LACERS BOARD UPDATE
By Michael R. Wilkinson, LACERS Commissioner
Email: MikeWilkinson4LACERS@gmail.com
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ACERS Well recently reported to the Board on a successful program for 2024 and plans for 2025. LACERS Well is a program funded by the LACERS health carriers to improve the physical and mental health of LACERS Retirees by participating in a wide variety of activities.
The 2025 LACERS Well program will add to its basic mix of exercise, activity classes and brain health programs to include:
- Two language class series in conversational Spanish
- A back-to-basics class in computer technology, and
- A disaster preparedness class.
The budget approved by the Board of $378,500 includes funding for fitness events such as Zumba, dancing and professionally led exercise classes as well as hikes and walks led by volunteers.
The funding by the health carriers means that there is no financial drain on the LACERS trust assets or the Section 115 trust that provides additional funding for LACERS’ healthcare costs.
For 2024, there were 12 in-person events and workshops, 77 webinars and virtual classes, and 3,448 program participants. The program would not be as successful as it is without the enthusiastic participation of the 17 Champions volunteers who regularly lead LACERS Well activities in everything from local hikes to hula dancing. For 2025, the theme is Wellness in Motion, Knowledge in Action.
The goal of LACERS Well is to encourage healthy living by supporting members in achieving purpose in life, keeping their bodies and minds active. These healthy habits lead to a happier life, which has the additional benefit of lowering health costs for the members and for LACERS.
Finishing on a personal note, I participated in the April 30 LACERS Well run/walk at Lacy Park and had a wonderful time meeting our members and having a great lunch and presentation session at the end. Thanks to Kristal Baldwin and Alejandra Zuniga, team leaders and Karen Freire, the Health Wellness and Buyback Division, our health carriers and Keenan and Associates, for a wonderful event.
Corrections
Previous articles by Michael R. Wilkinson in Alive! included production errors.
- In May, we published that the one-year investment return rate was minus 7.36 percent, when it should have read (a positive) 7.36 percent.
- In April, the article’s headline should have read: “LACERS Sets Three Percent COLA for 2025.”
Alive! regrets these errors in production
