West Virginia Association of Retired School Employees Affiliated with AARP/NRTA VOLUME 27 • NUMBER 3 Spring • 2018 Leadership Conference: May 2, 2018 The Leadership Conference, scheduled for May 2, 2018, will feature an NRTA representative, Mary Beth Dixon. Mary Beth will talk about membership using an AARP program From Your called Chocolate & Younger Members. Mary Beth creates NRTA sustainability by strengthening efforts on member engagement and volunteer development. Her expertise includes working with multicultural popula- tions, public education, group organizing, and health policy. President Before joining NRTA, she worked as an ASD for the New I want to thank Jersey State Office and held interim assignments supporting each of you who AARP’s ACA education campaign, the Enterprise Community travelled to Pilot, efforts in Manchester, New Hampshire and two of Los Charleston on Angeles H/L communities. Mary Beth was the recipient of January 30th for the 2012 Maureen McKoy Excellence in Service Award; she CORPE Legis- holds a BS in Dietetics and MSW in Social and Economic lative Day, and Development from Washington University. She is a Licensed thanks to each of Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). you who made Chocolate & Younger Members additional trips AARP recently utilized a design and innovation firm to to Charleston. I explore ways to create more inspiring member “experiences” applaud you for that appeal to those aged 50 to 64 – the same group many REAs each contact made are targeting for membership growth. Younger members seek a with our legisla- community and membership experience that provides for more tors. I appreciate conversation and participation than what organizations have immensely all of JO ANN HARMAN traditionally offered. “Please join us as we examine how to adapt the efforts made WVARSE President efforts to be more appealing to younger members. While you by many for the enjoy a chocolate tasting, we will explore why recruitment and legislative training, both the presenters and the attend- retention feel challenging. We will then explore how to design ees. Our bill, Senate Bill 413, which was sponsored more engaging experiences. We will review two models that by Senators Dave Sypolt and Randy Smith, was will show how to make every experience more engaging and introduced in the Senate and referred to the Energy, fun, resulting in more members who join and stay with your Industry, and Mining Committee and then to the chapter, local unit or organization!” Finance Committee. Although we were not success- Registration forms will be posted on the Web in early April. Mary Beth Dixon ful in the passage of the bill, we definitely centered attention on our proposed sources for funding PEIA. Our Legislative Goals were: • That WVARSE will promote legislation to con- Membership Chair reflects on 2018 Legislative Session tinue and maintain the quality of PEIA coverage, By John Riddle tive session, as education representation in Charles- our legislators and also the without increases in co-pays or reduction in benefits. personnel “united” to cre- ton to ask questions about general public was sympa- • That WVARSE will promote legislation to As your Membership ate an atmosphere that re- much needed pay raises and thetic to their needs. I start establish ½ of 1 percent tax on Marcellus, Utica, Chair, I want to applaud the quired our state legislators underfunded, rising costs my article on this note, to See President, Page 2 recent events in Charleston and governor to hear their of PEIA. during the 2018 Legisla- needs. All 55 counties had They got the attention of See Members, Page 3 and Binding and Printing Morgantown Charleston, WV 25311 WV Charleston, PAID 200 Elizabeth Street Elizabeth 200 U.S. POSTAGE U.S. WVARSE Newsletter WVARSE NONPROFIT ORG NONPROFIT Page 2 — Spring 2018 ExEcutivE DirEctor’s column From the Executive Director Legislature is over and dents were successful in proud of the West Virginia session. SB 513, if passed, ing the conference. NRTA for the first time since the staging a work stoppage teachers, service personnel, would have established a representative Mary Beth 1980’s, the state budget was until they were successful superintendents, and school funding source for retired Dixon will be discussing passed during the regular in getting a 5% pay raise board members for stepping public employees. It was membership using a pro- session. The budget did not and the establishment of out and standing strong for designed to collect .5% gram called “Chocolate & take money out of the Rainy a PEIA Task Force by the wage increases that public severance tax on deep sand Younger Members”. We Day Fund, and it appropri- Governor with a promise employees deserve. gases. This seemed to be the must continue to increase ates $29 million to the Public of “fixing” PEIA funding. Due to a law passed