VRTA Spotlight

In this Email:

A Message From the VRTA President
Photos from VRTA Spring 2025 Delegate Assembly
VRTA Member Benefits Information
Today's Interest Rates
Protect What Matters: The Value of Property & Casualty Insurance
Reflections and Perspectives
Important VRTA Dates to Remember

May 2025

A Message from YOUR VRTA President, Karen Whetzel -

Moving Forward Together!

The VRTA Spring 2025 Delegate Assembly was held on Tuesday, April 29 and Wednesday 30, 2025, at the Doubletree by Hilton in Midlothian, Virginia. Thanks to ALL attendees, as well as the Executive Committee, Board of Directors, and Delegate Assembly voting members for your participation! Special thanks to those who did breakout sessions: Jim Dau, Jim DuBrueler, Larry Hardesty, Ben McCartney, Bea Morris, Dave Palanzi, Maudie Scott, Tina Whitaker, Joyce Williams! Great job!

Thanks to Districts C, D, E, F, H, J, M, N, P, T, U and local units Rockbridge and Pittsylvania for contributing door prizes for the Spring DA, as well as First Bank (bags with gift cards) and Doubletree Midlothian (overnight stay with breakfast.) Congrats to the winners!

Thanks to all of the Executive Committee and Committee Chairs who came out to Committee Chats on Tuesday night! The Bylaws Committee chaired by Nina McClanahan got a new member and worked on some proposed changes at the event. Iva Faust, who submitted her letter of resignation as the Historical Records chair on Wednesday, brought a display of historic items. Thanks to Iva for her service to VRTA for many years.

Speakers on Tuesday at the VRTA Delegate Assembly included Dr. Bob Holsworth, political analyst, and Jim DuBrueler, Creekside and the VRTA Agent of Record. Wednesday included the usual Virginia Retirement System presentation as well as a talk by Tom Allen, editor and author.

Evaluations from the Delegate Assembly are being compiled and will be reviewed by the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee will be reviewing the results to make decisions for future conferences, as well as looking at possible alternatives to two statewide meetings a year.

The VRTA Annual Report for Units and Districts is due by June 30, 2025, but can be submitted earlier if officers for 2025-26 have already been elected. The form can be found on vrta.us and can be typed on and then saved to submit by email! Or it can be printed out and scanned. If you write on a copy that you print out, be sure to write legibly, especially email addresses which can be tricky for the Directory chair to get correct in the directory (now published online; contact me at kswhetzel@gmail.com if you need the password.) Contact Directory Chair Leigh McKay (clo49lm@gmail.com) if you have questions about the report.

The VRTA Community Service report is also due by June 30, 2025! It too can be found on vrta.us. Contact Community Service Chair Louise Mont-Adams (montadamslouise@gmail.com) if you have questions on the Community Service report.

The final VRTA printed/mailed newsletter will be sent out to members in Fall, 2025. Please share ideas on how units/districts can members who don’t have internet access continue seeing the newsletter.

VRTA will be celebrating its 90th anniversary in Fall 2025. If you have ideas for celebrating, or historic documents that might be useful, contact me at kswhetzel@gmail.com, 540-740-8589, or message me at Facebook Karen Whetzel VRTA President. (This is a separate Facebook page from the VRTA Facebook page that is administered by Technology Chair Nina McClannahan.)

Our vision: All retired school personnel will be safe, productive, informed and financially secure in retirement.

Our mission: to be the voice, resource, and connection for all retired school personnel.

Karen Whetzel

VRTA President

Phone: 540-740-8589

Email: kswhetzel@gmail.com

Scan the QR code on your smartphone or click it to look at Karen Whetzel's VRTA President's page!

Photos from 2025 Spring Delegate Assembly

Officers at the Spring Delegate Assembly

Iva Faust, Historical Records Chair, and Karen Whetzel, VRTA President at the Committee Chats at the VRTA Spring Delegate Assembly

Weldon Martin, Treasurer, presents the proposed budget

If you ever wonder what it means to have VRTA benefits? Visit the website – vrtabenefits.org to see what benefits are available to you.

Phone (540) 722-2529

Toll-Free (800) 467 5425

Email: savenow@creeksideadvisors.net

Protect What Matters: The Value of Property & Casualty Insurance

Life is full of uncertainties, but the right insurance coverage can give you peace of mind knowing that your home, vehicle, and business are protected. Property and casualty (P&C) insurance plays a crucial role in safeguarding your financial future by covering unexpected losses due to accidents, natural disasters, liability claims, and more.

