Audio Description Project
Audio Description Project
Presented by
Audio Description International
and
The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
March 23-24, 2002
Facilitator - Craig Dreeszen
This portion of the meeting was reserved for the nomination of board members and officers of the newly revitalized Audio Description International. As to officers, there were nominees for President and Secretary but none for Vice President and Treasurer.
Audley Blackburn announced that he had decided to withdraw as a candidate for President due to prior commitments and would instead stand for election to the office of Vice President.
Jesse Minkert provided an outline of the history of ADI. Media describers were always a presence at the various meetings of people interested in AD over the last ten years or so. Various issues were discussed at these meetings including scripted vs. extemporaneous descriptions, standards and certification. In Columbus, OH, about four years ago, a set of bylaws and articles of incorporation were adopted for ADI and an original board and officers were elected and board committees were established. Alan Woods of Ohio State University was elected President, Leah Vickery from Ball State University was elected Vice President, Jesse was elected Secretary, and Patsy Smith of Bloomington, IN was elected Treasurer. There ensued a long period of inactivity while the process of incorporation was pursued by volunteer lawyers and little communication transpired between the officers or board members. Dues were not collected and memberships were not pursued or renewed. Eventually, the terms of board members lapsed.
However, the AD listserv maintained by Ohio State University sparked interest anew. While that listserv no longer exists, Barry Levine established another under the title of AD International. The Kennedy Center stepped forward with its willingness to sponsor another meeting for the reinvigoration of ADI, and a planning committee was formed led by Joel Snyder along with Jesse, Mari Griffin, Damian Pickering and Betty Siegel. The Conference was originally planned for last September; its postponement was made necessary by the attack on the World Trade Center.
Craig Dreeszen then read aloud the purpose of ADI as stipulated in the current articles of incorporation: "To promote Audio Description services in various settings through shared information and referral, education, advocacy, and fostering the implementation and development of Audio Description."
Craig then opened the floor to additional nominations (in addition to those already made in advance of the Conference with bios in Conference packets) for the Board and/or Officers of ADI. The bylaws state that the organization may have as few as 12 or as many as 21 board members, five of whom should be users of AD.
The existing nominees were announced:
Teddy Primack requested a clarification regarding the nomination of "co-presidents," noting no reference to co-office holders in the bylaws. Betty Siegel, on behalf of the Kennedy Center and in the absence of an actual board, offered that the Kennedy Center as host of the meeting would allow a co-presidency to be considered. Mary Knapp noted that the bylaws allow for the election of "other officers" as deemed necessary.
Nominations were then closed.
A question was asked regarding who among the nominees were AD users. Betty Siegel suggested that nominees may self identify if they desire and that otherwise members may search out nominees before voting.
Clarification in the form of a vote by the membership was requested on the issue of co-presidents being allowed on the ballot. By a vote of 29-28, it was decided to allow the nomination of co-presidents as a "unit."
The balance of the meeting was allotted to a listing of items for the newly elected board's first agenda:
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