An Invitation to Get Involved

I’ve always heard that if you want to get something done, ask a busy person. I can’t think of a busier group of people than our NEA-Retired members. As your commitment to your communities and states continues, please keep in mind the many opportunities to be involved on the national level as well.

The 2025 NEA-Retired Conference will be held March 9–11 at the Fort Pontchartrain Hotel, in Detroit, Mich. This year’s theme is, “A Lifetime of Promoting, Protecting, and Strengthening Public Education: The Foundation of Our Democracy.” To register, please visit nea.org/Retired. As you are planning, I encourage state leaders to bring at least one new retiree who would be a first-time attendee to this conference.

Preparations are already underway for the 2025 NEA-Retired Annual Meeting, which will be held in Portland, Ore., June 29–30. Go to the NEA-Retired website above for more information about the meeting, a list of leadership positions up for election this year, and forms for proposing amendments to our governing documents. Now would also be a great time to think about how your state and local can be involved in the many annual awards and honors presented during this meeting. Find information about all awards, the nomination process, and timelines.

I want to highlight two of our annual recognitions: The NEA-Retired Distinguished Service Award, which celebrates members who did phenomenal work while on the job and continue to do so in retirement; and the Jack Kinnaman Scholarship for NEA Aspiring Educators. In 2024, thanks to the generous contributions of NEA-Retired members, we awarded six $3,500 scholarships! Support future educators.

Find out more about NEA-Retired and get involved.

NEA-Retired President Anita Gibson  
256-717-7993