GLMA Executive Office Report
November 2005
As of November 16th, GLMA has 613 members. If 21 more membership
applications/renewals arrive by December 31 st, you will match
the 2004 total of 634 members. Encourage friends and colleagues
who are not yet members to join GLMA today! Watch the mail for your 2006
membership renewal and pink database update form in January.
Included among the many activities that kept your Executive
Office staff working for you in 2005 were: maintaining the membership
database; collecting and processing membership dues; working
with Rebecca Amerson, GLMA Treasurer, to keep all financial records
accurate and up to date; preparing Membership and Treasurer Reports
for GLMA Board meetings; creating new relationships with the
Atlanta Thrashers and Atlanta Hawks to promote the importance
of reading in Georgia; providing membership and GLMA information
to callers and email inquiries; and coordinating advocacy efforts
with GLMA leadership. Lobbying, as you may know, has now become
a year-round effort. Throughout the year, we have continued to
attend education coalition meetings and monitor education policy
meetings.
GLMA’s financial status remains secure. Once all accounts
are settled on December 31 st, we project a positive carry-over
balance into 2006. GLMA’s portion of the 2005 COMO revenue
should be received in March 2006.
As this year comes to an end, we would like to encourage you
to remain active in GLMA and utilize the Executive Office when
you have any questions or concerns. We look forward to working
with you again in the New Year!
GLMA Legislative Report
November 2005
While 2005 continues to a busy year for GLMA, legislative activities
for 2006 are on the horizon! Once again, GLMA had to fight to
keep control of media funds at the system level. Since the 2005
session, the Governor has brought on board a new policy advisor,
Jennifer Rippner. Ms. Rippner has worked extensively on education
issues at the Department of Education, most recently in the Charter
School Division. We are looking forward to building GLMA’s
relationship with her and will meet soon to discuss GLMA’s
2006 legislative priorities.
In late October, we met with the Governor’s office and
were informed that the QBE formula WILL BE rewritten, and that
any group who is currently funded through the QBE formula should
contact the Investing in Educational Excellence Task Force ( www.ie2.org),
specifically Chairman Dean Alford and Holly Robinson, Chair of
Best Practices to remind them of the importance of the expenditure
controls on media funds. Letter writing campaigns will be important – enlist
the help of students, parents and teachers!
We are gearing up for Library Legislative Day and GLMA Day
at the Capitol. We are in the process of scheduling GLMA Day
at the Capitol and will have this information posted on the website
as soon as we have a date and time confirmed with the Capitol.
As you know, GLMA’s voice at the Capitol is only as strong
as it’s members. Please make GLMA Advocacy a New Year’s
Resolution and get involved! The students of Georgia are counting
on you to keep the funding for their media centers secure.
If you want additional information on any of these issues,
please do not hesitate to contact us…
Lasa Joiner – lasaj@jlh-consulting.com
Michelle Holcomb – mholcomb@jlh-consulting.com
Hannah
Bowles – hbowles@jlh-consulting.com
Phone: 404.299.7700
Fax: 404.299.7029