Recap of the Annual Board Meeting

The RPEN 2009 annual Board of Directors’ meeting was held at the Fiesta Hotel in Henderson on September 22-25th. It kicked off with a dinner on Tuesday evening where the attendees got an opportunity to discuss the candidates for the Executive Board seats, committee member appointments, proposed bylaw changes, and socialize with old friends from last years meeting in Reno.
Wednesday morning President Colleen Bell opened with a welcome and introduced Henderson Mayor Andy Hafen, who is a member of RPEN. Mayor Hafen commended all those present for being active members of RPEN and encouraged us to continue to fight the good fight on behalf of all retirees. Senators Steven Horsford, State Senate Majority Leader, Joyce Woodhouse, and Barbara Buckley, Assembly Speaker, were all keynote speakers during the event. All of the speakers praised Marty Bibb, our Executive Director, for his steady presence and obviously valued his opinion in any area pertaining to retirees. It was evident that Marty had developed a good working relationship with each of the Senators and garnered their respect in the process. The gist of their speeches was that they strongly support retirees and would do their best to honor the promises made to us. However, we were reminded to be continually vigilant, as they all mentioned term limits and how it would change the composition of both the Senate and Assembly, especially in the 2010 elections. Barbara Buckley, for instance, will be termed out in 17 months and sorely missed as an RPEN supporter.
We also had speakers from PERS and PEBP during the course of the conference but rather than try to recall who said what, I will give you a few highlights:

*Nevada still has the fewest number of employees per capita in the nation.
*The current average benefit of those retiring today through PERS is just over $2300 per month. Although it was created by the Nevada Legislature and the seven member Board is appointed by the Governor, PERS is not part of state government. It’s a fund of money paid into by active members and their employers and is not accessible by the state of Nevada. Another interesting fact is that PERS also manages the Legislative Retirement System.
*Our PERS is the 12th healthiest retirement system in the nation. However, we’ve suffered a 15% loss of value, for a total of 26% (still unfunded).
*As a 501(c)4, RPEN can lobby as much as it wants or can afford. It cannot conduct political activities, nor can it endorse candidates or it will jeopardize its tax exempt status. During an election year, if we invite candidates they must represent both major parties.
Our Chapter can’t be just a social organization. Our mission must always be to educate and protect all retirees.
*PEBP, a self-funded group insurance plan, is an agency of the state of Nevada. It is also governed by NRS and NAC. Eight of its’ nine member board are appointed by the Governor. As such, its’ administration is effected by not only the rising costs of healthcare, but the political climate as well.
*RPEN gives recommendations to both PERS and PEBP Boards.

The High Desert Chapter of RPEN was chartered on Thursday, making it the 17th chapter of RPEN and encompassing Laughlin, Bullhead City, and Searchlight. Our Chapter officers had an opportunity to visit with George Cleveland, their President, his wife, and some of their other officers and they will be a welcome addition to the annual meetings, bringing fresh ideas.
There were four new state bylaw changes ratified:
1) Instead of Chapter rebates to fund our operating expenses, we are now required to submit an annual budget. We submitted ours, with the assistance of Terri Laird, this month and will actually benefit from the process.
2) Past State Presidents costs to the annual meetings will be covered, provided the Executive Board has funding and gives approval. This will rarely involve having more than 3 past presidents at any future meetings.
3) Terms for Chapter officers is now one year beginning on October 1st and ending on September 30th the following year.
4) And, finally, the Executive Board now has the authority to appoint a temporary Executive Director in the event that something happens to Marty Bibb.
These changes need to be incorporated into our own bylaws. We will be voting on those changes at our December meeting.
The RPEN Web site was brought online just before the annual meeting. Although it contains much of the same information, the new Web site is much more attractive, eventually will offer each Chapter a page to submit current events, and has downloadable membership applications available. Each year there is a little controversy and we generated some with the Two Rivers Blogsite, but by applying the same standards as we do to meetings, we can maintain it without jeopardizing our tax exempt status.
Elections are one of the activities conducted during the annual meeting. Hal Keaton, Lincoln Chapter, is now our State President. Colleen Bell, who has faithfully attended many Two Rivers meetings, will still remain an active part of the Executive Board. Nancy Hollinger, Washoe Chapter, was elected State President Elect, Jimmy Green, Doris’s husband, was elected State Treasurer, and Sharon Williams, Las Vegas Chapter, is now State Secretary. All the newly elected officers were sworn in on Friday morning by Henderson Judge Ann Small and the updated list of officers and their contact information can be found on the RPEN Web page. Some of you will be pleased to know you can opt out on the barrage of e-mail and just visit the website for similar updates.
There were numerous reports given by the various committees and members of the Executive Board. Each Chapter President also makes a report to the attendees regarding their activities throughout the year. If you’re interested, mine is on our Blog site. The Pat Fladager Special Recognition and Awards were announced during the banquet dinner held Thursday night. And, finally, there was a memorial service held in honor of the 300 members who died this year. It’s a grim reminder that we must actively recruit members since so many are taken through attrition.

Joyce Nies and the Henderson Chapter worked hard to make the meeting a memorable one. The Fiesta Hotel was a great venue and all the food and entertainment was a welcome treat. All four of our Two Rivers Chapter Board members attended, as we will be hosting the 2010 Annual meeting in Mesquite next September. Though we didn’t even place in the Ugly Tie/Hat Ensemble Contest, two of our Board, Marilyn Cheney and Jeanne Crayton, were recognized for their efforts on our behalf and received plaques for their dedicated service to RPEN throughout the year.
There is very little idle time during the annual meeting. This is the second year I’ve attended and it has served to deepen my respect for the people who generously donate their time and efforts to RPEN and its’ mission to preserve our retirement benefits and to educate others about retiree issues. Many of our members, who are often our friends and/or former co-workers, are facing the inevitable health issues which are part of the “Golden Years” and it’s vital that we join together while we can, volunteering our time and effort to protect our common interests. I encourage you to recruit an illegible retiree, become an active member of RPEN by contributing some of your time and energy to our Two Rivers Chapter, and help ensure we have a louder voice, one with a little more influence, each and every year at the legislature.