Coalition of Oak Ridge Retired Employees (CORRE) Board Meeting
September 17, 2025

Attendees: Angelelli, Burton, Cox, Franco, Gibson, Green, Hightower, Jessen, Kibbe, McRae, McSpadden, Petrie, Riggs, Shelton, Wasilko, Whitehead

Call to Order by Whitehead (10:03 a.m.)

CORRE Board Meeting Minutes with Fleischmann approved. August 20th CORRE Board Meeting Minutes tabled with revisions and expected approval next meeting – Riggs.
August Treasurer Report by Hightower - approved. He reported 2 new members and as part of the Annual Financial Review, called for someone other than the Treasurer to review the report. Whitehead reported on a recent ORNL Credit Union internal audit of their records for CORRE’s banking account regarding “certificate of ownership,” a form instituted after the CORRE bank account was established and requires a Member of Record signature. Whitehead as President is named a principle of the account, signed the form and ORNL is now in compliance. He has a copy of the paperwork and will forward to Petrie.

Contractor Contact Team Reports

CNS – Wasilko reported CORRE Board members will meet with CNS next week. Rebecca Sisk is the new HR Director at Y-12.
Simmons and Golden – Nothing new to report

UCOR – Riggs reported on the UCOR Meeting with CORRE/AGRE Representatives on August 21. There are not new benefit plan design or benefit provider changes for Plan Year 2026. Hickey retired July 31, 2025. UCOR will offer new voluntary benefits to active employees at 100 percent employee cost. The 2026 RRA Stipend will be $236/month (2% increase). A new RRA Automatic Payment Reimbursement (APR process will be implemented 1/1/2026. Plan sponsors of the MEPP will make pension contributions totaling $8.7M in 2025, to bring the Plan funding to 100.7%. The ORR pension plans have only 50 active Grandfathered Employees; 189 deferred vested Grandfathered Employees, and 1,200 Grandfathered Employees and beneficiaries; total plan including Portsmouth and Paducah are at 1,942. It is projected most active Grandfathered Employees will retire in the next 5 years (active employees are less than 10% of the plan’s population). New participating employers managing the contract scope of work at Portsmouth and Paducah are Fluor-BWXT and is transitioning to Southern Ohio Cleanup Company (SOCCo), and Swift & Staley is transitioning to a Northwind Dynamics, LLC-Paducah with Mission Conversion Services Alliance (MCSA) managing the contract scope of work at Portsmouth and Paducah (pension asset transfer dollars coming with them and the DuF6 plan is not closed). Gibson continues to ask about the UCOR Pension Plan handoff to Legacy Management when there are two contractors locally who can provide pension plan services.

UT Battelle – nothing new to report

Committee (and Task Team) Reports

Planning – Gibson reported on asking for 2.5% COLA; Whitehead said we will hold off on updating package; discussion turned to Fleischmann’s Deputy Chief of Staff Steve Howell; Wasilko and Cox will contact him next week.

Nominations – Franco reported there is still time for CORRE Members who want to be nominated to serve on the CORRE Board to get a petition signed by 30 members and submit it before the end of August. Franco thanked Board members for nominations, names, and phone numbers.

Communications – McSpadden discussed the lengthy time taken to input 16 new members; he now has 4700 members listed, and lists of local officials, DOE and HR Contacts and invitees if anyone needs listings, he can printout easily.

Website – no report available; website needs to be updated or put a plan in place for next years’ committee to handle.

Other DOE Sites – nothing new to report. Gibson reported PNNL stipend removed spousal welfare benefits.

Government Relations – Nothing new to report

Annual Meeting -- McRae reported on invitations and lack of health care companies responding for tables. Several members will touch base with contacts.
Pension Fund Analysis – Gibson discussed the DOE removal of the Budget request from Congressional line-item pension fund request.

By-Laws – Shelton reworded request in the Financial Plan Review; plan goes out on 9/23/25; he announced a zoom meeting on the 30th for his task team; there will be changes made to reword contributing members versus members.

Executive Committee – Fleischmann minutes can be published.

Other Business – Discussion centered on a DOL Ombudsman; Gibson discussed Pension Fund Analysis Committee; Cox will ask Boshears. The Dry Run of the Annual Meeting is planned for Tuesday after October’s Board Meeting.

Adjournment 11:40 a.m.