Austin Retired Teachers Association

Regular Monthly Meeting Friday, May 14, 2021

Via Zoom

AGENDA ZOOM LOG-IN/SOCIAL TIME: 9:00 a.m.–9:45 a.m.

GATHERING: Call to Order Joe Ramirez Pledge of Allegiance to the U. S. and Texas flags Mary Ann Baker Inspiration Joe Ramirez

PROGRAM: Introduction of Speaker Wayne King

“The Amy’s Ice Cream Story” Amy Simmons, Founder and Owner, Amy’s Ice Cream

Recognition of ARTA Foundation Scholarship Recipients Glenda Black ARTA Foundation Report and Memorial Tributes Linda Harvey Introduction of Guests/New Members, Birthday Wishes Lois Mayes BUSINESS and COMMITTEE REPORTS:

Approval of April 9, 2021, Minutes Carole Stockton Treasurer’s Report Dr. Wayne Schade Election of ARTA Foundation Board Members Glenda Black Vote on Proposed Bylaws Amendment Nancy Lehmann-Carssow Installation of 2021-23 Officers Dr. Rosemary Morrow Membership Report and Initiatives Norma Jost Legislative Committee Report Dr. Craig Campbell Social Committee Report Leilani Clark TRTA Children’s Book Project Judy Reinhart TRTF Donate Your Date Fundraiser Julie Campbell Healthy Living Committee Update Rose Gonzales ARTA News Update Debbie Sansom

Closing Remarks and Announcements Joe Ramirez Next Meeting: Friday, September 10, 2021, format TBD – Tim Lee, Executive Director of TRTA

Remember to follow ARTA at http://localunits.org/austinrta/ and our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/TRTA.org

These codes will be used for the May 2021 – May 2022 regular meetings on Zoom: If using computer or tablet or smartphone:

Meeting ID: 896 4218 5685 Passcode: Retired

If calling in by telephone, dial 1-346-248-7799 Meeting ID: 896 4218 5685 Passcode: 4747095

Austin Retired Teachers Association

Highlights April 9, 2021

Joyce Clendennen, ARTA Historian

b Norma Jost said the

Pledges of Allegiance to the U.S. and Texas flags.

Legislative Consultant of HillCo Partners David

Anderson updated members on pending bills and other high profile issues in the

Texas Legislature.

act.” “””

President Joe Ramirez called the meeting to order and said we will continue to Zoom until June 30.

Time to Renew Membership Norma Jost reminded ARTA

members to renew their membership and recruit two

new members.

ers.

Larry Yawn, TRTA Legislative Coordinator,

reported TRTA’s COLA bill was voted out of committee.

L s

l l

bbi i

il

l ll

s

l l l

A i

i

l l

i i l

il

l ll

i is

l l

A A

l s

Austin Retired Teachers Association Minutes of the Regular Monthly Meeting

Friday, April 9, 2021 Via Zoom

The regular monthly meeting of the Austin Retired Teachers Association was held Friday, April 9, 2021, on Zoom. Sixty-one persons were in attendance. GATHERING Welcome—President Joe Ramirez called the meeting to order at 9:47 a.m., and welcomed members. He said that we will continue to Zoom into new frontiers until June 30. He said that TRTA will make a decision in June about whether we will extend virtual meetings or return to in-person meetings. New officers will be installed at the May 14 meeting. He encouraged us to stay informed of activities by referring to our ARTA website and Facebook page. Pledge of Allegiance to the U.S. and Texas flags—Norma Jost, for Mary Ann Baker, led the pledges of allegiance. Inspiration—Joe Ramirez read an inspirational spring quote from Chilean poet Pablo Neruda.

PROGRAM: Impact of the 87th Legislative Session on ARTA Members Wayne King introduced David Anderson, Legislative Consultant of HillCo Partners. Anderson updated members on pending bills and other high profile issues in the Legislature. He also explained the process for filing bills in the House and Senate. This was followed by a question-and-answer period. ARTA Foundation Report and Memorial Tributes— Sheila Sargent said that $7554.45 toward student scholarships was collected for the ARTA Foundation between January 1 and March 31. Further collections may be made online or mailed in to Linda Harvey. Sargent also memorialized the passing of Sharon Lorraine Cartlidge, Maurine Elise Atwood, and Elena Vela. This was followed by a moment of silence in their honor. Introduction of Guests/New Members, Birthday Wishes—Lois Mayes introduced 3 more new members since the February meeting; she also honored 15 members with April birthdays, including Sue Rummel, who celebrated her 100th birthday on April 8.

