Hive NYC

Hive NYC Council

Hive NYC Council

This document provides guidance on the Hive NYC Council (‘Hive Council’), a member-led body responsible for governance of the Hive NYC Learning Network and implementation of its programs. The document solidified the council structure as of January 2019, and will be continually revised as the council evolves and network members express feedback.

Hive Council Mandate

The mandate of the Hive Council falls into two broad areas: governance and implementation.

With regards to governance, the council is responsible for making decisions about the network, including but not limited to the network’s mission and vision, programmatic offerings, institutional home and form, membership guidelines, and funding.

With regards to implementation, the Hive Council is responsible for bringing the mission and vision of the network to life through the development and facilitation of network programmatic activities, including but not limited to network meetups, community-calls, professional development opportunities, working groups, partnerships, etc. In doing so, the council members may not themselves be the ones implementing all network programs – they may call on members or other actors outside of the council to do so – but are ultimately accountable for ensuring that these activities occur.

Community
Hive NYC Council

Broadly, the Hive Council’s mandate includes a commitment to working transparently and actively creating opportunities for members to participate in the direction of the network, drawing on the network’s historical norm of ‘working in the open’.

Hive Council Structure

Internally, the council includes roles of co-chairs and committee members.

  • Co-chairs – there are two co-chairs at any given time, serving for a period of one year, with an existing co-chair overlapping with a new co-chair for six months. For the period of their tenure, co-chairs are responsible for the general leadership of the council, inclusive of ensuring agendas are set for council meetings, facilitating the execution of network activities, and delegating responsibilities to council committees as appropriate. Co-chairs are determined through a process of nomination (self or other) followed by a consensus vote by council members. Current co-chairs are noted in the Council member list below.
  • Committee members – the council utilizes a committee structure to provide leadership and facilitation around various areas of activity, including communications, events, and funding. Committees are voluntary, and council members may propose the formation or evolution of new or existing committees.

Hive Council Decision-Making Process

Related to its governance role, the Hive Council engages in decision-making around all issues related to the network utilizing the following processes:

  • a consensus approach within the council itself. This means that, for major decisions, all council members must agree to a decision in order for it to move forward.
  • a counsel-based approach with broader network members. This means that the body actively seeks perspectives of members on network direction, and is committed to honoring, as best it can, member perspectives within its decision-making.

Hive Council Membership

Hive Council members are expected to actively participate in council activities, and to act as network leaders and advocates more broadly. At this time, there are no period terms for council members (i.e., they can serve as long as they want) and there is no formal process of determining who may participate as a member of the council, so long as they are committed to actively participating in council activities and carrying out associated responsibilities. Prospective council members are typically identified and invited to join by current council members.

Hive Council Formation

The Hive Council was officially formed by a consensus vote by Hive NYC members at a network meeting on September 28th, 2018. The proposal to form the council as a governance body was developed by member participants in two interim member-led working groups – the Network Structures Working Group and Organizational Capacity Working group – that met between May and September of 2018. These groups were formed at the Hive Network Strategy Session on April 13th, 2018, and were open to all members that wished to join. Following the consensus vote to form the council at the September 2018 network meeting, members that were interested in participation opted-in to become members of the council.

Current Members

As of September 2021:

  • Elizabeth Bishop – Global Kids, council member from September 2018-present
  • Megan Butcher – Brooklyn College Community Partnership, council member from June 2019-present
  • Rita Geladze – NYC Department of Youth and Community Development, July 2021 – Current
  • Jessye Herrell – Tech Kids Unlimited, (co-chair, July 2021-June 2022) council member from March 2020-present
  • Maggie Muldoon – Mouse, council member from September 2018-present
  • Anthony Negron – NySci, (co-chair, January-December 2021) council member from September 2018-present
  • Phi Pham – Building Beats, council member from November 2020-present
  • Rafi Santo – Telos Learning/CSforALL, council member from September 2018-present
  • Laura Scheiber – Educational Video Center, council member from September 2018-present
  • Tienya Smith – Queens Public Library, council member from November 2020-present
  • Sara Vogel – New York University-Steinhardt, council member from November 2020-present

Former Hive Council Members:

  • Paul Allison – New York City Writing Project, council member from September 2018-March 2020
  • Brian Cohen – Beam Center, council member from September 2018-October 2021
  • James Gantt – Reelworks, council member from September 2018-March 2019
  • Delia Kim Sorto – Partnership for Afterschool Education, council member from September 2018-May 2020
  • Hillary Kolos – Dreamyard, council member from September 2018-October 2021
  • Meghan McDermott – Independent, council member from June 2019-May 2021
  • Ellen O’Connell – Partnership for Afterschool Education, council member from September 2018-September 2019
  • Alison Overseth – Partnership for Afterschool Education, council member from September 2018-September 2019
  • Jerelyn Rodriguez – The Knowledge House, council member from September 2018-June 2019