From the President Archives
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After the long pandemic shutdown, many of us were excited to once again attend an in-person UMRA luncheon and forum in May. Zoom is great, but it can’t fully duplicate the experience of gathering in person—the table chats, the hallway conversations, the fun of meeting interesting new people. In person, you can experience nuance and serendipity to a much greater extent than you can when you are meeting virtually.
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UMRA goes down to the corner bar one day to hang out with some other associations. One of them saunters up and says, “Hey UMRA! What’s your racket?” UMRA replies, “What’s my racket? Opportunities, pal, opportunities.”
And so it is. At its core, our association is all about providing opportunities to one another.
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This is my last column as UMRA president. Our forerunners in the organization had the wisdom to make this a one-year job, but with a required year of preparation as president-elect, and at least one year of service on the board as past-president. One thing I’ve learned so far—besides that the president needs to remember to bring the chocolate treats to the annual meeting—is that the energy of our members and their collective wisdom are what keep us moving and growing and rising to meet opportunities.
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As I write this in mid-March, the temperature outdoors is below zero, but my neighbors in rural Wisconsin are getting their equipment out in the woods ready to tap their trees. They’re anticipating the freeze/thaw weather that brings the sap and sugars so that they can make syrup. The trees feel spring coming before we do.
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In my circle of family and friends, where there was once agreement on what is safe behavior in the pandemic, there is now more clamor. COVID case numbers and positivity rates are declining, and we all want to spend time together again. But, while we each look at the same data from the Minnesota Department of Health, we take away very different conclusions about what to do with it.
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Have you ever had a conversation with someone about to retire from the University and heard something like, “I’ve heard about UMRA, but I don’t think I want to join the organization because it’s mostly retired (insert faculty/staff/other category)”?
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January was named by the Romans for Janus, their god of change and beginnings. S/he is depicted as having two faces, one looking forward and one back. There are many different new year’s traditions around the world, some to bring closure to the old year and others to bring good fortune in the new. As I write this in dark December, I’m looking forward to 2022. UMRA board and committee members are working in several ways to bring us together in the new year.
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UMRA runs on the energy and inspiration of members who get involved to organize, to lead, to participate. Here’s news about some recent personnel changes.
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In the Before Times*, a person could go to a community event or an UMRA program or a favorite coffee shop and have random encounters with people they know and people they’d like to meet. We had a rare opportunity for encountering each other on August 17, a sunny day in St. Paul when about 100 UMRA members and guests met for lunch together by Lake Como at the UMRA Summer Social. The day was a delight and so were the conversations.
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This is my first column as UMRA’s president, and I’m looking forward to the year ahead. As I write this, it’s not yet clear when we will be able to meet again in person and inside, but we’ve begun to plan our transition back, or, maybe more accurately, our transition forward, since our post-pandemic UMRA activities may be different in some ways from the “before” days.
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When I became UMRA president, I did not expect the challenges that occurred: the campus closed, Corona reigned, and in-person meetings were stopped. I did, however, learn a lot about UMRA and how it operated in accomplishing its services to its members. The leadership and governance worked as a team, program directors provided program options, and you, the membership, continued to be interested, helpful, and engaged.
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“How not to sound old.” I hope you joined this UMRA workshop in early March. I found it enlightening and I do practice my voice exercises every morning.
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I hope you are safe and well and have considered the COVID-19 vaccine if it has been offered to you. Check with your health system, health provider, or the Minnesota Department of Health to see if you qualify and where the administration sites are located.
The UMRA A.M., Living Well Workshop, and UMRA Forum webinars via Zoom were all technically and expertly supported by Virgil Larson, John Anderson, and the UMRA Zoom Team in January and February. The team will continue their support as we move into March and beyond. Many thanks to Virgil and the team.
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Retiree plan retirement tier. The Retirement Subcommittee of the Senate Committee on Faculty Affairs, including Ken Larson, UMRA representative, is considering a retirement tier in the University’s retirement plan, adding both investment and planning tools and products. Deputy Chief Investment Officer Andrew Parks, CFA, has been invited to give a presentation to the UMRA Board at its January meeting. The Retirement Subcommittee will continue its deliberations at its February 2021 meeting.
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I hope, in spite of the challenges, you have a satisfactory and gratifying holiday season. UMRA, with your support, made it through 2020 and is looking forward to a vibrant new year.
At the UMRA Board meeting in November, the University of Minnesota Foundation (UMF) made a presentation on the University campaign, Driven. The campaign is well on its way to exceeding the $4 billion goal, and UMRA giving has been a solid part of this success.
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