last subject of other interested our membership. It is the re- Employees Insurance Agen- Many retirees recall the year that re-defined PEIA parties and may be a part sponsibility of each member cy Stability Fund. It also strike of 1990 which lasted Board members, I termi- of the solution to PEIA to do his/her best to enroll includes a 5 percent raise fewer days than the work nated my role as a lobbyist. funding. No severance tax new members and retain for teachers, school service stoppage of 2018. There This was the first legislative was acted upon. John’s hard old members. Your sharing personnel, State Police, and were thousands of school session in 15 years that I did work and time is very much email addresses with us William G. ‘Bill’ Milam state employees. School employees (Professional not lobby. I prepared the appreciated. would be most helpful. We Executive Director personnel, with the support and service) in attendance bill which became SB 513 I encourage all Presi- prefer that you share your of their county superinten- daily at the capitol. All 55 and gave it to John Taylor, dents and Regional Chairs address with your unit and counties were involved, Region II Director. John did to attend the Annual Leader- they will, in turn, share it and their superintendents an admirable job of secur- ship Conference May 2, 2018. with me. That way all con- EXECUTIVE BOARD were very supportive of ing sponsors and getting the As last year, the Leadership cerned will have access. their cause. Retirees will bill introduced. The bill was Conference will be one day. Many of my email addresses President Jo Ann Harman not benefit from the raises introduced January 29, 2018 Please see the schedule are not valid. If you have (304) 749-7322 [email protected] awarded to public employ- assigned to the Senate com- of events in another area changed your email address, President-elect Mary Ann Ferris ees, but whatever results mittee, Energy, Industry and of the newsletter. There please send me an email at (304) 592-2061 [email protected] from the task force will Mining, where it sat without will be a $15.00 registra- [email protected] so Secretary Norma Taylor benefit retirees. We are action the remainder of the tion fee per person attend- that I can update my files. (304) 842-4213 [email protected] Treasurer Judy Staubly (304) 269-5494 [email protected] President Immediate Past President Danny Gray From Page 1 (304) 645-2529 [email protected] and other lower sand gases duction! The lyrics are the Misérables continues with The PEIA Task Force Executive Director William G. Milam together with ½ of 1 percent most stirring messages that “Do you hear the people formed by the Governor (304) 610-0192 [email protected] severance tax on any future I have ever heard. These sing ….. It is a music of the plans to have meetings and Parliamentarian Danny Gray cracker plants as a fund- are the words which have people who are climbing to hearings which will be open (304) 645-2529 [email protected] ing source for state public resonated constantly in my the light ….There is a flame for public attendance. I Scholarship Sharon Vance employees’ retiree benefits. mind as we have struggled that never ends.“ Finally, contacted the Governor’s (304) 456-4907 [email protected] My teaching career was to voice our issues and we hear, “Will you join in office and requested that our Historian Mary Pat Glover accentuated with field trips concerns. our crusade? Who will be association be represented (304) 273-2804 [email protected] which were closely associ- Early in the show we strong and stand with me? on the task force. I was Membership Clerk Rita Hammond ated with curriculum. Each hear, “There was a time …..Is there a world you encouraged, but we were (304) 623-0929 [email protected] year we read classics and when men were kind, when long to see? Do you hear not included. We must be Newsletter Editor Darlene Milam travelled to Washington their voices were soft, and the people sing? Say, do you present and heard at these (304) 610-2935 [email protected] DC for performances such their words inviting…… hear the distant drums? It events. We must wear red Region I Charmel Radcliff as Phantom of the Opera, When hope was high and is the future that they bring and speak! Les Misérables (304) 684-2133 [email protected] Cats, and Les Misérables. life worth living…..But when tomorrow comes!” makes references to red: Region II John Taylor We studied the classics in there are dreams that can- We must ask every retired “Red – the blood of angry (304) 265-5514 [email protected] class and were prepared to not be and there are storms school employee, “Who will men!” and “Red – a world Region III Carol Williams see the magnificent produc- we cannot weather.” We be strong and stand with about to dawn!” The freeze (304) 927-2910 [email protected] tions at Kennedy Theatre or cannot lose hope.