TheBoardofGovernorsmetonJuly19todiscussbusinessimportanttostate employeesandretirees.
Treasurer’s Report
SEANCFinanceDirectorRexFosterreportedthatSEANC’sfinancesaredoingwell withtotalannualbudgetreceiptsat74percentand67percentdisbursements.
President’s Report
PresidentSidneyM.Sandycongratulateddistrictchairpersonsonfinishingtheir annualmeetings.Sandyattended15annualmeetingsandencouragedfolkstothink outsidetheboxandappointnew,youngermembersasdistrictofficerstohelptrain thenextgenerationofSEANCleaders.
PresidentSandyalsoremindeddistrictchairpersonstoinformtheirincoming counterpartsthathewouldliketoswear-inalldistrictchairpersonsattheSaturday nightbanquetatconventiononSept.7.
Executive Director’s Report
ExecutiveDirectorDanaCopereportedpositivechangesintheSenateversionofthe StatePersonnelActModernizationbill.TheSenatesubstitutebilladdresses patronageanddueprocessconcernsthatSEANChadwiththeoriginalbill.This versionprovidesmore,notless,stateprotections.
SEANCcontinuestofightSenateBill558,abillrequestedbyStateTreasurerJanet Cowellinanattempttoexpandherpowertoinvest35percentoftheretirement systeminriskyalternativeinvestmentssuchashedgefundsandrealestatedeals. SenateBill558hasbeenalteredfromitsoriginalformwhichwouldhaveallowed thetreasurertogamblewith40percentoftheretirementsysteminan$81billion retirementfundonalternativeinvestments.Cowellisonlyusing20percentofthe fundforalternativeinvestmentscurrently.Suchinvestmentsusuallycomewithhigh feesthatcanceloutanygainsmadebythem.SEANC’sArdisWatkinstestifiedbefore theHouseFinanceCommitteetellingitsmembers,“We’rerollingthediceliterally likeit’sVegas,”
N.C.StateBusinessManagementProfessorRichardWarrsupportsSEANC’s concerns.Warrtoldthecommitteethatiftheypassedthebill,moneymanagerson WallStreetwouldhaveachampagnetoastinhonoroftheirvote,sincetheystandto gainmorethan$300millioninfeesfromthechange.Thebillisawaitingavoteon theHousefloor.
CopehasmetwiththeSenateleadershipanddiscussedthisbillwiththegovernorto shareSEANC’ sconcerns
Convention Report
SEANCConventionandMeetingPlannerAliciaMillerprovidedabriefingonthe30th AnnualConvention,whichwillbeheldonSept.5-7attheSheratonFourSeasonsin Greensboro.Thethemeforthisyear’sconventionis“BuildingaBetterTomorrow.” ThursdayandSaturdaynightdinnersareoptionalandticketsareavailablenow throughAug.9onthewebsite.ThecommunityserviceprojectwillbetheSECU FamilyHouseatUNCHospitals Allitemsandchecksneedtobedroppedoffatthe CommunityServiceboothby1:30p.m.onThursday,Sept.5.AllSEANCmembersare invitedtosubmitphotosofdepartedmembersfortheRemembrancePresentation atconvention.Moreinformationabouttheconventioncanbefoundat seanc.org/conventionorbycallingMillerattheSEANCCentralOffice.
Therewillbetrainingspriortothestartofconvention.Beginningat9a.m.onSept.5 therewillbeDistrictTreasurerandScholarshipBoardtrainingsalongwith retirementandStateHealthPlanworkshops Theretirementandhealthplan workshopswillbeheldat9and10a.m.for45-minuteseachwhiletheother trainingsareafulltwohours.
Awards Committee
ChairwomanGeneMillsannouncedthattheformstosubmitnominationsfor awardsareonline.ThedeadlineforsubmissionshasbeenextendedtoJuly26.
Benevolence Committee
DorannaAndersonannouncedthattheBenevolenceCommitteehassentout151 cardsthisyeartothefamiliesofdeceasedmembers.ShealsoinformedtheBOGthat theRemembranceformisnowonline,andthedeadlineforsubmissionsisAug.16.
Bylaws Committee
ChairmanJimmyDavisreportedthat11bylawsamendmentswereconsideredby thecommitteeonJuly18.Twowereapprovedandwillbeforwardedtoconvention delegatesforavote.OneamendmentwouldchangethenameoftheYouthCouncil totheEmergingLeadersCouncil,raisingtheageeligibilityofthecouncilfrom40to 45andchangingthemethodofselectingmembersfromappointmentstoelectionby SEANCconventiondelegates.TheotherbylawsamendmentwouldmaketheRetiree CouncilChairpersonaconventiondelegate.
