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, at 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
Meeting to plan books for next year.
There has been a lot in the news recently about the University of Minnesota Medical School, University of Minnesota Physicians, and Fairview Health Services. Please join us at breakfast on January 8 for a respectful and engaging discussion of their relationship.
The theme for January is great MN views.
52 Loaves: One Man's Relentless Pursuit of Truth, Meaning, and a Perfect Crust by William Alexander will be the selection for discussion when the UMRA Book Club gathers via Zoom for its first monthly meeting of 2026.
Developing a sense of identity is a central psychological task of the lifespan. Memories and stories from our personal past, as well as cultural memories and stories in society play key roles in how we develop our identities. This presentation will discuss psychological theory and research on how memories and stories make us who we are.
When you are of Icelandic descent you can trace your ancestors back to around 1200 and sometimes further.
Bleak House by Charles Dickens.
Here’s another great opportunity to buy discounted tickets and join your UMRA friends to cheer for the Gophers when the Women’s Basketball team hosts the Purdue Boilermakers at Williams Arena in Minneapolis on February 1.
Join fellow UMRA members for a morning hike in Theodore Wirth Park to celebrate Groundhog Day on Monday, February 2.
UMRA’s special event for this winter will again be a celebration of brighter days and the approaching end of winter. We’ll have food, fellowship, and music provided by Urban Sound, one of the University’s premier student a cappella ensembles.
Family history with Jim Kurle. A tale of Swedish emigration to Dunn County, North Dakota, including my grandfather whose unusual relationship to several churches and religion in general was one of the reasons for his emigrating.
UMRA’s Cabinets of Curiosity tour on Thursday, February 12, will offer an inside look into the rich resources of the University Libraries Borchert Map Library. Map Librarian Ryan Mattke will showcase the treasures and innovations of one of the largest map libraries in the U.S.
Growing Up by Russell Baker.