,000. The quarterly meetings with DHHS and DOE Commissionersthe Governor will be schedule for the year.

  1. Vroom

Erika gave an update on Vroom. She and Katie met with Mary Earick and she’s interested in having Vroom be a part of the “NH Network.” If a curriculum gets developed, DOE staff can get it on the network. Erika is working on scheduling a meeting with Lorraine Bartlett of DCYF. Vroom has been sent out to all district offices and all DCYF staff. She is interested in having Vroom be incorporated further within the system. Erika is also meeting one-on-one with the Community of Practice members. The Vroom Advisory Group will meet this month and continue to meeting monthly after the Executive Committee meeting.

  1. DOE Summer Summit

Debra gave an update on the sessions for the summer summit. The theme is Transformation through Personalization. There are only two early childhood strands so she’s made a few changesand combined a few workshops to fit everything in. Dr. Elena Bodrova is presenting on “Tools of the Mind.” The Early Childhood LeadershipTeam is in place.

  1. Watch Me Grow/Gap in identifying Children TF

The task force is under development. The project money will be spent by the end of June.

  1. Meeting Evaluation - Everyone agreed it was a good meeting with good facilitation.