March 31, 2023

Summer Board Meeting Recap

The Board of Directors of the INBA met on Saturday, July 14 at Illinois State University in Normal.
Highlights included a proposal to revise the organization’s by-laws, to officially create an Executive Committee. This group would have the power to act on the full board’s behalf for decisions that must be made quickly and without financial expenditure. An example would be signing on to an amicus brief in a legal matter regarding a journalism case. The revision will go before the General Membership during the General Business Meeting on September 15 in Springfield.
The Board also heard reports on the planning for the Fall Convention in Springfield. Efforts are still underway to get the candidates for Illinois Governor to appear. Sessions are in the works on the election, the Illinois Bicentennial, state health issues and the status of Cameras/Microphones in Illinois Courts. Registration should open August 1 and will close on September 10, so that catering deadlines can be met. The deadline for the convention rate on hotel rooms will be August 31.
Nominations for the Illinoisan of the Year Award are being sought. Past Presidents vote on this, with the award to be presented during the Fall Convention.
Five new members were approved, representing radio stations in Chicago, Sandwich and Vandalia, a community college and a university.
Five members have been recruited to the Website and Social Media Committee, chaired by Brian Moline. They are working to develop a strategy and workflow for future communications.
The board approved allowing Vice President Nora Baldner to purchase a promotional banner for the organization, to replace one that has been used since 2003.
The board also approved allowing Treasurer Tanya Koonce to purchase/subscribe to accounting software to handle the organization’s accounts.

Mike Miletich

Joining the INBA was one of my best life decisions. I met some of the best broadcast journalists while I was still a college student. Plus, I ended up getting a job through the connections I made!

Jeff Bossert

When I was working in radio for the first time, I had no idea whether I could truly handle the demands. But INBA made me curious and want to improve. Even now, when I’ve maybe worked a lot of hours or planned some stories that didn’t come together for one reason or another, what I learn from an INBA conference gets me re-invigorated about the business.

Molly Jirasek

One of my top goals in my career was to get to Chicago. Thanks to INBA I met Margaret Larkin. She remembered our great conversations about Chicago and first alerted me to a job opening in the city I might be interested in. Lo and behold, I got that job! INBA helped me reach my dream.

Andrew Tanielian

INBA taught me how to network in a meaningful way. The scholarship process taught me how to endure a hard job interview and thrive.

Jennifer Fuller

INBA is not only a great networking tool, it also provides advocacy and support for journalists in an ever-changing world.

Ryan Denham

I recently attended my first INBA conference—and it won’t be my last. The combination of professional and student journalists learning together is electric. Everyone learns from each other and walks away with new friends (and LinkedIn connections). I know I did.

Bob Roberts

INBA is as much about friendship and as it is about achieving common goals. It provides two things individual newsrooms cannot: in-service training, and the ability to speak out on issues affecting the profession. But most of all, it brings newspeople together.

Michelle Eccles McLaughlin

INBA is an organization that really caters to continuing education for professionals. It offers a relatively inexpensive way to learn new things, reinforce best practices and network.

Nora Baldner

The support INBA gives to student journalists is vitally important as we all discover how technology is changing news dissemination, INBA monitors and actively encourages truth, transparency and accountability from students and their universities.

Brian O'Keefe

One of the greatest benefits for me has been getting to see and know other parts of the state. I’m not from Illinois and traveling to spring and fall conventions over the years has transformed dots on a map to memories of places that enhance my story telling process.

Alexis McAdams

INBA played a huge part in preparing me for my broadcasting career. The INBA conventions connect students with on-air talent and news directors who give feedback on now to improve your work. Through relationships I made at those conventions, I was able to obtain my first on air reporting job.

Aaron Eades

As a student, it's often difficult to picture what working in the real world will be like. For me, the INBA bridged that gap by giving me the chance to talk to professionals who used to be in the same shoes I'm in now.

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