HELLO, my name is Joni Mitchell
Hometown: St. Paul. The first years were near the Cathedral and then [we moved] to Grand Avenue.
When did you become a member of UMRA? When I retired in 2015.
What was your very first job? My dad had a photography business in our home. After school, I worked the business—making proofs, putting wedding albums together, paying bills, and waiting on customers.
What was your occupation when you retired from FT work? I was an accountant in the College of Pharmacy.
Have you ever met or seen the other Joni Mitchell in concert? No, not in person. But that's how my husband proposed. He said, “Just think, you'd be Joni Mitchell!”
If you were an Olympic athlete, what would you like your sport to be? I played tennis for a good part of my life, and now I enjoy watching the Tennis Channel. So, I think I'd like to be a tennis Olympian.
Do you have a favorite place on the U of M campus? I love looking out over Northrop Mall from the balcony at the Campus Club.
What is a fun fact about you we might not know? I met and married my husband in nine weeks’ time. It was a whirlwind, and that was 28 years ago!
What is something you currently enjoy doing with your time? I like to travel, hike, read, play cards, entertain, and spend time with family. In the spring I make a list of all the restaurant patios I want to visit throughout the summer. Sometimes I can’t get to all of them! I’m a member of the UMRA Book Club, too.
News
The election of UMRA officers and new board members for 2024–25 will be conducted via an online poll from May 13 to 19, with the results to be announced at our annual meeting on May 21. Look for the ballot in your email inbox on May 13. Diane Young has been nominated to be president-elect.
“I convinced myself I could handle this problem without support groups or doing additional research, but that’s only because I didn’t want to make it any more real than it already was. Denial comes in many forms, and one is to avoid thinking about the problem any more than need be.” —Alice A. Larson
Meet UMRA member Peter Moe. He retired in 2023 after a career that spanned nearly half a century at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, and is credited with developing the “Arb” into one of the few in the U.S. with world-class fruit and landscape breeding programs.
The University Retirees Volunteer Center (URVC) has welcomed two new members with valuable skills and experience to the URVC Leadership Council: Lynn Slifer and Jeanne Jacobson.
The University plans to remove retirees from the @umn.edu internet identity domain on December 7. UMRA has advocated for ensuring continued access to this identity (including email, Google Workspace, and associated services), citing University retirees’ enduring contributions to and engagement with the University. Thus far, our efforts have not prompted any change of plans.
If you’re looking for an opportunity to explore your photographic interests, hone your photographic skills, and hear what other retirees are up to, the UMRA Photo Club is a great place to be. We have fun! And whatever your skill level, there is room for everybody.
Leading the online Journal of Opinions, Ideas & Essays has been a labor of love for Kris Bettin. Alas, a change in family needs has necessitated her retirement. So, JOIE is seeking a new leader to join a savvy editorial committee of five and bring fresh ideas for continued development of the UMRA-sponsored journal.
Soon you will receive an email or letter inviting you to renew your UMRA membership for the 2024–25 year. Please renew before you get busy with your summer activities. Your support helps to make our programs and many other member benefits possible!
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: