On February 5, 2024, twenty-seven members and four guests attended the HCRTA General Meeting. After calling the meeting to order by President Jim Faust introduced the guest speakers and led the members in opening activities prior directing the members to the buffet line. The meal was prepared by Donita Everetts, Darlene Mihalik and other members of the Hillsboro Church of Christ, and included three soup options, ham sliders, vegetables, drinks, and a choice of desserts. Following the meal guest speakers Natalie Massie discussed the benefits of a AAA membership including ProtectMyID, discounts & rewards on goods and services with partner businesses, life, home, and auto insurance, and of course roadside assistance and travel planning. It was noted that AAA goes with the individual, not the vehicle, so no matter what vehicle you are driving, you are covered. It was also noted that children ages 16-18 are covered free under the parents’ membership. Following Ms. Massie’s comments, Ms. Brenda Thacker, also with AAA, discussed travel options. Ms. Thacker noted that with its 120-year history, AAA is the most trusted travel agency in the country. AAA offers options for travel and tourism by car, motor-coach, boat, rail, and air to destinations around the globe. Trips and travel can be booked individually, for a group, or joining an existing, pre-planned tour. AAA can adapt trips to your particular travel, mobility, and dietary needs and can be booked on-line, in-person, or through video calls. Several publications were provided to attendees highlighting popular upcoming group travel opportunities throughout the world. Questions and answers followed the presentations. For the complete presentation and business meeting minutes click here. See below for the meeting handouts.
The November 13, 2023 HCRTA General Meeting was attended by 28 members and 15 guests. For the meeting agenda, click here.
Hand-outs available at the tables included: 1) STRS Salaries and Bonuses*, 2) OPERS Staff Salaries and Bonuses*, 3) OSERS Staff Salaries and Bonuses* *all salary and bonus data was downloaded from http://ohiocheckbook.gov on 11/9/23, 4) a corrected HCRTA October Treasurer’s Report. The meal provided by Donita Everetts, Darlene Mihalik and other members of the Hillsboro Church of Christ included roast beef, noodles, mashed potatoes, salad, rolls, beverages, and a choice of delicious desserts Following the meal President Faust introduced speakers Tamla Cole, Assistant Director of Group Member Education at STRS Ohio, and Christina Elliott, Deputy Executive Director of Member Benefits and Chief Benefits Officer, STRS Ohio. Ms. Cole went over the upcoming changes to the member healthcare benefits. These changes include Aetna becoming the sole provider for STRS healthcare coverage and CVS Caremark (administered by Silver Scripts) as the “part D prescription-drug coverage” provider beginning January, 2024. The new plan will include no co-pay for PCP visits and no deductible for in-network providers. Next, Christina Elloitt, STRS Chief Benefits Officer and Deputy Director, answered several questions that our members had previously submitted. ~ Regarding content in the STRS Newsletter that seems irrelevant and perhaps even insulting to the members, Ms. Elliott stated that the various departments do occasionally meet with the communications department regarding what should be included in the newsletter, that she has heard comments similar to ours, agrees that there is need for a different focus in the newsletter, and says that she will be taking that message back to the communications department. ~ Regarding how STRS salaries compare to other public and private investment professionals, Ms. Elliott referred to the Ohio Checkbook web site for specific salary information and did not address private investment professionals. She also stated that there are differences in these organizations in terms of their size, their structures, their employee qualification requirements, and the volume of “in-house investments” that they manage. All of these considerations factor into the generally higher salaries at STRS. ~ Regarding COLAs and PBI bonuses Ms. Elliott argued that pension reform enacted in the early 1990's to enrich retiree’s benefits, followed by the dot-com bubble burst, created a situation where STRS was paying the richest benefits they had ever paid while investment returns plummeted. These factors contributed to a significant drop in the STRS funded ratio, which then precipitated the COLA reductions. According to Elliott, because SERS and OPERS had not boosted member benefits in the 90's their funding ratio's were not as impacted. ~ In explaining PBI awards Ms. Elliott explained that even when STRS had negative returns, the STRS returns were not as negative as the market, therefore, bonuses were “earned.” Throughout the meeting Ms. Elliott listened to and acknowledged, with respect and empathy, concerns expressed by the membership regarding COLA’s and STRS staff salaries and bonuses as compared to the meager earnings, insufficient COLA’s, and waning purchasing power of retirees. The usual business meeting followed the program with committee reports and general business. Among the business conducted was the reelection to the current officers for another year. The meeting was adjourned at 2:10 PM. For the complete meeting minutes, click here. On August 7, 2023, at 12:05 PM in the Hillsboro Church of Christ, President Faust called the HCRTA General Meeting to order. In attendance were 23 members and 7 guests. The meal was provided by Donita Everetts and Darlene Mihalik of the Hillsboro Church of Christ. The meal included Parmesan Crusted Chicken, Irish Mashed Potatoes, green beans, beverages, and delicious desserts. Program: During the meal, local historian Tim Koehl talked about the recent increased interest in the southern Ohio area by the UNESCO World Heritage Foundation. Mr. Koehl stated that several southern Ohio Native American sites including Fort Ancient, Great Circle Earthworks, Mound City Group, Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks, Highbanks, and Seip Mound are now under consideration for World Heritage Designation. Mr. Koehl stated that recent scientific discoveries (including excavation, DNA testing, and LADAR scanning of ancient civilization sites) combined with studies and artifacts including those gathered by Hillsboro native Edwin Davis as far back as the 1800’s, have led to the conclusion that from about 4,000 – 2,000 BC the Scioto and Miami watershed areas were likely the center of ancient American culture and trade. Artifacts linked to this area have been discovered as far away as Yellowstone