October 31, 2015

The Maryland and District of Columbia Alliance for Retired Americans Bi-Annual Convention

Maryland and District of Columbia Alliance for Retired Americans 200-300 words

The Maryland and District of Columbia Alliance for Retired Americans held it’s biennial convention on Oct. 31, 2015 from 9:00 AM to Noon at the Washington Court Hotel near Union Station in Washington, D.C.

Guest speakers included Fred Mason, Jr., President of the Maryland/DC AFL-CIO, Robert Roach, the new President of the Alliance for Retired Americans, and Rich Fiesta, Exec. Director of the ARA.  Members also passed nine resolutions, including one opposing the TPP. Mr. Roach and Mr. Fiesta delivered remarks, as did Field Mobilization Director Eric Heggie and Michael Phelan, Deputy Director of Social Security Works.

We planned for 40 Delegates and guests but had over 50!  Dick Bissell, 1^st Vice Pres., gave the credentials report during the convention.  He cautioned attendees: “since we are over-capacity, if  someone wearing a Fire Marshalls uniform comes in, a few of you might need to leave the room for awhile!”

The elections for Officers and Trustees results were:

President                  Jim Baldridge

1^st Vice Pres.            Richard Bissell

2^nd Vice Pres.           Louis McLaughlin

Treasurer                 Daisy Fields

Secretary                  Marjorie Taylor

Trustees Ida Ward

Geraldine Cross-White

Josephine Ball

Susan Flashman

Walter Jones