Board of Directors Meeting: February 2026

Meeting Details

Date + Time: Sunday, February 22, 2026 | 1603-1747

Location: Virtual

Attendees | Voting

Anne Diggs, President
Sujitra Pookpanratana, VP of Operations
Jennifer Perkins, VP of Programs
Barbara Brocker, Treasurer
Jodi Heidmous, Secretary 
Stephanie Acerra, At Large Director 
Andy Rabus, At Large Director
Kena Holmes, At Large Director
Erica Prakop, At Large Director

Non-Voting

Rachel Freedman, Communications
Meris Steele, Safety Co-Chair
Monica Freedman, Safety Co-Chair
Anne Iyer, CRC Rep to ACBA 
Toni Kerns, iCrew Manager
Bethan Banakos, AM Sweep
Bob Reichart, Director of Coaching
Jamie Nelson, Comp Sweep Men Co-Rep/Race Coordinator
Susan Driano, Sculling Rep
Tieran Settles, PM Sweep Rep
Maggie Thompson, Sun’s Up Sweep
Sherman Anderson, CARP Rep
Courtney Dell, Junior Parent Rep 
Lucas Bockner, Junior Captain
David O’Brien, Club Member
Kevin Oskroba, Volunteers Coordinator

Absent

Cullen McDonald, Finance Director (voting)
Ellis Drechsher, Junior Captain
Rebecca Hollins, Comp Sculling Rep
Jacqueline Battistini Comp Sweep Womens Rep
Andy Waiters, Comp Sweep Men Co-Rep
Alicia Morales, AM Sweep
Maggie Burns, Sun’s Up Sweep
Taylor Eling, Sunday Rowing
Dominique Carlier, DEI Rep
TBD, INR Rep

Meeting Agenda

I. Opening Comments

II. Treasurer Update

  • CRC FY27 Budget Review

  • Revenue/Cost Attribution Review

III. Operations Update

IV. Coxswain Training and Certification Update

V. Annual Meeting Prep

VI. Around the Room (led by Secretary)

  • Injury Prevention Class

  • Shared Drive Accounting

  • Revised Sculling Manual and Essential Sculling Test

VII. Safety Update

VIII. Adjournment


Meeting Minutes

Managerial Opening Comments/Concerns

President’s Opening Comments:

  • CRC is committed to offering options for athletes with financial challenges and CRC’s President encourages a proactive approach to identify and extend options for those who need assistance; as CRC we want to reach resolutions that support our members, new and returning.

  • We are looking for a NEW Cap Sprints Director - Susan, and Erica and others are willing to help, just need a leader. **At the time of finalizing the Feb BOD Meeting Minutes, Mae Wu has agreed to fill the position.

  • ACBA Development duo - Anne Iyer and Fana Daley - are looking for teammates to join their fundraising efforts, five people have volunteered but there is always room for more help.

  • Sewage issue on the Potomac River may bring HS, Collegiate and a small footprint of Masters rowers from TBC and PBC to ACBA to train through the repair.  DC Water will announce if the river is open on 2 Mar.  **At the time of finalizing the Feb BOD Meeting Minutes, the river was re-opened on 2 Mar.  

Treasurer Update:

  • Topline: for 2026 the budget versus actual expenditure is net negative $88..

  • Highlights from the CRC Budget Review.

    • 2026 biggest expenditures - Coaches and Mx/Repairs (fees etc did not cover this) and Regatta Expenses (fees etc did cover this)

  • Trend Analysis

    • 2021-2024, Revenue exceeded Expenditures

    • 2025-2026, Expenditures exceeded Revenue 

      • Two shifts, Proactive repair and increase in coaching staff

      • 2025 net negative (15K); 2026 net negative (88K)

    • Current Cash: $260K in bank

  • Future Planning, aim for zero net revenue

    • Issue 1: The 2027 Draft Budget predicts a net negative (190K)**the approach is to heavily underestimate revenue 

    • Issue 2: Analysis is needed to understand what revenue streams are not keeping up with the club’s operating costs.

      • BOD is gathering options for keeping revenue closer to expenditures.  Potential for fundraising to bring in resources.

