Four Morgan Hill programs, whose success has outgrown the
capacity of a single board, have announced a change in
governance.
Four Morgan Hill programs, whose success has outgrown the capacity of a single board, have announced a change in governance.
Concluding a six-month process, the board of directors of the nonprofit Vision Morgan Hill Foundation on June 10 approved an organizational realignment that affects the downtown banner program, Morgan Hill Farmer’s Market, Friday Night Music Series and Leadership Morgan Hill.
The four programs have incubated under Vision as an arm of the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce.
The downtown banner program, which lines the downtown corridor with flags saluting local businesses, and the Saturday Farmer’s Market are moving from Vision to the Morgan Hill Downtown Association.
“We hope to build on the “adopt a pole” banner program successfully launched by Vision by expanding sponsorships and adding new seasonal banners,” said Dan Craig, executive director of the Downtown Association.
The Friday Night Music Series, which offers outdoor concerts on city streets through September, is moving from Vision to directly under the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce.
“This change gives our volunteers a needed boost with access to the Chamber’s resources,” said Bob Snow, chairman of the series.
Leadership Morgan Hill alone will remain in the nonprofit structure formerly known as Vision, becoming the sole focus of the organization. The organization’s former Steering Committee is now serving as the newly appointed board of directors.
“We studied the most successful leadership programs in the area for this new model,” said Sherry Hemingway, chair of the Leadership Morgan Hill board. “We’ll have a singularly-focused 501(c)3 organization and remain partners with the Chamber.”
Some saw the change as an overdue necessity.
“The hodgepodge of rapidly growing organizations and dissimilar programs under the Vision umbrella had become challenging for all the groups,” said Raymonde Etchebarne, Vision’s former board chair, who launched the process last year. “We also had a goal to eliminate any duplication with the new Community Foundation.”
The Morgan Hill Community Foundation was formed to support efforts that enrich the lives of all those who live in the greater Morgan Hill community by promoting, funding, administering and supporting recreational and arts programs and other programs that benefit the city of Morgan Hill.
Before Tuesday’s vote finalizing the plan, the Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce board also met separately as the Vision board.
“It was a win-win,” said Etchebarne, who is also the current Chamber president. “It is one of those rare instances where everyone is pleased with the outcome.”
The 12-member advisory committee that developed the plan included Alex Kennett, past president, Vision board; Roger Knopf, a founder of the Community Foundation; Bob Martin, vice chair, Leadership Steering Committee; Diane McGinty, community member at-large; Sunday Minnich, executive director, Morgan Hill Chamber; Jeff Perkins, board member of both Vision and the Community Foundation; Ed Tewes, manager, City of Morgan Hill; Craig van Keulen, past member, Vision board; and Gina Varela-Faust, member of both the Vision board and Leadership Steering Committee; Craig, Hemingway and Snow.
Contacts for additional information are Leadership Morgan Hill, Sherry Hemingway, 776-9209; Morgan Hill Downtown Association for Farmer’s Market and banner program, Dan Craig, 779-3190; and Morgan Hill Chamber of Commerce for Friday Night Music Series, Sunday Minnich, 779-9444.
