City of San Diego Retired Employees Association
April 10, 2018
General Meeting Minutes
The minutes for the March 2018 meeting and the March Treasurer’s Report were approved.
Retirement Board Representative Charlie Hogquist reported that SDCERS has over $8 billion in assets and the rate of return to date is 6%.
Cynthia Queen reported that the health care benefits booklet should be arriving in members’ mailboxes in late May. The health care provider preview will be May 30 and the annual health fair will be June 22.
Joan McNamara announced that the next REA outing will be a tour of Balboa Park led a member of then Balboa Park Conservancy. The date will be provided in the newsletter.
PROGRAM
The program speaker was Mark Stuart, President of the Foundation of San Diego Zoo Global. Stuart informed members that the Zoo/Safari Park rely on revenue from admissions, memberships, sales, and food for day-to-day operations; capital improvements are funded through donations.
An Australian Walkabout area will be opening at the Safari Park in late May. The next major project at the Zoo will be a complete overhaul of the Children’s Zoo (including the hummingbirds and komodo dragons); Denny Sanford has donated $30 million of the $70 million cost.
Stuart also spoke about SD Zoo Global’s conservation efforts, with 200 scientists in 60 countries, and the “frozen zoo” which contains cells from endangered species for future fertilization and surrogate breeding.
Donations to SD Zoo Global can be made at www.endextinction.org.