The mission of ORTA is to monitor, advocate for, and protect the pensions and benefits of its members.

Is history repeating itself?  We hope not. 

Dean Dennis, ORTA Executive Council Chair, addressed the STRS Ohio Board during Public Participation on May 15, 2025.

We endorse STRS Ohio Board candidates who actively advocate for transparency of investments and business practices for the State Teachers Retirement System’s pension.  We believe investment practices shall not conflict with Ohio Revised Code 3307.15. In particular, Section 3307.15. (e), states, “Any statement of financial position distributed by the board shall include the fair value, as of the statement date, of all investments held by the board under this section.” ORTA believes that it has endorsed strong candidates and that membership has spoken. 

However, ORTA is concerned that non-STRS members consistently interfere with the democratic process to the point where our Governor violated an obvious Ohio law right under the Ohio AG’s watch. It is troubling that there has been some form of government interference in each of the last three STRS elections. 

The most recent report by the press suggests some legislators are considering reconfiguring our STRS board to place voting members in the minority. In addition to this storyline, the press has reported that our board has been asked to wait until next month to select a new Executive Director. The reasoning was to fill an appointed position vacant for nearly a year. This makes little sense since the selection process has been ongoing for months, and any new board member joining at this late date should ethically recuse themselves from voting. It’s a headscratcher that this request came from the Governor, State Treasurer, Leader of the House, and Leader of the Senate just days before the selection timeline.

What’s the interest in interfering with a pension that the ORSC always defends as one of the best? Is it the cry for transparency? Recently, an HBO documentary was about dark money in Ohio and political PAC monies. Is history repeating itself?  We hope not.