The following article summarizes the original event which is listed below the summary.
McMillan voiced optimism, great affection for the U
UMRA’s 2019 Annual Meeting on May 21 was highlighted by a presentation from Dave McMillan, chair of the University of Minnesota Board of Regents. McMillan has been a regent since 2011 and has served as the board chair for the past two years. He gave an illuminating and educational description of the board and its work, and, for an extended period of time, answered questions on many current topics. His presentation was remarkable for its candor and sincerity. He was well received by the membership.
McMillan began with a discussion of the founding of the University in 1851 by an act of the Territorial Legislature, which was then perpetuated in the Minnesota Constitution when Minnesota became a state in 1858. He emphasized the three-part mission of the University—teaching, research, and outreach—and said the state-wide impact of the University is dramatically expressed not only through its campuses but also through numerous research centers, Extension offices, and health care programs.
McMillan also reviewed some familiar statistics about the size and scope of the University: 67,000 students across five campuses; 26,000 employees, making the U the fifth-largest employer in the state; and nearly 16,000 degrees granted annually, which is critical for workforce development. For more U metrics, see the slides of his presentation posted on the UMRA website.
He spent some time describing the structure of the board and how it works. He also reviewed the board’s priorities for 2018–19 and evaluated what had been accomplished.
Most important, McMillan expressed great enthusiasm about Joan Gabel as the University’s next president. He was clearly proud of the presidential search process, which was conducted last fall in a transparent and inclusive manner in the face of some stringent statutory requirements. As chair of the Board of Regents, McMillan was responsible for assuring the presidential search produced a dynamic leader who can build on the U’s many past successes.
In an extended question and answer period, McMillan addressed the months-long controversy over calls to remove the names of four former University administrators from campus buildings. He believes the board could have done better in its handling of the matter, and that the U needs to develop and implement better processes for addressing such situations which, undoubtedly, will occur in the future.
He also expressed a good deal of optimism for the future, and encouraged us to expect not perfection from the board but honesty and great effort to serve the U community.
The event was a great success because of McMillan’s forthrightness. As noted in UMRA’s May 2019 newsletter, he is a graduate of the University of Minnesota Duluth and the U Law School, and his family proudly includes a very large number of U graduates. Our thanks to him.
—Bill Donohue, chair, Program Committee, and president-elect
Regent Chair to keynote UMRA’s Annual Meeting
Tue, May 21 2019, 4pm
Campus Club 4th Floor, West Wing Dining Room
David McMillan, chair of the University of Minnesota Board of Regents, will be the keynote speaker at UMRA’s 2019 Annual Meeting on Tuesday, May 21, to be held in the West Wing dining room of the Campus Club. We are pleased to welcome him. McMillan represents the 8th Congressional District on the board. He was elected for the first time by the Legislature in 2011 and reelected to a second six-year term in 2017.
He will speak about his extensive experience as a regent. We also expect to hear from him about the selection of the University’s new president, Joan Gabel.
McMillan has chaired several committees of the Board of Regents, and served as vice chair from 2015 to 2017 before being elected in June 2017 to serve a two-year term as chair.
A retired executive from Minnesota Power, where he worked in a variety of roles from 1989 to 2018, McMillan received a bachelor of arts degree in economics and history from the University of Minnesota Duluth and a law degree from the University of Minnesota.
After living in Duluth for more than 30 years, McMillan and his wife now call Palisade, Minnesota, home. McMillan’s father, grandparents, wife, children, and son-in-law are all University alumni.
McMillan has served on many boards, including as chair of the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce and Goodwill Industrial Vocational Enterprises. He currently serves as chair of the Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation Advisory Board.
McMillan has been an important voice in virtually all major decisions at the University for many years. He is respected by his peers and the administrators who have had the opportunity to interact and work with him. He has helped shape University policy and the major decisions that come before the board, such as tuition levels and budget allocations. And he had the good fortune to lead the regents as they choose a new president, the most important responsibility of the board.
Even more importantly, McMillan is a good guy who is well liked by almost everyone, including those who disagree with him. We have invited him to speak about his life and times as a regent and expect a candid and far-ranging conversation.
Please join us to learn about the experience of this extraordinary leader and ask questions about how the University is run at the top.
—Bill Donohue, chair, Program Committee, and president-elect
Upcoming Events
We are fortunate to have UMRA member and former Minnesota Landscape Arboretum director Peter Moe to lead this approximately 3.7-mile hike at the Arboretum on Monday, May 6. Plan to have lunch together after the hike at the Eatery café inside the Oswald Visitor Center.
This session will continue the discussion begun in the May 8, 2023 session. See that article for details.
If you currently live in your own home or apartment, have you looked ahead to when you might want to consider a senior living option? Do you have any idea what those options might be? How much they cost? What they provide? UMRA’s May 14 workshop will provide an overview of the world of senior living and the basic information you need.
You’re invited to join the final Family History Interest Group meeting for 2023–24. This will be an opportunity to ask questions related to family history, share insights, talk about recent projects, and suggest topics for next year.
Stephanie Daily will lead the discussion of Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by best-selling author Mary Roach when the UMRA Book Club meets via Zoom at 2 p.m. on Friday, May 17.
The May 20 hike will start at the Historic Lift Bridge in Stillwater and go along the river to the new bridge, cross over and then back on the Wisconsin side, a total of approximately 5 miles. Most of the route is paved. We will eat lunch after at Brian's Bar and Grill in Stillwater. Car pooling will be available.
Climatologist and meteorologist Mark Seeley joined the U of M faculty in 1978 and has been a weekly commentator on Minnesota Public Radio since 1992. We are honored to welcome him as our guest speaker for UMRA’s May Luncheon Forum and 2024 Annual Meeting. He is always entertaining and informative.
UMRA’s Fourth Friday Book Club welcomes back, for the second time, author Julie Schumacher, U of M Regents professor of creative writing and English, for a conversation about her novel The Shakespeare Requirement.
We are in for a treat on June 3! Lynn Anderson, will lead us on trails at two parks near her Monticello home. Bring a bag lunch and we will gather in Lynn's yard along the Mississippi River for eating and socializing after the hike.
Get out to the ballpark with fellow UMRA members for the annual U of M Day at Target Field as the Minnesota Twins take on the Oakland Athletics on June 14 at 7:10 p.m.
Please join us at 9:30 on June 17, 2024 for a walk around Lake Como in St. Paul before attending the UMRA Summer Social and Picnic starting at 11 at the Como Pavilion. A perfect opportunity to get in a walk before we gather to celebrate summer.
Picnic under the covered, open-air Como pavilion, gaze at the water, spy some birds, catch up with friends and former colleagues, and meet new members. We’ll have lunch with plenty of time for visiting and then compete in teams as we are challenged by our Quiz master(s)!
Healthy aging, mindfulness, fighting ageism, and more will be the focus of the third annual Age-Friendly University Day to be held on the U of M Twin Cities campus.