Robin Rayfield to STRS Board: ORTA stands ready to serve as a respected partner to the leaders of our pension system

From ORTA, December 16, 2023

STRS needs to build partnerships with organizations like ORTA

Members of ORTA were well represented at the December 2023 meeting of the STRS Ohio Retirement Board. Addressing the Board during Public Participation were Robin Rayfield (Executive Director), Dean Dennis (President), and Stephen Seagrave (President Elect). Here are their speeches.

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Robin Rayfield's Speech to STRS Board

December 14, 2023

ORTA stands ready to serve as a respected partner to the leaders of our pension system

Good morning. My name is Robin Rayfield. I am a retired STRS member and Executive Director of the Ohio Retirement for Teachers Association. 

I thank you for the opportunity to address the STRS Board and want you all to know that the opportunity to hear from the membership is important to not only the individuals that choose to participate but to the thousands that are unable to speak here.

I have been critical of the way STRS has operated in the past. Along with my critical comments I have also offered to work with the board and or leadership at STRS to address the concerns I have presented. Please know that the offer to work with STRS remains. Our goal is to improve the current conditions facing our retirement system.

To work with STRS leadership, ORTA must be considered a part of the solution, not the primary source of conflict for STRS. Our concerns are often rejected without consideration due to the animus that has grown between ORTA members and STRS. When our concerns or suggestions are simply rejected or ignored, it is difficult to build a working relationship. 

If the elections for board seats are any indication of the level of satisfaction of the membership, STRS needs to build partnerships with organizations like ORTA. 

Recently, ORTA communicated to STRS management our support for the employer increase being promoted by STRS. This increase, however, is not likely to gain support in the legislative arena without significant reforms by the board at STRS. Taxpayers will not support more money with the current state of things. 

We have voiced suggested reforms previously, but these suggestions have fallen on deaf ears on the slimmest of majority of the board. It is time that the suggestions from people like me, and people seeking reform that sit on this very board are examined and receive sincere consideration before being rejected because of personal differences of opinion or allegiance to another cause. 

Going on a statewide PR tour or posting ‘feel good’ videos have not moved the needle in the direction of satisfaction of the membership. 

ORTA’s goal is to improve and reform STRS. Retirees should get what they were promised or at least more of what they were promised. Actives should not face a future that includes working far longer than promised. 

Again, ORTA stands ready to serve as a respected partner to the leaders of our pension system.

Robin Rayfield, Executive Director

Ohio Retirement for Teachers Association