Big Ten 2025 Conference
Diane Young, president, and Sally Kohlstedt, president-elect, represented UMRA at the 2025 Big Ten Retirees Association (BTRA) Conference held in August at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.
They were part of a group of 38 delegates and 7 guests from 14 of the 18 schools in the Big Ten. The conference featured speakers and breakout sessions on aging and the effective organization of retiree associations.
Minnesota will host the 2026 BTRA Conference. With Eric Hockert, UMRA past president, serving as conference chair, the steering committee has already been working on plans for more than a year.
News
The Campus Club’s Dale Shephard Room provided a perfect venue for nearly 30 UMRA members and guests to interact with University of Minnesota Vice President Chris Gade for UMRA’s first Campus Conversation. His presentation focused on the new vision and strategy for University Marketing Communications.
Meet UMRA member and photojournalist David Hansen. He devoted nearly 50 years working for the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station to promote University of Minnesota research discoveries, in pictures. “I loved my University work. Every day,” he said.
Professor Emeritus John Romano is the newest member of the University Retirees Volunteer Center Leadership Council. Throughout his University experience, he has been a leader among those providing mental health support for students on campus.
I grew up surrounded by positive people. My parents both lived to be 98, and I never heard either of them complain as they grew older. In that spirit, I’d like to share with you some thoughts on the advantages of getting older, as I experience it.
The Association of Retirement Organizations in Higher Education (AROHE) invites you to join retirees from across the country at the biennial 2026 AROHE Conference taking place October 6–8 in Gainesville, Florida.