February 2014 Spotlight

The Board of Governors met on Feb. 21 to discuss business important to state employees and retirees.

Officer Announcements The following members announced their intention to run for SEANC statewide office in 2014-2015: • Art Anthony of District 39 for President • Wayne Fish of District 2 for President • Stanley Gales of District 26 for First Vice President • Stanley Drewery of District 67 for Second Vice President • Betty “BJ” Jones of District 42 for Second Vice President • Gloria Evans of District 65 for General Treasurer • Gloria Upperman of District 26 for EMPAC Chairwoman Treasurer’s Report Treasurer Betty “BJ” Jones reported that SEANC’s finances are doing well with total annual budget receipts at 31 percent and 27 percent disbursements.

President’s Report President Sidney M. Sandy encouraged the board to spread out district annual meetings away from the traditional Tuesday and Thursday night time slots and to consider other nights, such as Wednesday, for annual meetings. This will allow officers, officer candidates and staff to attend the meetings and bring informational updates to the districts. If your district has not scheduled their annual meeting, please do so and provide the details to communications@seanc.org.

Convention: The SEANC Annual Convention will be held on Sept. 4-6. President Sandy announced that he will raise funds for the SEANC Scholarship Foundation as his convention community service project. Please begin to fundraise and/or set funds aside for your district to participate in this worthy project that benefits SEANC members, their dependents and spouses.

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Executive Director’s Report SEANC Executive Director Dana Cope reported that he met with Gov. Pat McCrory and legislative leaders on state employee and retiree pay raises and cost-of-living adjustments. State revenues are ahead of projections for this year and this bodes well for pay raises. What is unknown is the total Medicaid bill, which lawmakers have paid the past several years at the expense of state employees’ raises. Cope told lawmakers their Medicaid problems were revenue problems not state employee problems. SEANC is pushing for a 3-percent pay raise.

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Treasurer Janet Cowell’s Retirement System Board of Trustees did not ask for a retiree COLA despite SEANC’s suggestion to pay for it by negotiating investment fees. This will make it harder to secure a COLA, but SEANC is committed to working with the General Assembly to secure one for retirees.

SEANC has hired a forensic investigator, Ted Siedle, who is a former Securities and Exchange attorney and a Forbes magazine contributor, to conduct a forensic audit of the retirement system. The investigation is ongoing and is expected to conclude within 90 days. To date the $86 billion retirement system has never been audited.

SEANC is participating in the association’s annual independent financial audit which is shaping up nicely and will be completed by the next BOG.

Awards Committee Chairwoman Pam Hailey reported that on Feb. 4 the committee revised the award forms and guidelines with the goal of increasing member participation. The committee unanimously voted to blindly judge applicants for SEANC Member of the Year, District Chairperson of the Year and the Distinguished Service Award. The committee unanimously voted to allow electronic submissions of all awards with the exception of the SEANC District of the Year Award. Forms are available online and the last day to submit an award nomination is Saturday, July 26. The committee will meet on Aug. 5 to judge award submissions.

EMPAC Chairman Wayne Fish announced that EMPAC conducted endorsement training on Jan. 25. On Feb. 28 candidate filing for the General Assembly will end. On March 1 EMPAC meets to prepare for primary endorsements and on March 3 candidate questionnaires will be mailed.

Insurance Board of Trustees Chairwoman Doranna Anderson brought a proposal for a new identity protection product from InfoArmor. The product provides greater information protection than

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the association’s current identity protection product and is less expensive at $7.95 per employee/month and $13.95 per employee/month (total of five family members including employee). The board voted to accept InfoArmor into the suite of membership benefit products.

Additionally Anderson also informed the BOG that the IBT reviewed a suite of AFLAC products to add an additional choice to members. The board voted to accept these products as well into the suite of membership benefits offered by SEANC.

