TUARA Annual Meeting Recap
More than 100 TUARA members and guests attended the President’s Luncheon and annual meeting on April 27. Event highlights included:
President Bell’s address: University of Alabama President Dr. Stuart Bell hosted the luncheon and provided an extensive update on UA’s accomplishments over the last year. While we do not have a copy of Dr. Bell’s remarks to share, you can find details about some of the University’s recent successes by clicking here.
Reports and updates: Presentations by Jill Jackson, executive director of the Alabama Education Retirees Association (AERA), as well as TUARA officers and board members, noted accomplishments during the year.
Awards:
- The Judy Bonner Award was presented to Deborah M. Lane, AERA District 10 director and former legislative chair for TUARA, in recognition of her advocacy on behalf of TUARA members and education retirees throughout the state. The Bonner Award is presented annually to a TUARA member who exemplifies the leadership and service characteristics set forth during Dr. Judy Bonner’s tenure at The University of Alabama.
- The TUARA Community Service Award was presented to The University of Alabama College of Community Health Sciences in recognition of the College’s outstanding service to the University and the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Richard Friend, dean of the College, accepted the award on behalf of the College.
- The TUARA Partnership Award was presented to Travis Railsback, UA director of human resources, in recognition of his invaluable assistance as TUARA’s liaison with the University. The award recognizes an individual who is not a TUARA member but who has been of exceptional service to TUARA and its operation.
Community Service: TUARA members donated 132 books and $240 in monetary contributions to the UA Center for Economic Development’s Books for the Black Belt project. Some additional donations have been made since the luncheon. Thank you for your generosity to this important project!
Election: The membership voted unanimously to accept the slate of officers and board members-at-large presented by the nominating committee. Congratulations to Pamela Hudson Pruitt, vice-president for membership (second term); Angela Wright, recording secretary, and members-at-large Karen Chapman, Caryl Cooper, Tim Hebson, Michael Spearing, Kevin Almond and Marie Parsons.
Volunteer Hours
Please report your volunteer hours to TUARA. We share reported hours with AERA. AERA, in turn, uses retirees’ volunteer hours statewide to demonstrate the value that retirees bring to Alabama’s economy and quality of life. That tremendous impact assists efforts to build support for retiree issues and benefits in Montgomery. Please report any previously unreported hours from Jan. 1, 2022 through the present. Send hours, broken down by the categories in the chart below, to tuara.ua@gmail.com.
Service hours should include activities in Alabama for which you have not received financial reimbursement. Hours should also not include 1) Sunday school and church attendance, 2) Caring for family members, and 3) Participation in AERA activities on state committees or the Board of Directors. You may include hours spent on TUARA activities, except for attending board meetings.
| Categories | Examples | # of Service Hours |
| Arts | Children’s Hands-On Museum, theater, opera, arts | |
| Church | Church related service projects (not attendance for worship services) | |
| Civic | Organizational projects, civic and special interest | |
| Health | Bloodmobile, clinics, nursing home, nutrition, home care | |
| Education | Mentoring, literacy projects | |
| Transportation | Shopping, errands, escort services | |
| RSVP/Volunteer Programs | Shut-Ins, telephone, etc. | |
| Youth Work | Big Brothers Big Sisters, work related to youth programs | |
| TUARA | TUARA volunteer activities, administrative work, communications, etc. | |
| Other (specify) | ||
| Total Hours |