Gerald Newsom to STRS board: "Let’s hope, with the coming new leadership in place, we can all work harmoniously to keep trying to improve everything we do."

Gerald Newsom's comments to STRS board

April 17, 2025

My name is Gerald Newsom.  I retired in 2004 after 35 years on the faculty of The Ohio State University.  I’m here representing only myself.

The next time this board meets, we may have a better idea of what the next Executive Director of STRS will be like.  Conflicts between the STRS staff and board have been damaging to STRS and have made the job of Executive Director less attractive.  When the new person arrives to take over the staff, it’s a chance for a fresh start. 

I remember several years ago, the facilitator who worked with the board to improve its effectiveness said that the role of the board is to support the staff.  I hope that spirit can be regained, where the staff implements board policies and the board supports staff who work effectively to move the organization forward. 

Some people claimed that, if we just had a change on the STRS board, our annual COLAs would be resumed.  Others thought that if only we could replace the leadership of the staff, we’d resume our COLAs.  Now that both changes have occurred and annual COLAs have not returned, we should all realize that the only way to get permanent COLAs back is to continue working to maximize our income through smart investing and maybe increasing employer contributions. 

Let’s hope, with the coming new leadership in place, we can all work harmoniously to keep trying to improve everything we do.