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News releases

 Read current and past CalSTRS news releases.

    CalSTRS escalates efforts to hold global companies accountable for not adequately disclosing climate change risks; votes against 2,035 boards of directors in proxy season 2023

    WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (August 10, 2023) – For the 2023 proxy season, the California State Teachers’ Retirement System—the world’s largest educator-only pension fund with more than $315 billion in assets—stepped up its efforts to hold companies around the globe accountable for failing to address climate change risks: CalSTRS voted against the boards of directors at a record 2,035 global companies because they did not provide necessary climate risk disclosures.

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    Net zero pledge, climate change and board diversity highlight CalSTRS’ priorities for proxy season 2023

    WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (April 17, 2023) – As peak proxy voting season kicks off, the California State Teachers’ Retirement System, the world’s largest educator-only pension fund with more than $300 billion in assets, is taking stronger action against corporate boards that fail to demonstrate their commitment to appropriately managing and addressing sustainable business practices. With many global companies holding their annual general meetings in the weeks ahead, a key priority for CalSTRS is enhancing its strategy to address the risks climate change poses to its global portfolio.

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    Bar chart showing CalSTRS investment fund performance, long-term, historical perspective as of June 30, 2022

    CalSTRS finishes with -1.3% return, beats total fund benchmark in volatile fiscal year 2021–22

    WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (July 29, 2022) – The California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) today announced a -1.3% net return on investments for the 2021–22 fiscal year, ending with the total fund value at $301.6 billion as of June 30, 2022. The 2021–22 return, CalSTRS’ first negative return since 2009, reflects the ongoing volatility of global financial markets impacted by inflation, rising interest rates, the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine.

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    CalSTRS advances net zero progress, climate change action and human capital management during proxy season

    WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (June 29, 2022) – The California State Teachers’ Retirement System has taken action on a record number of shareholder proposals and board elections during the 2022 proxy season to hold corporations accountable on climate change and human capital management, including workforce diversity, racial equity audits, and the election of more diverse boards of directors.

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    CalSTRS will escalate proxy votes to achieve board diversity, net zero progress and climate change action

    WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (March 30, 2022) – The California State Teachers’ Retirement System is implementing a new, more robust approach to corporate engagement for the 2022 proxy season. The new engagement strategy focuses on opposing the election of directors in companies that have moved too slowly to achieve greater board diversity or significantly address climate change. CalSTRS will also directly support shareholder proposals that promote further progress in reaching global net zero goals that align with the United Nations’ Race to Zero campaign and principles of the Paris Agreement.

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    CalSTRS Investment Fund Performance bar chart

    CalSTRS reports 27.2% net investment return for fiscal year 2020–21

    WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (July 26, 2021) — The California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) today announced a 27.2% net return on investments for the 2020–21 fiscal year, a record high that far exceeded the investment assumption of 7.0%. Growth was driven by strong performance across all markets, despite the global pandemic. As of June 30, 2021, the total fund value was $308.6 billion—double the value from just 10 years ago.

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    CEO Cassandra Lichnock has long brown hair and wears a gray blazer.

    Cassandra Lichnock announced as new CalSTRS CEO

    WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (May 19, 2021) – The Teachers’ Retirement Board (Board) announced the appointment of Cassandra Lichnock as the new chief executive officer of the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS). CalSTRS is the world’s largest educator-only pension fund, with a 75% female membership. Lichnock will serve as the fund’s first female CEO, an important milestone demonstrating the Board’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. Her first day as CEO will be July 1, 2021.

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    CalSTRS announces new low-carbon transition readiness investment in global equity markets

    WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (April 9, 2021) – The California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) today announced its investment in two new low-carbon transition readiness exchange-traded funds (ETF). The BlackRock U.S. Carbon Transition Readiness ETF and the BlackRock World ex U.S. Carbon Transition Readiness ETF began trading yesterday and are one of the largest ETF launches in history. These ETFs address market risks and opportunities associated with the global transition to a low-carbon economy while also closely tracking the performance of the broad equity market.

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    Portfolio Manager Aeisha Mastagni has long, red hair and wears a blue sweater..

    Mastagni elected to Council of Institutional Investors’ board of directors

    WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (March 16, 2021) – The California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) today announced that portfolio manager Aeisha Mastagni was elected to the board of directors for the Council of Institutional Investors (CII). Mastagni, who works in CalSTRS’ Sustainable Investment and Stewardship Strategies (SISS) unit, also served on the CII board of directors from 2015—2019. She was also elected as co-chair for the public fund constituency.

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    Teresa Schilling

    CalSTRS appoints Teresa Schilling as Chief Public Affairs Officer

    WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (January 21, 2021) – The California State Teachers’ Retirement System, the world’s largest educator-only pension fund, announced the appointment of Teresa Schilling as Chief Public Affairs Officer effective January 25. Schilling will provide strategic leadership and guidance to the Teachers’ Retirement Board, executives and the CalSTRS organization on policy, communications and stakeholder programs and issues. Her position reports directly to CalSTRS Chief Operating Officer Cassandra Lichnock.

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    Lamont King wears a gray blazer and red tie.

    Lamont King appointed assistant general counsel for Investments

    WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (January 5, 2021) – Lamont King was appointed Assistant General Counsel for Investments for the California State Teachers’ Retirement System effective December 14, 2020. In his new role, King heads the Investment Counsel division in the Office of the General Counsel. King began his career with CalSTRS in 2010 as one of two specialized counsels on the investment-focused legal team and rose to senior investment counsel in 2013. He has served in a lead capacity in that role for the past two years.

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