In Case You Missed Affiliate Group Network Annual Meeting (AGNAM) (I did!)
Dear AGNAM Participants,
On behalf of our team at NPCA, thank you all for your engagement in the 2022 Affiliate Group Network Annual Meeting (AGNAM). We enjoyed the opportunity to see you all and share updates, successes, and ideas during the meeting. As promised, we are sharing the event recording, detailed agenda with links , and responses to unanswered questions you asked in our post-event survey. Find our responses to your questions below. If you did not yet have the chance to provide feedback during the event, you can still fill in your thoughts here.
First, as announced at AGNAM, two relevant decisions have been made by the NPCA Board of Directors. First, Dan Baker has graciously stepped in as NPCA’s Interim President and CEO. Dan will guide NPCA’s operations as the board moves ahead in its search for a new CEO. The second decision is I will be co-chairing a Governance Reform committee with my fellow board member John Lee Evans. In addition to creating a committee representative of Staff, Board and the community, we will be reaching out to you all for your ideas and thoughts in the coming weeks.
Second, as we launch a CEO search and continue our commitment to our mission of “supporting a united and vibrant Peace Corps community,” we want to hear from all stakeholders about their vision for NPCA in the next 5 years. We invite you to participate in upcoming listening sessions next month on Wednesday September 14, and Sunday September 18. We want to foster communication and sharing among individuals from all pockets of our large and diverse community. Board members will be in listening mode and receiving input on where you would like NPCA to focus in the coming years. To ensure adequate time for each speaker, we will invite the first 15 RSVPs (for each time slot) to speak. The links to sign up if you wish to speak during the listening sessions will be sent out shortly. As a reminder, you can also send your questions to the new Community Concerns Task Force headed by Evelyn Ganzglass.
Third, We want to thank you for your questions regarding Silkstart. A goal for NPCA is to further support affiliate groups by an improved Customer Relationship Management platform (CRM). An email detailing the transition was sent to affiliate groups on August 25. You can find the information from that email on our affiliate group news webpage. We hear the concerns of the community and understand the challenges that will come with transitioning to a new platform. NPCA affirms our commitment to supporting affiliate groups throughout the process, and procuring a more robust CRM with optimal features and better connectivity for the affiliate group network. We know an improved platform will ultimately strengthen our network and increase opportunities for group collaboration. If you have any additional questions, please contact Ben Jacobson at npcagroupwebsites@
A large part of maintaining a connected network is ensuring that affiliate groups can easily connect with one another. We want to thank everyone for your questions about keeping up with affiliate group events and projects, and how to contact one another. Our monthly Affiliate Group Newsletter includes information from both NPCA and updates on opportunities with affiliate groups as well. Keep an eye out for the next Affiliate Group Newsletter set to go out on Thursday, September 15. Remember, you can submit content to be included in this newsletter to groups@peacecorpsconnect.org. If your group is not receiving these newsletters, please let us know. You may also find group specific contact information through the Affiliate Group Directory.
Thank you again for your engagement at this year’s AGNAM, we will be sending out additional information in the Affiliate Group Newsletter and adding updates to the Affiliate Group News page on our website.
Warmest regards,
Kristina J Owens
Saturday, August 27 2022
3:00-5:00 pm EST
DETAILED AGENDA
3:00– Mary Owen-Thomas – Welcome participants and introduce AGNC
- Welcome participants to AGNAM
- Introduce Dan Baker as Interim President
- Introduce Kristina Owens as new AGNC
- Pass to Kristina for conduction of meeting
3:03– Kristina – call the meeting to order & opening remarks
- Moment of silence to honor group leaders lost over the last year. Please feel free to list members and leaders in the chat box.
- Call to order – Kristina
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- If you haven’t done so yet, rename yourself in the participant list with your name and group
- If you are the official voting delegate for your group (only one allowed per group and you have not yet registered as that voting delegate, please respond to our brief survey.
- In case you haven’t had the chance, please take a look at the 2021 AGNAM Minutes as we’ll be opening a vote to approve them in a few minutes.
- AGN priority objectives:
- To connect affiliate groups and to share best practices
- To provide group leadership with direct insight into NPCA capacity-building initiatives, projects and opportunities
- To keep groups connected throughout the year
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- AGNAM objectives:
- To connect
- To be informed
- To be inspired
- Welcome to new affiliate groups since last AGNAM (drop links for contact info)
- RPCVs at DHS will serve as an official non-labor employee group to promote community service, social and professional interaction within DHS and the RPCV community, and with counterparts in other agencies, to encourage DHS to hire eligible RPCVs and support the third goal of Peace Corps. Welcome!
