STRS FLASHBACK - 6 Years Ago - Laura called it a "success" because board members were using it!

From John Curry, August 5, 2009

"Ecklar called the form a success because board members are using it."

Oh really?

In 2002, State Teachers Retirement System board members made 49 trips to conferences for which they were urged to file voluntary evaluations.

• Michael Billirakis spent $5,932 on four trips, filed no reports.

• Jack Chapman spent $14,684 on 12 trips, filed seven reports.

• Joe Endry spent $9,030 on six trips, filed two reports.

• Gloria Gaylord spent $3,803 on four trips, filed no reports.

• Paul Marshall spent $1,224 on one trip, filed no report.

• Rick Moore spent $2,735 on three trips, filed no reports.

• Eugene Norris spent $14,308 on seven trips, filed no reports.

• Deborah Scott spent $6,167 on six trips, filed one report.

• Hazel Sidaway spent $12,535 on seven trips, filed three reports.

August 9, 2003

STRS paid $70,418 for trips in 2002 By PAUL E. KOSTYU Copley Columbus Bureau chief COLUMBUS — The State Teachers Retirement System board created an online form to evaluate the conferences its members attend. The electronic form was created because a paper one wasn’t being used, said Laura Ecklar, a spokeswoman for STRS. But few board members use the electronic version, either, and those who do almost always say the seminars are “excellent.” Critics of the pension fund say out-of-state travel by board members is indicative of STRS’s excessive spending habits. In 2002, the first year evaluations were filed, nine current and former board members made a total of 49 trips to conferences, costing STRS $70,418. They filed 13 evaluations. The top traveler that year was Jack Chapman of Reynoldsburg, who spent $14,684 on 12 trips. He was followed closely by vice chairman Eugene Norris of Columbus, who spent $14,573 on seven trips. Norris’ per trip cost, however, was higher at $2,044. Chapman filed seven evaluations, the most by any board member. Norris didn’t file any evaluations. In June 2001, the board’s Committee on Board Orientation and Development asked the STRS staff to create a mechanism so members could file reports of their trips online. The evaluations were intended to help current and future board members decide whether it was worthwhile — in terms of education and cost — to attend similar seminars sponsored by the same organizations. Ecklar, director of Communication Services, said there was no cost involved. Her office developed the wording and appearance of the form, while the fund’s Information Technology Services programmed it for the internal Intranet. She said several months were required to develop and test a program. The form became available in January 2002. Ecklar called the form a success because board members are using it. Hazel Sidaway of Plain Township, a former board member and now-retired Canton teacher, chaired the committee that initiated the electronic form. In the committee’s last report that was presented at the board’s June meeting, seven meetings were recommended “as beneficial.” Three of those seven meetings were sponsored by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. Yet, two evaluations comment on the organization’s seminars. The annual meeting of the National Council on Teacher Retirement is recommended based on two evaluations, one that said it was “good” and the other said it was “excellent.” The recommendation of the annual meeting of the National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems is based on one evaluation. Chapman was the first to use the electronic form in February 2002 and, is the most frequent user of the program. According to STRS documents, Chapman is the only board member to file evaluations in 2003. Chairwoman Deborah Scott, who at the June board meeting urged members to file evaluations, submitted one from the six trips she took. None of the seminars were panned. In fact, 10 of the 13 evaluations said the meetings were excellent and others were said to be good, but still were recommended for other board members to attend. Joseph Endry rated a convention in Anchorage, Alaska, as excellent “because of very current information about retirement system concerns.” Chapman recommended the same meeting “based solely on the opportunity this convention provides for trustees to network with peers.” One of the sessions he attended discussed “the loss of faith in corporate America.” You can reach Columbus Bureau Chief Paul E. Kostyu at (614) 222-8901 or e-mail: paul.kostyu@cantonrep.com In 2002, State Teachers Retirement System board members made 49 trips to conferences for which they were urged to file voluntary evaluations. • Michael Billirakis spent $5,932 on four trips, filed no reports. • Jack Chapman spent $14,684 on 12 trips, filed seven reports. • Joe Endry spent $9,030 on six trips, filed two reports. • Gloria Gaylord spent $3,803 on four trips, filed no reports. • Paul Marshall spent $1,224 on one trip, filed no report. • Rick Moore spent $2,735 on three trips, filed no reports. • Eugene Norris spent $14,308 on seven trips, filed no reports. • Deborah Scott spent $6,167 on six trips, filed one report. • Hazel Sidaway spent $12,535 on seven trips, filed three reports.