Meetings with Regents Davenport and Mayeron were cordial, informative
UMRA President Bill Donohue has invited the four newly elected members of the University of Minnesota Board of Regents to meet informally with members of UMRA. The goal is for us to become acquainted with the new Regents. The first two meetings took place in early December in a large conference room provided by Lynn Praska at the University of Minnesota Foundation.
Regent Mary Davenport, an at-large regent, met with about 40 UMRA members on December 2. She is a former administrator with 30 years’ experience with Minnesota State Colleges and Universities. Regent Janie Mayeron, from the 5th Congressional District, met with about 20 UMRA members on a snowy day one week later. She is a retired United States magistrate judge and lawyer.
Both gatherings were hour-long conversations that had the attendees asking questions regarding such topics as the future of the University, the role of the regents in promoting a positive image and story about the University, the role of the regents in the Department of Athletics and academic freedom, and what role UMRA can play to assist the University.
Attendees were impressed with the experience and knowledge that both women bring to the Board of Regents. Both were open and candid in their discussions.
Similar meetings to get acquainted with At-Large Representative Kao Ly Ilean Her and Student At-Large Representative Mike Kenyanya are being planned for 2020.
—Donna Peterson, Board of Directors
Meet Regent Janie S. Mayeron
Mon, December 9 2019, 11:15am
McNamara Alumni Center, 5th Floor Large Conference Room
Regent Janie S. Mayeron will be our special guest on Monday, December 9, at an informal meeting to be held in the University of Minnesota Foundation large conference room on the fifth floor of the McNamara Alumni Center from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
UMRA has arranged this meeting (the second of four) for our members to get acquainted with the four individuals elected to the University of Minnesota Board of Regents in May.
Please email Bill Donohue or Donna Peterson if you plan to attend. (There is no charge and reservations are not required, but we’d like to have a sense of how many will attend.)
Representing Congressional District 5, Regent Mayeron is a retired United States magistrate judge and lawyer. As a lawyer, she specialized in civil litigation and mediation. Mayeron received a bachelor of arts degree in sociology from the University of Minnesota in 1973 and a law degree from the University in 1976.
She has held numerous leadership positions in a variety of nonprofit and legal organizations, including as president of the University of Minnesota Alumni Association. For her service to the public and the law, Mayeron received the University of Minnesota Alumni Service Award, the WCCO Good Neighbor Award, and the Highland Park Senior High School Hall of Fame Award.
We look forward to getting to know Regent Mayeron, and to learning her thoughts about serving as a regent and the direction of the University.
Our first meeting, with Regent Mary A. Davenport on Monday, December 2, was well attended, and generated an amiable, wide-ranging, and thoughtful discussion. Similar meetings, to get acquainted with At-Large Representative Kao Ly Ilean Her and Student At-Large Representative Mike Kenyanya, are being planned for 2020.
Upcoming Events
Our July 15 "hike" is going to be a kayaking adventure on Bde Maka Ska (formerly Lake Calhoun) and Lake of the Isles! If you don't have a kayak (or paddleboard), Wheel Fun Rentals, located next to the new concession stand rents single kayaks at $15 an hour and double kayaks at $25. The second hour is free if we rent before noon. Life jackets are provided with the rental.
Laura Ericksen will lead the discussion of How Stella Learned to Talk by Christina Hunger, a true story by a speech-language pathologist who taught her dog, Stella, to communicate using buttons associated with different words.
Our August 5 hike will be a reprise of our hike last summer at William O'Brien State Park. This is a beautiful park with a winding trail and a great view of the countryside. The hike is about 5.5 to 6 miles and we'll go at a moderate pace with frequent water breaks. After the hike, we will eat lunch at Rustic Roots Winery, a half mile north of the park.
Kathy Cramer will lead the discussion of The Bookbinder by Pip Williams, a book set in 1914 Oxford chronicling the life of Peggy who works in the University bindery, but craves a life beyond binding books but to being a scholar herself.
Enjoy a two-hour cruise on the Jonathan Padelford, leaving from the Harriet Island dock in St. Paul, boarding time at 5:30 p.m. We will have a brief program on board by Patrick Nunnally from the River Life Program of the Institute on the Environment.
August 31 is the due date for annual reports and updates. Annual Reports, Toolkits, web page updates, operating document updates and archives collections are all due each year on this date.
Autumn is a wonderful season in Minnesota so plan to join UMRA at the Andersen Horticultural Library at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Kristen Mastel, head librarian and curator, will reveal its treasure trove of publications and artifacts relating to plant history, horticulture, and natural history. After the tour, those who are interested may stay to eat lunch together, sitting outside if the weather is nice. Later, you are invited to a one-hour tram tour of the entire Arboretum that includes natural areas of flowering shrubs, bogs, and forests, family garden and landscaping showpieces, and the red barn farm
After a summer break the UMRA Photo Club will next meet September 10, 2024 in the meeting room of the Hennepin County St. Anthony Branch Library. For those interested in lunch, meet at the Great Dragon at 11:30 am. For September the THEME will be Curves
We will continue to discuss the pros and cons of Medicare Advantage. You will also hear about notable non-health plan and non-broker resources.