The election of UMRA officers and new board members for 2025–26 will be conducted via an online poll from May 12 to 18, with the results to be announced at our annual meeting on May 20. The slate of candidates appears below. 

According to the UMRA bylaws, the board may consist of up to 21 members, including six officers—president, president-elect, immediate past president, secretary, treasurer, and the University Retirees Volunteer Center (URVC) Leadership Council chair—plus 12 directors at large, and up to three additional directors who have served as president. 

At the annual meeting on May 20, UMRA members may nominate individuals not put forth by the Nominating Committee, provided the nominating person has the consent of the nominee. If there are no additional nominations, the results of the online ballot will stand. Terms for those elected begin on July 1, 2025.

Online voting makes it convenient for more members to participate. Look for the UMRA Election Ballot in your email inbox on May 12. 

The Nominating Committee presents the following slate of candidates for approval:

President-elect
Sally Gregory Kohlstedt came to Minnesota in 1989 as professor in the History of Science and Technology Program and the Department of Geology and, simultaneously, as associate dean in what is now the College of Science and Engineering (CSE). She previously taught at Simmons College and Syracuse University, had senior Fulbright fellowships to the University of Melbourne and University of Auckland, and was a visiting professor at Ludwig Maximilian University in Munich. An active historian, she served as president of the History of Science Society, which recently awarded her its annual Sarton Medal for a lifetime of scholarly achievement. For the past six years, she has served on the Minnesota Fulbright Board. 

On campus, Sally held administrative positions in CSE, the College of Liberal Arts, and the Graduate School. She initiated the UMRA Cabinets of Curiosity program to highlight the art and science collections on campus. She and her geophysicist husband, David Kohlstedt, often attend events on campus. As president-elect of UMRA, she hopes to enhance UMRA programming and work with members to build ever stronger relationships among them and with university colleagues, and in serving the larger community. Currently, Sally is serving on the Planning Committee for the annual Big Ten Retirees Association Conference to be hosted by UMRA in August 2026.

New Board members

Gary Engstrand served as assistant to the vice president for administration and planning from 1975 to 1986 and secretary to the faculty committees from 1987 to 2014. He retired in 2016 after two years in the dean’s office of the College of Education and Human Development. In the first role, he helped plan the growth of support for women’s athletics; in the second, he served as professional staff to a number of faculty and University senate committees. He joined UMRA in 2018 and served briefly as UMRA secretary. He helped to create the UMRA Facebook group in 2020 and since then has served as an administrator of the group, which is open to all U of M retirees. He looks forward to contributing to UMRA’s continued growth and development. 

John Finnegan grew up in Minnesota, where he worked as a journalist in the 1970s. He earned MA and PhD degrees in mass communication, joining the U of M School of Public Health (SPH) as staff in 1980 and faculty in 1986. His research and teaching focused on outcomes of promoting community health and well-being across population groups, including strategies to effect social and behavioral equity. He served as SPH dean from 2005 to 2022, when he retired. He lives in St. Paul with his wife, Janice Finnegan. He currently serves as UMRA’s liaison to the University’s Board of Regents.

Officers nominated for a third, one-year term

Laurie Koch, secretary, joined the University faculty in 1987. She is a Distinguished University Teaching Professor of mathematics. During her tenure, she was associate vice provost and associate dean for undergraduate education, with responsibility for freshman seminars, orientation, first-year programs, the SMART Learning Commons, the Center for Academic Planning & Exploration, the President’s Emerging Scholars Program, and campus-wide student services initiatives. She was the director of international initiatives for the College of Education and Human Development, and one of her many joys was leading study abroad students to Italy. She served as chair of the Senate Committee on Educational Policy and chair of the Faculty Academic Oversight Committee on Intercollegiate Athletics. Laurie joined UMRA in 2020 and was first elected to the UMRA Board in 2021.

