Rocky Mountain Neurosurgical Society
Winter Executive Meeting Agenda
January 14, 2023

The meeting was called to order by RMNS president Dr. Brad Duhon at 1:07 pm. Present in person were Dr. Brad Duhon, Dr. Justin Davis, Dr. Erik Parker, Dr. Joel MacDonald, Dr. Wissam Asfahani, Dr. Kelly Schmidt and Allie Whipple. Present via zoom were Dr. John Clough, Dr. Mark Mahan and Jessie Tarnow.

Report of the President: Planning for the 2023 meeting is underway and will be held at the Alyeska Resort in Girdwood Alaska from June 17-20th, 2023. Dr. Duhon has secured our two guest speakers; Dr. Ganesh Rao and Dr. Richard Fessler. It was recommended that each speaker give two to three 45 minute talks each. It was also recommended to encourage the speakers to arrive on Saturday to attend more festivities for the meeting. A discussion was also had regarding the rising cost of the Winter Executive Meeting. It was determined to continue meeting in person for the Winter meeting, but consider earlier planning and different locations to explore more affordable options.

Report of the Vice President: The available options for vendor sponsorship were discussed. We will continue with the Gold, Silver, and Bronze sponsorship levels at the same rates. It was recommended to eliminate the COVID package this year. The additional sponsorship opportunities were also discussed and it was agreed to increase the prices of some items. The name badge lanyards will be increased from $500 to $1000. The welcome reception will be increased from $1000 to $2500. The portfolio sponsor will be increased from $500 to $1000. A suggestion was made to include a sponsorship opportunity for the closing banquet. This was agreed among the group and will be added to the sponsorship opportunities for $2500. A goal was recommended for 30 vendors and Dr. Schmidt felt the venue could accommodate this number. The concern for vendors being able to attend the meeting at “resort” facilities was discussed. A vendor did back out last year due to corporate policies that company representatives are not allowed to attend events held at resort facilities. Dr. Parker will work on getting information to vendors as early as possible. All executive committee members will reach out to their local vendors as well to request support.

Report of the Treasurer: Dr. Parker reported that quickbooks continues to work well for bookkeeping. He raised concern regarding dwindling funds in the Resident Fund account and strategies for increasing donations were discussed. The AANS NREF funding requires periodic report filing. This will be completed once per term of each treasurer. The liability insurance has been paid for 2023.
1. Current Account Balances
a. Checking Accounts
i. Wells Fargo $81,335.47 ($85,433.47)
1. Resident Fund $6,163 ($8,263)
b. PayPal $2,172.69
c. Total Assets $83,508.16 ($87,461.89)
2. Membership Dues
a. 70 Active Members (75)
b. Moved out of Rocky Mountain Region
i. Kalil Abdullah
ii. Darbi Invergo
iii. Kathryn Hoes
c. Retired – Converted to Senior status
i. David S Moss
ii. Jodie Leavitt
d. 13 Members 3+ years behind in dues
e. 47 (40) members paid dues
i. 2020 Dues collected $7,675 ($7,325) (including new member fees)
ii. 36 paid by QuickBooks invoice
iii. 6 paid by Check
iv. 5 paid by PayPal
f. New Members elected in 2022?
3. Resident Fund
a. 2021 Donations: $900
b. Resident Talk Awards $1,500
c. Resident Presentation Stipends $1,500
4. 2021 Annual Meeting
a. Attendees
i. 17 Members (11)
ii. 3 Nonmembers (5)
iii. 4 Resident (1)
iv. 5 Allied Health Professionals (4)
v. 25 Exhibitors
b. Revenue: $116,516.20
c. Expenses $103,494.08
d. Net $13,022.12
5. Overall Financials
a. January 2022 $87,461.89
b. January 2023 $83,508.16
c. Net $ 3,953.73
6. Miscellaneous
a. AANS NREF funding
i. $2500 annually x 10 years (Pd 2017-2022)
b. Nonprofit Corporation Status:
i. Filed in Texas in 1974
ii. Reinstated in 2021
iii. Periodic Report filing : “A nonprofit corporation is required by law to file an informational report not more than once every four years upon request by the secretary of state.”
iv. Incfile
c. Liability Insurance:
i. USLI (United States Liability Insurance Company)
1. Annual Premium $1,615 paid for 2023
d. Taxes
i. Taxes filed through 2021 fiscal year
ii. 2022 taxes in preparation
Report of the Secretary: The Fall newsletter was sent out in October without issue. The Save The Date card is currently being prepared and will be sent out soon. The AANS list that was previously purchased is now several years old. It was agreed to purchase a new updated list from the AANS for the Rocky Mountain Region. Dr. Schmidt recommended that the Save the Date flier note that rooms will fill quickly and reservations should be made early. Dr. Schmidt has secured booking links for the hotel. The group code is not currently working and Dr. Schmidt will follow up next week with the resort. Dr. Clough made a recommendation to have abstracts submitted as early as possible due to AANS deadlines. All Executive Committee members will work with their residents to submit abstracts for the meeting. The topic of starting a social media account was again discussed. None of the present members felt that it would be in the group’s best interest to pursue this, but all are aware there may be a future need. This topic will be revisited at a future meeting.