- Email them at: DHSRPCVSEA@cbp.dhs.gov
- LGBTQI+ RPCVs a recently renewed group that had been previously dormant, will support LGBTQI+ applicants, volunteers, and RPCVs, and will advocate for inclusive policies throughout Peace Corps. Welcome!
Keep an eye out on the AGN facebook page, and the NPCA affiliate group
newsletter to see updates and information from these groups.
- Approval of draft 2021 AGNAM minutes
- Note: Done by poll on a 2021 AGNAM Meeting Minutes form
3:10– Introduce Jonathan Pearson to talk about advocacy
- Peace Corps Reauthorization Act
- Click to Send Advocacy Action
- Advocacy Map
3:17– Introduce Evelyn to talk about Community Concerns Task Force
3:24– Introduce Beto Whitaker to talk about DE&I Task Force
3:29-Ruppe award presentations from finalists (3)
We have three finalists for the annual Loret Miller Ruppe Award for Outstanding Community Service. The award is named for Loret Miller Ruppe, a previous Peace Corps Director and staunch supporter of the autonomy of the agency. Under her direction, Peace Corps resumed programs in seven countries, and by the end of her tenure had achieved a 50% increase in the budget.
The award honors outstanding affiliate groups for projects that promote the Third Goal of Peace Corps — “strengthen Americans’ understanding about the world and its peoples” — or continue to serve host countries, build group spirit and cooperation, and promote service. Eligible projects include those completed within the past two years or ongoing for at least three years. The purpose of the award is to recognize the great work that NPCA’s groups are doing and to generate ideas that other groups may emulate in their communities.
- Pre-recorded presentations
- RPCVs of Wisconsin-Madison (5 min)
- RPCV4EA (7 min)
- Partnering for Peace, Friends of Moldova, and RPCV Alliance for Ukraine (6 min, 30 s.)
- Rupee Award Breakout Rooms Q&A
- Groups vote via 2022 Loret Miller Ruppe Awards google form, winner to be announced at September 24 AGMM.
4:00- AGN strengthening activities – Ari
Building of Affiliate Group Network Forum – Ari 5 min
The first step in achieving a more connected network is to build an infrastructure that better facilitates connection.
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- Build out new Affiliate Group Network forum
- This first forum will be appointed by the Affiliate Group Network Coordinator as determined in the NPCA bylaws, but will be designed as a member election process for future representatives. Not only will this forum meet regularly on network issues, but the whole community will be invited to engage and provide input. We know that this process will foster a more diverse and better connected network of affiliate groups.
- Current Representatives and empty seats to fill:
- Citizen Action/Advocacy Network: Meredith Leigh Stoever
- Refugee Support Network: Peter Deekle
- Climate Solutions Network: Meredith Miller Vostrejs
- DEI/Social Justice Network: open
- 3rd Goal/Intercultural Network: Tony Agnello
- Peace & Prosperity/Crisis response and community: open
- Affiliate Group Reps: open
- Geographic Groups: open
- Cause Groups: Karyne Bury
- Country of Service Groups: open
- WAGs: open
When we’ve built out the structure, we’ll be able to begin strengthening our connections.
- Facilitate flows of information
- Improve pathways to inter-group collaboration
Collaboration for Change: Climate Change and Poverty – RPCV4EA/GAP
- RPCV4EA and Global Allies Program Presentation
- Poll
Register for RPCV4EA and GAP September 12 Webinar, Intersection of Climate and Poverty
4:25- Reminders for on-going networking – Kristina/Ari
- September 24: Annual General Membership Meeting (AGMM)
- Affiliate Group Network Facebook Page
- Affiliate Group Newsletter going out September 15
- NPCA Events Calendar
- If you have not done so, please reaffiliate your group by filling out this form
- Announce WorldView up for Eddie and Ozzie Awards (see social media post)
4:27-Affiliate Group Roundtables- 25 min
- Country of Service Groups
- Recent/Current – staff/board member
- Older/Past Countries of Service – staff/board member
- Geographic groups
- Small membership – staff/board member
- Large membership – staff/board member
- Cause-related/Workplace/Affinity groups – staff/board member
During this session, attendees will be networking and discussing the challenges that different types of groups face. They’ve been intentionally broken up so that larger groups can bounce ideas off of other large groups, and country of service groups that are no longer getting new members will be able to share best practices with one another.
Return to main room, Kristina Owens to close out meeting
4:52- Kristina
- Re-join main meeting to share: a-ha moment/recommended action to report out
- Share link to AGNAM Post Event Survey
5:00
- Adjournment
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