By Edward J. Harding
President Emeritus
With the holiday season’s passing and the start of the year upon us, we tend to reflect on all the events that occurred during the last 12 months. Sometimes a year seems to last forever, and other times it’s over in a blink of an eye. That is how I feel about these last 24 years as the President of RLACEI. It has been my honor to be entrusted to serve in this capacity for that period of time.
With your membership and support, we have been able to protect and enhance our pension benefits over the years. We obtained a dental plan subsidy that Retired employees never before had; we increased the funeral expense allowance from $500 to $2,500; and we continue to advocate on all Retirees’ behalf to protect our retirement fund and achieve parity of enhanced benefits for all qualified. Your membership is critical in allowing us to be your voice before the mayor, the Council, or any other entity that may endanger the welfare of our pension fund.
RLACEI continues to need your support. In my last few months as your President Emeritus, I ask that you allow our organization to continue to represent you.
I will remain to assist RLACEI Directors as President Emeritus and hope that you extend the courtesies allowed to me to the newly installed officers assuming their offices on Jan. 1. These are: Ruth B. Perry, President; Thomas Stemnock, First Vice President; Beverly J. Clark, Second Vice President; and Harold Danowitz, Secretary/Treasurer; along with all continuing RLACEI Directors: Mary Beetz, Cliff Cannon, Dennis Harding, Michael Karsch, Neil Ricci, Michael Wilkerson, and newly appointed Phil Orland.
Director Michael Perez departed our team effective Dec. 31, 2018. We bid him a fond farewell and much luck in his future endeavors. His directorship vacancy will be opened for application. If you are interested in joining the RLACEI team, please contact Neil Ricci, Chairman of the Nominating Committee at (800) 678-4145 Ext. 714 for additional information.
It was wonderful seeing so many of you at RLACEI’s holiday party, in spite of the weather, Dec. 6 at the Grace E. Simons Lodge. I was glad I had the opportunity to personally thank you for your continued membership.
Let’s continue our goal of maintaining the welfare of our members and their dependents.
I wish you fair winds and following seas.