Report of the Website Administrator/Historian: Dr. MacDonald has been increasingly dissatisfied with the current website support company. He plans to explore other options for better correspondence and troubleshooting of website problems. There will likely be some additional fees for work on the website, as well as an annual service contract. It was agreed unanimously to proceed with exploring other options for website support companies. Dr. MacDonald would also like to add a page to the website for resident abstracts and to list the previous resident abstract award winners.

Report of the Membership Committee: There have not been any new applications for membership. Dr. MacDonald has four potential new members. New members can apply through the website. Dr. MacDonald will forward these applications to the secretary, who will present the applicant(s) at the next Executive Committee Meeting.

2023 Meeting
Local Arrangements Report: Dr. Schmidt has been diligently preparing for this year’s meeting. The Alyeska resort is located approximately 30-40 minutes outside of Anchorage and she does recommend renting a car for transportation. Room rates will be $339/night for the standard rooms, $339/night for Deluxe rooms and $349/night for Junior Suites. There will be a $20/day resort fee as well. The room block will release 30 days prior and Dr. Schmidt believes the rooms will book quickly. The group rate is also approved for 3 days prior to the meeting and 1 day after the meeting. She is going to check with the resort to see if the room rate can be extended additional days after the meeting. The President’s dinner will be on Sunday night since most restaurants are closed Mondays in the area. The dinner will be at Jack Sprat, which is approximately 1 mile in to town. No transportation will be arranged since the restaurant is in close proximity to the hotel. Monday night’s event will be a Glacier Cruise through Phillips Cruises and Tours which will depart from Whittier. Travel time is approximately 30-40 minutes via bus. The cruise will be private and travel through Prince William Sound and view Blackstone Glacier. There are timing constraints due to the Whittier Tunnel. The boat can hold a maximum of 125-130 people. A catered dinner has been arranged from Bridge Seafood and a bar is available on the boat. Due to costs, a cash bar was recommended and this was agreed upon unanimously. The actual cost will likely be $225-$275/person (at 125 attendees). It was agreed unanimously to charge a lesser amount for the event and have RMNS cover the rest of the expense. It was proposed to charge $150 per adult and $75 per child. The timeline includes leaving the resort around 4:30 pm by shuttle bus, cruise from 6:15 pm to 9:45 pm, and arriving back to the resort by 11:00 pm. The Tuesday afternoon event will be at the Alaska Wildlife Conservation Center. Rental of Bison Hall and entrance fees are included in the package. A catered lunch will be provided from Spoonline Bistro and a 30 minute wildlife presentation will be given to the group. No shuttle or transportation has been arranged and will be the responsibility of the attendees. The local guest speakers have also been secured. Kristy & Anna Berington from Seeing Double Sled Dog Racing will speak as well as bring merchandise and 1-2 dogs as well. Dr. Schmidt suggested having the guest speakers slotted for the Monday, 11-12pm spot to allow time to converse with them and meet the dogs after their talk. She also suggested offering a light lunch instead of breakfast foods at break on this day since there will not be an afternoon activity. The facility does not have tennis or golf access, so the respected tournaments with both will not be held this year. Due to the declining numbers of tennis players, the idea of trying Pickleball instead was brought to the table and will be considered at the next meeting.
Scientific Program/CME Report: Dr. Asfahani will work on distributing information to the Rocky Mountain Program Directors. Dr. Clough expressed concerns that this has not been a fruitful venture in the past. It was decided to attempt contacting the program directors again via email and personal phone call and encouraged trying other options of access Residents.

Future Sites:
a. 2024: La Cantera resort in San Antonio, TX. This site is being arranged by Dr. Brad Lega.
b. 2025: Dr. MacDonald suggested the Marriott Puerto Vallarta Resort and Spa. The “European Plan” would cost $30,000 with room rates at $169/night. The “Inclusive Package” (all-inclusive option) would cost $373 single / $273 double per person, per night. This would possibly allow the ability to recapture costs of the Alaska meeting.
c. Other options for future meeting sites were discussed: Canyons in Park City Utah, Big Sky Montana, Sedona Arizona and Whistler British Columbia. A site for the 2025 and 2026 meetings have not been decided yet and a local arrangements person for 2026 also needs to be assigned.

Old/New Business: No old or new business was discussed.

Dr. Duhon made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 3:24 pm and this was agreed upon unanimously.