0750: Call to Order / Opening Remarks – Spencer Johnson ’63, Vice Chairman of the COCP
Administrative Opening Remarks:
- Welcome remarks from Vice Chair.
- The COCP’s Vice Chair will assume the remainder of Admiral Mustin’s term as Chairman of the COCP until there is another election for the Chairman position (background, see Addendum #1).
- A vote for the COCP Chairman will held on November 19, 2015. Spencer Johnson ’63 will run for COCP Chairman at that time; if elected, there will be a for new Vice Chair in Fall 2015. The intent is to create a stagger effect between COCP Chair and Vice Chair. Calling for COCP Chairman nominations is important and guidance will be sent this summer.
- Tentative date for fall COCP meeting is November 19, 2015.
Recognize New Class Presidents: 1950, 1964, 1969, 1984
Recognize Active-Duty Members
Approve Minutes
- Motion to approve minutes from fall meeting minutes
- Motion approved of fall meeting minutes
Committee Structure
- Volunteers needed for governance
8:15AM – 8:55AM: Breakout for Decades Reps
- Elect a new representative for the Class of 30/40/50s
- BOT meeting on May 7/8 and the decade rep position filled by Admiral Mustin must be filled.
9:00AM – 10:40AM: Alumni Association Panel
Byron Marchant (Chief Executive Officer) discussion:
- Words of support for Admiral Mustin and prayers on his behalf.
- Remarks on successes of USNA to date: Cyber, Sports, Link in the Chain, 1st Gift, and others.
- Discussions on AMP, Cyber Building, Campaign, Young Alumni Engagement / Alumni Demographics, Security / Privacy of data vs. Access.
- A continued focus on serving the Brigade and the Alumni Association.
- Introduced the concept of a Bancroft Award, similar to West Point’s Thayer Award.
Q&A
- Bancroft award? Should it be submitted on Founder’s Day? A brief discussion was had on this matter.
Bill O’Connor from Alumni Association:
- Class Giving. Focusing on the impact of the monies and leading the standards for cyber adoption and accreditation. Critical to have a private – public partnership on this leading edge facility.
- All Academy Challenge is important to the alumni and generated 600 new donors, exceptional opportunity to increase this number over time.
Kristen Pironis from Alumni Association:
- Recently promoted to the executive leadership team.
- Enterprise Communications
- Audit and Re-Design the tools needed to “meet people where they are.”
- How the team puts Shipmate together is impressive and Shipmate will continue to be the flagship aspect of USNAAA communication.
- Class Secretary is the engine of the magazine. Means a lot to the USNA.
- Online Tools: WaveTops, USNA.com, integrate tools, build a mobile app for USNA paid for by USNAA
Q&A
- Bringing in Youngsters, 2/C, 1/C midshipmen to COCP was proposed by Spencer Johnson ’63.
- Partnership with USNI and Proceedings was asked by Josh Welle ‘02 Minimal at this time, repurposing stories. More cross-communication possible.
- Engaging the company public affairs representatives is a tool for Alumni Association to support the Brigade.
Hank Sanford from Alumni Association:
- Healthy financial position
- All investments are up
- Best financial position in many years
Jamie Wolff discussion:
- Welcome to Jamie Wolff as the new director of IT for the USNAAA
- Blackbaud CRM will be a new tool to replace old IT hardware
- PCI 3.0 compliance and credit card processing
- Improving volunteer leadership tools is an important initiative for the IT department
- Back end systems need updating to catch up with modern data base systems
- Mobile-Friendly (not mobile first) for all USNAAA apps
Director Engagement:
- Connection and communication efforts with Alumni is paramount
- Measuring engagement is essential and will evolve over time.
- SACC discussion was helpful and the program continues to serve 100s of people.
10:40AM – 11:00AM: Break
11:00AM – 11:30AM: Athletic Association
- Chet Gladchuk is grateful for Alumni support
- There is great importance by NAAA’s mission in providing leaders from sports team back in the brigade
- Facilities make a statement about the importance about USNA as a leading institution
- Gold side facility available for reunions in the new facility
- NAAA Center for Excellence is an over-the-horizon project but will be outstanding
- Naval Academy Golf Course continues to renovated with a short course
- Gettysburg Off-Site for captains and company officers and creates synergy between sports and brigade
- Playing in the American Athletic Conference
- Importance of Club Sports is high for NAAA
- There is no plan to increase seating at NMCS until we consistently sell out and there is greater demand for tickets
11:30AM – 12:00PM: Commandant of Midshipmen
- New Commandant incoming, first USMC Marine selected to be Commandant
- Dark Ages commentary about how bad the weather was and how well the midshipmen performed
- Leaders to Serve the Nation is the ethos of the Commandant’s mission
- 10 OCT is 170th Anniversary of USNA
- Moral, Mental, Physical is central to Commandant’s mission
- Moral: MAG: 61 Community Service Awards
- Mental: #1 Top Public School
- Physical: Every USNA midshipman is an athlete. Expect to win attitude is important to future, frontline leaders.