BUSINESS and COMMITTEE REPORTS

Minutes of February 12, 2021, Meeting—The minutes were approved as written. Treasurer!s Report—Dr. Wayne Schade presented the March 31, 2021, Treasurer’s report; he said

there was $9,012.68 in the checking account and a total of $17,880.04 in our funds. President Ramirez asked for changes or additions. Since there were none, the report will be filed for audit. Dr. Schade said we were in good shape to start the new year.

Membership Report—Norma Jost said that we now have 539 members, and she continued to encourage members to recruit new members through the Membership and More Drive (M&M). Online payment can be made as a “guest” using a credit card. She also introduced the addition of new business cards, brochures and at-large post cards, which can be handed out to recruit new members.

Legislative Committee Report—Dr. Craig Campbell addressed the long-term health of the pension fund, the results and success of the Red Letter campaign, and encouraged members to continue communicating with legislators to support our issues. He said a cost-of-living adjustment is within our

grasp, and the talking points of a COLA are highlighted in the Newsette. He encouraged members to refer to details in the current Newsette issue.

Larry Yawn, TRTA Legislative Coordinator, reported on a recent development. He confirmed that the House Pensions, Investments, and Financial Services Committee met this morning and voted all TRTA-supported bills out of committee: HB 2022, HB 2109, HB 3207, HB 3214, and HB 3507. These bills now go to the full House for action. President Ramirez confirmed that the Red Letter Campaign made a difference in highlighting our concerns and that this will likely become a permanent part of our future campaigns.

Announcement of Proposed Bylaws Amendment—Nancy Lehmann-Carssow announced that at the May 14th meeting we will be voting to add Article V Section 4 to the Bylaws regarding adding virtual meetings. This addition will establish a procedure to keep consistent with Robert’s Rules of Order.

TRTF Disaster Relief Fund—Julie Campbell said that if we know of anyone who needs assistance as a result of the February snow storm, applications are available online. She MOVED that we make a Local Unit donation of $1000 to the fund; Wayne Schade added that the money would come out of the unused meeting place budget. The motion was passed by a voice vote. She also encouraged members to contribute to Tim Lee’s “Donate Your Date Fundraiser,” a campaign to raise money for TRTF.

Read Across America/TRTA Children’s Book Project Update—Joe Ramirez thanked those who participated in the Read Across America Day. In this project, partnered with PDK, Chapter 12 at UT, Austin, members virtually read to students at Blake Manor Elementary School (Manor), Dailey Middle School (Del Valle) and Elma Neal Elementary School (San Antonio). Judy Reinhart announced that 858 books for children have been collected for donation to Houston Elementary School.

Healthy Living Check Forms—Rose Gonzales updated members on COVID-19 eligibility. As of March 3, 2021, Texas vaccine providers must expand vaccine eligibility to include those who work in schools and childcare facilities. On March 29, eligibility was expanded to include all adults. Those who are 80 years and over do not need an appointment. She encouraged members to continue to take precautions, even after being fully vaccinated, to be on the lookout for COVID-19 scams, and schedule vaccinations by calling 833-832-7067.

ARTA News Update—Joe Ramirez for Debbie Sansom said that everyone will get a hard copy of the ARTA News, and if anyone wants to have information included in this issue, these submissions need to be done today.

Closing Remarks and Announcements: President Ramirez reminded us that the TRTA App is here;

the default password is TRTA123. He invited members to stay informed on ARTA activities by following the ARTA website and our Facebook page. NEXT MEETING: May 14, 2021, via Zoom—Amy Simmons, Founder and Owner, Amy’s Ice Cream.

President Ramirez signed off with the musical selection, “Where Have All the Flowers Gone,” by Pete Seeger.

The meeting adjourned at 11:54 a.m.

_________________________ ____________________________________ Carole Stockton, Secretary Joe Ramirez, President

Austin Retired Teachers Association Treasurer’s Report – April 30, 2021

(2020-2021 Fiscal Year)

Savings Account Balance – March 31, 2021 $ 292.60 Dividend – April 30, 2021 (CD#50) $ 4.14 Balance – April 30, 2021 $ 296.74 $ 296.74

Checking Account

Balance – March 31, 2021 $ 9,012.68 Receipts – April 2021 ** $ 3,813.19 Disbursements – April 2021 ++ ($ 3,572.17) Balance – April 30, 2021 $ 9,253.70 $ 9,253.70

Money Market Account

Balance – March 31, 2021 $ 3,338.80 Dividend – April 2021 $ .55 Balance – April 30, 2021 $ 3,339.35 $ 3,339.35

Certificates of Deposit Account

Startup Certificate (#50) $ 1,000.00 FY Balance (#51&52) – March 31, 2021 $ 4,235.96 Dividend April (#51& #52) $ 1.75 Balance – April 30, 2021 $ 5,237.71 $ 5,237.71

** Includes TRTA & ARTA 2021-21 Membership dues (73) ++ Includes TRTA 2021-21 dues (48), print & mailing Newsletter and dues Postcard

Dr. Wayne R. Schade Treasurer

TOTAL FUNDS AVAILABLE CREDIT UNION $18,127.50

A R T A N e w s e t t e May 2021 page 1

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE I find it hard to believe that, with this edition

of the Newsette and the May 14 regular meeting, I have reached the halfway mark of my term as ARTA president. This year has literally “Zoomed” by! I cannot thank all of you for your patience and flexibility as we entered a new stage in ARTA history by meeting virtually throughout the 2020-21 year. We definitely went to the edge of new frontiers during each monthly regular meeting and established some exemplary practices that other retired teachers’ units in Texas can emulate. Much of this has been due to your imagination and creativity in reaching out to all of our members and engaging them in what ARTA can offer them.

Be sure to stock up your freezer with some ice cream for our final regular meeting of the year on May 14. Amy Simmons, the founder of Austin-based Amy’s Ice Cream, will share her personal story of how she established such a successful business that has branched out beyond Austin. While I regret that we can’t serve you ice cream in person, I promise you that our PowerPoint presentation will have subliminal and not-so-subtle images of ice cream and other frozen treats that herald the beginning of summer! I won’t blame any of you if you have to get up and walk to your kitchen during the meeting so you can serve yourself some ice cream for breakfast!

Make plans to stay after Ms. Simmons’ presentation for additional ARTA celebrations, remembrances, and activities. We will announce our 2021 ARTA scholarship recipients and pay tribute to those members we lost during the year. We will also vote on a proposed amendment to the ARTA Bylaws dealing with electronic meetings and elect six new members to the ARTA Foundation Board. Officers for the 2021-23 term will also be installed.

Many thanks to our good friend and fellow ARTA member David Anderson, who joined us for the April 9 regular meeting, for his enlightening presentation of how the current legislative session will impact TRS retirees. Keep in mind that, although we had a successful Red Envelope campaign during the first week of April, we still have work to do to assure that the needs of TRS retirees are met. Our ARTA

Legislative Committee continues to work hard to keep all of us informed of what continues to take place in the Texas Legislature before adjournment on May 31.

As we move into the summer, your ARTA executive board is already busy planning for next year. The Program Committee has identified potential speakers for all nine of next year’s meetings and has already received confirmation from several of them. Many thanks to outgoing First Vice-President Dr. Ellen Bell for her work chairing this committee and a big welcome to our new First Vice-President Trish Davis, who will take over as chair of the Program Committee.

On April 23 TRTA announced that it was lifting its no in-person meeting mandate beginning July 1. Other local unit presidents and I will be meeting virtually with TRTA on May 25 to get additional details on how we move forward after July 1. I will also need to consult with Faith Lutheran Church in May to see what their policies are for outside visitors. Once all of this information is in place, I will send you more information on our in-person meetings for 2021-22 through our various means of communication. One of our major tasks this summer is assuring that we can conduct hybrid meetings that allow for simultaneous in-person and Zoom attendance.

Remember that your dues are due now! Go to the Membership tab on the ARTA website at https://www.localunits.org/austinrta/index.cfm/membership/ and either print the 2021-22 ARTA Membership Form and mail to Treasurer Wayne Schade or pay your dues online. Membership chair Norma Jost will be sharing additional information regarding membership at the May regular meeting.

Thank you again to all of you for hanging in there with me during this difficult year. Make plans to join us for our first meeting of the 2021-22 year on September 10 when TRTA Executive Director Tim Lee will be our guest speaker.

Have a safe and relaxing summer! See you in September!

