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Sacramento, CA - Jack Ehnes has been selected as the new Chief Executive
Officer of the California State Teachers' Retirement System. The Teachers’
Retirement Board announced its choice for the top administrative post
today. Ehnes, 50, replaces James D. Mosman, who is leaving CalSTRS to
become Executive Director of the National Council on Teacher Retirement.
“Jack won out over a strong field of candidates,” said Gary
Lynes, board chairperson. “CalSTRS is fortunate to have found in
him someone who will provide the innovative, strong leadership the system
requires as it continues to meet the retirement needs of California’s
educators.”
“I’m looking forward to working with such a successful organization,”
said Ehnes. “CalSTRS has consistently demonstrated its excellence
and I intend to build on that track record.”
Ehnes will begin his duties February 4 and comes to CalSTRS from Great-West
Life & Annuity Insurance Company (Denver, Colorado), which provides
a wide range of life and health insurance products and administers defined
contribution retirement plans.
Among several duties as vice president for corporate affairs, Ehnes
serves as trustee/plan administrator for Great-West’s employees’
defined benefit and defined contribution plans.
Prior to Great-West, Ehnes was appointed to the post of Colorado’s
insurance commissioner, after a stint as deputy insurance commissioner.
He also served 11 years as a board trustee for the $31 billion Colorado
Public Employees Retirement Association, including six years as chair
and vice-chair of the board. PERA is a multi-employer public sector pension
fund covering school, state and judicial employees involving 200,000 members
and retirees.
Ehnes has served on high profile national task forces through the National
Association of Insurance Commissioners and on various Colorado healthcare
and insurance advisory boards.
His awards include the 1992 “State of Colorado Manager of the Year”
award, the 1999 “Career Service Award” from the Colorado Group
Insurance Association and recognition from the Colorado chapter of AARP
for outstanding public service.
A Rochester, N.Y. native, Ehnes holds a bachelor of science degree from
Cornell University and a masters of arts degree from Vanderbilt University.
Ehnes will direct a retirement system that includes approximately 661,000
members and benefit recipients with an operating budget of approximately
$56 million and 525 employees. CalSTRS administers retirement, disability
and survivor benefits for California’s public school educators in
grades kindergarten through community college. The investment portfolio,
at $97.7 billion, is the third largest pension fund in the nation.
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