About Us

The University of Minnesota Retirees Association (UMRA) is an independent organization, incorporated by the State of Minnesota in 1978. UMRA has about 500 members, including faculty, P&A, and civil service employees, all of whom retired from the University.

UMRA Board, October 2012

Seated: Julie Medbery, Ron Anderson, Joanne Eicher, Vandora Linck
From left: Ted Litman, Julia Wallace, Vern Eidman, Judd Sheridan, Paul Quie, Jan Hogan, Virgil Larson, Victor Bloomfield, Tom Shaughnessey, Craig Swan, David Naumann

UMRA Mission

The mission of this association shall be to promote, protect, support and advocate for the interests, rights, needs and welfare of persons who retire from the University of Minnesota. More specifically, UMRA Goals are:

To help retirees successfully deal with the retirement process, both during their retirement year and into their retirement years.
To provide all retirees broad intellectual stimulation as well as social and recreational services;
To oversee and assist in the ongoing provision of benefits affecting the health and wellness of retirees;
To facilitate opportunities for voluntary service to the University and community;
To contribute to the development and welfare of the University and its mission and goals.

Program Committee

The program committee plans and schedules events and speakers. Each of the monthly meetings: September, October, and November plus January through May, features a speaker or other presentation at the luncheon meeting. The program committee welcomes suggestions – and feedback – by phone or email to any of its members. In addition to monthly meetings, the program committee may schedule other events of special interest to UMRA members. For example, the exhibition "Queen Alexandria, Lady Curzon, and Indian Textiles" at the Goldstein Gallery this past summer. This exhibition was a result of a Professional Development Grant to retiree Donald Clay Johnson, Curator Emeritus of the Ames Library of South Asia, and featured volunteer hosts from UMRA for its open house on June 18.

Membership Committee

An active membership committee has worked from year to year welcoming new retirees into UMRA membership. In 2008 the board charged the Membership Committee with the tasks of improving communication with new retirees as well as reviewing services and benefits for members. The chair of this committee is John Anderson.

membership committee.

Membership Committee, seated from left to right: Judy Leahy Grimes, Nancy Helmich, Earl Nolting, Ginny Hanson
Standing: John Anderson, Virgil Larson, Ben Zimmerman, David Naumann

The Membership Committee is actively developing new activities and benefits for UMRA members and prospective members. Should you have suggestions in this regard, please contact the chair or any of the members with your ideas.

Budget

The UMRA Treasurer, Richard Skaggs, keeps the books and reports to the UMRA Board on the financial inflows and outflows at each monthly meeting.

How To Join UMRA

All retirees or soon-to-be-retired faculty or staff, and spouses or partners, are eligible to join UMRA. Annual membership dues are $25 for individual membership and $35 for a couple. For retirees joining UMRA for the first time, membership is only $10 for a single or $15 for a couple for the first year.

Membership forms are available from the chair of the Membership Committee or any other UMRA officer, or you may download a membership form (in MS Word) here. Should you have any questions, use the appropriate phone numbers and e-mail addresses above.

Officers and Board Members, 2012-13

President: Ron Anderson; rea@umn.edu; 952-473-5910
President-Elect: John S. Adams; adams004@umn.edu; 612-925-1340
Treasurer:Richard H. Skaggs; skaggs@umn.edu; 651-483-3580
Secretary:Julie Medbery;
jmedbery@comcast.net; 651-342-8999
Past President: Calvin Kendall; kenda001@umn.edu; 763-476-4637

Board of Directors
John Anderson
Ron Anderson
Victor Bloomfield
Joanne Eicher
Vern Eidman
Jan Hogan
Calvin Kendall
Virgil Larson
Vandora Linck
Julie Medbery
David Naumann
Paul Quie
Tom Shaughnessy
Judd Sheridan
Richard Skaggs
Craig Swan
Julia Wallace

Program Committee (2012-13)

John S Adams (Chair); adams004@umn.edu;
612-925-1340
Ron Anderson; rea@umn.edu;
952-473-5910
Craig Swan; swan@umn.edu;
612-374-2496
Calvin Kendall; kenda001@umn.edu;
763-476-4637
Julie Medbery; jmedbery@comcast.net;
651-342-8999
Richard H. Skaggs; skaggs@umn.edu;
651-483-3580

Communications
Ginny Hanson, Newsletter Editor
David Naumann, Webmaster

Employee Benefits
Jacqueline Singer, Ex-officio

UMRA Representatives
Alumni Association
Gayle Graham Yates

Board of Regents
Bob Holt

Senate Committee on Faculty Affairs
Ted Litman

Benefits Advisory Committee
Ted Litman
Rodney Loper

Senate Subcommittee on Retirement Plans
Vernon Eidman

Liaisons
Campus Club
Kim Munholland

Morris Campus
Laird Barber

Retirees Volunteer Center
Richard Oriani

Mailing Address, Telephone Number
University of Minnesota Retirees Association
University of Minnesota
McNamara Alumni Center
Room 264, Suite 250
200 Oak Street SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455-2002
Phone: 612-626-4403 (messages checked daily)
E-mail: umra@umn.edu

Professional Development Grants for Retirees— grants of up to $4,000 for UMN retirees are available for professional development or research each year for several years. Applications for these awards are due mid-December. For more information see the UMRA Grants page.

UMRA Bylaws—Download the UMRA Bylaws as a PDF file.

UMRA Board Operating Manual now available
(version of September 5, 2012) Download PDF Version