As we repeatedly say, UMRA is run by volunteers, including the officers and members of the Board of Directors. I hope you saw the two articles in the January and February UMRA eNews calling for nominations, including encouragement of self-nominations. (We don’t know you’re interested unless you tell us!) 

Per the UMRA Bylaws, a Nominating Committee consisting of two board members (John Bantle and Kate Maple), three non-board members (Kay Louis, Jeanne Markell, and Will Craig), the immediate past president (Julie Sweitzer), and president-elect (Sally Gregory Kohlstedt) has met to consider the many nominees. 

Also, 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. 

We identified a president-elect, a secretary, and three candidates to replace the three people leaving the board, and we’re excited to introduce the nominees to you (below).

In addition, we propose that Kristy Frost-Griep continue as treasurer for another one-year renewable term, based on her excellent management of UMRA funds for the past three years. Michael Hancher and Brad Clary were active board members during their first three-year terms, and each is nominated to continue for a second, three-year term.

Election to be held online

UMRA members will have the opportunity to approve or reject the slate of candidates in the election to be held online from Monday, May 11, through Sunday, May 17. The results will be announced at UMRA’s 2026 annual meeting and luncheon forum on Tuesday, May 19. The slate of candidates for the election was approved by the current Board of Directors during its meeting on Monday, March 23. 

This year’s election will also include proposed revisions to UMRA’s Bylaws. See “Updating the UMRA Bylaws” for details. The voting is being held online, as it has been in recent years, to make it convenient for more people to vote. 

Sally Gregory Kohlstedt is our current president-elect and will automatically become president as of July 1. Diane Young, current president, will serve on the board next year as immediate past-president. Jerry Rinehart will also continue as an officer in his role as URVC Council chair. 

We thank Jan McCulloch, Barbara Shiels, and Diane Gihl for their excellent service on the UMRA board as their terms end. We also thank Laurie Koch for serving as secretary and for preparing accurate minutes every month. 

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

President-elect
Nanette Hanks (pictured above) joined UMRA in March 2023 and has been an active member of the Program Committee and Hiking Club. Some of you may know she has hiked the Camino de Santiago [trail] approximately 40 times, and leads tours of the Camino. Nanette retired in 2023 as assistant dean for curriculum in College of Liberal Arts, which included a stint planning and occasionally teaching in a program for state prisoners. She also led collegiate initiatives for student recruitment, and developed strategies for retention and graduation. Nanette is honored and delighted to take on this leadership role in UMRA. 

Secretary

Aileen Lyle has been an UMRA member since 2022, and an active member of the Special Events Committee and Host Committee. Before retiring, she was a senior lecturer in the Department of Mathematics, teaching mathematics courses to actuarial students, and she is still a credentialed actuary. She has previous experience on boards with the Salvation Army, YWCA, and Superior Hiking Trail. Those who have worked with Aileen praised her spirit and her efficient and reliable teamwork. 

New Board members

Nancy Carpenter was a professor of chemistry on the UMN Morris campus, served as acting assistant vice chancellor for academic affairs and as McNair grant program director; and was active in faculty governance before retiring in 2020. Her primary volunteer role with UMRA has been serving on the Professional Development Grants for Retirees review committee for four years. We’re glad to include a Morris representative on the board, since we recently incorporated the University of Minnesota Morris Retirees Association as a formal UMRA special interest group and have many active members from that campus.

Carol Chomsky retired in 2024 from the University of Minnesota Law School as a professor, and was active in faculty governance, as well as in multiple positions supporting women and people of color in law and academic roles. She has volunteered for UMRA as a moderator for both online workshops and in-person forums, and was an UMRA panelist on a recent “Demystifying the Transition to Emeriti Status” Zoom call hosted by the Vice President for Faculty and Academic Affairs. Carol has attended and enjoyed UMRA forums, workshops, and social activities. 

Jane Glazebrook retired in 2020 from the College of Biological Sciences as a professor in the Department of Plant and Microbial Biology, where she researched disease resistance in plants. She has served on the UMRA Program Committee for two years, and UMRA President Diane Young credits her for developing several tools that have helped the Program Committee manage its work. Jane also assisted with UMRA’s transition to Wild Apricot, and the revision of UMRA’s bylaws to be voted on this spring. Outside of UMRA, Jane is an active volunteer in the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), so if you want to know more about participating or teaching in OLLI, ask Jane!

Nominated for a second three-year term
Bradley G. Clary retired from the University in 2020 as Emeritus Clinical Professor of Law.

Michael Hancher joined UMRA in 2023 after a half century as a professor of English at the University. 

Continuing Board members

Sally Gregory Kohlstedt (pictured above) automatically becomes president following her election last year as president-elect. After retiring from the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine program in 2022, she initiated the UMRA Cabinets of Curiosity program to highlight the art and science collections on campus. Building on her experiences in 2025-26 with the UMRA Program Committee, URVC, and UMRA Special Events Committee, she hopes, as president, to continue the momentum as we build our dynamic and engaged membership, and to deepen relationships among members and with the University community. Currently, Sally is serving on the Planning Committee for the 2026 Big Ten Retirees Association Conference to be hosted by UMRA in July.

Diane Young automatically continues as immediate past president. She is also serving on the Planning Committee for the 2026 Big Ten Retirees Association Conference.

Jerry Rinehart automatically continues as chair of the URVC Leadership Council.

Other continuing board members (and the years their terms on the board expire) are John Bantle (2028), Gary Engstrand (2028), John Finnegan (2028), Wendy Lougee (2027), Russell Luepker (2028), Kate Maple (2028), and Peggy Mann Rinehart (2027); and past presidents Julie Sweitzer, Eric Hockert, and Ron Matross.

Please be on the lookout for the UMRA Election email with the link to the ballot—which will go out the morning of Monday, May 11—and be sure to cast your vote. The voting will be online, as it has been in recent years, to make it convenient for more people to vote. The polling will be closed at 6 p.m. on Sunday, May 17.

—Julie Sweitzer, UMRA Nominating Committee chair and past president (2025-25)