Member Discount Chairwoman Janet Bunch reported that the committee met on Dec. 3 to review its goals and approved a 10% minimum discount threshold amount for new businesses enrolling in SEANC’s member discount program. The committee is hosting a contest in March. The member who saves the most money using SEANC discounts will receive a $50 VISA gift card. All other savers will be placed in a drawing for one random lucky winner to receive a $25 VISA gift card. The committee has recruited 54 businesses since Aug. 2013.

Member Strength Chairwoman Hiawatha Jones urged the BOG to educate, engage and empower SEANC members and for each district chairperson to comprise a list of members that can be activated to lobby, make phone calls and send emails during the General Assembly session. Chairpersons are urged to contact retirees and discuss what times they are available to assist with lobbying.

Membership Chairman Bill Spade announced the 2013-2014 membership incentives. From Feb. 21-May 23 the top recruiter from each SEANC region will receive $100 and from June 25-Aug. 25 the top recruiter from each region will receive $100.

At convention, members who recruit a new SEANC member in 2014 will be entered into a drawing to win $75 in merchandise from the SEANC store. The committee will also recognize the top recruiter on a plaque at the SEANC Central Office, as well as the districts that recruit the most new members.

You must fill out this form to participate in the incentive.

Planning Committee Chairwoman Linda Rouse Sutton announced that the committee is working on the SEANC budget for next year.

Policy Platform Chairwoman Doris Greer requested that all districts who have not submitted their district policy platform chairpersons to please turn those into the SEANC Legislative Affairs Department. Greer challenged all districts to turn in at least one policy platform objective for consideration by the committee.

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Retiree Council Chairman Spillman Grice informed the BOG that the Retiree Council held two meetings and two teleconferences since the last BOG. Some of the council’s 20132014 goals are to continue to monitor the retirement system, the State Health Plan and to continue to assist with planning of retiree forums.

Former Retiree Chairman Bob Hopper represented SEANC at the SEIU Retirement Council meeting and recommended that Grice replace him on that board. Grice is now the new representative. In other news, the Retiree Council is partnering with the Youth Council to help mentor the next generation of SEANC.

Scholarship Foundation The Scholarship Foundation Board of Directors approved $38,000 for 46 scholarships this spring. The Scholarship Foundation had SEANC staff redesign and create more user-friendly scholarship applications which are available on the SEANC web page in a fillable PDF format. District scholarship chairpersons’ guides and editable sample letters have been sent to assist the district scholarship chairpersons in their roles. Other actions taken include: •

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The committee clarified what defined “a member in good standing” in order to be eligible to participate in the SEANC scholarship program. The first membership dues payment must be received at the SEANC Central Office by April 15 in order for a member to participate in the program.

Cash raffle tickets will be distributed to each district chairperson in May.

President Sandy’s annual SEANC Convention Community Service Project will benefit the SEANC Scholarship Foundation Bowling Fundraiser-This year there will be a new bowling fundraiser on Saturday, April 12 in Greenville at the AMF E. Carolina Lanes. Districts, individuals or businesses are welcome to sponsor a lane for $300, sign up to bowl as an individual or form a team of six to bowl for $100 from either 1-3 or 3-5 p.m. There will also be an onsite raffle and prizes awarded to the top and low-scoring teams. Raffle tickets are $1 each or $10 for 12 tickets. Raffle items include N.C. Symphony tickets, Owens Pottery, a golf round for two at River Landing and more. Contact communications@seanc.org to have your district sponsor a lane or donate a raffle item today!

Youth Council The Youth Council met Jan. 18 to discuss Monday night lobbying at the General Assembly, closing the gap between youth and retirees, training ideas and community service projects. Members decided on two community service projects including the Habitat for Humanity and SECU House. The next meeting will be a teleconference on March 20.

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Votes PASSED-A motion to give SEIU 30 days written notice to discuss our affiliation with them.

PASSED-To add a new identity protection product InfoArmor.

PASSED-To add an AFLAC suite of insurance products to provide additional choice in offerings for members.

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