Aug 5, 2025 | NCDCTA BOD Meeting - Virtual
Attendees: Helen Ingersoll Amy Brumbach Heather Turner Jordan McKenzie-Solis Ellie Balakrishnan Mandi Martyn Charlotte Meli Absent: Ali LaTorre Lisa Chisholm Heather Boyer Amanda Delgado Will Barrus Katherine Thornton
President, Helen Ingersoll, called the meeting to order at 7:03
Reports:
- President Report: Helen Ingersoll
- Vice President Report: Amy Brumbach
- 9 (need 12) for Daniel Stewart
- 8 (need 8) for Hatha Equus
- 12 (taking 8) for Long Lining
- Will ask some of them to move into other categories
- Plan for social media posting
- CHP putting out announcement
- Working on schedule for riders
- Plan for 1 volunteer per clinician/clinic
- Will post announcement looking for volunteers
- Plan to meet with CHP in 3rd week of August to finalize who’s doing what
- They’re not decorating, can we use their things to decorate though?
- Only 2 gates open with tables for registration/checkin
- There will be wristbands for spectators
- Ellie is doing hospitality (not Friday)
- Looking for sponsor for wine and cheese night on Saturday
- Mandi will be there (not Friday, can help thursday night)
- Helen will be there (fri/sat/sun)
- Jordan (fri/sat/sun) with a willing to help sister
- Current membership numbers for 8/4/2025
- Total Members - 614 (down 20)
- Total Horses - 447 (down 15)
- Volunteer Card Horses: 89
- Other member information of interest
- Other Horse Information of Interest
- Volunteer Card Information
- Outstanding Volunteer Cards: 2713
- Treasurer Report: Heather Turner
- Showing a balance of $35,953.72 in our accounts (up from $28,224.85 last month)
- Revenue is mostly memberships/show req/HOY and Stripe payments (L Program)
- Several new sponsorships are in & deposited
- Volunteer Report: Charlotte Meli
- Sponsorship Report: Heather Boyer
- Social Media Shoutouts: coordinating with Lisa and sending Sponsor Shoutouts to post on the official NCDCTA social media pages
- General Page Fulfillments: In the meantime, been posting the same content to the general NCDCTA page to begin honoring the commitments we made to sponsors.
- Fall Event Connections:linking Amy and Ali with sponsors who expressed interest in participating in the upcoming fall events
- Sponsor Courtesy Check-ins: reaching out individually to sponsors as a general courtesy and touchpoint.
- Website Promises Review: Some website-related sponsorship promises have unfortunately not been met. I’m drafting language to acknowledge and sincerely apologize to those affected sponsors. I deeply appreciate the immense effort behind the new website and hope to handle this gracefully because I think it is important to recognize a promise we didn't fulfill.
- 2026 Sponsorship Packet: working on a new draft sponsorship packet for the 2026 season—designed to be more achievable, more appealing to sponsors, and less reliant on other board members in fulfilling the promotional elements.
- I hope to share the draft within the next week with the aim of promoting it during the membership renewal period.
- Gala Report: Ellie Balakrishnan
- Communication Report: Lisa Chisholm
- Additional build out of new website, including events page, terms & conditions, rules and footer
- Received sponsor content for social media promotions from Heather - will continue to schedule according to sponsor agreements
- Shared a post looking for volunteer support for communications - either newsletter or social or a combination of the two.
- Next newsletter: ~Sept 15 with recap of equestrian festival, promotion for Winter Solstice and Gala.
- Eventing Report: Katherine Thornton
- UNDERWAY – “one pager” describing benefits of membership
- UNDERWAY – ongoing FB Groups posts to encourage membership
- Estimate has been provided by Hodges - I will work w Heather to place order
- Order Eventing Championship Ribbons from Hodges
- NOT YET STARTED - Begin process for “Organizer Standards” program based on USEA Organizer Committee work (via CT LT team…. )
- Ongoing Discussions USEA Area 2
- Get Area 2 eventing championships at CHP –
- Connected with USEA to solicit the bid for the Area 2 Champs at CHP for 2027
- Sent email to HT organizer at CHP to make that bid (have sent this THREE times with NO response…)
- COMPLETED - Requested eventer emails to stimulate membership – from USEA
- Identify scholarship opportunities, and clinic support –
- Completed-Reached out re eventing clinician for Fall Festival and did receive a list of names
- UNDERWAY – written interview with Woodge/David – potential 2026 clinicians
- COMPLETED - NCDCTA IS USEA Affiliate Member
- COMPLETED - Worked with Mandi to add Jr/YR scholarship for the Eventing Championships for HT and CT
- COMPLETED – Submitted an article for the newsletter
- COMPLETED - Medal Program - on hiatus for 2025
- COMPLETED Eventing Championship plan
- Hold Championship at Nov War Horse
- Use HOY qualifying points tracking system – approved with Will
- Post standings somewhere on the website as we go along (excel spreadsheet)
- COMPLETED – Emailed introduction to Organizers
- COMPLETED – Revised the HOY qualification for Modified HTs
- COMPLETED - Discussions with CHP (Margaret Crevar)
- Clarified what, exactly, we are asking for re “eventing championships” at Nov War Horse
- Secured our ability to utilize the venue and a tent location
- I WILL NEED to borrow a POP UP TENT
- COMPLETED an NCDCTA eventing-specific calendar workbook, checked it with organizers and with Will
- COMPLETED - I bought a few medals from Hodges to send to 2024 recipients
- COMPLETED – website updates (content and wording) and updated calendar, and emailed to eventing members
- COMPLETED – worked with Will to update the HOY rules
- COMPLETED – with Will’s help - Finalized Eventing page on NCDCTA.org – highlighted in FAQ communications
- COMPLETED – SET UP A Combined Training Leadership Team (CTLT) and set our first meeting in late June
- COMPLETED- ADD a HOY track for Recognized CTs “I move that we add a HOY track for nationally recognized CTs”
- Ongoing FAQ emails to stimulate membership
- Sent FAQ#1 , #2, #3 with good response
- Started FB posts – “Why Combined Test” (Future topics include: Benefits of NCDCTA membership; Why school XC?)
- Beginning education campaign about CTs and their value to encourage beginning and aging competitors
- Drafted second newsletter article, “Moving up isn’t necessarily the point” for eventing
- Activating Social posts – very effectively!
- Dressage Report: Ali LaTorre
- A lot of moving pieces with festival prep and L program
- L program: working on marketing.
- Jr/Yr Report: Mandi Martyn
- Plans to make Christmas ornaments as swag for Winter Solstice
- Rider who applied for Harvest Moon scholarship who got it last year: will award unless others apply
- Membership Secretary Report: Will Barrus
Next meeting: September 2, 2025 @7pm - Virtual
Helen adjourned the meeting at 8:35pm
Minutes respectfully submitted by Jordan McKenzie-Solis, Recording Secretary.
Minutes passed by majority Board vote.
Action items
- · Jordan to ask sponsors to be vendors
- · Amy to find out who 2nd judge is to complete the prize list
- · Order more NCDCTA swag