EMPAC
ChairmanWayneFishannouncedthatEMPACmetonJuly13anddiscussed reorganizationproposals HealsoreportedontheprogressoftheEMPAC sweepstakes.Todate,EMPAChasreceived1,295sweepstakesentriesand$14,350 incontributionsfromthecontest.
Insurance Board of Trustees
ChairwomanPamHaileyannouncedthatthecommitteewillsendafullmembership mailinginSeptemberfeaturingallSEANCInsurancePrograms.
Haileybroughtforwarda1-yearcontractrenewalforMetLifeDental,beginningJan. 1,2014.Therenewalcontractcontainsanaverage2-percentincreaseonthe low/networkplanandaverage5percentincreaseonthehighoptionplanwithan increaseintheannualmaximumraisedto$5,000.Likewise,theorthodonticlifetime benefit,containedinthehigh-optionplan,foreachfamilymemberuptoage19rose to$5,000.Currently,theannualmaximumlimitis$3,000andorthodonticlifetime benefitis$1,500. TheBOGapprovedtherenewal.
Member Discount
ChairwomanJanetBunchreportedthat116newdiscountpartnershavebeen recruitedsinceFeb.2013.Thecommitteewillrecognizethetopthreerecruitersat conventionandthedeadlinetorecruitnewdiscountpartnersforthecontestisJuly 31.ThemeparkticketswillcontinuetobesoldatallbranchesoftheState EmployeesCreditUnionuntilSept.30.
Member Strength
ChairwomanKimMartinreportedthefindingsofasurveythecommitteehad conducted.ThemainresultwasthatSEANCmustgetyoungermembersinvolved. ThenextmeetingisAug.17.
Membership
ChairmanSpillmanGricereportedthatmembershiprecruitershavebeenbusy ThecutoffdateforrecruitingthisyearisAug.22atcloseofbusiness.Thisisthelast daytocountdistrictmemberstowardconventiondelegatetotal.
ThemembershipincentiveprogramcontinuesthroughAug.19:Repeatrecruiters get$20foreveryfivenewmembersandfirst-timerecruitersget$15forthreenew members.Districts38and39arematchingthemembershipincentivecurrentlyin place.
ThetoprecruitingregionthusfarthisyearistheEasternRegionwhoisup348 morememberssincethelastconvention.
Policy Platform
ChairwomanDorisGreerannouncedthatsixpolicyplatformsubmissionswere consideredbythecommitteethisWednesday.Fourwillgotoconventionandtwo
werevoteddownbythecommittee.Thecommitteedeletedtwoobjectivesthat wereupfordeletionbecausetheyhadalreadybeenachieved.
Planning
ThePlanningCommitteepresenteda$5.1millionbudgettotheBOGfor considerationandavote.Thebudgetis$7,400lessthanlastyearandwillfund SEANCoperationsforFiscalYear2013-2014.TheSEANCbudgetandtheInsurance budgetwereunanimouslyapprovedbytheBOG.
Retiree Council
RossHaileymadetheRetireeCouncilreportonbehalfofChairmanBobHopper. SEANCLobbyistChuckStonewilldelivertwoworkshopsattheconventionon MedicareAdvantageonSept.5at9and10a.m.SEANCLobbyistMitchLeonardwill delivertworetirementworkshopsduringthesametimeperiodssothatmembers mayattendeachsession.SpillmanGricehasbeenelectedtotheAlliancesofRetirees ofN.C.Thecouncilhasanopeningineachregionandcurrentlythereisnocandidate runninginthePiedmontRegion.Twenty-eightretireeworkshopswereheldaround thestate.
Scholarship Foundation
ChairmanGeorgeThiessenannouncedthatDollars=Diplomas.Theelectionsatthe conventionwillfeaturefiveregionalvacancies.TheDonJonesMemorialGolf TournamentwillbeAug.9atBuiesCreek.Eachdistrictcansponsorateamand/or hole.Costis$55perplayeror$220perteamforfourpeople
Youth Council
ChairwomanFeliciaChiambiroannouncedthatthecouncilwillassistinan upcomingNewHanoverandBrunswickCountymembershipdrive.TheYouth Councilwillhosttwoconventionactivitiesincludingaspeednetworkingeventanda luncheonformembersunder40.ThechairwomancongratulatedseveralYC memberswhotookonleadershiprolesintheirdistrictsthisyear.
Votes
PASSED-AmotiontofundtheSEANCandinsurancebudgetsforFiscalYear20132014.Unanimous.
PASSED-AmotiontoextendtheMetLifeDentalcontractforoneyear.Thenewplan hasa$5,000orthodonticbenefitperfamilymember.