Anna Behar-Russell

The meeting included the introduction of the new interim University President, who discussed the importance of auxiliary departments. The F&I Committee Chair reported on the 1st Quarter financials, noting strong revenue driven by the Employee Retention Credit and investment performance, but cautioned that operating costs are beginning to surpass sales growth due to inflation and labor expenses. The committee recommended approval of the 1st Quarter review. The Risk Management Review highlighted the critical nature of risk management for the organization due to its complex operational environment, including retail, food services, cash handling, and a largely student workforce; the Board approved the current program. The Executive Director provided organizational updates, noting recent communication from the National Labor Board regarding union organization efforts and the ongoing Chancellor's Office Audit. The meeting concluded with a discussion soliciting Board feedback on location services and food offerings.

The Personnel Committee meeting included a review and approval of the agenda for February 21, 2025. Key discussion centered on updates to the Human Resources Policy, including revisions to the Wage and Salary Plan influenced by minimum wage increases, aligning medical benefits between The Shops and ASI, changes to the Sick and Vacation Policy (specifically accrual for part-time staff and a new Vacation Payout option for full-time employees), updates to the Employee Handbook concerning International Student Employees and a new Educational Leave for student staff, and revisions to the Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP), which involved launching a training video, changing inspection frequency, establishing a Workplace Violence Prevention program, and updating the COVID Mitigation Plan. Organizational charts were also reviewed due to staff transitions. A discussion was held regarding the process for Dr. Nevin's employee evaluation, agreeing that the Human Resources team would interview stakeholders to organize information for review.

The meeting included a review of the Beach Shops 1st Quarter 2025-2026 financial results, which showed strong growth across divisions, largely due to the Employee Retention Credit and positive investment returns, although operating costs exceeded sales growth due to inflation and labor expenses. The Capital Expenditures budget of $3.16 million is allocated to modernization, technology adoption, and safety enhancements. General information covered the final stages of the 990/990T tax return, current major capital projects such as HVAC system updates and POS system upgrades, and the exploration of a consolidated approach to investment management, which may lead to a future RFP.

The Nominating Committee meeting focused on two primary action items. First, the committee reviewed and subsequently approved including a new proposed question in the standard set of interview questions for future Board Membership applicants. Second, the committee conducted interviews for the Student At Large Position, specifically interviewing Andre Achacon, and unanimously voted to recommend Mr. Achacon to the Board for approval at the subsequent March meeting.

The meeting included updates on campus matters, a review of the 4th Quarter Full Year 2024-2025, and discussion of the year-end Audit report findings. Construction and facilities updates covered the Hillside Dining Renovation and enhancements to the Bookstore and corporate offices. Dining operations were reported to be performing strongly, with new food vendor additions and expanded offerings. The Bookstore is holding steady against budget, and there are plans to upgrade the Point of Sale (POS) system. The Employee Retention Tax Credit under the CARES Act was also received.