May 2026 Board Notes

Date:

05/12/2026

Attendance:

Board Attended: Christina Kramer, Hope Kronen, Jeannette Wallen, Kevin Ehrler, Lori Fischer-Fairbanks and Nick Nelson
Board Absent:
Observers: Alli Cassel, Echo O’Donnell, Jacob Warner, J.C. Horvath and Jerry Keohen

Notes:

Anime Twin Cities Board Meeting Minutes

May 12th, 2026
7:01 PM

Board Present – Christina Kramer, Hope Kronen, Jeannette Wallen, Kevin Ehrler, Lori Fischer-Fairbanks and Nick Nelson

Board Absent –

Public – Alli Cassel, Echo O’Donnell, Jacob Warner, J.C. Horvath and Jerry Keohen

Agenda is available in the link in the description of the livestream, these meetings are counted for attendance for voting rights please comment your name in the chat and fill out the google form in order to gain voting rights.

We want to remind you at the end of the meeting we have an open session if there are any questions for the board please put it in the chat ahead of time so we can answer it when we get to it at the end.


Agenda

• Recap off cycle board actions and votes
   
  • Renewed UPS box and D&O insurance.
     

• Planned Discussions from scheduled visiting parties/ATC Partners
   
  • None
    
     

Coordinator Updates
 

• Finance – Jeannette Wallen
   
  • Dollar amounts:
    • • Business Checking: 307,916.90
      • Education Fund: 3,098.70
      • Business Market Rate Savings (Community Fund): 14,508.83
         

 

• Anime Detour – J.C. Horvath
   
  • Anime Detour recently concluded, so most current activity is focused on the start of the new operating cycle.
  • Chair team members have been checking in with departments and preparing to reconnect with staff.
  • Meetings were held with Convergence representatives to strengthen the relationship between the two organizations and discuss shared hotel-related concerns.
  • Staff and department leadership can expect outreach soon as planning for the next convention cycle ramps up.
     
• Charities – Jacob Warner
   
  • Current work is primarily focused on projects that will be discussed later during the annual meeting.
  • Additional planning discussions are ongoing for future charitable initiatives.

 

• Communications – Makaila Kozitza (absent)
   
  • No update given.
    
     
• Special Events – Alli Cassel
   
  • The Cherry Tree Celebration with the Saint Paul Nagasaki Sister City Committee was successfully completed, with strong engagement at the Anime Twin Cities table.
  • The organization saw good outreach results, including attendee interaction with convention registration QR codes.
  • Upcoming events include Des Moines Con, Anoka Pride Day, Twin Cities Pride, and a possible Convergence table.
  • Volunteers are still being recruited for several summer events.
  • Additional outreach and convention events continue to expand the organization’s visibility in the community.
    
    
     

Current Month Board Topics

 

• Coordinator Reviews and Goals
  • Nick Nelson presented the annual coordinator review summaries compiled from feedback submitted by board members, coordinators, department heads (for the Anime Detour Coordinator), and Chair Team (For the Anime Detour Coordinator).
     

• J.C. – Anime Detour Coordinator
  • Review: J.C. has a ton of passion for Anime Detour and for making the convention a welcoming and community-based experience for anime fans. He truly cares about the staff and attendees and displays a high level of emotional intelligence in situations that arise like that of the potential issue of ICE at Anime Detour. His kindness and loyalty are a clear asset to our culture. At the staff dinner, staff recognition was improved from the previous year, but continue working on having a physical presence with all of the different departments at the convention as well as finding additional ways to boost recognition and enhance comradery at the staff dinner.
  • This environment that J.C. has helped to foster has reinvigorated the passion and energy of the Anime Detour staff. He has done a great job this cycle filling in remaining department head and vice chair positions, which in turn allowed him to be able to delegate more effectively while still proactively supporting those who need it. However, it may be beneficial to get even more vice chairs in place so that the chairman doesn’t have department heads directly reporting to him, unless it is absolutely necessary.
  • Some noted that there was improved communication across departments and staff and that the chair team felt more accessible and responsive, but others noted that some interdepartmental communications still need work, and that there were some items that are slipping. Some departments could use a firmer hand in terms of direction, especially those that J.C. is not overseeing, and it would also be nice if there was more accountability with the vice chairs, and if there was an official review for them for the previous operating cycle as well.
  • There were some difficulties with communications when certain issues arise like with the hotel situation. There are sometimes issues with knowing or determining who the best resource is to reach out to, and it didn’t help not having a clear org chart available before the convention. In certain situations if would be better to give the department heads clearer guidance and support as well as have a more clear line of communication on who they can reach out to, to give feedback.
  • J.C. has strong organizational skills and plenty of ideas to improve the con and the planning process like the department task list, the admin roles, the game committee, etc., and he does a good job at following up on these ideas, however the department list is something to complete and revisit this upcoming cycle.
  • J.C. is thoughtful in his planning of Anime Detour meetings and provides great PowerPoints and presentations there. One request is it would be great for those who can’t make the Anime Detour planning meetings, if there was a quick way to scan all the important information. At the ATC meetings he provides important information, leaving out unnecessary items, please continue to keep the Board informed whether it is with the statuses at the meetings or through other channels.
  • Overall, J.C. had a successful second year as the chairman of Anime Detour. His passion, emotional intelligence and organizational skills helped to overcome any obstacles and create an environment and convention that was welcoming and enriching for both staff and attendees alike. Areas of improvement would be to continue to nail down interdepartmental communication and to provide additional accountability for the vice chairs for everyone to be able to make their voices heard.
  • Goals: J.C. discussed two primary goals for the upcoming cycle:
  • Expanding and strengthening the staffing department to better support interpersonal conflict resolution and investigations.
  • Expanding committee structures, including improvements to the Mainstage Committee and creation of a new media-focused committee involving marketing, social media, and communications-related departments.
  • J.C. also expressed interest in recruiting one or two additional vice chairs to improve leadership support and workload distribution.
     
• Jacob – Charities Coordinator
  • Review: Jacob is friendly, outgoing and professional. He was able to attend with Makaila for JASM the 2025 Mondale award and scholarship gala and help to make connections at the event and represent ATC. Overall, he was primarily focused on his role as the Anime Detour charity department head, which is not a bad thing on its own. It was nice to see him bring back the silent and live auction at Anime Detour.
  • He has had a quieter cycle, which is understandable given the circumstances, however it would be good to be notified if he is not able to attend the ATC board meeting. Also, despite repeated reminders, his self-assessment and goals for the upcoming cycle were submitted late. If there are any items to go over at the ATC meetings it would also be great if they are brought up during the coordinator status update section.
  • With this being his first year in the role, he is still finding his footing and is now more active with the charitable givings for 2026. This was something that was worked on by the Board in 2025 since he joined right around when we were working on charitable givings for the year.
  • Overall, it was a quieter and less involved first year in the role, but Jacob is taking on a more active role and the board would like for the second year to be more involved. An interesting idea would be the possible resurrection of the charity nomination and recommendation meeting, and it would be great if there is anything else that comes to mind for the upcoming cycle. We look forward to what Jacob can do this year in his role as the Charities Coordinator.
  • Goals: Jacob discussed goals including:
  • Reviving the charitable giving recommendation meeting in a more efficient format.
  • Working with Special Events on a combined charity-focused community event.
  • Proactively researching and vetting additional charities that align with Anime Twin Cities’ mission.
    
     
• Alli – Special Events Coordinator
  • Review: Alli has thrived in the role as the Special Events Coordinator.
  • She does a great job handling multiple events and keeping track of all the communication that goes along with it, and she is very communicative with her team. There can be a lot of moving pieces and she is able to handle that smoothly without seeming overwhelmed by overwhelming tasks.
  • She is on top of the events in the Twin Cities area that ATC should be involved in, and she does a great job of keeping the board up-to-date and has provided an increased visibility of the org in the Twin Cities community. She is also very punctual for the ATC meetings plus always has a good amount of information to go over for upcoming events, and she also does a good job of consistently plugging the special events email.
  • She has built up a great team and looking at the amount of people that have signed up for ambassador tables compared to in the past speaks for itself. She does a great job of attracting new talent and we can easily envision even more events and the scope of the role and team expanding under her guidance.
  • Alli has done a fantastic job with her first year as the special events coordinator. Events and tabling have picked up to levels we haven’t had since at least before COVID-19 and as a result it is strengthening our relationships with partners and our reach in the community, we look forward to what she has planned for the upcoming cycle.
  • Goals: Alli outlined several goals for the upcoming cycle:
  • Hosting a new charity-oriented off-cycle community event.
  • Restoring former outreach events such as Des Moines Con and Anime Nebraskon.
  • Expanding outreach to new events including Anoka Pride and Convergence.
  • Updating and improving the organization’s tabling equipment and presentation.
  • Continuing to grow volunteer participation and community outreach opportunities.
     

• Since Makaila was absent, we will go over the review and goals for the Communications Coordinator at the June Board meeting.
  
   

 

Open Session (up to 30 minutes)
 

• Any members of the community can bring new business to discuss with the board
  • None
     

15 Minute Break (If the preceding topics take little time, the board may vote to skip this)
Motion to Skip
Hope seconded
All in Favor (All of the present Board)
Motion Passes

 

7:30 pm meeting closed




Anime Twin Cities Annual Meeting

Tuesday, May 12th, 2026 – 7:30pm

Agenda

 

• Annual Financial Report – Jeannette (https://www.youtube.com/live/GIANGSytb4c?si=7r8Ur8zFDSMitWhX&t=1850)
  • Additional information on the report and what goes into each of the different categories can be found in the above link.
  • We are in a continued positive financial standing.
     
• Annual Charitable Giving – Jacob (https://www.youtube.com/live/GIANGSytb4c?si=fHW4gsO6HTEBSLYY&t=2089)
  • Additional discussion can be found in the above link.
  • ATC has a proposed charitable giving total of $19,750. Jacob noted that all organizations and requests had been reviewed to ensure alignment with the organization’s charitable goals. Included below is the list of organizations.
    • Autism Society of Minnesota – $1,000
    • Can do Canines – $1,000
    • Como Friends / Japanese Garden – $1,000
    • Japanese American Citizens League – $1,000
    • Japanese American Society of Minnesota (JASM) – $2,000
    • Friends of the Hennepin County Library – $2,500
    • Normandale Japanese Garden – $1,000
    • Friends of the St. Paul Library / Toshocon – $3,000
    • St. Paul Nagasaki Sister City Committee (Obon Festival / Cherry Tree Celebration) – $5,000
    • Geek Partnership Society – $1,000
    • Midwest Anime Community (MAC) – $1,250
       
• Annual Overview Special Events – Alli (https://www.youtube.com/live/GIANGSytb4c?si=USH92-HYESdkhou1&t=2376)
  • Alli presented a broader overview of upcoming outreach and convention events planned for 2026. More discussion on these events can be found in the above link.
    • Cherry Tree Celebration (Como Park, St. Paul, MN – 5/2)
    • Des Moines Con (Des Moines, IA – 5/29-5/31)
    • Anoka Pride Day (Anoka, MN – 6/6)
    • Twin Cities Pride (Loring Park, Minneapolis, MN – 6/27-6/28)
    • CONvergence (Hyatt Regency, Minneapolis, MN – 7/2-7/5)
    • Kitsune Kon (Green Bay, WI – 7/10-7/12)
    • Excalibur Con (Duluth, MN – 8/15-8/16)
    • Obon Festival (8/16)
    • Anime Fargo (Fargo, ND – 9/25-9/27)
    • Toshocon (October? (not sent yet))
    • Anime Nebraskon (Council Bluffs, IA – 10/16-10/18)
    • Twin Cities Con (Minneapolis, MN – 11/20-11/22)
       
• Elections to commence after the meeting
  • Members eligible to vote were reminded to watch for election ballots by email.
  • Candidate presentations were previously recorded and made available on the Anime Twin Cities YouTube channel for review before voting.
     

7:47 pm meeting closed

Please contact atcboard@animetwincities.org or atc_secretary@animetwincities.org if you would like to be added to the agenda for discussion items.