Date: Monday, May 18, 2026
Time: 7:00 PM ET
Location: Zoom and Broadcast on ACB Media Six
Call to Order: President Deb Cook Lewis
President Cook Lewis called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM ET.
Roll Call and Attendance
The following board members, staff, and guests were present at the time of roll call:
President, Deb Cook Lewis; First Vice President, David Trott; Second Vice President, Kenneth Semien Sr.; Secretary, Katie Frederick; Treasurer, Michael Garrett; and Immediate Past President, Kim Charlson
Directors: Chris Bell, Donna Brown, Cheryl Cumings, Peter Heidi, Gabriel Lopez-Kafati, Cecily Laney Nipper, Terry Pacheco, Rachel Schroeder, Koni Sims, and Jeff Thom
BOP Representative: Zelda Gebhard
ACB Staff: Scott Thornhill, Nancy Marks-Becker, Cindy Hollis,
Guests: Janet Dickelman, Julie Palm
Review and Approval of Agenda
Chris Bell moved and Rachel Schroeder seconded the approval of the agenda. The motion passed.
Review and Approval of March 7, 2026, Board Meeting Minutes
The board reviewed the minutes from the March 7, 2026, board meeting. Corrections were noted regarding the $509,000 accessibility services program, adding assistance from Koni Sims to the document, and other general name changes and corrections. Cecily Laney Nipper moved and David Trott seconded the approval of the minutes as corrected. The motion passed.
2031 Hyatt New Orleans Convention Contract Approval
Janet Dickelman presented the contract for the 2031 convention to be held at the Hyatt Hotel in New Orleans from July 3–10. The contract features a $149 room rate plus tax, which is currently 17.5%.
Chris Bell moved and Kenneth Semien Sr. seconded to hold the 2031 convention in New Orleans. The motion passed.
Community Expectations Policy Update
Cindy Hollis presented an update on the Community Expectations policy.
Chris Bell requested that a formal process be added outlining what happens if the policy is not followed, which Cindy agreed to add.
Cheryl Cumings inquired about reading materials, and Cindy clarified that public domain materials are acceptable.
Cindy agreed to share the Zoom copyright policy link with the board.
The copyright section (Section 6) of the current proposed policy will be reviewed at the next board meeting.
Peter Heidi asked if ACB holds a blanket license similar to what churches use; the organization does not currently have one due to the high cost.
Kim Charlson will review Section 6 and return to the board with specific recommendations.
Jeff Thom moved that the proposed policy be adopted with further research designated for Section 6. Koni Sims seconded the motion. The motion passed.
President’s Report
President Deb Cook Lewis provided updates on several organizational directives.
Standing Rules: There are no changes to the standing rules from last year.
Resolutions: There are currently five resolutions, with a potential sixth resolution forthcoming.
Constitution and Bylaw Amendments: There are eight proposed amendments, all falling under Bylaw 6, intended to bring the bylaws into conformance with current practice.
2026 Virtual Convention Schedule: There are five open board positions and three open BOP positions. Due to the expected number of contested elections, at most six elections can be managed during the in-person portion of the convention. Two elections will be held during the virtual portion, allowing for eight total elections.
ACB Forward Program: There are 125 interested individuals, with 122 able to join via Zoom. The demographic data shows an increase in younger adults, middle-aged individuals, members-at-large, less active members, men, and general gender diversity. The signup form is accessible at ACB.org.
Accessibility Services: A new committee is being established to focus on this space.
Kenneth Semien Sr. moved that a weekly digest from the feedback email be sent to the board to keep directors properly informed. Donna Brown seconded the motion. The motion passed.
Executive Director’s Report
Scott Thornhill presented updates on the following operational areas:
Information Referral and Peer Support: Shared for discussion only. No action taken.
ACB Website Plan: Shared for discussion only. No action taken.
Speak4 Update: The platform currently has 2,000 unique users and has sent nearly 12,000 emails for advocacy campaigns. The service costs were previously split among three organizations. Because the lead organization is not renewing, Scott requested to negotiate with Speak4 over the coming weeks, noting that a budget amendment may be necessary.
David Trott moved to authorize Scott Thornhill and ACB to spend up to $8,370 to sign a two-year contract with Speak4. Rachel Schroeder seconded the motion. The motion passed.
ACB Leadership Fellows Program: The company that funded the program for the past ten years has ceased its financial support. This transitions into an opportunity to evaluate and improve the program moving forward.
Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 9:47 PM ET.
Respectfully submitted,
Katie Frederick, Secretary
Date Submitted: 6/30/2026
Date Approved: 7/24/2026