- The Arts: Incredible actors, musicians, artists
- The Arts: Incredible actors, musicians, artists
- During Plebe Summer 2014, 7 plebes dropped out – lowest in history
12:00PM – 1:15PM: Lunch
1:15 – 2:00PM: Global Economies w/ Adrian Day
Adrian Day is London born and a graduate of the London School of Economics and is the President of Adrian Day Asset Management, based in Annapolis, MD. He is widely acknowledged as a pioneer and leader in global investing and in natural resources around the world, and, of course, the impact of global economies. He has authored two highly praised books, one on international investing opportunities and the other investing in resources. He is affiliated with, among others, the Offshore Institute and International Tax Planning Association in London.
- Debt higher than growth in the United States
- Credit crisis caused by higher debt and low growth in small businesses
- He outlined the weak areas of the US economy where you can improve as a nation
- Issues of global prestige and its impact on perception
2:00 – 2:45PM: Decade and Committee Reports
Executive Committee, Bill Peerenboom ‘57
- NSTR
Planning Committee, Bill Peerenboom ‘57
- Setting up the agenda for COCP
Membership and Alumni Services, LCDR John Callahan ‘ 73
- NSTR
1930s, 40s, 50s: CAPT Bill Peerenborn ‘57
- Rules for gifts is important and was considered by the decade.
- Electing COCP presidents and its structure with the bylaws may need to be reviewed.
- Bill Peerenborn was nominated as the Decade Rep for the 40s, 50s, and 60s. He will represent the COCP at the Board of Trustees
- Captain Peerenborn, more?
1960s, CAPT Spencer Johnson ‘60
- Kiosk is a resource for updating your profile in the large data base for your legacy identify, Dave Church is the lead.
- Reunion planning and the challenges with football schedule, 60s will continue to work despite not knowing what teams are playing Navy and when.
- Office 365 is available but full adoption is not complete for all class leaders in this decade.
- Captain Johnson, more?
1970s, CAPT Glen Woods ’78 / Presented by CAPT Martini
- Reunion scheduling and the American Conference
- Resources at USNAAA being stretched thin and
- Information and IT to support to Class Presidents with accurate information
- Being an effective class president is important and requires basic information to relay to classmates and that the USNAAA is going to respect privacy. USNAAA wants to know the needs of the alumni. Send out an email 1-2 times a year that updates the community on information. This increases the type of success you can have as a class president.
- Three Ds of Colin Powell decision-making: Decide, delegate, and disappear. The 70s shared some advice on how to be an effective class leader.
- CAPT Martini and General Furford will be on Governance Committee.
- Proposal to look at issue papers.
1980s, Ingar Grev ’89 (standing in for Tim Kobosko ’80)
- Reunion planning with the American Athletic Conference will present challenges for the organizers.
- Class reunion note-sharing with other schools is important.
- Use of event planner for reunions was an effective tool. It is costly but there are great efficiencies.
- Microsoft 365 account. No longer SharePoint. SkyDrive is the new name. COCP can store all the documents there that are useful to share. Communications committee can train class presidents on how to use it.
- Classes sharing tailgating responsibilities with those 25 years year junior. Create an opportunity for ’14 and ’89. Share resources and share opportunities. Could be a rich experience and stay plugged into the USNA. Craig Washington initiated that idea and it is building camaraderie across the decades.
- Governance feedback. Cultivating the future leaders of the Classes. Some classes have robust methods to increase participation and grow leaders. Using the bylaws is paramount, but also looking at nominating methods is effective as well. Using social media, Shipmate, and the posting of opportunities to volunteer.
- Posting brief
1990s: Major Murph Mcarthy ’00, reported for 90s, 00s, 10s
- Mutual reporting for all three decades.
