HELLO, my name is Lee Munnich
Hometown: Minneapolis
When did you join UMRA? 2021
What was your very first job? Minneapolis Morning Tribune carrier salesman. In the 1950s, that’s what they called paperboys, who were also expected to sell newspaper subscriptions. I won two trips to Chicago on the Milwaukee Road train for selling subscriptions.
What was your occupation when you retired from FT work? Senior fellow and director of the Humphrey School’s State and Local Policy Program. I worked part time as a senior researcher studying transportation policy and economic competitiveness at the Humphrey School for five years after retiring from my full-time position.
What was your first car? 1947 Chevy
If you could learn a new skill, what would you like it to be? I’d like to learn more about how the brain works.
Do you have a favorite place on the U of M campus? The railroad walk bridge over the Mississippi River between the East Bank and downtown Minneapolis. It’s part of one of my favorite daily walks from my condo on the river.
What is a fun fact about you we might not know? I was elected twice to the Minneapolis City Council, representing the 7th Ward in the 1970s.
What is something you currently enjoy doing with your time? I enjoy activities with other residents of La Rive Condominiums where my wife, Kevina Munnich, and I have lived for the past six years. I organize our La Rive “Great Conversations” lecture series, participate in a social and racial justice group, and have hosted a Zoom TGIF for La Rive residents during the pandemic.
Kevina and I visited Australia and New Zealand in 2018 as part of a study trip to learn about New Zealand’s distance-based road pricing system for funding transportation, and we are looking forward to traveling again as the pandemic subsides: Louisville in April to spend time with our daughter and granddaughters; Washington, DC, in early June for our Georgetown University reunion; an Ireland tour in mid-June; and an Italy tour in September.
News
Make your own discoveries in Portugal in 2025 on this journey to medieval monasteries, fertile vineyards and cities that are equal parts history and modern energy. Deadline to express an interest is Friday June 7, 2024.
Spend eight nights in Madrid and Barcelona in 2025. Express your interest by June 7, 2024.
Embrace the colorful history of the Canadian Maritime provinces for 11 nights in 2025. Express your interest by June 7, 2024.
Spend four nights in Québec City in 2025. Express your interest by June 7, 2024.
Spend 9 nights on the Douro River in Portugal in 2025. Express your interest by June 7, 2024.
Embrace and explore Mexico City as it showcases all facets of Mexico’s national character in 2025. Deadline to express an interest is Friday, June 7, 2024.
Bright and bold living history awaits you in beautiful St. Augustine, Florida in 2025. Express your interest by June 7, 2024.
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.
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.
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.
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: