President’s Message
by Jim Butler
Best wishes for a safe and happy 2024!
The new year finds WLURA active on a number of files. Your Executive met on January 12 to set the program through to May. We were also pleased to welcome two new members to the Executive Committee, Sheila McKee-Protopapas and Connie Palenik. They both come with a wide range of experience and we look forward to their contributions for the benefit of retirees.
We will continue to host hybrid meetings for January, February, April, and May with a Pub night in March. In addition to our social events, we are working on strategies to reduce or mitigate the inflationary costs of post-retirement benefits. This is of interest to the growing number of retirees who contribute to post retirement premiums. WLURA has a strong commitment to Pension Plan oversight and is pleased to report that the plan is in positive health.
Of particular importance concerns Laurier’s implementation plan to convert all retiree email accounts to a separate and unique suffix address for retiree emails. This change is to occur within 60 days. We have been working with IT Services to ensure that the transition away from the “@wlu.ca” address suffix occurs in the least disruptive manner possible.
We are looking for a volunteer to edit the WLURA Newsletter. Similar to most Executive roles, it need not be a long-term commitment. Here is a chance to reach out to former colleagues and friends. A number of key issues affect Laurier’s retirees and these need to be communicated along with the development of a strong social network.
We are continually looking for suggestions and ideas for programming and presentations. We are open to a wide range of topics that may be of interest. Please send your ideas to any member of the executive committee.
Finally, we will be asking Laurier’s Board of Governors to give WLURA ten minutes to make a presentation at one of their meetings. It is felt that the relationship between Laurier and its retirees can be strengthened by way of better communication.