Merger, Board Votes Highlight May 9 Amigos Annual Member Meeting

The merger of the Missouri Library Network Corporation into Amigos and elections to the Amigos Board of Directors highlighted the 54th Membership Meeting of Amigos Library Services, held May 9, 2012. Board officers and Amigos President and Chief Executive Officer Bonnie Juergens participated in the online meeting from the Amigos offices in Dallas, while remaining Directors and meeting attendees participated from various locations.

Amigos Chair Anne Prestamo, Oklahoma State University, called the meeting to order. Following an announcement of the candidates for election to the Amigos Board of Directors, Prestamo and Vice Chair Jennifer Goodson, Fort Smith Public Library, AR, provided information about the proposed merger to attendees. Prestamo then conducted the voting on the merger and Board election, advising attendees that results would be announced at the close of the meeting. A number of votes had been cast in advance of the meeting by directed proxy ballots submitted by designated voting representatives of Amigos member institutions. Those who did not vote via the directed proxy ballots were able to cast their votes online at the meeting.

Following the election, Prestamo delivered her Report to Members, recapping the work of various committees and task forces the previous year. In closing, she acknowledged three outgoing Directors who were completing their Board terms: Jennifer Goodson, Fort Smith Public Library, Fort Smith, AR; Carla Stoffle, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ; Craig Stephenson, Independent Director, Enid, OK; and Oliver Delaney, Independent Director, Oklahoma City, OK. Goodson in turn acknowledged Prestamo, who was also completing her Board term.

Prestamo was followed by Amigos Treasurer Patrick Heath, Independent Director, Boerne, TX, who delivered the treasurer's report, and Juergens, who presented her CEO's report. (Editor's note: information contained in these reports is available by contacting Trisha Mooney, mooney@amigos.org.) Prestamo then announced the recipients of the 2012 Amigos Fellowship and Opportunity Award. The meeting concluded with the announcement of the merger vote and Board election results.