President's Page
Fall 2020
Dear fellow Emeriti,
I send my greetings and best wishes as president of the UC Davis Emeriti Association and a fellow retiree. Before I discuss the UCDEA, permit me a few personal words. Many of you and/or your friends and family members have suffered losses and illnesses during the COVID-19 pandemic and I send my heartfelt commiserations to you and yours. Let’s hope that some months down the road we will return to some degree of normalcy. Be safe and healthy.
Our UCDEA has had to modify our traditional events since last March, leveraging Zoom virtual events as the new medium for connecting with one another. The UCDEA Executive Committee has made good use of Zoom meetings over the summer to make plans for the coming year in these extraordinary times. Upcoming events are shared in this newsletter and can be found online at https://retireecenter.ucdavis.edu.
Executive Committee members elected this past year can be found in this newsletter and on our association website (https://emeritiassociation.ucdavis.edu). Congratulations to Jo Anne Boorkman, immediate past president of the UCDEA, who has been elected to assume the Chair of the Council of UC Emeriti Associations (CUCEA) in 2022. The elected group and our various committee members are a joy to work with. Let me know if you have interest in getting involved in the UCDEA leadership and committee groups; we are looking to enlist some recent retirees especially to add some current spark to our group.
We made several awards to distinguished emeriti: Linda Morris garnered the outstanding emerita award; Suad Joseph and Robert Rucker shared the Dickson research award, and John Vohs was the recipient of the Charles Hess award for an outstanding retiree. Please refer to the Awards and Recognition section for more information about making nominations/applying for upcoming prizes and awards.
We continue to advocate for more effective service from the UCRAYS and RASC (UC Retirement Administration Service Center) web and telephone service. We know this major software and web transition impacted many, especially new retirees and those dealing with a change of life status such as the passing of a spouse or partner. Please contact the Retiree Center if you need help related to RASC or UCRAYS.
Finally, we urge emeriti to consider joining the UCDEA. Your support allows us to continue to work to provide the best benefits, health care, and all that effects your quality of your retirement life. In addition, your membership supports our activities such as providing major prizes and awards; travel, event and OLLI discounts; and more. The $200 lifetime membership is a great deal (or use the $25 annual membership). Emeriti get free parking on campus but be assured that the strength of our organization is important for us making the case to continue the free parking benefit for emeriti that is funded by the UC Davis administration. You can join on our Membership webpage.
Once again, be safe and healthy and join us in continuing to work for a fulfilling life as emeriti.
Yours Sincerely,
Barry M. Klein
President, UC Davis Emeriti Association