Ron Catron to Tom Curtis: Selecting STRS Board Members

From: Ronald Catron
Subject: Re: 122405 Curtis To All, Selecting Board Members
Date: Sun, 25 Dec 2005

In response to Tom Curtis's statements regarding "Selecting STRS Board Members" (as shown in his e-mail at the bottom of this message):

I agree wholeheartedly with what Tom is saying hear. There are too many people being put on the board that do not have the "time spent" experience of attending board meetings and being involved with STRS prior to being placed on the board. They simply lack the prior commitment and understanding of the enormous time requirements of such a position. And along those lines, in an effort to keep our board members honest, I feel there should be some type of pay involved for people spending their own personal time being involved in board activities. This goes for both retired and active members because, as all of us educators know, our work load does not simply go away just because we attend a meeting in Columbus. The work is still there when we get back and will have to be made up on our own personal time. Nor should a retire be expected to spend hundreds of hours of their personal time for the benefit of the whole membership and receive no compensation.

I believe this lack of knowledge of time requirements for an STRS board member position, and the lack of fair compensation, very much contributed to our former board members going astray by accepting free vacations and other perks to make up for "time spent". Not that it excuses their wrong-doing, but after spending so many hours of donated time they probably began to feel entitled to some "freebies" from STRS and the membership.

As Tom basically said, I feel you should "earn" your position on the board. And after you are on the board, there should be fair compensation for the considerable time you are expending doing a job "for the good of the group".

Well written message Tom.

Ron Catron