From ARCRA President Michael Carroll

Since changes in the way that many Red Cross retirees receive their pension benefits took effect in September, ARCRA has worked hard to understand Athene, John Hancock and Aetna annuity contracts and educate our members about them while continuing to monitor the ARC Retirement System. Based on information we have received from our members, the pension amounts that retirees worked hard for during their careers have not been affected by these changes. 

In January, Harold Brooks and Nancy Blaschak were elected to the ARCRA Board. Nancy’s 35-year career was centered in Buffalo, NY where she served as Regional Director for the Western NY Region before retiring. Harold finished his 41-year career as SVP for International Services and also led the ARC of the Bay Area (San Francisco) for 16 years. Harold now heads ARCRA’s Advocacy and Education Committee. ARCRA Officers now include Michael Carroll (President), Jim Hamilton (Vice President), Ann Byrnes (Secretary), Jack Campbell (Treasurer) and Dave Therkelsen (Immediate Past President).

With membership at about 2000, the most ever and growing, ARCRA will continue to meet with senior leadership at the Red Cross and speak out about issues that matter to and affect retirees. (Although ARCRA enjoys a close working relationship with the Red Cross, it is an independently-chartered organization created to advocate for retirees and provide other benefits for members.) Through the monthly eNewsletter, the print newsletter, The Retiree, and the ARCRA website, we’ll continue to convey “news you can use” for retirees featuring content related to the Retirement System, the annuity contracts and other topics that matter to retirees and seniors. ARCRA’s ability to deliver these and other benefits depends, however, on a strong membership; the more retirees who join and renew their membership with the Association, the stronger our voice will be.