The MZMC Board
The MZMC Board meets for two hours once a month, generally on the 4th Sunday at 11:10 a.m. The meetings are open to the public, and you are invited to attend. Notes from the meetings are available upon request from the MZMC office.
In March each year, the Board reports to the community at the annaul sangha meeting. At this meeting, board members report on what is happening in our organization, how we are doing financially, and what our plans are going forward. They also hand out a feedback sheet. MZMC members elect new Board Members. Non-members are very welcome at the meeting, but may not vote in the election.
Current Board Members
- Dan Wagner, President
- Lee Lewis, Vice-President
- Matthew Larson, Secretary
- Dennis Farmer, Treasurer
- Ben Connelly
- Gerry Ruch
- Ted O'Toole
- Cindy Wetzell
Annual Sangha Meeting
Sunday Morning, March 25, 10 a.m.
Mark your calendars for the annual MZMC sangha meeting coming up on March 25. Guiding Teacher Tim Burkett will give a short dharma talk that morning, and then the meeting will begin. At this meeting the Board will report to you on what’s going on in our organization, how we’re doing financially, and what our plans are going forward. We will also elect new members of the Board. Non-members are welcome to attend, but may not vote in the election.
Board Member Nominations
February 2012
The MZMC Board follows the Carver Model and is a type of self-perpetuating board, meaning that the current Board has a role in selecting the nominees who will appear on the ballot. This does not mean that the process is closed to community input. During the month of February each year, the Board is pleased to receive nominations for new board members. The Board will consider these recommendations and interview candidates in March. In making their decisions, current Board will consider many factors: whether a candidate has skills currently needed, the equity and balance of members (priests/non-priests, males/females, etc.), possible conflicts of interest, and how each individual personality might work with others on the board. Everyone who is nominated will be considered, but, given the multiplicity of factors, not everyone will be interviewed.
If you would like to nominate someone, talk to a current Board member or contact the office.
Board Update, Third Quarter 2011
Dan Wagner, MZMC Board President
MZMC Board Retreat
In September the MZMC Board met for a day-long retreat. This was not a silent retreat, but a working retreat full of much energy and discussion. Our topic--the future of MZMC and what is needed to maintain and grow MZMC as a vibrant, relevant, and sustainable place to live the Buddha dharma. We focused on two main areas--our building and facilities, and succession planning.
The Challenges of our Building
Our building and its location are great assets to our community, providing a beautiful and serene place for us to practice in the midst of our everyday lives. It has "been in the family" since the days of our founder, Katagiri Roshi, and it has a rich history that resonates with many members. But it's also a physical building, and has all the issues that anyone who owns a home is familiar with--the need for maintenance, repairs, updating, and still more maintenance.
This year we had a professional assessment of our building's needs done by a company called Load Bearing. They created a report that addressed all the issues facing our structure, which dates back to 1908. A structural engineer came to our retreat to present the report and answer our many questions. He loved our building, and appreciated the many positive aspects of it as a place of community. But, as a structural engineer, he also brought a measured and realistic assessment of it as a structure.
If you are interested in seeing the report, please contact the MZMC office at info@mnzencenter.org.
In brief, there are two significant challenges that face our community in terms of our building. MZMC has always been run on a shoestring budget, and over the years many serious maintenance issues were postponed because of cost. As a result, our building has accumulated approximately $200,000 of deferred maintenance. In order to avoid much higher long-term costs, as well as meet significant safety and building code problems, the Load Bearing report recommends that this work be done over the next three years. And once that overdue maintenance is complete, the building will still require $15,000 a year in upkeep over the next 30 years to maintain it in proper condition. This annual maintenance cost is twice what one would expect for a building of its size due to its age and unusual construction.
Historically, our entire annual budget for MZMC is around $110,000, with only about $5,000 allocated for building maintenance. Obviously, maintaining our building and facilities over the next few years poses a serious and significant financial challenge to our community.
In addition to the needs of the building, the board is also aware that our community is growing and at times our facilities do not provide enough space to accommodate all the programming we would like to provide. This past year we've had one of our best years for new membership, which contributes to the diversity and vibrancy of our community and to our financial well-being. However, as we continue to grow in members we will at some time in the not so distant future face the prospect of outgrowing the capacity of our building.
All the board members take this challenge seriously and we are committed to find a way to keep MZMC on a solid financial footing with facilities sufficient to support our community and provide us with a serene and safe place to practice. To that end, we are beginning to investigate a number of creative ideas. These include taking out a loan to do repairs, doing a major fundraising drive, expanding the building to increase capacity, and the option of moving MZMC to a new location and a newer, larger facility.
These are not decisions that the board can or should make on our own, and we are developing a plan to engage the entire MZMC community in an open dialog about how to proceed. The issues are complex, and since they engage our past, and our future, they will understandably raise strong feelings for many members. We as a board are committed to working with the whole community to find a solution that honors the vision and mission of MZMC.
There is a story that the Buddha was once walking with a number of companions, including Indra, emperor of the gods. At one point he paused, pointed to the ground and said, "This spot is good to build a sanctuary." Indra took a blade of grass, stuck it in the ground and said, "The sanctuary is built." The World-Honored One smiled.
It may help for us to keep in mind that our sanctuary is, in reality, already built: it is in the strong relationships we have developed through our practice together and through our shared cultivation of the Buddha's path. We already have a solid ground to support us as we face the challenges that lie ahead for our community. We have only to put our hearts and minds to cultivating and nourishing the green and living blade of grass we all share.
Succession Planning
Another important topic of our retreat was succession planning. As guiding teacher, Tim Burkett is central to MZMC, and provides the energy and direction of MZMC. As you are aware, Tim has had some health issues in the recent past, and it is possible that these could limit or change his role at MZMC. And eventually, Tim will want to retire.
Though these are not things we like to think about, it is important that we do put some thought into how we will handle issues of succession when the need arises. By doing it now, we can be sure that we consider Tim's wishes and can provide some guidelines and structure to help us through a future situation that could be emotionally trying and difficult. In that light the board has drafted a succession document that provides guiding principles when the need arises to choose a new guiding teacher. These guidelines will be reviewed annually by the board.
If you are interested in seeing the report, please contact the MZMC office at info@mnzencenter.org.
Upcoming Board Nominations and Election
A draft of a more inclusive board nomination and election process was presented to the board at the last board meeting in October, and will be discussed in detail at the November meeting. The intent is to allow for greater transparency into the process and to allow for greater involvement by the sangha.
Details on the nomination and election process changes will be part of the next board update to the sangha in January. In the meantime, I hope you will consider the possibility of serving the sangha as a board member. At this time it looks like we will have three openings on the board. We need people with vision, creativity, and skills in a variety of areas. If you are interested, you can talk to one of the current board members to get an idea of what the experience is like.
Fundraising
MZMC depends on revenue from classes, retreats, and membership as important components of our budget. However, those sources of revenue are not sufficient to balance the budget. Over the past summer, the board did a "special ask" of a number of members and friends to see if they could make an additional contribution, above and beyond their membership commitment, to help balance the budget. Even in these hard economic times, many made very generous contributions. On behalf of the board, I would like to express our deep appreciation for their support.
Minutes from the board meetings available below in PDF format.
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