Kristy Frost-Griep, treasurer, began her career as a certified public accountant at Deloitte & Touche. She then spent six years as accounting manager at Bloomington Schools and five years at the Wilder Foundation. She joined the University as finance manager in the Office of the Vice President for Health Sciences, later transitioning to finance director for the office of Academic Clinical Affairs. She retired in 2021, but still works part time assisting that office. Responsibilities have included non-sponsored and sponsored budgeting, reporting, analysis, pre- and post-award grant support, and financial policy interpretation at the project, department, collegiate, and executive levels.

Board members nominated for a second, three-year term

John Bantle is Emeritus Professor of Medicine and former director of the Division of Endocrinology and Diabetes at the University. He practiced clinical endocrinology and focused on diabetes research during his 45-year career at the U. He was a Minnesota principal investigator for the landmark Diabetes Control and Complications Trial, and an investigator in several other multicenter clinical trials. He co-chaired the American Diabetes Association panels that developed nutrition recommendations, in 2002 and 2006, for people with diabetes. As an UMRA member, John hopes to strengthen the Professional Development Grants for Retirees program and increase student mentorship within the program.

Russell Luepker joined the University in 1976 with appointments in public health and medicine, serving for 14 years as chair of the Division of Epidemiology and Community Health and practicing clinical medicine at University Hospital. He retired in 2020, but continues to teach two courses in the Master of Science in Clinical Research program, and to perform research funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Russell is known worldwide for his NIH-supported research in community programs for disease prevention and surveillance of cardiovascular diseases in populations. His honors include distinguished service awards from the American Heart Association; a 2010 U of M President’s Award for Outstanding Service; a National Merit Award from Delta Omega, the public health honorary society; an honorary doctorate from Lund University (Sweden) and being named Mayo Professor of Public Health. He serves UMRA on the Planning Committee for the 2026 Big Ten Retirees Association Conference and the U of M Benefits Advisory Committee. 

Kate Maple served as assistant dean for student services in the College of Design from 2006 until her retirement in 2019. Before joining the college’s leadership team, she served as assistant dean in the College of Human Ecology (1989–2006) and director of student services in the College of Agriculture (1983–1989). She has been active in a leadership capacity on a wide range of boards and committees at the University, as well as in the non-profit sector, including a term as president of the U of M Campus Club Board. She is a recipient of the John Tate Award for Academic Advising and the College of Human Ecology Dean’s Award for Excellence. She holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in theatre design from the University and is now active in the local arts community, focusing on painting and drawing.

Continuing Officers

Diane Young automatically becomes president following her election last year as president-elect for 2025–26. She joined UMRA in 2019 after a 25-year career in fundraising at the University. She served as development officer in the then College of Natural Resources, as regional development officer at the U of M Foundation, and as development director in Global Programs and Strategy Alliance. Currently, Diane serves on the Planning Committee for the 2026 Big Ten Retirees Association Conference to be hosted by UMRA. She also serves as lead for the UMRA Host Team. 

Before moving to Minnesota in 1989, Diane earned degrees in Spanish at Penn State and at Southern Connecticut State University. She taught Spanish in high schools in Connecticut and upstate New York and at the State University of New York at Cortland. She moved to Minnesota from Ithaca, New York, when her husband, Nevin Young, joined the U of M faculty. Diane and Nevin live in the University Grove neighborhood in Falcon Heights and have one daughter, Patricia.

Julie Sweitzer automatically continues as immediate past president. Julie joined UMRA in 2020 after serving the University for 32 years and retiring as executive director of the College Readiness Consortium and co-director of the Educational Equity Resource Center in the College of Education and Human Development. Previously, she was director of the Office of Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action and served as its associate general counsel. She holds a master of public affairs degree from the Hubert H. Humphrey School of Public Affairs and a JD from the University Law School. 

Jerry Rinehart automatically continues as chair of the URVC Council. He joined UMRA in 2014 after retiring as vice provost and dean of students, U of M Twin Cities campus, and served as UMRA president in 2018–19.

Continuing board members (year term on board expires)

Brad Clary (2026), Diane Gihl (2026), Michael Hancher (2026), Jan McCulloch (2026), Barbara Shiels (2026), Peggy Mann Rinehart (2027), and Wendy Pradt Lougee (2027).

—Eric Hockert, UMRA past president and Nominating Committee chair