Do it for the team
I’ve been an UMRA member for more than a decade and each year I’m impressed anew by the energy and dedication of those who do the work of the organization. They’re all volunteers.
It takes a lot of work to plan and produce our monthly programs, our social events, our special interest group meetings, our newsletter, our website, and our database operations. The volunteers come from all parts of the University and freely give their time to make UMRA happen.
I invite you to join in their efforts. But if that’s not possible, there’s something else you can do to help support UMRA: Renew your membership.
Perhaps you haven’t been able to take part in any of UMRA’s many activities this past year, or you may not have found ones that suit you. Even so, your dues payment would be a real help. UMRA is a dues-supported organization, and we need dues money to pay for our ever-increasing operating expenses.
If you’ve already renewed your membership for 2027, thank you! If your membership has lapsed, you can easily reinstate it online. Go to umra.umn.edu > Portal > Renew Membership. If you have trouble renewing, email [email protected] and one of UMRA’s tech volunteers will help you.
You can also renew by mailing a check. Contact UMRA Treasurer Kristy Frost-Griep at [email protected] for instructions.
UMRA is a worthy organization to support. I hope you’ll renew and find it possible and appealing to participate in one of our activities in the coming year.
—Ron Matross, UMRA Membership and Communication committee chair
News
Since its inception 40 years ago, the University Retirees Volunteer Center has focused on identifying where help is needed within the University community and has provided opportunities for thousands of retirees to use their skills, experience, and interests to help address those needs.
I’ve been an UMRA member for more than a decade and each year I’m impressed anew by the energy and dedication of the volunteers who do the work of the organization. I invite you to join in their efforts. But if that’s not possible, there’s something else you can do to help support UMRA: Renew your membership.
You don’t have to go far, and you don’t have to drink coffee. It’s the conversation that matters. It’s a new, experimental effort being organized by the wizards of UMRA; a meet-up of members who live in the same zip code.
Beginning January 1, 2027, the University of Minnesota is making updates to medical plans, the pharmacy vendor, and the Wellbeing Program incentive that apply to retirees and dependents enrolled in these plans.
The University of Minnesota has had a presence at the Great Minnesota Get-Together for 167 years. And on September 3, 2026, UMRA made its Minnesota State Fair debut to talk with fairgoers (on Seniors Day) about retirement and to promote opportunities to volunteer through our University Retirees Volunteer Center.
Like all of us, UMRA member Barbara Heinemann has been reflecting on 9/11 and life in the 25 years since then, with mixed feelings.
December 31 is the application deadline for UMRA’s 2027 Professional Development Grants for Retirees competition. Retirees from all five University of Minnesota campuses are eligible to apply. We invited Brad Hokanson, professor emeritus, UMN Department of Design Innovation, to tell us about the work supported by his 2026 grant to promote teaching creativity in high schools.
Meet UMRA member and volunteer extraordinaire Kay Louis. She devoted her career as an Extension educator — “bringing the University to the people” — to developing and providing programming for adults and youth.
The UMRA membership year runs from July 1 through June 30 of the following year. If you haven’t yet renewed your membership for 2027, it’s definitely time to do so!
UMRA has a Facebook group that is open to UMN retirees and others with close ties to the University, for posting messages about anything University- or retiree-related. Learn more.
This will be a new regular column where you can find organizational tasks that need your help! We are currently looking for help researching a new UMRA Membership Database and URVC volunteer database, and a co-producer for UMRA's Zoom webinars. See more details: