April 2026 Board Notes

Date:

04/14/2026

Attendance:

Board Attended: Christina Kramer, Hope Kronen, Jeannette Wallen, Kevin Ehrler, and Nick Nelson
Board Absent: Lori Fischer-Fairbanks
Observers: Alli Cassel, Samantha Cozort, J.C. Horvath, Jerry Keohen, Makaila Kozitza, and Jessi Silver

Notes:

Anime Twin Cities Board Meeting Minutes



April 14th, 2026
7:03 PM

Board Present – Christina Kramer, Hope Kronen, Jeannette Wallen, Kevin Ehrler, and Nick Nelson

Board Absent – Lori Fischer-Fairbanks

Public – Alli Cassel, Samantha Cozort, J.C. Horvath, Jerry Keohen, Makaila Kozitza, and Jessi Silver

Agenda is available in the link in the description of the livestream, these meetings are counted for attendance for voting rights please comment your name in the chat and fill out the google form in order to gain voting rights.

We want to remind you at the end of the meeting we have an open session if there are any questions for the board please put it in the chat ahead of time so we can answer it when we get to it at the end.


Agenda

  • Recap off cycle board actions and votes
     
    • Staff Handbook Completed
      • Got done before Detour started, had been a few years but now updated to match our current organization.
         
  • Planned Discussions from scheduled visiting parties/ATC Partners
     
    • None

       

Coordinator Updates
 

  • Finance – Jeannette Wallen
     
    • Dollar amounts:
        • Business Checking: 322,013.43
        • Education Fund: 3,098.68
        • Business Market Rate Savings (Community Fund): 14,508.72
           

 

  • Anime Detour – J.C. Horvath
     
    • The convention was successfully executed, with challenges handled effectively and minimal impact on the attendee experience.
    • The organization is performing strongly, is in a healthy position, and remains optimistic about future growth.
       
  • Charities – Jacob Warner
     
    • Absent, so this was skipped


 

  • Communications – Makaila Kozitza
     
    • Happy Tuesday, we have a couple things coming up
    • This Saturday at 2pm the St Paul Saints are holding an anime day, and some detour staff are helping with a cosplay competition.
    • Board applications are open until May 1, with details available on the website.
    • Saint Paul Nagasaki Sister City Committee will be holding the cherry blossom festival, featuring cultural performances, with more information to be shared on social media.

       
  • Special Events – Alli Cassel
     
    • With the convention complete, special events planning is ramping up, beginning with the Cherry Blossom Festival and including Twin Cities Pride and at least six conventions, with more potentially to come.
    • Strong volunteer interest has already been seen, and additional events—including a possible collaboration with charities—are being explored.
    • The team is continuing to recruit volunteers, with more opportunities expected in the coming months.

       

15 Minute Break (If the preceding topics take little time, the board may vote to skip this)

Motion to Skip

Hope seconded
All in Favor (All of the present Board)
Motion Passes


 

Current Month Board Topics

 

  • FANIME Collab
    • The organization received an inquiry from a Minnesota-based anime-focused social media app seeking potential collaboration.
    • The app is designed for community engagement, content sharing, and tracking anime.
    • Due to timing around the convention, no action was taken yet, but the team plans to review the opportunity and follow up.
    • Hope will forward the email to Makaila for follow-up
       
  • Annual Meeting Planning
    • The board discussed planning for the upcoming annual meeting, focusing on how to promote board member applications. They agreed to send a limited number of reminder emails—likely two additional messages plus a final reminder shortly before the deadline—to encourage candidates to apply without overwhelming members.
    • After applications close, the team will move into familiar follow-up tasks, including updating the website, publishing announcements, and preparing candidate questions, likely reusing materials from previous years to streamline the process.
    • Responsibilities for the annual meeting were reviewed across departments.
    • Finance will prepare its report using prior guidance, with support offered if needed.
    • Anime Detour has no additional responsibilities following the convention.
    • Communications’ role is still to be clarified if there is anything.
    • Charities was absent but Christina will reach out to Jacob.
    • Special Events was asked to create a clear, centralized overview of planned events—such as a spreadsheet, list, or visual aid—to improve visibility and internal organization, as current tracking methods are seen as difficult to follow.
       
  • Coordinator Reviews
    • Coordinator performance reviews are currently in progress, with Nick collecting and organizing all submissions.
    • Board members are required to complete evaluations for all four coordinators, while each coordinator must also submit a self-review. Additional feedback is being gathered from department heads and team members to provide a more comprehensive assessment.
    • Submissions—including self-assessments, goals, and peer feedback—are requested by April 19, marking the end of the collection phase. Afterward, the process will move into consolidating feedback and producing formal review reports for each coordinator.

       

 

Open Session (up to 30 minutes)
 

  • Any members of the community can bring new business to discuss with the board
    • None

       

7:18 pm meeting closed

Please contact atcboard@animetwincities.org or atc_secretary@animetwincities.org if you would like to be added to the agenda for discussion items.