STRS FLASHBACK -- 6 years ago -- Herbie gets a grilling and rightfully so! Also some words of wisdom from Dr. Leone who must have had a crystal ball!

From John Curry, June 23, 2009
“Today, it’s our health insurance,” Leone said. “Five years from now, will it be our pension?”

Well, today the answer to Leone's question in 2003 is a big "YES." But then who would listen to Leone, he's just a dissident board member in the eyes of the OEA. The OEA has failed us in many respects. Tom Curtis

Board chair, teachers blast STRS director

Canton Repository, June 21, 2003
By PAUL E. KOSTYU Copley Columbus Bureau chief

COLUMBUS — The chairwoman of the State Teachers Retirement System board put Executive Director Herbert L. Dyer on notice Friday to clean up his act, though she stopped short of asking him to do what many others have — resign.

Meanwhile, an STRS employee who supports Dyer said morale was affected when staff learned through news reports that the retirement system executives received millions of dollars in bonuses, and they received none.

After listening for more than an hour to 22 teachers, superintendents and retirees complain about Dyer, the board and the system at a meeting Friday morning, Deborah Scott of Cincinnati said the STRS administration left her no choice but to publicly rebuke Dyer.

“Your remarks have been considered condescending and insensitive to the needs of members and in reckless nature,” Scott said. “Any and all lack of professionalism toward members, staff and the general public is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”

The result, she said, is that the “credibility of STRS has been questioned.”

She ordered the bonus policy suspended and directed Dyer to justify the hiring of staff since 1998, including to management positions, and to improve the efficiency of the organization and hold the line on administrative costs.

Many speakers called for Dyer to resign. Others said the entire board should be removed.

Dyer said after the meeting that he would not resign. But “I’ve been chastised,” he said.

STRS members, lawmakers and others have accused Dyer and the board of going on a spending spree during at least the past three years, using more than $15 million on staff bonuses, artwork and travel while the system’s investments plummeted by $12.3 billion and retirees’ health care contributions jumped significantly.

Dennis Leone, superintendent of Chillicothe City Schools, told the board the price tag is closer to $22.7 million over three years when all staff bonuses and retirement benefits are considered.

“Today, it’s our health insurance,” Leone said. “Five years from now, will it be our pension?”

The board and Dyer listened passively and grim-faced as speaker after speaker accused them of ignoring members’ needs and wasting their money.

“You spent more money and lost more money than any of the other Ohio retirement systems,” said Susan Jacoby, a retired teacher from the Plain Local Schools.

Jacoby said she felt betrayed.

“The wasteful spending has sent a devastating message to the public,” said Thomas Curtis, another former Plain Local teacher.

He said Dyer should be sent packing without a severance package. Curtis also threatened a class-action lawsuit if changes aren’t made.

A third Plain Local educator, Marilyn Gibbs, said she has not been able to get answers from Dyer or his staff to questions about how “they have spent our money.”

Outside the meeting, Fred Thomas, a 12-year employee at the STRS facility, said he and other employees who didn’t get raises or bonuses felt betrayed when they learned about the bonuses for top administrators. Thomas makes about $29,000 a year. His boss, the director of building services, makes $75,800 and got a $14,402 bonus last year.

Still, Thomas praised Dyer, describing him as “awesome.”

“He’s taken care of me,” Thomas said, “but I can’t say that about everybody around here.”

In the meeting, however, Scott warned Dyer to change his ways.

“Any failure to comply with (the) directives and demands will result in appropriate actions,” she said, though she never detailed what that means.