UMSL Retirees Association

UMSL Retirees Association News

Retiree of the Year Nominations are Open

Download the 2026 nomination form. For more details and the names of former awardees, see the feature in the left hand column.

A Message from our President - Connie Jeffries

Welcome to the UMSLRA! I’m happy to be serving as your President this year and even happier to be backed up by a wonderful cast of committee chairs and members who are working diligently, mostly behind the scenes, to make your UMSLRA even better.

We are continuing our Breakfasts with Your UMSLRA this year, and they’ve gotten off to a great start. Thanks to the efforts of Events Chair Joel Glassman with support from Mike Murray, the first breakfast, with the timely topic of Property Tax Reform in Missouri was very successful and well attended. Also well attended was a visit and tour of the International Institute in South St. Louis.  Our second breakfast is scheduled in a couple weeks. Sticking with timely topics, the November breakfast will address tariffs and how we might expect them to impact all of us.

I was excited to move our UMSLRA Board meetings to the campus this year. While retired faculty who remain in the St. Louis area might maintain a connection with campus by having an office or perhaps doing research on campus, retired staff tend to lose that connection all too quickly. Having now been retired for 14 years, I feel I lost that connection many years ago. For the first five to seven years of retirement I would come back to campus to have lunch with former colleagues and catch up. Now I don’t think there’s anyone left on campus that I know! So, while we continue to have a good relationship with Glen Echo, I see real benefit from holding more events on the campus if we can. Staying connected - feeling connected - is vital to a satisfying retirement.

Losing a spouse or partner is an experience many dread - and too many of us have had to navigate in retirement. I am no exception. I decided to continue to do one thing my husband and I loved to do, and that was to road trip. We’d driven hundreds of thousands of miles crisscrossing the US and Europe, and I was determined to continue that. I also started pursuing a couple of interests I’d set aside during our years together - photography and hiking. My first solo trip was to the southwest. On my third solo day on the road I stopped to hike at Seminole Canyon State Park, along the Rio Grande in Southwest Texas. When I arrived at the trailhead I realized this might also be my first solo hike off the grid - no cell service. So I dropped a pin on my maps app and sent my daughters a text to let them know exactly where I was, and when to expect to hear from me again. There was one other vehicle in the parking area - a nice surprise.

About an hour into the hike I ran into the owners of that other vehicle - a very friendly “elderly” couple who might have actually been younger than me. We exchanged introductions and pleasantries, and I mentioned I’d been retired for seven years. Oh, and this was my first solo hike off the grid. The gentleman stared me the eyes and said “No. You’ve not been retired for seven years. You’ve been LIVING for seven years.” I’ve carried that morsel of wisdom with me since then. I’ve driven a lot of miles since then and hiked thousands of miles. I’m grateful retirement has given me not just the luxury of time to do absolutely nothing if I choose, but also the luxury of LIVING each of those miles. And LIVING each day of retirement.

Staying connected to former colleagues from UMSL, re-connecting with those with whom I’d lost contact, and making new connections are just some of the values UMSLRA has added to my life. Just one more value added to LIVING this retirement. Here’s hoping you experience that same benefit!.

Retiring President Tom Eyssell handing the gavel to new President Connie Jeffries  

2025 Retiree of the Year Award Winners

Congratulations to our 2025 Retirees of the Year! Cindy Vantine and William (Howard) McAlister are the staff and faculty retirees of the year, respectively, and were honored at the Chancellor's State of the University Address at the Touhill PAC on August 29. 

Lucinda “Cindy” Vantine retired from UMSL in 2018 from her position as Director of University Events. Over many years at the university she developed a career in which she was appreciated by all with whom she worked, whether faculty, staff or student. Cindy now continues that same unwavering commitment to the community through service, leadership and mentorship. She serves as president of her HOA and President of the Artist Presentation Society, a 77 year-old organization that encourages and promotes exceptional young early career musicians in the Midwest. She is an ensemble member of the Cornerstone Chorale and Brass, a social justice music organization of professional singers, brass players and percussionists, and has toured internationally with this group. She is the Minister of Music serving as organist and choir accompanist at the Lutheran Church of Atonement in Florissant and continues to serve as both singer and event organizer for the Bel Canto Chorus of St. Louis. When she is not using her many talents to uplift and lead others, she can be found on the UMSL campus taking classes, doing water aerobics, and attending performances at the Touhill. She continues to be one of UMSL’s biggest supporters and advocates in the community.

