Association of Partners for Public Lands
Engaging the public in caring for our nation's natural and cultural resources

The Program Committee works to deliver an annual convention program that meets the needs of APPL’s members and their agency partners through education, networking, and site-specific natural/ cultural/historic program offerings.

Convention Program Committee Essential Functions:

• Establishes convention theme in cooperation with executive director and education/convention committees
• Determines content and speakers for pre-convention seminars and all convention sessions. Develops educational tracks that meet agency, board, and association staff training needs, as well as other related groups
• Coordinates selection and contact of keynote, Murfin, and author luncheon speakers
• Plans special events in conjunction with the staff
• Collaborates with staff regarding speaker confirmations and arrangements, including correspondence and logistics
• Operates within approved budget
• Ensures, by working with staff, that space requirements are confirmed for educational and general sessions including: format, AV needs, signs, meeting room allocations, scheduling, room set ups, etc.
• Reviews session promotional material, session descriptions for registration packet, and on-site program descriptions in consultation with the staff
• Coordinates on-site sessions, introductions, room checks before each session, AV, and evaluations, by identifying and overseeing confirmation of on-site volunteer session monitors
• Provides a debriefing report, reviews the tally of convention session evaluations, and makes recommendations for future conventions.

2009 Convention Program Committee Members:

• Amy Matthews, APPL Staff Liaison – Chair
• Nancy Kotz, APPL Staff Liaison
• Sally Elliman, APPL Board of Directors Representative
• Jeff Brown, Director of Education, Yellowstone Association
• Tami Corn, Public Affairs Assistant, BoR
• Daria Fink, Executive Director, The Encampment Store
• Ashley Hansen, Partnership Rep, SCA
• Colleen Hennessy, Board Member, Black Hills Parks and Forests Association
• Lori Iverson, Outdoor Recreation Planner, USFWS
• Dorie Murphy, Volunteer Coordinator, Ranger, USACE
• Retta Niday, Business Manager, Sequoia Natural History Association
• Barbara Pollarine, Assistant Superintendent, NPS
• Courtenay Lyons-Garcia, Friends of Big Bend National Park

Learn more about the 2009 APPL Convention & Trade Show

The education committee provides educational opportunities to all members through training courses, conventions, and alternative sources of educational delivery.

Education Committee Essential Functions:

• Provide continuity in program planning
• Assess potential for new and emerging audiences for APPL educational services and training.
• Periodically review and evaluate APPL’s educational offerings and member needs to recommend improvements in content and/or delivery of training
• Provide financial oversight for training, including review of program budgets and APPL performance against budget
• Provide suggested fee schedule for Association training and associated services
• Assist in identifying trends, issues, themes, topics, speakers, trainers and other resources for APPL-sponsored educational programs
• Develop and implement the involvement of the APPL Training Corps (train the trainer program)
• Assist in marketing and promotion of APPL training programs
• Continuously monitor content and delivery of APPL core programs, including management and operations, fund raising, and partnerships
• Approve Training Corps members

Education Committee Members:

• Jeff Brown, Director of Education, Yellowstone Association – Chair
• Kimberlee Riley, Director of Programs/COO, Jefferson National Parks Association
• Curt Buchholtz, Executive Director, Rocky Mountain Nature Association
• Audrey Peterman, Earthwise Productions, Inc.

Learn more about APPL's Education Program

The finance and fund raising committee maintains the Association’s continuing communication and oversight of financial management between the board, staff and the independent auditors. Additionally, it works to increase and diversify APPL’s revenue streams to support programs and services.

Finance and Fund Raising Committee Essential Functions:

• Meet quarterly to review financial statements and generate a treasurer’s report for the board of directors
• Ensure conduct of annual audit to include:

   - Recommendation of independent auditor to the board for appointment
   - Reviewing results of independent audit
   - Assessing the Association’s accounting practices in relation to established industry practices
   - Reviewing auditor’s management letter and assure that recommendations are followed
   - Annually reviewinginternal control policies and update as needed
   

• Review proposed budgets prior to their release
• Review investment policy annually to ensure policy is being appropriately implemented
• Determine goals for earned and contributed income growth based on program plans and financial data
• Prioritize earned income and fund raising ideas based on cost/benefits analyses and work with fund raising sub-committees or task forces to execute specific initiatives (i.e. auction, special appeals)
• Identify potential funding sources (individuals, organizations, foundations, businesses, government) and strategies to develop and secure their support
• Build upon APPL’s current fund raising efforts and initiate additional fund raising initiatives as appropriate to achieve goals
• Cultivate, contact, and solicit support from prospective donors as coordinated through the APPL office
• Explore opportunities for leveraging raised monies into granting possibilities
• Interface with Membership and Education committees on review of fee structures and goals (i.e. member dues, vendor program, subscriptions, training, etc.)

Finance and Fundraising Committee Members:

• Ellis Bacon, Board Member, Great Smoky Mountains Association - Chair
• Brenda Hill, Managing Director, Mount Rushmore History Association – Finance/Audit
• Curt Buchholtz , Executive Director, Rocky Mountain Nature Association – Fund Development
• Eamon O'Byrne, Executive Director, San Francisco Maritime National Park Association – On-line Auction
• Emilyn Sheffield, Department of Recreation and Parks Management, California State University - Chico – On-line Auction
• Natalie Patterson, APPL Staff Liaison

Learn more about how you can support APPL.

