Donna Seaman's speech to the STRS Board, December 13, 2007

December 13, 2007
Good afternoon, STRS board members and STRS staff.

My name is Donna Seaman; I retired about five years ago after 30 years of service as a teacher and administrator. I am also a director for the Richland County Retired Teachers Association.

I am going to borrow a popular term from today's aspiring presidential candidates: It is time for a change, it is time for a NEW DIRECTION.

You have a unique opportunity in the next few months to select a new executive director for STRS -- someone who, hopefully, will chart a new direction for STRS in the coming years.

Many of us retirees believe it is way past time to begin downsizing STRS's operations, taking steps to streamline personnel, and to show retirees that the STRS organization is economizing -- the way you expect us to do.

As you take the critical steps today to select a search group, it is my hope that you will instruct them to recruit and interview only those individuals who show a commitment to frugality, conservative spending, honesty and integrity.

To this end I urge you to listen to two of your colleagues, Dr. Leone and John Lazares, who seem to be the only members of this board who are genuinely concerned about the plight of Ohio's retired educators, and who continue to question overspending. Please accept their leadership and advice, and provide an atmosphere on this board of cooperation, trust and mutual respect.

In the past few years many of us retired teachers have gasped at the expenses incurred by STRS; to list a few: the construction of this beautiful elegant building, its artwork, the half million dollar buyout of a former director, the cost of private legal counsel for STRS employees, the unprecedented severance package for laid off employees, enormous bonuses and incentives for staff, free or nearly free child care perks and many other questionable expenses.

All this spending was done during the time period when our 13th check was abolished (and often mentioned that it will likely never be reinstated) and health benefits were reduced or cut year after year.

Even though the STRS newsletters have explained frequently that it has never been required for STRS to provide health coverage for us, isn't it interesting that all the while our health benefits were cut or reduced, then cut and reduced again, health benefits for STRS staff continue to improve?

Many of us have asked you to consider your fiduciary responsibility to us, Ohio's retired teachers. This is a huge responsibility, I am sure. As a retiree, I ask you to, instead of enriching the lives, bank accounts and careers of STRS administrators and employees, consider enriching the lives, bank accounts and comfort levels of Ohio's retired teachers, those of us whose salaries have generated this fund to start with.

In closing, let me again ask you to consider using your board leadership to take STRS in a NEW DIRECTION. it is time for a change. I implore you to balance each and every expenditure against this challenge -- is this the best decision that will benefit Ohio's retired teachers?

Thank you.