National Park. The evidence that points to the importance of the Scioto and Miami Valley Watersheds to ancient American life has led to interest in a UNESCO World Heritage Designation, which Mr. Koehl believes is immanent. Such a designation, stated Koehl, will bring about an increase of tourism in the area and will be an economic boon for southern Ohio. Aslo speaking to the group was Deputy Executive Director of Member Services Christina Elliott. Christina oversees three departments at STRS one of which is Member Services. She fielded questions from our group including questions about COLA and Performance Based Incentives for STRS Investment staff. For the full meeting minutes follow this link. The HCRTA held a General Meeting Monday, May 1, 2023, at the Hillsboro Church of Christ. The meeting was attended by 29 members and 3 guests. Following Social time and the the meal, guest speaker Rudy Fichtenbaum, former Professor of Economics at Wright State University and now a retiree elected board member of the Ohio State Teachers Retirement System, spoke to the group about the roles of the STRS board and the current dynamics of the system. Dr. Fichtenbaum talked about how the various board members are selected (4 appointed, 7 elected) and that the board is responsible to look after the interests of both active and retired teachers (about 310,000 in all.) Dr. Fichtenbaum enumerated some of the responsibilities of the board including the approval of the investment asset mix , setting level of risk that STRS investors should take with their investments, performance monitoring of investment, determining Performance Based Incentives, setting investment benchmarks, organizing board committees, setting rules regarding meeting participation, decisions regarding COLAs, and hiring the Executive Director. Dr. Fichtenbaum concluded his time by addressing the dilemma of the COLAs, the problems, the costs involved, and possible resolution to the ongoing issue. After Dr. Fichtenbaum's presentation, President Faust conducted the usual business meeting with reports from officers and committees, and planning for future meetings. For the full meeting minutes, click here. The May HCRTA General Meeting will be held Monday, May 1, 2023 at the Hillsboro Church of Christ. Click here for the latest newsletter and registration form.
The February 6, 2023 General Meeting of the HCRTA, was held at the Hillsboro Church of Christ. The meeting was attended by 19 members and 3 guests. President Faust called the meeting to order at 12:00 pm and opened with welcoming remarks, recitation of the “Pledge of Allegiance”, the singing of “God Bless America”, a moment of silence in memory of members who have passed, and an invocation. The meal was provided by Donita Everetts and Darlene Mihalik of the Hillsboro Church of Christ, and included chicken tortilla soup, ham sliders, pinwheels, beverages, and desserts. Following the meal, President Faust introduced guest speaker Patsi Dick of the Highland District Hospital. Mrs. Dick presented and informative talk about the "Pathways to Wellness" program, a behavioral health service available through the Highland District Hospital. The program provides small group counseling, individual psychological or psychiatric services, and behavioral therapy to individuals. The program is designed to help individuals cope with feelings and emotions including grief, anxiety, hopelessness, anger, worry, sadness, irritability, and depression as well as relationship issues, decreased motivation, trauma, relationship strain, and concerns over addictions or substance abuse. Anyone can make a referral to the program for themselves or loved ones. The services are generally free, with cost being covered by Medicare or insurance. Once enrolled in the program, an individual will attend sessions three days per week. A typical day would involve morning refreshments and social time, followed by three 45-minute group sessions (8-10) individuals per group), followed by lunch, before wrapping up the day. Transportation is available through FRS. More intensive psychiatric individual services are also available as deemed necessary. For more details on the program effectiveness and the referral process, see the meeting handouts click here. During the business portion of the meeting, corrections were made to the November Meeting Minutes, as well as the the January Treasurer's Report. Both reports were approved with the corrections.
Other reports included the Necrology report, prepared by Joan Winner, and a report from Pat Gall on the plans for the 2023 Pre-retirement meeting. Other items discussed included the closing of the Spargur Scholarship, the annual ORTA Reports, recent STRS news articles, calling chain recruitment, and a Membership Recruitment Committee . The next executive meeting will be held at 9:30 AM on April 3, 2023, at the Hillsboro Frisch’s. The next HCRTA General Meeting will be May 1, 2023, at 11:00 AM., Hillsboro Church of Christ. Rudy Fichtenbaum, STRS Board Member will be the guest speaker. The November General Meeting will be moved to November 13, 2023, as opposed to the 6th. The meeting adjourned at 2:10 PM. For the complete meeting minutes click here. The January 2023 HCRTA Newsletter is now online. The newsletter includes details about the upcoming HCRTA General Meeting Scheduled for February 6th and the reservation form. To view the newsletter click here.
Time to register for the August 1st HCRTA Meeting. The July HCRTA Newsletter and meeting registration can be found here.
Attended by 21 members and two guests, the May 2, 2022 General Meeting of the HCRTA, was held at the Hillsboro City Schools Administrative Offices. The meal was a KFC Fill-up Meal,. Following the meal, Mike Secrest of Blanchester and Rick Riley from Fairfield, Ohio. presented a program about "Home Defense and Protecting Your Family". The presenters talked about a multi-layer plan for home defense that involved 1) precautions and measures to deter entry by criminals, 2) monitoring and alarms, and 3) safety and standing your ground in the event that an invasion does occur. The program was informative and well received by the membership! The business meeting included the the usual report as well as reports from President Faust regarding a donation of "Sweats for Vets"to the Georgetown Veterans Home made possible by Bulls-eye Printing, a mention of the filing of the ORTA Annual Report, and a mention of he COLA that STRS would be implementing. Mr. Faust reminded members that the STRS Board Elections end today and encouraged members to submit their votes by the end of the day if they had not already done so. |
Archives
February 2024
Categories |