2025-05 From the president: Thank you for this opportunity to serve

All good things come to an end, and my term as president of UMRA is nearly over. Thank you for this opportunity to serve you, and to share information about UMRA with the broader University of Minnesota community. 

When I accepted the role as president, I said I joined UMRA [in 2020] because of all the wonderful members I knew who had retired before me. I stayed and got involved in UMRA because of all the wonderful people I met. This is only more true now after this year.

If I haven’t said it enough already, volunteering for UMRA in any kind of role is rewarding and oh so necessary for UMRA to function. There are no paid staff, no central bureaucracy that handles reservations or payments, just lots of fine people giving up some of their time. 

If you are willing to contribute your energy, email me or Ron Matross (our Membership and Communication Committee chair) or Diane Young (UMRA’s 2025–26 president) and we’ll help you find a match for your interests. 

And a heartfelt thank you to all of you who volunteer now or have done so in the past! 

Even with volunteers, there are many costs to running our organization. Two of the difficult decisions for the UMRA board are figuring out membership dues and luncheon forum prices. We have new expenses this year, including technical support for our free Zoom webinars (currently 12 per year). And this spring, UMRA is purchasing membership management software [WildApricot] to replace our now ancient system that was supported by a non-member volunteer. 

Prices for our signature luncheon forums are increasing [from $32 to $39 per event] to pay for not just the food on your plate but also the staff, technology support for the speaker, service fees, and taxes. We also pay Stripe to process your payments. UMRA membership fees subsidize the luncheon forums to a small degree. Our social events—including boat cruises, Como Park June lunch, and “Bring Back the Light” in winter—are all self-supporting. 

We know prices may be a concern for some of our members, so watch for a survey next year to provide your input. 

This has been a great year of learning, service, and connections. We reaffirmed our Memorandum of Understanding with the provost’s office, heard from President Cunningham and many other great speakers, and cruised the Mississippi. U of M Morris retirees joined UMRA and formed a special interest group. We volunteered with the Office of Admissions as Silver Gophers, and with units across campus in many roles, including as research subjects. Our Cabinets of Curiosity tours took small groups to intriguing corners of our campuses. 

It has been a pleasure to serve as your president, and I look forward to continuing to volunteer for UMRA in various roles. See you at the forums and special events! 

—Julie Sweitzer, UMRA president