2021-05 From the President: And you were there ...

When I became UMRA president, I did not expect the challenges that occurred: the campus closed, Corona reigned, and in-person meetings were stopped. I did, however, learn a lot about UMRA and how it operated in accomplishing its services to its members. The leadership and governance worked as a team, program directors provided program options, and you, the membership, continued to be interested, helpful, and engaged. 

Corona hit hard and fast. The U closed and being at home, socially distanced, masked, hand-washed, and longing for social contact reigned. So, the UMRA leadership “Zoomed” and planned, initiating three major events a month: UMRA A.M., Living Well Workshop, and UMRA Forum. This meant learning a lot about Zoom, initially relying on excellent assistance from the Office of Information Technology. Amazingly, the attendance at all three events was, and remains, outstanding. UMRA’s other programs continued to happen and were also well attended. A big thanks to the Program and Workshop committees for the excellent content. We learned that seeing faces and hearing people speak did provide some modicum of social interaction.

We also learned a lot about a lot of things. Examples included: prejudice and racism, vaccines, analysis of the Presidential election, the Age Friendly University, how not to sound old, archiving, wearable technology, the future of policing, BioMADE, and the Supreme Court. UMRA’s Journal of Opinions, Ideas & Essays was resurrected with enthusiasm, a new editor-in-chief volunteered to serve, and articles are being submitted.  

2021 Annual Meeting May 25

UMRA’s 2021 Annual Meeting will be held at 12 noon on Tuesday, May 25, via Zoom. On the agenda will be a preview of summer programming, changes to the UMRA Bylaws, and the election of officers and directors. For the list of candidates recommended by the Nominating Committee, please see “Election … May 25” on page 3 of the May 2021 UMRA News. In accordance with UMRA’s Bylaws, nominations can also be made during the meeting, provided the person nominated has agreed to being nominated. 

After we conclude the business part of the meeting, it will be time for the forum and to welcome our guest speaker, Ken Powell, chair of the Board of Regents. 

Please get vaccinated, stay well, safe, and engaged in UMRA. The next year will be a good one! Thanks, again, for your support.

—Frank Cerra, MD, UMRA president