Board of Directors Meeting
TransOptions
2 Ridgedale Avenue
Cedar Knolls, NJ
September 26, 2013
In attendance: Robert Altieri, Carol Anderson, Kathy Avola, Daniel Callas, Ted Christian, John F. Ciaffone, Dot Ciolino, Pam Fischer, Lois Goldman, Rob Jennings, James Jones, Deena Leary, Arthur Ondish, Janice Pepper, Danielle Scassera, Ron Slember, Paul Spiegel
The meeting began at 8:30 AM with an announcement from John. New Jersey Transit representative, Paul Spiegel, will be replaced by Janice Pepper on TransOptions’ Board of Directors effective September 26, 2013. Paul announced his resignation after serving on the board for seven years. Janice is the Director of Research on all modes of transportation for New Jersey Transit and resigned from HART TMA’s board to join TransOptions’ Board of Directors.
The minutes for the meeting on June 13, 2013 were approved.
President’s Report
John provided a brief update on the outreach efforts for the upcoming Super Bowl. The Morris Visitors Bureau will be the lead on this project within Morris County. TransOptions staff contacted all major hotels in the area and delivered packets containing relevant travel and parking information for the week of the Super Bowl. All bus and train schedules for the area were included in the packet. The TransOptions staff then created a database of all upper-level management from each hotel. John told the board that this was used as an opportunity to obtain contacts in addition to being a conduit of information and assistance for the event. He wants to work with hotel employees who walk and/or bike to work. It will be an opportunity to promote TransOptions’ safety message and enable hotel guests to navigate the area.
October Events
John announced that October is the sponsored month for walking programs. International Walk to School Day is in October and board member, Dot Ciolino, volunteered for a Walking School Bus to be held that morning. There are between eight and ten Walking School Bus events scheduled and more will be added. The Walk This Way Challenge will also resume in October and the challenge module will undergo its first trial run with the event. Walk This Way prizes will be given out for both individuals and teams at the end of the month. The tool can also create company pages and company challenges which will provide flexibility and an opportunity to collect data.
John announced that former Business Development Director, Cathy Boccard, resigned and he is currently looking for a replacement to head up this project.
The NJTPA work program for fiscal year 2015 is currently being compiled. The first submission is due in October and the final work program and budget are due in June. John commented that this work program will differ from its predecessors. It will be a new work program instead of a revision of the current one. John stated that it will reflect the change in how TransOptions approaches programs and will also embody a clear, consistent message.
John is meeting with Fred Storey on October 22nd to discuss the 2014 New Jersey Transit work program. The New Jersey Transit work program is straightforward and will not need many revisions. The new contract year will start on January 1, 2014. The Highway Traffic Safety grant application was just submitted. John proposed a higher budget and it was cut back to last year’s budgeted amount. TransOptions should receive notice to incur costs for October 1st soon. John stated that all of the contracts have different start dates and staggering contracts helps with cash flow.
TransOptions is a finalist in 100 Cars for Good. John anticipates winning the $1,000 prize instead of the first place prize. This year, the submission was four pictures and TransOptions promoted education instead of carpooling for the contest. Voting is between 10:00 AM and 11:59 PM on October 25th. John will send out information on how and where to vote and asked the board to remember to vote and spread the word about the contest.
Fundraising and Board Responsibilities
The next topic on the report was the Lunar Classic. John told the board that the event was cancelled. Members were reminded that fundraising events are a board responsibility and there was not enough support to hold the event. Initially, there were not enough funds to cover the expenses and only tentative commitments for more sponsorship. John decided that TransOptions would not try to hold the event again in the future. Following that announcement, he moved to the last item on the agenda. John reminded the board of their responsibilities as members. They are expected to contribute in a number of different ways in addition to attending the board meetings held every quarter. Board members are required to conduct any of the following: volunteer, promote, and sponsor events as well as provide connections with individuals or companies that can offer support. John asked the board to read through the board responsibilities on the website.
John thanked Art Ondish and PSE&G for donating $1,000 for the Lunar Classic and then transferring the funds to TransOptions’ education programs when the event was cancelled. ThorLabs grant application for $5,000 and Aloca’s grant for $18,000 for Junior Solar Sprints will be submitted for review soon. Bob Altieri reminded the board that there are many different ways to contribute. They do not have to make monetary donations and can offer in-kind donations or volunteer for events. Ron Slember asked John how much monetary support matters to these events. John answered that securing volunteers for Junior Solar Sprints and other events is more pressing than obtaining monetary support. Ron commented that he was recently appointed President of the New Jersey chapter of the International Facilities Managers Association. He offered to look into opportunities to partner or provide judges for the Junior Solar Sprints competition. John agreed that support of any kind is welcome. The event he is most concerned about, in terms of sponsorship, is the Recognition Breakfast. He would like the breakfast to be a no-cost event and a large portion of the cost is printing the annual report. John thanked Kathy and Carol because both have done printing for the company in the past.
