Beth Harris Williams gets acquainted with a snake during GPC retirees’ trip to the Okefenokee Swamp. (Photo by Robert Williams)

Three years ago, retirees of Georgia Perimeter College and DeKalb College (which preceded GPC) formed an organization that would help them remain active and connected to one another and to the college. Now, the retirees are not only reaching out to each other, but the association is forming connections in Georgia and across the country.

During the past year, the DeKalb College/Georgia Perimeter College Retiree Association (DC/GPCRA) became an inaugural member of Georgia Higher Education Retirement Organization, which is open to public and private college retiree associations in Georgia.

Georgia Perimeter’s retiree association also joined the Association of Retirement Organizations in Higher Education, an organization of retiree associations from throughout the United States.

The alignments provide opportunities for networking and sharing activities and accomplishments with other retiree organizations throughout the state, nation and world, says Dr. Betty Molloy, president of the DC/GPCRA.

GPC’s association has much to share. The group, which grew out of an organizational meeting in August 2009, has been busy since its formation. Dr. Ron Swofford, charter president—along with fellow officers Barbara Nipp, vice president; Robert “Bob” McDonough, secretary; and Janet Barron,  treasurer—guided the group through its first two years, during which the association wrote bylaws, built a membership of about 100, created a scholarship, collected donations, held fundraising events and presented its first two annual scholarship awards to GPC students.

The group has held quarterly meetings, produced a regular newsletter, established a book club, taken trips to the north Georgia mountains and the Okefenokee Swamp and scheduled educational and social events.

Recently, the organization changed its name from the Georgia Perimeter College Retiree Association to the DeKalb College/Georgia Perimeter College Retiree Association to better reflect that some members retired from the college when it was known as DeKalb College.

To find out more about the retiree association, visit the association’s website.