The Walter Hive

“Mary strawn chair president and jennifer ericson treasurer have a business relationship through joint ownership of walter station brewery and by virtue of the treasurer being the ceo of an entity owned by the spouse of the chair. Jennifer ericson also worked for kirk llc as ceo until march 1, 2020 which is owned by mary strawns husband.”

“The cfo of the organization distributes a pdf copy of the 990 to all board members for review and comment prior to the return being filed.”

“At each board and committee meeting, if there is a discussion of selecting or engaging a vendor or service provider, all in attendance are asked to recuse themselves from this discussion if there could be a perceived conflict. Annually, the organization reviews and discusses the conflict of interest policy and requests that each board member list and acknowledge any known conflicts.”

“The board reviews the compensation for the officer by comparing their compensation to the compensation of individuals in like positions in comparable organizations using forms 990, compensation studies, and other available data. The board then approves any changes in compensation based on this information. An individual who is a member of the board who receives compensation, directly or indirectly from the organization for services, is precluded from participating in discussions or votes pertaining to their own compensation.”

“The organization will provide in a timely manner, financial statements, and governing documents including its conflict of interest policies when requested in writing or in person.”

“Program age target is 13-18 years. Workshops are modeled on a 5-day workshop where students are initially instructed with creative design on computers, arduino and robotics, led programming, 3d printing, painting, woodworking and welding. The participants then design and build an interactive community art project. Small groups of teens work together on conceptualization, project management with material lists, and time management for completion and installation. The week culminates with a gallery exhibit within the walter art gallery where the families and community are invited to celebrate the projects. The art pieces are then moved and installed at the home of the nonprofit. Working in small groups gives the student an introduction to developing technical skills along with soft skills that translate to good job performance. Giving teens the pathways for employment broadens their hands-on experience for application in vocational studies or immediate employment during their education. The 2005 skills gap survey reported that technical skills will play an important role in meeting the needs of employers in the upcoming years. Vocational training courses or work-study programs can teach marketable technical or occupational skills.”

“In additional programming opportunities, the walter hive provides project based internships through arizona state university. These internships give collegiate students hands-on classroom instruction for the arts and stem education. Students are guided through instruction for community partnership programs along with community-based open workshops. They gain experience in program design and workshop curriculum, teaching skills and measuring metrics and outcomes. The full cycle of educational opportunity is in constant motion. At risk students learn directly from this connection with older students and allow youth to explore careers, learn about education options, identify ideas for employment and job opportunities, and find support.”