OLLI at UA Advisory Board

2020 OLLI Board Meetings

Normally all Board meetings are held on the 2nd Tuesday of each month at noon at the Bryant Conference Center, 240 Paul W. Bryant Drive, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401. Because of the COVID Pandemic - your OLLI Board will be meeting by ZOOM.

• Tuesday, September 8th, 2020

Message from the President

September 2020   President’s Message September 2020 CELEBRATE OLLI! Greetings, OLLI friends, This president’s message will be my last. My term as your president will end on September 10, when we elect new officers with electronic balloting at our first virtual annual meeting. It has been my distinct pleasure to serve OLLI, especially in these interesting times in which we’ve pivoted to online classes, meetings, and social events. Although we’re missing the familiar and comfortable venues where we used to meet, we’ve stayed active and looked “forward” through the past six months of COVID-19 and are planning for much more, as we move ahead in this new, different-normal environment. I invite you to attend our upcoming annual meeting on Thursday, September 10, at 3:00 p.m. We will elect officers, consider and vote on revisions to the OLLI bylaws, and hear about OLLI accomplishments during the past year. We’ll take a nostalgic look back and remember face-to-face classes, field trips, travel, dinners and all that we did “before”. But then we’ll talk about the opportunities that came our way as we sheltered at home and Zoomed online meetings with family and friends, while awaiting grocery deliveries. Besides meeting new friends throughout the UA OLLI chapters, we’ve spread our wings even more with the emerging OLLI Shares program, in which we’ll share courses with OLLIs at UAH and at Auburn University. OLLI Shares grew out of the most recent OLLI Celebration, OLLI Day Alabama. If you missed OLLI Day on August 20, you missed an outstanding online program co-sponsored by OLLIs at Auburn, UA, and UAH. Deans, executive directors, and members from the three OLLIs collaborated, and we were honored to receive a proclamation of OLLI Day Alabama, along with a heartfelt video message from Governor Kay Ivey. Mary Bitterman, president of the Bernard Osher Foundation, and Mr. Bernard Osher, the man who had the vision to develop and fund some 124 OLLIs across the U.S., presented at OLLI Day. Mistress of ceremonies, Leanne Spencer, guided attendees through the program that ended with fireworks and a new resolve to continue collaborative efforts across the state. Ms. Bitterman made it clear that this collaboration among the Alabama OLLIs is unique and welcomed. You can see a video of the day’s activities at https://alabama.box.com/s/c64zbniai0z0q8v8lexd5zfvviotmw54. OLLI classes begin the week of September 14, so there’s still time for you to join OLLI and select classes. Since the classes are online, it doesn’t matter where you are or whether you want to join the classes through your computer, a tablet, or your smart phone. OLLI will provide Zoom training if you need it, and we’ll assist you in getting acclimated to the new learning environment. Renew your membership and enroll at https://olli.ua.edu and get ready for the fun of learning, socializing, and staying safe. While you’re taking care of your own membership and enrollment, remember to share the news about OLLI with your friends, neighbors, and colleagues. Now, more than ever, you and your cohorts belong with OLLI. As I move over to the past-president’s position, I want to go on the record here in thanking advisory board members, the CCS administration, the OLLI staff, the COVID-19 transition task force, the instructors, facilitators, and hosts, as well as, the members who are the heart and soul of OLLI, for all the support given to me over the past two-plus years. It is not hard to provide leadership to such an inclusive, caring, and enthusiastic group. Thank you so very much. Meanwhile, I’ll see you at the annual meeting on September 10 and then, in class! Stay safe, stay well, wear your mask and wash your hands! Elizabeth Aversa, OLLI President