Nominations sought for UMRA officers and board members
The 2023 UMRA Nominating Committee has begun its work to identify a slate of candidates for UMRA board members and officers. We invite you to nominate yourself or other members for election to these important positions in our organization. The committee will consider nominations and make recommendations to the current board at its March 27 meeting.
The members of UMRA will elect board members and officers at our annual meeting in May. We will elect up to four board members, each for a three-year term (2023–26, renewable); a treasurer and a secretary, each for a one-year term (renewable); and a president-elect, for a one-year term followed by one year as president and a third year as past president. The president, treasurer, secretary, president-elect, and past president comprise the Executive Committee of the UMRA Board of Directors.
I’m pleased to lead the 2023 Nominating Committee with the following members appointed by the current board:
- Dale Blyth, UMRA member and professor emeritus, College of Education and Human Development
- Cathy Godlewski, UMRA member and retired Medical School administrator
- Eric Hockert, UMRA president-elect
- Russell Luepker, UMRA board member
- Jerry Rinehart, URVC Council chair
- Cathrine Wambach, UMRA board member
- Becky Yust, UMRA member and professor emerita, College of Design
Please send your nomination suggestions or questions to me at [email protected].
—Jan Morlock, UMRA past president and Nominating Committee chair
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.
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:
Meet UMRA member Millie Woodbury, a lifelong world traveler whose favorite place on campus is Aisle C, Seat 24, at Northrop Auditorium.
Eight retirees from the Twin Cities and Morris campuses have been chosen to receive 2024 awards from UMRA’s Professional Development Grants for Retirees Program. As in previous years, their projects cover a diverse set of topics, reflecting the breadth of studies and continuing professional activities undertaken by University retirees.