2016-2017 Annual Report

                                                      ENVISION OPELIKA FOUNDATION, INC.

                                                                          ANNUAL REPORT

                                                       OCTOBER 1, 2016 – SEPTEMBER 30, 2017

Board Members: Tom Tippett, Chair; Trip Garner, Vice-Chair; Lisa Ruffin, Secretary; Matthew Battles; Aaron Bushey; Kenneth Burton; Tommy Cummings; JArthur Grubbs; Dora James;  Richard Patton;  Bill Parker; Sally Phillips; Amy Rogers; James Thrift ; Phillip Preston, Ex-officio; Barbara Patton, Ex-officio & Executive Director.

Formal Task Forces 

Character Council

Education, Family, & Youth Development

Arts & Entertainment

Contracts with the City

Contract for Services renewed with the City of Opelika

 Envision Opelika Web Site

Continued conversation with Round House to develop website. Round House no longer in business so the project was reset. JArthur continues to guide this project.

Character Council

Character “coin” project was initiated and given out

Bison Unity Stampede, a joint fund-raising event with Southern Union, was held again this year 

OHS Perfect Attendance Cook-out and OMS Honor Roll Breakfast event held

Essay winners in the City Schools awarded character coin

National Night Out supported and balloons released at event with character words

Continued emphasis of the character word of the month with City Schools and other entities

Presentation to the Interstate Character Council Annual Luncheon in September

Southside Center for the Arts

 Lease from Heritage Baptist continues.

 O’Grows, an Envision Affiliate, continues hosting the Farmers Market, maintaining the Community Garden,  and raising funds to help with the renovation of the facility.

 Roof on south el wing is damaged.  Insurance pays for reroofing with payment of $5000.00 deductible.

Alabama State Council on the Arts holds its meeting at the Center March 9th & 10th.

Alabama State Council on the Arts announces award of $30,000 grant to Envision for North Wing renovation 

Arts and Entertainment

Envision supports Cottonseed Studios’ August Concourse South Festival along with EAA and its downtown concerts

Formal Committee formed and first meeting in May

Lisa Thrift, Community Development Director of the City of Opelika, presents Mural Project  to Committee

Committee agrees to support murals with letter, pending approval of the Board

Perspective Magazine of OHS bought and distributed.

Housing

Interview with Dan Kennefick, Lee County Developer and Custom Home builder,

Derek Lee, Director of OPS, gave us a history of OPS and answered questions concerning housing price ranges, the partnership with Opelika City Schools for state of the art educational technology.  OPS ONE is the marketing ploy.

Education, Family and Youth Development

Researches programs for moving families out of poverty.  

Determines Circles USA as best program to use to move families out of poverty.    

Affirmation of the Circles program through visits and consults with national program and a local LaGrange, Georgia program. 

 Circles approved by the board.

Tom Tippett, Trip Garner, Chelsea Neighbors, Antoine Harvest, and Barbara Patton develop presentation to present to various entities. Presentations made to Southern Union, Lee County Ministerial Alliance, Family and Child Resource Center with support promised. Other presentations made to Mayor Fuller, Council President Eddie Smith, Jimmy Wright, Opelika Chamber President Pam Powers Smith.   Budgets developed and fund-raising planned with first ask and presentation to EAMC.

Tom presents Circles on WANI

Downtown Development

Carla Nelson, new director of Opelika Main Street, reported on the work of Main Street

New Affiliation:

Special Needs Children’s Christmas Party – Envision votes to serve as fiscal agent and manage a pass-through account for their event held in December.