June 10, 2025, Global Connections (GC) Executive Committee (EC) Meeting Minutes

Meeting Date and Time: Tuesday, June 10, 2025, 7:00 PM

Location: Zoom

Officers Present

President: Bob Persiko

Vice President: Ciara Halloran
Public Relations Officer: Rose Sharp
Secretary: Alexandra Persiko

 Not Present

Treasurer: Bruce Truitt (Bruce provided a written update prior to the meeting)

Committee Chairs

Small Groups: Deb Leo

Membership: Anisha Mukherjee

Penn State Global Representative

Wenjie Fu

Call To Order: 7:09 PM

May 13, 2025, EC meeting minutes were accepted as submitted.  

Reports of Officers & Standing Committees

President – Bob Persiko

• Bob mentioned the challenge of reviving cultural events, particularly cultural meals. Wenjie explained that previous success was due to a convenient kitchen location, regular outreach activities, and a larger pool of volunteers, including Humphrey Fellows. The group acknowledged challenges posed by COVID-19, including venue loss and reluctance to gather. Anisha and Ciara noted a post-COVID shift in social behavior, with people being less inclined to participate in group activities involving food sharing.
• An alternative approach could include collaborating with local international restaurants and considering non-profit cultural events. These could lead to greater exposure to Global Connections.
• Bob proposed conducting a search for someone new to chair the cultural events programming, and said he would circulate a position description.
• Wenjie offered to share the description with conversation partner participants.
• Bob also reported that Fatema’s Kitchen hosting a cultural event would not be profitable for the restaurant and that the late June event that had been planned is cancelled.

Vice President – Ciara Halloran

• Ciara reported that she will cancel the remainder of the reservations with CentreLink.
• Ciara suggested composing a standard letter to approach restaurant owners. This could include asking owners about optimal days and times that do not interfere with regular business. The team also considered incorporating cultural presentations during these events, potentially involving restaurant owners to share their backgrounds.

Treasurer – Bruce Truitt (written update)

• Bruce provided an update on the organization’s finances, mentioning a balance of $4,650.47 in the operating fund and $18,289.52 in the money market account at First Commonwealth.

Secretary – Alexandra Persiko

• Nothing to report this month.

Public Relations – Rose Sharp

• Rose requested gathering more information on the website options to make a fully informed recommendation. The board agreed to wait for Rose’s recommendation and potentially hold a special meeting to vote on it or table it until the July EC meeting.
• Rose reported that she has sufficient information for the next newsletter, including the posting of the State College Area School District need for translation services in four languages, July 19 picnic, October multicultural fair, and Deb’s report on the book groups. Rose will send out the newsletter by June 15.

Penn State Representative – Wenjie Fu

• Wenjie reported that preparation for the July 19 potluck is going well.

Membership – Anisha Mukherjee

• Anisha supported the idea of devising a new model for cultural events by collaborating with local international restaurants. We have an existing list of resources, including a list of restaurants, in the area.  She offered to add/edit this for potential cultural events.

 Small Groups – Deb Leo

• No update. Summer break.  Resume in September.

Discussion Group – Bob Persiko

• Bob said sessions will continue periodically during the summer around his vacation plans.

Special Orders – None

Unfinished Business – None

New Business

• Alix Croswell, State College School District, asked Global Connections to post the need for translator positions in four languages: Uzbek, Turkish, Korean and Vietnamese. GC can post these positions in our newletter until they are filled.

Action Items

• Bob:
• To circulate a description of the cultural events committee chair position and alternative models to all board members for review.
• Ciara:
• To cancel CentreLink for all upcoming reservations.
• Anisha:
  • To compare the existing list of restaurants and add/edit, as need be. To be used for potential cultural events.
• Rose:
• To finalize the newsletter and send it out over the weekend.

• To inform the board when she has enough information to make a decision on the website.
• All:
• To review Bob’s description of the cultural events position and provide feedback at the next meeting.
• To discuss and potentially make a decision about the cultural events model at the next meeting.
• Next Meeting: TBD
• Meeting adjournment: 7:42 PM

 Submitted By: Alexandra Persiko                                      Date of Submission: June 19, 2025