The First Quarter 2010 issue of TI Alumni News features a recap of the TI Retiree Luncheon at the Mesquite Convention Center on Oct. 27 and the Wall of Fame honoring some of the many TIAA members who volunteer for their community. Printed versions of the newsletter are now mailed only to current TIAA members who do not opt out of postal delivery. However, all former TIers can view and/or download and print a copy of the newsletter from the TIAA News webpage. 

A new tax relief law allows people who contributed in 2010 to charities providing earthquake relief in Haiti to take a tax deduction for the contribution on their 2009 tax return instead of their 2010 return. This means you can receive an immediate tax benefit, rather than having to wait until you file next year's return. Visit the IRS site for detailed information.

Ronnie Brandenburg, TIAA President, has appointed an ad hoc committee to nominate candidates for TIAA offices for 2010-2011. Max Post has agreed to chair this short-lived committee. Other members are Jim Foster, Sylvia Pas, Betty Purkey and Jessica Stewart. This Nominating Committee will recommend a President, an Executive VP, a Secretary and a Treasurer to the TIAA Executive Committee. Upon its approval, the proposed slate will be announced in April to the membership at large. In addition, nominations will be accepted from the floor at our Annual Meeting on May 18 at the University of Texas at Dallas. New officers will be elected at that time and will officially take office on July 1. TIAA members are urged to volunteer themselves or send their recommendations of people they think would be good candidates to admin@tiaa.org. This is a great chance for new members to make an impact on their organization.

In January, TIAA learned of the recent deaths of the following retired TIers and/or TIAA members: Irene G. Beland, Hugh Firestone, Oscar Nietzel, William Tanner and Joseph R. Widner. On behalf of TIAA members, we have sent a sympathy card to their families expressing our condolences at their loss and have added their names to our online In Memoriam list.

East Texas Travel Event Slide Show

On Jan. 20, over 40 TIAA members and guests travelled to Kilgore to visit the East Texas Oil Museum and stopped for a snack in the artist colony in Edom, Texas. Jerry Brandenburg took pictures and Ronnie Brandenburg sorted them, added captions and prepared a slide show. If you went on this trip, you might want to refresh your memory of the great time we had and the great relief we felt when we avoided the Canton tornado on the way back. If you didn't go, see what you've been missing and consider joining us on one of the events listed below.

Garland Symphony - Friday, Feb. 19 - Join us for a delightful voyage to the unknown produced by the Garland Symphony Orchestra. Test your musical knowledge of nautical-themed movie favorites, or just sit back and enjoy an evening of spectacular film scores from the greatest movie composers of all times. We will meet at 6 p.m. for dinner at Dos Banderas Tex-Mex Cuisine, 614 Main St., in Garland at our own expense. Then we will travel a few blocks to the main auditorium of the Granville Arts Center, 300 N. Fifth St., and hear wonderful music played by over 90 professional musicians. Cost is $20 per member and $22 per nonmember, which includes a 25% discount offered by the Garland Symphony for TIAA. Please register by Feb. 12.

Greet the Troops at DFW - Thursday, Feb. 25 - Help us to greet more than 100 armed forces personnel passing through DFW airport on their way home for two weeks of well-deserved R&R from Iraq and Afghanistan. The troops are currently scheduled to arrive about 8 a.m., so our bus will leave the Texins Activity Center parking lot at 7 a.m. After greeting the troops, we will stop to eat at IHOP on the way back. We should return to Texins about noon. If you have a maroon TIAA T-shirt, please wear it. The bus is free, so the only expense is for our food. Be sure to register by Feb. 18 so we can inform you if the arrival time of the plane – and therefore the departure time of our bus – changes.

WinStar Casino Trip - Wednesday, March 3 - Join us as cultures collide at the new WinStar World Casino at Thackerville, OK, where five gaming plazas transform your experience into an international affair. Take in the sights of colorful fountains, hand-painted frescos and towering arches as you travel seamlessly through Paris, Beijing, Rome, Madrid and London. WinStar offers a dining experience to fit any taste. Travel to Beijing for a taste of Asian cuisine or visit the Midway Food Show for American fast-food favorites. Have your cake, and eat it too, at the Bread Basket Buffet or savor delicious Italian fare at Zar's that will have you singing "That's amore!" If we have 40 travelers, the bus ride is free. WinStar will pick us up at the Texins Activity Center at 9 a.m. and return us about 6 p.m. We had a full bus last July, so be sure to register early.

Contact Jessica Stewart at admin@tialumni.org or 214-567-8444 to register for events. Each member may bring one guest at the member price. Make checks payable to TIAA and mail to TIAA, P. O. Box 740181, Dallas, TX 75374. Please remit payment at least seven days prior to the event.

Check the TI Alumni online calendar for additional events