Joe Ramirez

A R T A N e w s e t t e May 2021 page 2

May Birthdays Barbara Bell Mary Sue Neptune Joyce Clendennen Elizabeth Newell Susan Everett Tom Rogers Sharon-Kay Fayad

June Birthdays Laveta Amsler Lloyd Gober Joe Bell Mary Maluschka George Blue Gloria Munguia Kay Bouska Wayne Schade Linda Burns Celeste Smith Betty Clough Judy Wallace John Fisher

Gladys Havel and Joe Ramirez

WELCOME NEW ARTA MEMBERS! Welcome to new ARTA members who

joined in April! What you will be experiencing these next few months will not be what typical ARTA meetings are like. ARTA members are honored that you are now part of our organization. We have plenty of committees that you can join, so do not hesitate to contact members of the executive board if you are interested in getting involved with ARTA. Please welcome the following new members who joined ARTA this month:

• Sally Blair • Estella Harper • Denise K. Graham • Karen Jackson • Marsha Lyons-Gray

Joe Ramirez

IN MEMORIAM Elena Vela was born in Laredo in 1948, the

fourth of eight children. She graduated from Martin High School. She earned a Bachelor of Education from Texas A&I University and a Master of Education from Southwest Texas State University.

Elena’s lifetime commitment to education was all with her 36 years in AISD. She began her career as a physical education teacher at Brentwood Elementary. She then taught history and was an assistant coach at McCallum High School before becoming Dean of Girls at Travis High School. After serving as assistant principal at Travis, she became the first Hispanic woman

principal of a high school in Austin when she became principal of Travis High School. She was principal of Travis from 1984 to 1996. After retirement, she worked in AISD administration.

Elena received numerous honors and awards—too many to list here, but many are listed in her obituary. She served as president of Phi Delta Kappa. She was a faithful member of St. Ignatius Martyr Catholic Church. She was an ARTA member from 2008 to 2021. She died April 2, 2021, at age 73.

Elena’s mantra was education for all so that young people can achieve their fullest potential. Her obituary names our ARTA Foundation scholarship fund for memorial contributions as a way to keep her legacy alive.

Glenda Black ARTA Foundation President

PROPOSED BYLAWS AMENDMENT ARTA Bylaws may be amended or repealed

at a regular or special meeting of ARTA, provided members have been notified one month in advance. Parliamentarian Jane Garner and President Joe Ramirez have requested that the current Bylaws be updated with the proposed amendment listed below, which is to be included as a new section in Article V.

The proposed amendment was presented to the ARTA Executive Board at their April 5 meeting and approved without revisions. The Membership of ARTA officially received 30-day notification at the April 9 Regular Meeting that a vote on the proposed amendment will take place at the May 14 Regular Meeting. A two-thirds vote from the membership is required to pass this amendment, which will go into effect upon adoption.

This proposed amendment addresses recent revisions made in Robert’s Rules of Order regarding the use of electronic meetings in place of or in combination with in-person meetings and will keep the ARTA Bylaws current with these revisions. ARTICLE V: MEETINGS

SECTION 4. ELECTRONIC MEETINGS. With proper notification, Regular, Executive Board, Committee, or Special meetings, or other ARTA-related events may be held virtually either in place of an in-person meeting or in

A R T A N e w s e t t e May 2021 page 3 combination with one provided that the members present may be individually identified, they may simultaneously hear one another, and optionally they may see one another. The Executive Board shall establish the procedures for such meetings.

Nancy Lehmann-Carssow Chair, ARTA Bylaws Committee

ARTA FOUNDATION SCHOLARS 2021 The ARTA Foundation is proud to announce

our 2021 ARTA Foundation scholars, one from each Austin high school. Each will receive a $1000 scholarship. Akins—Bryanna Perez, 18, female

She will attend UT-Austin to study early childhood education and eventually teach in AISD.

Anderson—Dakota Garza. 18, female She will enter Anderson University to study elementary education and teach second grade.

Austin—Ivan Daniel Arras Morales, 18, male He will attend UT-Austin to study music education (instrumental)/music performance to become an orchestra music director/teacher. He will receive the Alice Marshall Davis Memorial Scholarship funded by Joe Ramirez, who both were former AHS teachers.

Bowie—Regan (Rae) Gray, 18, female She will enter UT-Austin to study art education to become a high school or elementary art teacher and eventually to own her own community art center and teach free classes to people of all ages.

Crockett-—Daniela Duran, 18, female She will attend Texas State University to study early childhood education to be a bilingual elementary school teacher.

Eastside—Nataly Martinez, 18, female She will go to Texas State University to study government and minor in education. She hopes to teach government prior to running for local and state office.

Garza—Cara Jackson, 17, female She will attend Trinity University to study biology and education and plans to teach high school life science.

