From the President
2026-11: UMRA in motion
I am happy to report that the UMRA Board is moving forward after our retreat in late August, and has met with our committee chairs to review the complex processes in place to run our large association. Newer board members were especially astonished by what happens behind the scenes to make UMRA run so well. We shared reflections, laughter, appreciation, and an evident “spirit of improvement.”
Our day-long retreat further revealed that, after a difficult start to this decade due to COVID, UMRA members are ready to enjoy more time together, in real life. The internet has been critical to sustaining community and will remain important, not least because Zoom webinars and meetings link members who live at a distance, are homebound, or have conflicting obligations. One sign of the renewed interest in meeting together is the Board’s decision to hold two in-person board meetings this year.
Also noteworthy, recent member-initiated programs — including Cabinets of Curiosity, the monthly UMRA Breakfast meetings, and third Wednesday in the West Wing lunches at the Campus Club — have been well attended. Particularly promising is a plan for informal zip code gatherings for members living in geographic proximity to meet, perhaps monthly, to get better acquainted.
Continuity was a persisting topic because we are, after all, a group of older adults. Please think about how you might participate, perhaps hosting at luncheon forums, or writing short notes to families of recently deceased members, or joining a committee that plans events. Central to our community, of course, is the active participation of many members at events and in special interest groups. Thank you for coming!
I also want to report that UMRA President-elect Nanette Hanks and I met with Provost Gretchen Ritter in late summer. We reaffirmed the Memorandum of Understanding that undergirds UMRA’s relationship to the University, and thanked her for the significant financial support provided by the Office of the Provost for the Big Ten Retirees Association conference UMRA hosted in August. We also offered UMRA’s ongoing support to help as the University faces strong headwinds for the foreseeable future.