Why P&C Insurance Matters

Whether you’re a homeowner, renter, or business owner, P&C insurance helps protect you from financial hardship. Home and auto policies ensure that damage, theft, or liability claims don’t result in overwhelming out-of-pocket expenses. Business insurance provides coverage for property damage, lawsuits, and operational risks, keeping your company secure in challenging situations.

Personalized Coverage with a Local Agent

Navigating insurance options can be complex, but that’s where a local, trusted INDEPENDENT agent makes all the difference. At Creekside Insurance Advisors, Inc., we take the time to understand your unique needs and find the best coverage for your situation—at a price that fits your budget. We're not married to any company. Plus, when the unexpected happens, we’re here to support you through the claims process.

Let’s Review Your Coverage!

If it’s been a while since you reviewed your policies, now is a great time to ensure you have the right protection in place. Contact us today for a free insurance review and let us help you safeguard what matters most!

Creekside Property and Casualty Team

REACH OUT FOR AN INSURANCE REVIEW TODAY!

Insurance Advisory Services

Home & Auto
Medicare Products
Long-term Care
Life Insurance
Fixed Indexed Annuities

Financial Advisory Services

Retirement Income Planning
Pension Survivorship Analysis
Portfolio Management

REFLECTIONS AND PERSPECTIVES

The title of the Legislative Committee breakout sessions at the Spring Delegate Assembly was Reflections and Perspectives. The purpose was to reflect on the working of the VRTA legislative program and to share perspectives on how to be more effective. A big task for a limited time. The Legislative Committee continually works to carry out VRTA’s Vision and Mission Statements, but participation of members is crucial to the impact VRTA has.

The VRTA President includes these two statements in her Creekside column each month because they guide the organization, but seldom do we think about what these statements say about the organization and what they mean for us as members. Therefore, we used them as a framework for our discussion.

Vision Statement: All retired school personnel will be safe, productive, informed, and financially secure in retirement.

Mission Statement: To be the voice, resource, and connection for all retired school personnel.

Each of us, officers, committee members, members, etc., has different reflections and perspectives about the VRTA, but what is specific to the Legislative Committee? Here are a few of mine:

Informed – The monthly Creekside Newsletter is very effective as a communication tool. However, I wonder how many do not get it and of those who get it how many really read it instead of just glancing at it. Suggestions for topics to cover would be helpful. During the GA session, Legislative Updates are sent periodically. However, the time required for research limits what can be covered. Perhaps a member could follow an issue or bill of particular interest and be the “expert” who keeps the committee informed of its progress. The website has a wealth of up to date as well as archived information because of the efficiency and dedication of Nina McClanahan, Technology Chair, and Jason Winter, webmaster. However, I wonder how many visit it.

To be the voice, connection – The Legislative Committee and Bonnie Atwood, our lobbyist, contact legislators about our concerns not only during the GA session but throughout the year. However, it’s constituents talking to their legislators that really makes the impact. Then the committee needs to know about the contact and response of the legislator. We know that some are making these contacts, but we rarely hear from them. The units and districts have legislative chairs listed in the directory, but they almost never contact us. There doesn’t seem to be a connection. The committee also is the VRTA voice and connection on two coalitions, FOS (Fund Our Schools) and VVNHR (Viginia Voices for Nursing Home Residents). We are making a connection with AARP and other groups that are concerned about the unsafe, deplorable conditions of some nursing facilities.

Resource – Ask the Legislative Committee:

To speak to a unit or district

To help with contacting legislators

For information/explanation/clarification of a bill or an issue

A program or an informal discussion on the Vision and Mission Statements or just ideas you have would be helpful to the committee and to VRTA. Please let us hear from you.

Bea Morris

VRTA Legislative Co-Chairperson

Email: beam1340@verizon.net

Important VRTA Dates to Remember

Monday, June 30, 2025: Annual VRTA report and VRTA Community service reports due (forms on vrta.us).

Monday, August 4, 2025: Deadline for submitting information for the Fall 2025 Newsletter. This will be the last printed/mailed newsletter.

Tuesday, September 16, and Wednesday, September 17, 2025: VRTA Fall Conference: at the Doubletree by Hilton in Midlothian, Virginia. (The Executive Committee will meet Monday, September 15, 2025.)