John is also seeking connections to potential funders for the Junior Solar Sprints competition and other events. All of TransOptions’ programs are expanding and more funding will be needed to ensure their success. John mentioned an upcoming event for Project Self Sufficiency which aids disadvantaged populations. He wants to change the focus from disadvantaged districts to disadvantaged populations and these events are becoming more popular. As demand grows, more volunteers are needed to help out. He reiterated that volunteering and sponsoring the Recognition Breakfast are the two most important board responsibilities. There will be volunteer opportunities listed on the board website. Carol asked John if high school students were approached about volunteering for Junior Solar Sprints. John answered that Dot Ciolino is reaching out to retired teachers and service clubs in high schools to recruit volunteers. It is important to secure volunteers as the competition expands to include schools outside of the service area in Hunterdon County, Montclair and Piscataway.
Kathy provided an update on board recruitment. She collected contact information from a few individuals and will be reaching out to them about joining the board. The board will need three to five new members for the next term. Kathy asked the board to read the expectations and responsibilities and nominate individuals that may be interested in joining. She also asked them to contact the nominating committee with potential candidates. She explained that it is important that the existing board help out. The committee is more focused on what type of member is needed and would like new members to attend the June meeting and start a term in July.
Financial Update
Danielle Scassera provided a brief overview of TransOptions’ financial standing. The company is in the first quarter of the new fiscal year. New Jersey Transit, Highway Traffic Safety and Safe Routes to School are nearing the end of their contract years and as a result, revenue is slightly lower than usual. Insurance expenses are at 100% of the budget because payments are made annually. They will not exceed the allotted amount on the budget worksheet. John commented that the financials are updated on the board page when the minutes are posted. The board can contact him if they have any questions before or after meetings.
John announced that the company will undergo its single audit in late October. The board will review and approve the audit at the December board meeting. The figures will also be used to calculate the company’s fringe and overhead rates for NJTPA’s upcoming contract year. Lois Goldman asked John to explain the category Computer Support. John answered that he hired an outside IT company to handle TransOptions’ software and hardware.
Marketing Presentation
Dan Callas gave a presentation highlighting how TransOptions is building its brand through the website, press, social media and word of mouth. The company is revamping the way products look and is redeveloping its brand. The Walk This Way logo is one example of the new design and branding. The challenge tool, Go for Good, will house all of TransOptions’ campaigns including Walk This Way. The bullet logo is also incorporated in the marketing materials for Walk This Way, the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Challenge and on promotional items. The angular box look and color scheme from the website are now incorporated in all of TransOptions’ giveaways and materials. The company is trying to lighten up the conversation on carpooling and vanpooling and is also increasing exposure through video interviews.
Dan passed out information on the top ten pages on the website. The document details total page views and the length of visits. The most popular page is the transit schedules and the second is the home page. He noted that the number shows how many people go back to the home page after visiting another page on the website. He is also trying to increase Search Engine Optimization (SEO) so the company is more visible on search results for carpooling and other terms. The analytics show data on what browser visitors use and where they click on the page. Pages with pictures or graphic representations and pages with information individuals need are always more popular. The company Lform was used to design the challenge tool and the website so they have a consistent look.
Rob asked Dan for an update on TransOptions’ Twitter account. Dan answered that they started a Follow Campaign on Twitter that was not as successful as Facebook’s Like Campaign. As a result, they are trying to develop unique content that is shorter and lighter. Dan noted that the Traf Alerts feed on Twitter is the most popular. Lois suggested that Dan contact the Director of Communications at NJTPA for opportunities to share content and posts. John commented that the company is trying to focus on who they are talking to and use word of mouth to promote programs. He also wants to use the available data to contact employers with information about what programs their employees participate in. Dan added that the conversation between the brand and consumer is important and technology is a large part of that. The iPads from Hyde and Watson will change judging at the Junior Solar Sprints as well as how the TransOptions staff approaches companies. The iPads enable staff to have individuals sign up for programs and watch videos at events.
In closing, Dan emphasized the connection between operations and marketing stating that the best marketing is when programs are effective. John noted that when marketing materials are distributed an individual will recognize TransOptions’ brand and will be encouraged to seek out other programs. John then distributed the new promotional items to the board. He noted that items are bought by TransOptions, donated, or purchased through a grant or work program.
Operations Update
Joseph Weiss was not present to provide an operations update. John informed the board that the senior walking and driving safety programs are becoming more popular. Judy Bortman is scheduling more presentations to meet the demand. He is also sending Judy to the National Walk Summit in Washington next week.
At the request of the New Jersey Herald, staff participated in a pet expo to promote petestrian safety. Pet owners were given reflective materials for them and their pets to wear at night. TransOptions received a substantial amount of helmets this year through Highway Traffic Safety and Safe Routes to School. A portion of the helmets were branded with TransOptions’ logo.
John closed the meeting with a few announcements. The next board meeting will be on December 19th. He will contact the board about 100 Cars for Good and will send out the dates for the Hydrogen Fuel Cell Challenge and Junior Solar Sprints. He reminded them that they are always in need of volunteers for these events. The Hydrogen Fuel Cell Challenge is the smaller of the two but at least fourteen schools will participate this year. John is also requiring sites to have an indoor option for the Junior Solar Sprints this year since it is too difficult to organize another week for rain dates.
The meeting was adjourned at 10:02 AM.