William (Howard) McAlister, Emeritus Associate Professor of Optometry, retired in 2018. Since then he has made great strides both in academic research and professional service which bring global recognition to UMSL. He has authored 6 peer reviewed journal articles and has delivered 11 conference presentations, 6 of which were at international meetings. He has received 4 prestigious awards that recognize the profound impact he has made across the broader healthcare community. Dr. McAlister freely donates his time and experience to, for example, the World Council of Optometry, the Board of Directors for the Voluntary Optometric Service to Humanity/International, and the Optometric Historical Society Committee of the American Optometric Association. Most recently he was appointed as an UMSL representative to the International Optometric Educators Committee of the Association of Schools and Colleges of Optometry. Such post-retirement contributions continue to enhance the prestige of the University of Missouri-St. Louis.

Cindy Vantine and William (Howard) McAlister

Highlights from the 2025 Annual General Meeting

The 2025 Annual General Meeting of the Association and the spring luncheon were held on Friday, June 6, 2025. Of note were the following election results and appointments:

President-Elect: Clark Hickman (1yr.)
Treasurer: Faith Lucas (1yr.)
Secretary: Candace (Candi) Agnew (1yr.)

Joel Glassman was elected to the Board (2yr.) 
Susan Moody was elected to the Board (2yr.)
Michael Murray was elected to the Board (2yr.)

Deborah Kettler and Helene Sherman, both former Presidents, and Mimi Duncan completed 2-year Board member terms and were thanked for their wonderful service to the Association. Candi Agnew, former Board member and Secretary was elected and appointed Secretary. Steve Spaner resigned as Treasurer to address family issues.  Steve was the conscience of the Association keeping us all on track for many years. He was recognized for his many years of excellent service to the Association. He served for about 5 years a Secretary and from 2012 through June 2025 as Treasurer.

Keep in Touch

Stay in contact with your Retirees Association by emailing umslra@umsl.edu.

Please note the existence of the Retirees Association Facebook page. Administrators include Clark Hickman, Steve Spaner and Lol Barton.

Join the UMSL Retirees Association

Don't forget to join or rejoin the University of Missouri-St. Louis Retirees Association. The membership year is from June 1 to May 31.

Presentation of the UMSLRA Membership Card grants the following:

• Annual Luncheon and Business Meeting, courtesy of the Chancellor
• Access to events and programs of the UMSL Retiree Association
• 10% discount at the University Triton Store in the Millennium Student Center
• Up to 25% discount on tickets to events at the Touhill Performing Arts Center
• Admission to the Department of Recreational Sports classes at the active faculty/staff rate
• Admission to the UMSL Recreation and Wellness Center at the active faculty/staff rate
• A free campus parking permit, available 7:30 am – 5:00 pm at Office of Parking and Transportation, 44 Campus Police Building

Annual dues are $15. Or, for the most convenient option, join as a lifetime member for just $125.

If you are a new or renewing member, simply click on the new enrollment form and pay online by credit card. If you prefer to pay by check, the same link will give you the information you will need to do so.

In June 2015, at the UMSLRA annual meeting the membership passed a motion to accord a dues-free first year for new retirees. If you have just retired, check the "free–newly retired" box under the membership type.

2025-2026 Retirees Association Board

(Updated after the election on June 14, 2024)

Officers

Connie Jeffries, President (1 yr.)
College of Business Administration
joggincon@gmail.com

Clark Hickman, President-Elect (1 yr.)
Education
hickman@umsl.edu

Candace (Candi) Agnew, Secretary (1 yr.)
Chancellor's Office
agnewc@umsl.edu

Faith Lucas, Treasurer (1 yr.)
Accounting Services
falacct@yahoo.com

Thomas Eyssell, Past President (1 yr.)
College of Business Administration
eyssellt@umsl.edu

Kevin Smith, UMSL Liaison (ex-officio)
Office of Alumni Association
414 Woods Hall 314-516-4744
smithkevina@umsl.edu

Members

Joel Glassman (2 yrs.)
International Studies
jglassman@umsl.edu

Susan Moody (2 yrs.)
College of Business Administration
littleladysue58@gmail.com

Michael Murray (2 yrs.)
Communications
murraymd@umsl.edu

Susan Baber (1 yr.)
College of Education
ssnbbr@gmail.com

David Ganz (1 yr.)
College of Business Administration
ganz@umsl.edu

Melissa Hattman (1 yr.)
Comm. Coll. Relations
mhattman@att.net

Ex-Officio Board

David Garin, Historian
Chemistry and Biochemistry
dgarin@umsl.edu

Lawrence Barton, Webmaster
Chemistry and Biochemistry
lbarton@umsl.edu