Board & Bylaws

Board Members

  • President: Adam Kessler
  • Vice President: vacant
  • Treasurer: Denis Martynowych
  • Secretary: Kate Levin
  • Membership Coordinators: Tatum Lau
  • Facilities Coordinators: Bridget Milligan & Elizabeth Donahue
  • Communications Coordinator: Andrew Hanh
  • Liaison to Practice Committee: Vacant

Constituent Group Representatives:

  • Thursday Morning: Charlie
  • People of Color Sangha: Martine Pierre-Louis & Gitika Talwar
  • Monday Night: Sharyne Thorton & Marci Reveli

Duties of all Board Members:

  • To maintain a deepening, daily mindfulness meditation practice
  • To be a member in good standing of the Mindfulness Community of Puget Sound
  • To attend regular meetings of the Mindfulness Community of Puget Sound, including the Monday night practice, days of mindfulness, and retreats, in addition to participate in activities coordinated with and in support of Mountain Lamp
  • To attend scheduled board meetings, ad hoc committee meetings as assigned and joint board meetings with Three Treasures Sangha

Board Job Descriptions

President                                            

The President shall preside at all meetings of the board and the membership, and shall ensure that tasks, projects and processes necessary to the maintenance of the community are appropriately assigned and carried out.

  1. Assure board meetings are held in accordance with by-laws, approve finalize and order meeting agenda, facilitate meeting
  2. Liaise with teacher, and conduct contract negotiations with her
  3. Coordinate annual meeting
  4. Coordinate board nominations and recruitment
  5. Contact members who are 180 days in arrears of dues
  6. Liaise with Three Treasures Sangha President
  7. Represent the Sangha to outside parties as needed

Secretary                                    

The Secretary shall be responsible for all Board correspondence, for keeping board and community meetings’ minutes and attendance records, and for preparing written notices of all community meetings.

  1. Notify board members of upcoming board meetings and request agenda items two weeks in advance of meeting.
  2. Develop Board agenda in co-ordination with the President
  3. Assist in scheduling of quarterly board meetings.
  4. Take minutes at board meetings, and annual membership meeting, and send and post same within a week of the meeting with action items highlighted. Archive old minutes in records box.
  5. Coordinate with Three Treasures Sangha on scheduling joint board meetings and assist with minutes for same.
  6. Maintain archives of important documents.
  7. Sharing announcements (along with other members) at Monday night sittings to keep membership informed of board developments, including regular participation in monthly Community Gatherings.

Treasurer                                            

The Treasurer shall ensure that accurate and complete records are kept of all financial transactions.  S/he shall oversee all disbursements, collect membership dues, compile and present financial reports to the Board and Membership, and file all required tax and other governmental forms.

  1. Present brief written reports of financial standing at every board meeting and annual membership meeting
  2. Supervise preparation of annual budget and present it at annual membership meeting for approval
  3. Accept, guard and deposit checks
  4. Pay all bills in a timely manner, in particular annual incorporation dues to Secretary of State and monies for website domain name
  5. Keep good records of membership dues received and alert members in arrears after 90 days of non-payment as per he by-laws
  6. Notify the Board President of members with unresolved dues issues after 180 days of initial non-payment
  7. Liaise with Membership Coordinator, inform her/him of members dues income and discrepancies

Facilities Coordinator                      

The Facilities Coordinator shall be responsible to serve on the Seattle Practice Center Coordinating Committee (SPCCC), and on the Board as liaison between the two.  The SPCCC Representative actively participates and engages the Community’s participation in the administration and upkeep of the Seattle Practice Center (SPC) building, grounds and physical plant.  (Note:  There may be and should be more than one MCPS member on the SPCCC, however only the Facilities Coordinator will serve also on the MCPS Board by vote of the community)

  1. Attend all Seattle Practice Center Coordinating Committee meetings and maintain good communications and relations with Three Treasures Sangha committee members
  2. Report to MCPS Board regularly on concerns and issues regarding SPC
  3. Assist in production and monitoring of maintenance budget
  4. Assist in collection of rents and fees for use of center, purchasing of supplies.
  5. Assist in attending to maintenance issues as they arise in the practice center, including care of the garden and yard, the maintenance of the buildings (lights, trash, recycling, pest control, building security)
  6. Approve and design and implement plans to improve, repair and sustain the physical house and grounds
  7. Discern and coordinate the rental use of the Dojo for outside groups, respond promptly to inquiries.
  8. Attend semi annual meetings of the joint practice group

Membership Coordinator               

The Membership Coordinator shall be responsible for coordinating all aspects of membership, including providing information to those interested in membership, coordinating membership recognition, and maintaining accurate membership roles and records.

  1. Respond promptly to people interested in pursuing membership
  2. Update membership agreement form for the annual meeting
  3. Update the membership list monthly or as needed as membership changes
  4. Keep an accurate list of members in good standing and provide a report on membership to the board at the board meeting
  5. Coordinate with treasurer re membership dues and members in good standing
  6. Record pledges from the members as they pledge annually

Communications Coordinator      

The Communications Coordinator shall be responsible for coordinating all aspects of communication, including coordinating with DOM, Website, Newsletter, Calendar, Retreat, Practice coordinators to ensure consistent and accurate communication across all channels. The Communications Coordinator will act as the primary liaison with the Board on all topics related to communications. The creation of this role is in response to the feedback given in the 2012 MCPS Membership Survey and the purpose of this role is to help bolster transparency, a sense of inclusiveness and reliable dissemination of information within the Sangha.

  1. Regularly check in with the aforementioned coordinators.
  2. Act as primary point of contact for any issues, ideas, concerns, proposals, gaps, etc. on the topic of communication and work with coordinators and Board to address the topics.
  3. Address Sangha on topics of communication during the Community Gatherings.
  4. Regularly scan and assess all communications for consistency, accuracy, transparency, inclusiveness, and reliability.
  5. Coordinate website management.

Bylaws & Policies

MCPS Bylaws Adopted February 8, 2016

Final Approved 3-5-18 Child Safety and Supervision Policies and Procedures