  • ACTION: Need a strategy from the Board on how to manage the Budget - immediately for the 2026 Season and for out-year planning.

    • DISCUSSION: BOD discussed a variety of topics to review to determine comparability to other clubs, internal trend analysis, options for outside revenue (Grants, Donations etc), changing financial institutions, and looking at alternative storefronts.

  • DECISION: BOD agreed to change the club’s banking institution and place the reserves in an investment account. Additionally, CRC will have a Club Credit Card for purchases requiring such transaction methods (rental vehicles etc) 

Operations Update:

  • Rapid Review of RAH highlights:

    • Prospective buyer for Britichko

    • Doubles are in repairs, expected to be ready for Spring Season

    • Wood rack on the train tracks side partially collapsed (no reported boat damage)

    • Oar Repair - the new vendor proved reliable, repairs will be an on-going cycle

    • FYSA - Das Cap is rigged for Juniors

    • Thank you!  The Sculling Oar Rack expanded for additional storage space 

    • In the near future, the truck rental is needed by Junior’s first regatta (late Mar)

    • Check out the Ops items in the news letter

Coxswain Training and Certification Update, Kena Holmes

  • Certification Status Update: (90/212 members complete as of 22 Feb)

    • Clarification: Weekly newsletter updated to explain difference between sculler and sweep certification requirements

    • Implementation of Tester Feedback: 

      • Updates to the Safety Manual

    • TIME SENSITIVE: Complete certification well in advance of Spring Season to allow Toni and Kena time for the manual effort of updating iCrew.  Users will be blocked if their Certification is not reflected in iCrew. 

  • In-boat Coxswain Training Update: INR will incorporate Coxswain Training into the spring season plan (Morgan Craver, Mike Arnold and Karen Zareski) **Check the schedule in the newsletter.

    • Sign-ups/Costs: Free for all club sweep rowers to join through the INR calendar

ACTION: Annual Meeting Prep

  • POC: JP - Send slides/slide content to JP as soon as possible.  

  • Logistics: Expect a dry run meeting 2-3 days prior to the Annual Meeting  

Safety:

  • The New Safety Manual with hyperlinks is complete and available to the CRC community via the website

    • Thanks to the Editing Team (special call out to Morgan Craver) for working to get to uniformity across the Manual after years of edits.

    • Next steps for the Safety Manual is to maintain one official version, that can be updated “live” on the website

  • CRC will host 1 swim test for the season - DTG and location will be ready for the annual meeting

  • Annual safety audit was a smash hit!  Gold standard for US Rowing. 

  • The last area for Safety to tackle is guidance on Air Quality, now that cold and hot weather guidance is publishes.

Around the Room:

  • Guest Speaker: Rowers and Injury Prevention. Karen Zareski has lead for this event.

  • Secretary Ask: Please use the shared drive sheet to identify file storage you have and need to accomplish your work, this is the preliminary work to setting up an enduring knowledge management system.

  • Update to Essential Sculling Manual 

    • Changes to rack space holder expectations (volunteer hours / active rowing) 

    • Sculling Rep in the process of asking for feedback on rack space holder expectations

  • Essential Sculling Manual Test (Sculler equivalent of Coxswains Certification)

    • Baseline level of understanding on safety, navigation and on the water protocol  

    • Some overlap with Sweep but there are a few other needs for scullers

    • Independent scullers have to compete a comparable test

    • Failure/incomplete will be a blocking item

      • 7 testers in Beta test

      • Gives review of core documentation.

      • Roll out in the spring - mando by the fall

      • Independent scullers have already met this requirements

      • Share feedback between the tests.

Closing Comments from the President, Recap on Budget Actions:

  • ACTION 1: will have a budget review and confirm 2026 Season fees before Annual Meeting and opening registration for the Spring Programs.

  • ACTION 2: Will set up a small team (Programs, Treasurer co-lead) to develop a resourcing strategy and cost estimate framework that will allow for informed changes in club fees and program costs year to year.

Full meeting adjourned 1721 (Motioned by JP seconded by Kena)

Executive Season adjourned 1747 (Motioned by Jodi seconded by Andy/Erica/Sujitra)

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Board of Directors Meeting: January 2026