Blatnick joined CalSTRS in 2003 and has served as the chief of administrative services for the last 6 years

News release | Karen Doron

WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (August 4, 2021) – The California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS), the world’s largest educator-only pension fund, today announced the appointment of Lisa Blatnick as chief operating officer. She replaces Cassandra Lichnock, who became CalSTRS’ chief executive officer on July 1, 2021. Blatnick’s first day as COO will be August 16, 2021.

As COO, Blatnick will oversee Audit Services, Enterprise Strategy Management, Administrative Services, Benefits and Services, Public Affairs, Technology Services, and the Ombuds office. She will also serve as a key advisor to the Teachers’ Retirement Board and CEO and will ensure the most complex and critical operational issues and policy matters impacting the retirement system are developed and implemented in a manner consistent with CalSTRS’ mission, vision and values.

“Lisa learned from the ground up at CalSTRS and progressed because of her leadership, proven results and commitment to providing California’s hard-working teachers and their families with a secure retirement,” said Lichnock. “I have no doubt she will effectively lead our operations while preserving and evolving our cherished culture.”

Blatnick has served as chief of administrative services since August 2015, leading human resources, procurement, facilities management, business continuity and sustainability. During that time, she has played an instrumental role in numerous high-profile projects, including the expansion of the headquarters office in West Sacramento and management of internal resources that support an investment strategy known as the CalSTRS Collaborative Model, which brings more assets internally to reduce costs.

Blatnick joined CalSTRS in September 2003 as a facilities coordinator and has nearly 28 years of experience working for the state of California. She also held the position of director of facilities management and procurement before becoming chief of administrative services. Prior to joining CalSTRS, Blatnick worked at the Legislative Counsel Bureau and the Office of Criminal Justice Planning in human resources and facilities-management-related positions. Blatnick will lead CalSTRS’ transition to a blended work environment, which will include in-office and remote work, with a focus on preserving workplace culture and collaboration.  

“I am thrilled to accept this new role at CalSTRS,” said Blatnick. “I love working with our staff and internal and external partners on fulfilling our mission to serve California’s educators, and I look forward to elevating the agency to the next level with our long-term sustainability efforts. I also plan to work hard at maintaining the extraordinary culture that CalSTRS is so well-known for, and I am ready to help us navigate through these uncertain times posed by the pandemic.”

Blatnick is a native of Sacramento and holds certificates in human resource management and labor-management relations from the University of California, Davis.

Media contact

Karen Doron
Phone: 916-414-1440
M-F, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. PDT
Newsroom@CalSTRS.com

About CalSTRS

CalSTRS provides a secure retirement to more than 975,000 members whose CalSTRS-covered service is not eligible for Social Security participation. Members retire on average after more than 24 years in the classroom with a monthly benefit of approximately $4,547. Established in 1913, CalSTRS is the largest educator-only pension fund in the world with $308.6 billion in assets under management as of June 30, 2021. CalSTRS demonstrates its strong commitment to long-term corporate sustainability principles in its annual Global Reporting Initiative Sustainability Report. For more information, visit CalSTRS.com.