She will receive the Vicki Baldwin honorary scholarship funded by Vicki, former Garza principal.

LASA—Sachin Allums, 18, male He will go to Vanderbilt University to major in child development, education and math. He plans to teach elementary school and eventually to be a college professor. His scholarship was totally funded by Craig and Julie Campbell, ARTA members, in memory of Jean Cranford Appleton, Julie’s mother.

LBJ—Karen Reyes 18, female She will enter UT-Austin to study to become a health educator and major in health promotion and behavioral science within the College of Education.

McCallum—Anastasis (Luci) Borowski, 18, female

She will attend the University of Arkansas to study special education and Spanish and plans to be a public-school teacher.

Navarro—Ashley Ochoa-Salgado, 17, female She will attend ACC to study education. Her scholarship is the Nancy Lehmann-Carssow Honorary Scholarship funded by Nancy, a former Lanier teacher.

Northeast—Angela Ibarra 18, female She plans to go to ACC to study education and become a teacher. Her scholarship is the Carole Stockton Honorary Scholarship given by Carole who taught journalism and sponsored both yearbook and newspaper at Reagan High School.

Richards—Camille Pfister 17, female She will enter Sewanee where her major will be English literature to prepare her to teach high school English. She will receive a scholarship in memory of Arthur Amundson, deceased ARTA member, who funded the award.

Travis—Makayla Rose Martinez, 18, female She will attend Huston Tillotson University to study child education and to open a daycare and teach children.

Please continue to support the ARTA Foundation in our efforts to encourage students

A R T A N e w s e t t e May 2021 page 4 who plan to become educators. Your contributions and memorial contributions allow us to award these scholarships.

Glenda Black ARTA Foundation President

HEALTHY LIVING Answers to the Top COVID Questions and Safely Navigating the Next Phase of the Pandemic By Sheryl Kraft

More than 169 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine had been administered in the United States by April 2021 with millions more doses still being produced. In other good news, surveys are showing a growing willingness across the population to receive the vaccine. As more shots get into our arms and the virus is brought under control, perhaps we’ll all have a reason to smile and resume the normal activities of daily life. There are still questions, and they are answered here with the help of experts from Cleveland Clinic. v How protected am I after I have gotten

my first vaccine? If your shot was the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine, you are fully protected after a two-week period, according to the CDC. But one shot of a two-dose series like Pfizer’s or Moderna’s vaccine does not guarantee full protection, according to Cleveland Clinic. You need to wait at least two weeks after the second shot to be fully protected. Those two weeks may drag by, but it’s essential that you still take all precautions during that period, such as avoiding big crowds, regularly washing your hands and wearing a mask. Why two weeks? It can take about that long for your body to build up immunity against the virus that causes COVID-19. That means it is possible to contract the virus before or just after vaccination and then get sick because the vaccine didn’t have enough time to work.

v If I am vaccinated, do I have to quarantine if I am exposed to COVID-19? “Another break for those of us who’ve been fully vaccinated, and yet another reason to get fully vaccinated, is that if you do happen to get exposed to someone who has COVID-19, you don’t have to

quarantine anymore,” says infectious disease specialist Kristin Englund, M.D. “And if you don’t have symptoms, you can certainly go about your daily business.” If you do have symptoms, quarantine and get tested.

v Is it OK to visit my unvaccinated grandkids? “Your grandchild most likely hasn’t been vaccinated yet. But as long as you’re keeping your interactions together limited to a small group that’s from the same household, you can now see your grandchild without having to wear a mask,” says Dr. Englund.

v When will everyone be vaccinated? The “when” part of the equation depends on a number of variables. As we’ve seen, because of manufacturing and distribution demands, not everyone has been getting the vaccine at the same time, but rather in phases. Each state has been making the decision of who goes first. President Joe Biden set an April 19 deadline for states to offer vaccinations for all adults and has said he hopes that 200 million doses will be administered by April 30.

v Do I need to wear a mask if I’ve been vaccinated? Fully vaccinated people don’t have to wear masks around each other, according to Cleveland Clinic’s Dr. Englund. “If you and one other person have been fully vaccinated or a small group has been, you don’t have to wear masks anymore when you’re indoors,” she says. “That’s going to lead to a lot more freedom and a lot more ability to see people smile—and we’ve all been missing that. But keep in mind that the whole group has to be fully vaccinated, and it’s been at least two weeks since everyone’s last vaccine.” If you’re around non-vaccinated people, wear a mask. Even though you’re fully vaccinated, Dr. Englund says, you’re not superhuman; you still need to mask up to protect yourself from the many unknowns, including in the following situations: § In any health care setting: “As you

enter a hospital or health care provider’s office, you don’t know the health status of the person who might be walking or

A R T A N e w s e t t e May 2021 page 5

sitting next to you,” Dr. Englund says. “That person could be at high risk for getting COVID-19. We don’t want to put people in health care settings at risk.”