- 1st Gift / 2nd Gift. There could be action steps on this initiative to improve giving for those classes – 2008 and older – to keep giving after their 5-year commitment. Also, the senior classes – 2007 and older – could create a vehicle by which to stimulate more philanthropy.
- 2000s reunion in the first week of September. There are headaches but it is possible to plan without knowing the exact football schedule.
- Negative 501c3 incorporation vs. Positives of 501c3 incorporation.
- AMP build in better connective tissue between the 4 – 10 years.
- Cross-Class events. Explained the 97 – 99 – 2000 successes for tailgating.
- Discussion about putting people up for Chairman and Vice Chairman in the upcoming election, allowing younger alumni leaders to shape the COCP.
- Football Coordinator concept. USNA 2008 has this role and it is a huge generator of activity and opportunity
2:45 – 3:00PM: New Business and CPAG Briefing
- Alumni Mentoring Program is going exceptionally well. 1000 alumni are signed up and the program has the fiscal stewardship to do well in the years to come. A call for new Mentors is needed, particularly in the 70s, 80s, and 90s.
- DGA. 29 leaders nominated. Young classes, 70s – 90s encouraged. It is a 13-page application. USNAAA lean on the COCP for this program.
- COCP Accountability. Great job. Total number of people here. If you can’t come, send a rep: 2012, 1998, and 1993. Consider this an obligation and help us share this information as community of alumni leaders.
- Class Communication is paramount; it is essential to continue to feed information back to your constituents.
3:00 – 3:30PM: Adjourn
- November 19, 2015 will be the fall COCP meeting
- There will be an election at that time for the Chairman position; Bill Peerenborn ‘50s will run the election
- Drive safe, thank you for a wonderful event!
3:30 – 4:00PM: CPAG w/ Josh Welle ‘02
- The CPAG reviewed initiatives to improve action/process/pace of the COCP in the months to come
- The CPAG reviewed initiatives to improve action/process/pace of the COCP in the months to come
Addendum #1: Council of Class Presidents Meeting Read Ahead
This memorandum is to alert class presidents with regard to subjects to be broached at the COCP meeting to be held in the Akerson Tower at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on 27 April 2015.
VADN Nustin has submitted his resignation as Chairman of the Council of Class Presidents for reasons of health effective on 27 April. Adm. Mustin underwent cardiac surgery on Monday the 13th to repair two leaking heart valves. The high risk for this type of surgery was mitigated by new methods of robotic surgery which is far less invasive than open heart surgery. Adm. Mustin reports himself to have come through with flying colors and is in a recovery / rehab phase following the surgery. Conditions permitting, he hopes to attend the spring meeting, at least for the morning session. is simultaneously relinquishing his position as the 30’s-40 s and 50’s decade representative and his seat on the Naval Academy Alumni Association’s Board of Trustees. Adm. Mustin will continue as the president of the class of 1955 and as a member of the COCP
ADM Mustin's resignation will require some adjustments in our COCP leadership. Our Charter states (art. 2, 4.2) that if the Chairman is “absent or disabled, the Vice Chair will perform the duties of that office.” I am prepared to assume the duties of Chairman for the remainder of Adm. Mustin’s tenure until the spring of 2017 when new elections are scheduled. I will only do that with the affirmation of the COCP and will so ask for a vote at the end of the meeting. If not affirmed by a majority vote, new elections for Chairman will be held at the fall meeting.
If I am affirmed as COCP Chairman for the remainder of ADM Mustin's term of office, which is coincident with my term as decade rep for the decade of the 60s, we will need to elect a new Vice Chairman at the end of the meeting or as soon thereafter as possible.
The decade of the 30's, 40's and 50's, under the leadership of the senior class president present, will need to elect a new decade representative to replace Adm. Mustin for the remainder of his term (Spring 2017) or for a regular three year term during their breakout session.
The recently released Navy Flag promotion list includes the name of the Commandant of Midshipmen, Capt. Bill Byrne for promotion to the rank Of RADM (LH). Our heartiest congratulations to RDML (Sel) Byrne. His successor as Commandant has been previously announced as Colonel Stephen E. Liszewski, USMC, a USNA Class of 1990 graduate with a distinguished combat record and proven leadership skills. In addition to resigning from his position as Chairman of the COCP, Adm. Mustin I know we all wish him the speediest of recoveries and a rapid return battery.
Updated: October 02, 2018
Curator: Ed Moore