The governance committee ensures that the board fulfills its legal, ethical, and functional responsibilities through adequate governance, policy development, recruitment strategies, training programs, and evaluation of board members’ performance.

Governance Committee Essential Functions:

• Ensure that policies are created and periodically reviewed which define:
  - The roles and responsibilities of the board
  - Duties and responsibilities of directors and officers
  - Conflict of interest procedures
  - Procedures for nomination, selection and removal of directors
   
• Provide for the recruitment and selection of board members:
  - Maintain the number of directors on the board required in the bylaws
  - Review board composition and identify needed skill sets, demographics and diversity to fill identified vacancies
  - Solicit recommendations for nominees from the board and APPL membership
  - Identify and screen potential board candidates who meet stated needs
  - Provide new directors with an understanding of the mission of the organization and the code of ethics for directors, and confirm their agreement
  - Ensure new directors understand and agree to the time and participation requirements for board members, as well as the financial requirements
  - Determine slate of candidates, with biographical information, to be brought to the full board of directors for approval
  - Ensure that elections and appointments to the board comply with bylaws and other legal requirements
  - Produce and keep current documents needed for recruitment efforts
  - Keep records of recruitment history, names suggested, who was approached, and what happened
   
• Recommend training and evaluation activities to ensure that the board, its committees, and its members are able to plan their activities with knowledge of the achievements, abilities, strengths, and limitations of current directors, staff, and resources:
  - Develop and annually review a 3 to 5 year plan for board development based on the strategic plan and annual board assessment
  - Annually assess the board’s strengths and weaknesses
  - Monitor attendance and involvement of directors
  - Oversee succession planning to ensure continued leadership of the board

Governance Committee Members:

• BJ Griffin, Board Member, Western National Parks Association - Co-chair
• Sally Elliman, Board Member, Glacier Association - Co-chair
• Lisa Madsen, Executive Director, Public Lands Interpretive Association

Learn more about APPL's Board of Directors

The government relations committee helps to ensure APPL’s role as a viable and recognized advocate for the value, benefit, and sustainability of not-for-profit partnerships in achieving public lands agency missions. The committee guides APPL’s advocacy efforts and initiatives and serves as a forum for members to develop the association’s positions on agency policies and legislation.

Government Relations Committee Essential Functions:

• Build relationships with key decision makers in public lands agencies and within Congress
• Create a solid and broad base for the development of goodwill, effective bridge building, and better understanding of agency and nonprofit partnerships
• Identify and pro-actively initiate action on policies and practices within one or across multiple agencies that impact APPL’s and its members abilities to fulfill their missions
• Be a resource for members on speaking with agency representatives and members of Congress regarding important issues
• Stay abreast of current events and policy issues in areas that may impact APPL and its member organizations
• Working with APPL’s staff and board, promote APPL’s position and establish relationships with other national stakeholders sharing similar interests on matters of national or regional significance
• Inform APPL members through action alerts, forums, and conference calls, and provide ways to engage them in advocacy efforts
• Where appropriate, establish written position papers, proposed resolutions, or letters for adoption by APPL’s board, membership, or partners
• Coordinate efforts to testify or otherwise communicate Association views on policy issues to any branch of government at any level
• Track bills being presented, determine which should be highlighted for the membership, maintain updates on progress of these bills, and write articles for APPL’s monthly Newswire
• Follow Committee hearings and meetings to update the membership throughout the year
• Identify training opportunities to improve representation/government relations skills

Government Relations Committee Members:

• John Reynolds, Parks and Heritage Strategies – Chair
• BJ Griffin, Board Member, Western National Parks Association
• Courtney Lyons-Garcia, Executive Director, Friends of Big Bend National Park
• Charley Money, Executive Director, Alaska Geographic
• LeAnn Simpson, Executive Director, Western National Parks Association
• Greg Moore, Executive Director, Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy

Learn more about APPL's Government Relations efforts.

The membership committee involves board members and additional individuals, as needed, to comprise a representative sampling of APPL's general membership. The purpose is to maintain and involve current members and to secure new APPL members.

Membership Committee Essential Functions:

• Review APPL’s membership program and propose an action plan for retaining and expanding membership in the Association
• Review and advise APPL budget and membership goals for all membership categories
• Periodically review membership fee structure, benefits, and services
• Promote membership in the Association to appropriate groups
• Work with staff to develop periodic surveys of members, former members, and potential members to determine how APPL’s membership is valued
• Working with APPL board ambassadors and staff, ensure that member organizations are contacted to renew their memberships, and to seek their feedback and comments on issues, needs, APPL programs and services
• Make recommendations as to the types of material APPL should develop to promote membership in the organization, including brochures, mailings, etc. and assist in their development
• Approve membership applications

Membership Committee Members:

• David Grove, Executive Director / CEO, Jefferson National Parks Association – Chair
• Emilyn Sheffield, Department of Recreation and Parks Management, California State University - Chico
• Nancy Kotz, APPL Staff Liaison

Learn more about APPL's Members.

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