§ Grocery stores, sporting events, other public places: “When you’re out in public, even when you’re fully vaccinated, you’re going to be interacting with a lot of different people. You’ll absolutely need to wear your masks in those settings,” Dr. Englund says.

§ Outside: Whether you’re dining alfresco or exercising, being outdoors can lessen your risk of infection or transmission, compared with being indoors. But even if you’re with your “pod” of other vaccinated people, it’s still important to avoid crowds and wear a mask if it’s difficult to stay 6 feet away.

*Cleveland Clinic, home to 120 medical specialties and subspecialties, is consistently named one of the nation’s best hospitals by U.S. News & World Report. Visit them at health.clevelandclinic.org. **Go to Parade.com/vax for more information about stores and pharmacies giving the vaccine. FYI Office Depot/Office Max is offering to make a free copy and laminate your COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card. You may print and take a store coupon, but many stores do not require a coupon! It is a good idea to laminate only the copy of your Covid-19 Vaccination Card rather than the original; this way you can continue to use the original card for recording a booster vaccine (if required) or additional vaccines. Take advantage of this free offer as soon as possible as it is good only until sometime in July.

Rose Gonzales Chair, Healthy Living Committee

COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER SERVICE OPPORTUNITY

The Literacy Council WILCO

The Literacy Council WILCO (www. https://www.literacycouncilwilco.org/) is looking for additional volunteers to teach ESL as their program has grown these past few months. This rewarding opportunity requires a commitment of approximately 3 hours per week. You can teach one two-hour class that might take up to 45 min. to prepare. Or you can teach 2 two-hour classes. We have workbooks and teacher editions and saved material that you can use for the class.

The classes are currently taught via Zoom but will return to an in-person setting in the September to October time frame (if meeting spaces become available again then). When we return to in-person classes, our classes are held in Cedar Park and in Leander.

All students in this program are adult learners and come from different parts of the world.

ARTA members who are interested in volunteering should contact program director Mary Hengstebeck at mary.hengstebeck@gmail.com. If you are interested in hearing about the ESL program from a current volunteer, contact volunteer instructor Korin Munsterman at korinanne@gmail.com. She can give you more details on interactions with her students, including the rich learning experiences associated with food and holidays from the various cultural traditions brought to her class.

A R T A N e w s e t t e May 2021 page 6 INFORMATIVE & PROTECTIVE SERVICES Kool: (Look Back)

Life can’t give you joy and peace, It’s up to you to will it.

Life just gives you time and space, It’s up to you to fill it.

James Dobson Strain Your Brain

A monkey ate 100 bananas in 5 days. Each day he ate 6 more than the previous day. How many did he eat each day? (Answer at end) Scammers Use FINRA as Phish Bait

United States: the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). Seeing such a vital organization be used as phish bait is chilling. Fortunately, if you know what to look for, this scam is easy to spot.

The phishing email starts with the vaguely startling subject line “ATTN: FINRA COMPLIANCE AUDIT.” The email is sent from supports@finra-online. The email asks you to review an attached document and respond immediately. The short email message closes with, “If you’ve got more questions regarding this letter don’t hesistate to contact us.” Anyone who falls for this scam and downloads the attachment will find that the file is actually a nasty piece of malicious software.

Here’s how you can stay safe from similar

attacks: • By asking for your immediate response

regarding an audit, the bad guys create a sense of urgency. These scams rely on impulsive actions; so always think before you click.

• Watch for poor spelling and grammar in supposedly official messages. Did you catch the spelling error in the example above? The word “hesitate” is misspelled as “hesistate.”

• Check who sent the email. In this case, while the email address included the name FINRA, it did not use the official FINRA.org domain.

Stop, Look, and Think. Don’t be fooled. KnowBe4.com

Strain Your Brain Answer: 8, 14, 20, 26, 32. (From the TRTA state I&PS committee members: Eugene Buford, Dana Jordy, Mary Sexton, Alicia Smith, Ruth Stewart)

Gladys Havel Chair, I&PS Committee

ARTA past president