HELLO, my name is Vicki Gaylord
Hometown: River Falls, Wisconsin
When did you join UMRA? 2020
What was your very first job? When I was nine years old, I mowed the neighbor lady’s yard that summer for 50 cents a time. I used a rotary mower that was taller than me. After a few times she came to me and apologetically said she was giving the job to the teenage boy in the neighborhood, who charged $5 a time; her reason was, “because he asked me, and he’s a boy.”
What was your occupation when you retired from FT work? In 1988, I was hired as the first publications coordinator for the Institute on Community Integration (ICI), a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities. I was tasked with managing and growing ICI’s just-established Publications Office, which provided publishing and communications support for ICI projects and centers. I held that position for 32 years.
What are a couple highlights of your work at ICI that stand out in your memory? One of my roles was managing editor of ICI’s flagship publication Impact. Over the years, I worked with 1,000+ individuals from around the world who authored the personal stories, research, best practices, and big-picture perspectives published in its pages. Among my most meaningful experiences in that role were when people contacted me about using Impact in their work or personal lives.
For instance, when we published a feature issue on violence against women with disabilities, the U.S. Air Force included it in a resource guide on sexual and domestic violence placed on every USAF base worldwide. When we released the issue on the justice system and people with disabilities, the International Association of Chiefs of Police promoted it to its 45,000 members. And when we put out the issue on inclusive K–12 education, a Midwestern mom called asking for copies to distribute at her local school board meeting as she advocated for her child’s educational rights.
You are an active member of UMRA's Family History Interest Group (FHIG). How did you become interested in family history and the group? As I retired, we were in COVID lockdown and my plans for retirement activities went on hold. So, I started sorting through 200 years’ worth of family photos, documents, and other things I’d inherited from earlier generations who’d been preserving our family history. I contacted cousins I hadn’t seen for decades to ask family history questions, and that evolved into a recurring Cousins Chat virtual gathering in which we shared family history stories. I created family history slide shows for the cousins, which became Zoom videos we passed on to children and grandchildren.
FHIG gave me the opportunity to do some of those presentations to that group, as well. It’s been a terrific way to turn the limitations of the pandemic into something of lasting value in my family and perhaps beyond.
What is a fun fact about you we might not know? I witnessed the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980.
News
The election of UMRA officers and board members for 2026-27 will be held online from Monday, May 11, through Sunday, May 17, with the results to be announced at UMRA’s 2026 Annual Meeting and Luncheon Forum on Tuesday, May 19. Nanette Hanks, nominated to become UMRA's next president-elect, tops the slate of candidates approved by the current Board of Directors during its meeting on Monday, March 23.
Proposed changes to the UMRA Bylaws will be on this year’s election ballot along with the nominees for officers and directors. The updates to the bylaws were drafted in response to changes proposed by the Nominating Committee and Membership and Communication Committee, and were approved by UMRA’s Board of Directors in November 2025.
Meet UMRA member Mike Amidon, whose career in computers and information technology spans the years when the Gopher system was developed at the U of M and then quickly eclipsed by the World Wide Web. Remember the days before the internet?
In partnership with Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs Beth Lewis, UMRA has been helping current University faculty members to decide whether and when to retire. It’s an experience only actual retirees can truly share.
If getting to know more retiree colleagues and serving the University community were among your goals in joining UMRA, sign up for one of the Silver Gopher Service Corps volunteer projects and come for the fun—and teamwork!
Northrop Organist Greg Zelek will team up with the University Singers, led by U of M professor and director of choral activities Matthew Mehaffey, for a can’t-miss concert blending choral and organ works at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 29. Northrop is offering UMRA members a 20% discount on tickets.
The SparkPath Young Authors Conference (YAC) program gives 4th- to 8th-grade students the opportunity to learn from professionals with actual writing experience. The University Retirees Volunteer Center is seeking volunteers to assist with several conferences to be held at Bethel University in St. Paul in May.
Plans are well underway for UMRA to host the 2026 Big Ten Retirees Association Conference this July on the Twin Cities campus in Minneapolis. There are a few, limited volunteer opportunities that may be of interest to you.
Do you remember when “Driven to Discover” was new? Do you know what is taking its place? For the answers to these and similar questions you may have, join UMRA’s Campus Conversation with Chris Gade, U of M vice president for marketing communications, on Tuesday, April 7.