Have you ever wondered what happens at a CHS Board of Directors’ Annual Meeting?

This year, Program Directors played Bingo with Board Members. Yes, Bingo.

CHS Program Directors created table displays to engage and educate about their programs—from Bright Start, Children’s Inn and Residential Treatment to Prevention, Child Advocacy and Marketing. Board members were encouraged to interact with the Directors and ask questions to fill out their Bingo cards.

The top prize went to Board members Darla Crown and Kara Flynn of Rapid City for correctly answering all 10 Bingo questions about CHS programs. They each received two boxes of What if…? cards.

Not just fun and games

The two Boards of Directors met to conduct their official annual business meetings on September 30 and October 1 at Keystone, SD. They elected new officers, thanked retiring Board Members and welcomed new Board Members. They also participated in multiple break-out sessions to discuss four issues within three CHS strategic pillars: Culture of Leadership, Mission and Margin and Service Excellence.

The CHS Board, comprised of 27 members, brought on these new members: Scott Scofield, Melissa Johnson, Jim Schmidt and Deb Soholt of Sioux Falls and Amy Koenig of Rapid City. CHS Board officers for 2021/2022 are Laura Johnson, President; Eric Lee, Vice President; Gina Hopkins, Treasurer; and Jack Marsh, Secretary.

Children’s Home Foundation (CHF) Board has 15 members, including newly elected Board Members Dennis Aanenson of Sioux Falls, Kara Flynn and Bobby Sundby of Rapid City, Molly Peterson of Brandon and Marty Jackley of Pierre. CHF Board officers are Julie Anderson Friesen, President; Diana Dufur-Day, Vice President; Dave Schmidt, Treasurer; and Bob Baker, Secretary.

Five-star reviews from Program Directors

SFCH Residential Treatment Director, Lisa Johnson, who attended the Annual Board Meeting for the first time, shared these thoughts:

“I was most impressed with the clear understanding the Board has of our mission. The primary focus of discussions and decisions was how to best fulfill that mission.

“Board Members expressed great concern about our staffing issues, and recognize that right now, it is our biggest obstacle to providing the best care possible. They were highly focused on our staff, and they appreciate the work that is being done.

“They also recognize that staff have very difficult jobs. Several talked about experiences they have had on campus, or personally related to helping children who have experienced trauma, or how people they love have been affected by domestic violence. I felt a sense of balance with dreaming about future possibilities and financial planning, a desire to fully understand how staff and clients are affected by decisions they make, and admiration for the staff who do this work.”

Veteran attendee, Amy Carter, Program Director, Children’s Inn and Bright Start, echoed Lisa’s comments:

“My favorite part of the Annual Board Meeting is seeing how supportive and invested the Board Members are. These are individuals who are leaders in their fields and have very busy lives, yet they give of their time and talents to support our work. I have always felt so supported and encouraged by the Board.

“It’s hard to describe to other staff if you don’t have the chance to interact with them, but the Board genuinely cares about the staff and our mission. They want the best for us and for those we serve. That has always impressed me and has always made me feel they are behind us 100%.”

Tifanie Petro, Advocacy and Prevention Director observed that the Boards look at the information through their own specific lenses and sometimes ask questions we haven’t even considered.

Tifanie said, “I always appreciate getting to connect with the Board and have them hear about the work from people at a more direct level. I think that we are able to advocate for our programs in a more passionate way. They can deny a request or initiative, but often they leave the workplace operations up to the senior leadership.”

Mike Groher, Education Director, noted how all individuals present relied on their background knowledge and personal experience to present ideas, respectfully question one another and provide guidance to CHS leadership in regards to our path forward together.

He said, “One key take-away that I have shared with members of the education program is the idea that accountability is real. We will collectively analyze our ability to understand the impact our education program has on our student population and continuously provide new and/or alternate, meaningful methods to study our effectiveness in accomplishing goals and objectives. This was a recurring theme throughout our Annual Meeting. Board Members challenged organization and program leadership to establish common goals and objectives and develop methods to thoroughly understand our overall impact in relation to these expectations.”

Director of Community Based Services (CBS), Chelsie Ogaard, said her most memorable moment was hearing new Board president, Laura Johnson, and her sister share their touching story about how CHS impacted their lives personally.

“They were placed as young girls at CHS while they awaited a forever family. Their emotional story reminded me how important it is for our staff to “show up” and bring their best selves every day because our kids need us,” said Chelsie.

Chelsie reiterated the Board’s passion for CHS. “We have an exceptional group of people who serve on our board, and they came prepared to ask tough questions all in the name of ensuring we make good decisions as it relates to the future of CHS."

“There was a lot of connection between Board Members, old and new, and program leaders. It was nice to have an opportunity to get to know Board Members and share about my programming. Because CBS is a small program with big ideas, it was invigorating to share the impact of our work as well as the passion within my team."

Marketing Director Janet Andersen said, “It was fun to see the enthusiasm of Board Members who rallied behind the new CHS tagline, “Stand for Good.” They are behind our mission and support staff and the work that we do 100%. They wore their western wear, including Stand for Good bandanas at the CHS supper round-up and even noticed the “purple s’mores” we had for dessert at the firepit gathering.”

Thanks to all Program Directors and other staff who attended the meeting, carving out the time in their busy schedules to connect with Board Members!