Dan MacDonald to STRS Board: You can’t un-ring a bell but a bell can be refurbished for a new tone.

Dan MacDonald's speech to the STRS Board

December 15, 2022

Good morning STRS Board. Happy Holi-DAZE! I am Dan MacDonald, an STRS retiree with 38 plus years of service. I am also the Executive Director of Local 279R, North East Ohio AFT retirees.

I don’t know if you realize that I was not able to attend either October’s or November’s meetings. I must say that listening to taped meetings is quite tedious, being here is much better.

Last month’s educational planning meeting certainly opened the door to education. Although ethics is covered yearly, the adding of open meetings was helpful for me to understand travel calls versus STRS legal counsel advice on emails to Board members in view of a response. In the near future, point based retirement eligibility certainly will be an education in itself to actives.

Inflation protection was a disappointment to me, but maybe an education to new Board members. Other state programs seem to be presented ever couple of years, but I thought STRS staff was going to present its ruminations on inflation protection. If that happened, I missed it.

Does this Board have trust issues with STRS staff and each other? Maybe so because I was disappointed in the self-assessment to hear that only 7 of 11 of Board members filled out a self-assessment survey. To the four that didn’t fill out the survey, shame on you whether you are new or old; to this Board and to STRS staff, your input is needed and it should be public. Actives and retirees deserve more than 64% Board participation.

I would remind the Board that you can’t un-ring a bell as stated at the last meeting, but a bell can be refurbished for a new tone. Without a January Board meeting, the Board will be addressing Board Policy alteration suggestions, a 2023-24 Budget, a PBI document, all within the coming months. Battles are about to be picked. Fiduciary responsibilities need to include actives and retirees as well as the organization. As always, actives need their benefit package enhanced and retirees need their COLA restored.

Yesterday I found out that Deputy Executive Director, Member Benefits and Chief Benefits Officer, Gary Russell, is retiring. I would like to thank him for his years of service and all the work his department has done for retirees, actives too. His knowledge loss will be a true blow to the organization. Gary, I am inviting you right now to join North East Ohio AFT retirees, Local 279R, as a Friend of Educators.