Mission: NEA-Retired is dedicated to promoting secure retirement with dignity, advancing equitable and quality public education, and advocating for human, civil, and economic rights for all.
Vision: The vision of NEA-Retired is to become the preeminent voice for retired members while strengthening NEA
NEA-Retired works to meet the needs of retired education employees. We work with active NEA members to:
- Protect and improve retirement pension, and health benefits—including state pensions, Social Security, and Medicare.
- Improve public education through mentoring, literacy, and intergenerational programs and activities.
- Achieve legislative and political action goals for education and education employees.
The 2024 Retired Conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency in Chicago, IL
Dates: Sunday, March 3 to Tuesday, March 5
Theme: Education. Freedom. Democracy. Our Right! Our Responsibility!
Open One-Year Seat on the NEA Board of Directors Filled
In accordance with the NEA-R Bylaws and Election Rules, the pending one-year NEA-R unexpired term on the NEA Board of Directors was filled by the NEA-R Executive Council on August 2, 2023. This vacancy, created by the election of Anita Gibson (AL) to the position of NEA-R President, commences on September 1, 2023 and expires on August 31, 2024. Thirty-one members (31) filed nominations for this position. Two members withdrew from the election prior to August 2 leaving twenty-nine (29) candidates to be considered by the Council. Each candidate was invited to address the Council for up to three (3) minutes.
Upon completion of all presentations, the Council used a ranked/preferential voting system to narrow the field of candidates. On the first ballot the Council members could vote for up to eight (8) candidates with the six (6) candidates receiving the most votes being placed on the second ballot in their order of finish. The ranked/preferential system was used on the second ballot as well. Council members could vote for up to two (2) candidates with the two candidates receiving the most votes being placed on the third ballot. The winner on the third ballot, achieving the required majority vote, was Michael Priser who is the President of the Federal Education Assn.-Retired. All balloting was conducted by electronic secret ballot using Simply Voting. The full results of the voting may be found here:
Thank you to all who participated in this election. A special thanks to the staff who assisted in this unprecedented endeavor.
2023 Election Results
The newly elected leaders for NEA-Retired are:
- President, 3 year term: Anita Gibson, AL
- Retired Executive Council, 3 year terms: JoAnn Smith Mashburn, TN; and Tom Wellman, NV
- Retired Members for the NEA Board of Directors, 3 year terms: Judy Rohde, MN; and Julie Rivera Horwin, AZ
- Retired Board of Directors Alternates, 3 year terms: John Heineman, NE; and Doris Marie Glover, GA
- NEA Resolutions Committee, 1 year terms: George Sheridan, CA; Kathleen Purdy, OH; Sandra Hatley, NC; Bobby J. Pierson, AL; Karen Solheim, GA; and Ira LaVerne Reed, NC
A sincere “thank you” to all of the Retired members who ran for office this year.
2024 Nominations
Nominations for 2024 NEA-Retired positions are now open. Information about the nomination process and links to the nomination forms are here.
Proposed Bylaw Amendments Adopted
All seven 2023 proposed Retired Bylaws amendments were adopted. The first three amendments addressed the issue of how to count terms of service when replacing a Retired Officer or a member of the Retired Executive Council who resigns in the middle of their elected term. Proposed Bylaw amendments four through six codify items that are required in NEA’s governing documents: numbers four and six refer to the NEA process of election of ethnic-minority representation on the NEA Board of Directors and Resolutions if no ethnic-minority is elected as a Retired member on either, and proposed bylaw five codifies that Resolutions Committee members are elected for one-year terms, for a maximum of six years.
'Retired delegates voted on the proposed Bylaw amendments by secret ballot on June 30. The voting results can be seen on page three of this election report.
Our Leaders & Governance
NEA-Retired is governed by a nine-member Executive Council, elected by NEA-Retired members. NEA-Retired members serve on various committees within NEA and meet annually in June to conduct business of the organization.
- Meet the NEA-Retired leadership team and read about their roles and responsibilities.
- View the NEA-Retired bylaws, standing rules and elections procedures.
- Learn more about our Annual Meeting and the awards presented at the Retired Annual Meeting.
- Frequently asked questions about NEA-Retired membership and benefits.
- About NEA-Retired
Organizing Grants
Each year the NEA Center for Organizing, in collaboration with NEA-Retired, awards State Organizing Grants to State Retired entities. Grants are used for Membership Recruitment, Organizing New Retired Locals, Retired Organizing Projects, Creating Retired Activists, Developing Retired Leaders, or Developing and Strengthening Community Partnerships.
Find more information on Retired Organizing Grants and application information.
Calendar of Events
Find more opportunities to connect and contribute.
Jack Kinnaman Scholarships
Thanks to the generosity of many NEA-Retired members, five NEA-Retired Jack Kinnaman scholarships were awarded during the 2023 Retired Annual Meeting. Each scholarship amount was $3,500, a significant contribution toward an Aspiring Educator’s higher education costs. From the first $1,000 award to one recipient in 2002, the program has grown significantly and now has awarded a total of over $107,000 in scholarship money to 51 Aspiring Educators.
To learn more about Jack Kinnaman, and for information on how to contribute to this incredibly impactful program, visit this webpage. All contributions, regardless of amount, are welcome; in fact, most donations are from small dollar donors who give less than $100. To ensure that your contribution is properly credited, please remember to make checks payable to “The NEA Foundation” and in the memo line, reference “Kinnaman Scholarships."
Retirees4PublicEd
Many opportunities exist for you to take action for retired educators and public education.
M.O.R.E. Projects
The M.O.R.E. Project is designed to mobilize, organize, recruit, and engage retirees in the strategic priorities of the NEA and its state affiliates. Active in Florida and Arizona, the M.O.R.E. Project is scheduled to expand to Georgia, North Carolina, and Texas in 2020.
Be a part of the NEA Retired Rapid Response Team!
Join with over 3,000 other NEA-Retired Members that live within a 50 mile radius of downtown Washington, DC. Your expertise and years of experience are crucial during this critical turning point in NEA’s history.
NEA-Retired Member Organizing Toolkit
NEA Retirees are helping to advocate for public education community by community, school by school, educator by educator, one conversation at a time — whether that’s on a front porch or in a classroom. They’re committed to dialoging with the next generation of educator organizers, because at the end of the day, they aren’t the first to fight for public education, and they won’t be the last. This organizing toolkit will help retirees take action — teaching, and training others in organizing for public education. Dive in to find help with assessing educational issues, needs and resources, addressing one-on-one conversation skills, engaging stakeholders, and building leadership.
Download the NEA-Retired Member Organizing Toolkit (PDF, 4.5MB, 98pgs)
Suggested Further Reading
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