Kathie Bracy: Letter to Kevin Boyce

From Kathie Bracy, July 20, 2009
Subject: Appointment to STRS Board
Kevin L. Boyce,
Ohio Treasurer of State
9th Floor
30 East Broad Street
Columbus, OH 43215-3461

Dear Mr. Boyce,

I appreciated reading your thoughtful letter (below) in response to Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Snider's request that you consider appointing Dr. Dennis Leone to the STRS Board. It speaks volumes about you and your willingness to listen to the people.

While Dr. Leone may not be an "investment expert" in the sense that most people may think (someone who has had a highly successful career in the investment field), I have been extremely impressed with his ability to cut to the chase of what has been going on at STRS with retirees' money, due not only to his keen perception, but also to his extensive administrative background as a school superintendent for more than 23 years, in addition to his experience the past four years as an elected (by a landslide) member of the STRS Board.

In addition, as a retiree who is paying horrendously high premiums for STRS healthcare for his wife and himself, and whose daughter is a teacher currently paying into the system, Dr. Leone has the interests of both retirees and active teachers at heart. More than anything else, there is no one on the STRS Board who is as passionate about doing The Right Thing for everyone as Dr. Leone. He will never, ever, say one thing and do another.

If you can in good conscience find it expedient to appoint Dennis Leone to the STRS Board, you will be doing a tremendous service to thousands of STRS stakeholders, retired and active alike. Many retirees, in particular, are very uneasy about the prospect of decisions the STRS Board may make in the future without the dauntless oversight Dr. Leone has provided on behalf of thousands. The campaign Dr. Leone began in 2003 to bring about reform at STRS is far from finished.

There is no one whose level of competence, background and experience enable them to bring to the boardroom the unique set of qualifications that Dr. Leone possesses. Please, if you possibly can, appoint Dennis Leone to the STRS Board. Thousands will be eternally grateful to you.

Kathie Bracy
STRS retiree
(Hard copy will follow)