Highlights of the 2020 ARTA AGM
Vi Oko | Governance Committee
The 2020 ARTA Annual General Meeting was held virtually on October 6 and 7 with twenty-nine board members , thirty-four branch delegates , four affiliated association representatives , six staff members , and five guests , along with the association auditor . Technical support from the ARTA office provided for a streamlined operation . Even though meeting electronically resulted in less conversation , attendees did have an opportunity to submit questions for clarification .
The meeting was held to receive officer , committee , and branch president reports , ratify the budget , and elect three officers and six new committee members .
All executive positions were elected by acclamation . Lorna McIlroy embarks on her second term as president , Deb Gerow is the new association vicepresident , and Dolaine Koch returns to her longstanding role as treasurer .
Committee work continued throughout the past seven months despite ARTA staff working from home and committee members meeting remotely . Though the process was new , all committees carried out their designated responsibilities to best meet the needs of the ARTA membership — as much as was possible under the circumstances . To learn about ARTA ’ s committees , visit
arta . net / organizationalexcellence .
As of October 1 , 2020 , the ARTA Retiree Benefits Plan had experienced an 8.5 per cent growth rate over the previous year with 23,436 of the 25,390 ARTA members enrolled in the plan . A regulatory change instituted by the federal government in December 2019 resulted in the early implementation of a goal to administer the benefit plan in-house . The upshot
of self-administration will be reinvestment into the plan of third-party administration fees . Improvements in plan administration will allow for online claim submissions and a smartphone app .
The transfer of all ARTA Benefit Plan Trust Fund accounts to a new investment manager was completed on August 20 , 2020 . Trustees of the Trust Fund are mandated to protect fund assets , maximizing income while minimizing risk .
The Alberta Retired Teachers Charitable Foundation presently has an annual budget of $ 70,000 that is dispersed to support programs offered by the Parkinson Association of Alberta , the Alzheimer Society of Alberta and Northwest Territories , the Alzheimer Society of Calgary , and the Operation Friendship Seniors Society .
In a presentation to AGM participants via video conference , Gerry Tiede , ACER-CART President , outlined the advocacy priorities of the national association of retired teachers this year : seniors health care , universal pharmacare , and defined benefit pension plans .
Rod Matheson , Chief Executive Officer at ATRF , reported on the market value of ATRF assets , the asset mix , and the rates of return over the past ten years . A total of 1,180 teachers retired at the end of the 2018 – 2019 school year . As of August 31 , 2019 , forty-four of them were centenarians , the oldest of whom was 109 . The ATRF Board of Directors approved a contribution rate reduction , effective September 1 , 2020 — the third reduction since 2016 .
Jason Schilling , ATA President , and Dennis Theobald , ATA Executive Secretary , updated representatives on recent developments affecting public education , stated the actions taken , expressed their concerns for the future , and thanked the ARTA membership for their ongoing support .
The membership can be assured that ARTA is being guided by innovative and insightful leadership as the association is about to embark on a new program , in a new building , staffed by a number of new personnel .
news & views WINTER 2020 | 13