Last updated 10/20/2021
USC STAFF RETIREMENT ASSOCIATION
BOARD OF DIRECTORS’ MEETING
AGENDA
Friday, May 19, 2017
University Religious Center 102
The meeting was called to order by the President, Mike Klineman at 10:05 am.
Present: Mike Klineman, Dixon Johnson, Bill Givens, David Donovan, Dick Martin, Donna Simmons, Connie Horak, Fred Dear, Calvin Lau.
Absent: Janette Brown, Linda Forman, Howard Saperston, Harriet Servis, Lynn Williams, Jill Hopkins
Guests: Keri Marroquin (USC Staff Retirement Navigator), Sue Vogel (University Catalog Coordinator).
Welcome and Remarks – Michael Klineman
Approval of minutes from April meeting – Submitted by Linda Forman
- Approved, with a few minor corrections. Dick Martin moved, and Bill Givens seconded.
Reports:
Financial Report – Dick Martin
- Treasurer’s report: Dick circulated a detailed financial analysis of all income and expenses for the current fiscal year, as of 5/17/2017. The USC Credit Union accounts total $25,253.74 with $11,561.17 in the checking account. The SRA share of the Endowment Account is $56,175.94 (annual earnings rate = 4.50%). Year to date for 2016-17 total funds received for dues, endowment and gifts are $13,835. As of 4/19/2017 we had 290 renewals/new members for 2016-17 (plus 134 joint members), 11 2017-18 renewals with 72 2016 delinquents. In addition, we have 125 new gold card retirees who received their first year of SRA membership free. Three (3) members renewed beyond 2018, and we have 162 Life Members. The Board discussed converting members who have paid for 20 years to Life Members.
RFA – Calvin Lau
- Due to commencement, the RFA May Board Meeting was cancelled. Calvin Lau is still interim president, standing for election to a two-year term of office. Voting will be held soon, though they still need a Treasurer nominee. They are exploring ways to increase membership and activity, and further development of the Caldwell Scholarship program. Dixon Johnson called for kudos to the Academic Sherry Hour series this year. Law professor Susan Estrich was suggested as a future speaker.
Programs and Hospitality – Donna Simmons
- Invitation cards for the June 16, 2017 general meeting were mailed April 24th (early, due to Commencement). The presentation will be a talk with videos by Jeff de Caen (Staff Assembly President) on the planning and construction of the Glorya Kaufman Center for Dance followed by a guided tour and brown bag lunch. A copy with live link for registration is on the SRA website. Donna Simmons asked Board members to review and comment on the website, as she has recently gained access to make additions and revisions. Registrations for the June meeting are coming in and will be cut off at 70. Bill Givens will drive the Emeriti Center (EC) electric cart from Parking Structure D to the EC.
- Dixon Johnson will miss the June General Meeting and has asked Bill Givens to conduct the election of officers.
- For future meetings, we are exploring a USC Village tour for September, more on that later. One suggestion proposed was a talk by USC basketball coach Andy Enfield (great speaker!) and a tour of the Galen Center, which has meeting rooms and parking.
Emeriti Center – Janette Brown (via an email from Janette who is out of town.)
- Grace Labrecque, a Gerontology Masters student is an EC summer intern. Janette Brown is working on a tour of the USC Village, and the newsletter. She met with newly retired faculty and has some ideas – arts, storytelling and film, and mentoring international students. She plans to do the same with newly retired staff soon. Check the EC website for an Occupational Therapy workshop – Finding Balance in Everyday Life.
Emeriti Center Benefits & Resources Committee
- No report. Dixon Johnson was absent from the most recent meeting.
Staff Assembly – David Donovan and Bill Givens
- David Donovan is now Staff Assembly past-president, SRA representative and Staff Assembly secretary. Staff Appreciation Week followed Commencement with a 20% discount at the bookstore, prizes, donations and recognition events. The new Staff Assembly president wants a dedicated Treasurer, and a change from calendar to academic year like other groups at USC. The Scholarship and Staff Appreciation committees will be made permanent. The Assembled Voice publication is online and some hard copies will be available soon. David Donovan circulated a copy of the agenda for the last Staff Assembly meeting. It was held at the Brain and Creativity Institute on the UPC (Cammillari Hall), with a talk by Dr. Antonio Damasio. Bill Givens suggests that venue for a future SRA meeting.
Special Events – Bill Givens and Dick Martin
- There are 22 participants registered for the Expo Line Art Tour (max 25). Participants will meet the Expo line docent on UPC near the Expo stop to receive a free Expo day pass and begin the guided tour. At the end of the tour there will be a no-host lunch in Santa Monica with return time ad hoc.
- A tour of the Walt Disney Hall concert organ is being explored by Bill Givens for any time between June and September (when the Philharmonic is on summer tour). Parking at Disney Hall is $10, although some might want to go from USC via public transportation. For a group, our size (about 60) not formally affiliated with the Concert Hall, there would be a $600 fee for two speakers (one of them the builder of the instrument). The RFA is interested in this event, too, and Janette Brown said that for a SRA/RFA joint venture the EC could cover the cost. Details later.
- Other ideas were mentioned for future events: A tour of the Asia Pacific Museum in Pasadena (two blocks from a Metro stop); El Segundo Old Town Music Hall (free parking); photo exhibit on Norway in the Union Station Lobby (right now); trip to the Federal Reserve downtown via DASH bus from UPC campus (to be researched by Dick Martin); August dedication ceremony for the new University Village; tour of the Coliseum.
- Special Report: Benefits Retirement Navigator Update – Kari Marroquin
- Kari can be reached at kmarroquin@hr.usc.edu, (213) 821-4572.
- “Retirement Levels the playing field!”. Kari is the go-to person for ALL faculty and staff once they have retired. Examples of areas Kari covers include, but are not limited to: retirement income, benefits questions, gold card questions and death notices. Surprisingly, she has had requests recently to help a few retirees who have become homeless or are unable to handle their affairs and need special support services. Her previous professional experience helps, as she has contacts with various agencies.
- Kari administers the gold cards which are for retirees who are at least 55 years old, with 10 years benefits eligible USC employment. Note: she has the option to include people whose USC service has been in split timelines, but must do a search on request. A glitch for spouse cards has been fixed – email her. New cards look more like a regular USC employee id with picture and barcode for library, etc. Older cards will not be changed (est. $150K!) except for $5 replacement request for a lost card. She has no assistants, so sometimes people must wait or contact her again. John Casagrande is working with Kari to get a better report on new retirees. She wants SRA brochures for a station in her office and to send out with new retiree packets. This should be an important recruitment tool for the SRA. We need to add Keri to our email list!
New Business
- Mike introduced his guest Sue Vogel, who may be interested in joining the SRA Board. All are encouraged to find more members to join our Board.
- Review of By-laws, postponed.