DeKalb County Community Mental Health Board Executive Committee met Dec. 2.
Here are the minutes provided by the committee:
Committee Members Present: Perry Maier, Meghan Cook, April Chmara
Committee Members Not Present:
Staff Present: Deanna Cada, Heaven Allen
Other Persons Present: Marilyn Stromborg via Zoom
1. Call to Order
Ms. Cook called the meeting to order at 6:35 p.m.
2. Agenda
Mr. Maier moved to approve the agenda, seconded by Ms. Chmara. The motion passed unanimously. 3. Approval of Minutes
Mr. Maier moved to approve the minutes of the November 04, 2025, meeting, seconded by Ms. Chmara. The motion passed unanimously.
4. Office Report
• Ms. Cada reminded the Committee that a Grief Support Services Roundtable will be held on December 9 in the Five Seasons Room, with broad outreach and an accompanying survey distributed to the community.
• A recent Daily Chronicle article highlighted the Community Wellness Series; the article mistakenly credited Northwestern Medicine with conducting the survey, but the Mental Health Board was mentioned elsewhere in the story.
• Staff (Heaven and the Director) will attend ACMHAI Winter Meeting in December
• Ms. Cada reported on a quarterly meeting with Mike Kokott (Vice President, Northwestern Medicine Kishwaukee Hospital) and Sabrina Nicholson, during which Mr. Kokott praised the police sociai work program and the strong partnership between NM and the Mental Health Board.
• Ms. Cada noted that on December 24, the office is scheduled to be open, but plans are to close at approximately 3:00 p.m. due to low activity, despite regular hours extending to 4:30 p.m.
• Ms. Cada shared a thank-you note from the DeKalb Alano Club reporting that Board funding supported a sober Thanksgiving dinner attended by more than 22 people, the largest turnout they have had for such an event.
• The Committee was informed that long-time contact Jim D. is no longer board president or treasurer at the Alano Club, though he remains the building owner; staff will establish contact with the new organizational representative.
S. Public Comment
There was no public comment.
6. Old Business
A. AI Policy Development- Ms. Cada reported that a draft AI policy was shared with the Committee last month for initial review, and no concerns have been raised about its overall direction.Staff will further refine the draft, including input from an external AI policy expert, to present a version for approval in January
B. 2026 Executive Director Performance Review Tool and Process Discussion The Committee discussed making the process more formal and data-informed while preserving mission-focused and qualitative elements, and affirmed that performance concerns should be addressed throughout the year, not only at the annual review.
7. New Business
A. One-Year Plan Updates – 2026 Discussion
Ms. Cada shared that the 2025 one-year plan has concluded and that a 2026 one-year plan must be developed, alongside preparation for a three-year plan expiring in 2026.
Curre,nt priority areas include workforce development, suicide prevention, and 0-7 early childhood needs; the Committee discussed whether to adjust these, given that some initiatives (e.g., suicide prevention) are now substantially led and funded by partner organizations.
Members identified emerging priorities related to preserving programming and ensuring access to care under recent federal and administrative policy shifts, particularly their impa<::t on marginalized populations and associated mental health risks. The Committee agreed that development and implementation of an AI policy ( ethical and appropriate use, including privacy and resource impacts) should be included in the one-year plan.
B. Executive Committee Interim Appointments
Due to Dr. Marilyn Stromborg’s extended absence, the Board formally confirmed the interim appointment of Ms. Chmara to the Finance and Executive Committees through April 2026.
Ms. Chmara was also designated interim Secretary for the Committees until Marilyn’s return. A motion was made, seconded, and approved by voice vote.
Ms. Cook moved to approve April Chmara for interim Secretary and appointment to the Executive Committee until Dr. Stromborg’s return in April 2026. Seconded by Mr. Maier. The motion passed unanimously.
8. One-Yearffhree-Year Plan update – none
9. Next Executive Committee Meeting Date: January 06, 2026, at 6:30 p.m.
10. Adjournment
The meeting was adjourned.
Ms. Chmara moved for adjournment, seconded by Mr. Maier. The motion passed unanimously.
https://dekalbcounty.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/packet-mhex-01062026.pdf
