WEST SACRAMENTO, CA – August 9, 2018 – As the world’s largest educator-only pension fund, the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS) embodies a century-long pledge to invest hard-earned pension contributions on behalf of almost one million California educators, retirees and their beneficiaries.
On Friday, July 20, 2018, CalSTRS Chief Investment Officer Christopher J. Ailman informed the Teachers’ Retirement Board that he had initiated the CalSTRS Divestment Policy as it applies to investments in private prison companies. The policy requires a comprehensive review of affected companies to determine potential risks they pose to the CalSTRS portfolio. The process includes further engagement with the leadership at the companies to ensure they are adhering to the law, CalSTRS policies, and best practice corporate governance principles.
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (July 20, 2018) – The California State Teachers’ Retirement System announced that the fund posted a 9.0 percent return (net of fees) for the 2017-18 fiscal year, exceeding the investment assumption of 7.0 percent for the second consecutive year and helping advance the fund towards full funding in the decades ahead. As of June 30, 2018, the total fund value was $223.8 billion.
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (July 2, 2018) – The California State Teachers’ Retirement System announced Julie Underwood has been hired as the chief financial officer and will start on July 16. Ms. Underwood replaces Robin Madsen, who retired in March of this year.
Ms. Underwood comes to CalSTRS from the $9.9 billion San Bernardino County Employees’ Retirement Association, a multiple-employer defined benefit pension plan, where she’s been the CFO since 2010.
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (June 21, 2018) – The California State Teachers’ Retirement System today announced the hiring of Scott Chan as the new deputy chief investment officer. Mr. Chan begins his tenure on August 1 and will report directly to CalSTRS Chief Investment Officer Christopher J. Ailman.
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (May 11, 2018) – The trustees of the California State Teachers’ Retirement System yesterday elected Dana Dillon as board chair and Sharon Hendricks as vice chair for the 2018-19 term. The Teachers’ Retirement Board nominates and elects its chair and vice chair annually. The newly-elected officers assume their posts immediately. The chair and vice chair provide board leadership for the largest educator-only pension fund in the world.
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (May 10, 2018) – The Teachers’ Retirement Board today adopted the results of the actuarial valuation for the CalSTRS Defined Benefit Program as of June 30, 2017, reflecting impacts from investment assumption changes while also noting continued progress toward the system’s long-term funding goals.
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (May 9, 2018) – The California State Teachers’ Retirement System today unveiled a plan to prioritize engagement with makers and retailers of firearms that are illegal in California. The plan, approved unanimously by the Teachers’ Retirement Board, authorizes CalSTRS corporate governance staff to make firearms engagement activities a top priority by publicly engaging companies and potentially recommending that the board consider divestment if engagement efforts fail.
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (April 5, 2018) – Today, Aeisha Mastagni, Portfolio Manager in the CalSTRS Corporate Governance Unit, made the following statement regarding CalSTRS’ ongoing engagement with Facebook, Inc.:
“CalSTRS has owned shares in Facebook, Inc. since its initial public offering in 2012, as well as through privately held assets prior to the IPO. While CalSTRS applauds the growth in Facebook’s market capitalization to build value for its shareholders, it is also part of our due diligence to focus on what actions are being taken both now and in the future to mitigate risks that could potentially impact shareholder value.
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (March 26, 2018) – Today, Harry Keiley, the Chair of the Investment Committee for the California State Teachers’ Retirement Board, made the following statement regarding the March 22, 2018 announcement by Citigroup, Inc. that they are instituting a new U.S. Commercial Firearms policy.
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (March 8, 2018) – Today, Harry Keiley, the Chair of the Investment Committee for the California State Teachers’ Retirement Board, made the following statement regarding last week’s announcement by Dick’s Sporting Goods that they will no longer sell guns to customers under the age of 21, they will cease selling high capacity magazines, and they will no longer sell assault-style weapons.
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Feb. 21, 2018) – The California State Teachers’ Retirement System announced today that Robin Madsen, only the second person to hold the position of chief financial officer for CalSTRS, will be retiring on March 31, 2018.
Ms. Madsen began her tenure at CalSTRS in June 2009 as a special consultant to then CFO Christine Ford. She was appointed CFO in November 2009, following Ms. Ford’s transition to the Chief of Staff position.
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Feb. 8, 2018) – The California State Teachers’ Retirement System presented its 11th annual Green Initiative Task Force Report yesterday at the Teachers’ Retirement Board Investment Committee meeting. The report highlights CalSTRS environmental-themed investments and environmental risk-management efforts.
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (February 7, 2018) – The California State Teachers’ Retirement System today adopted Investment Belief #8, thus completing its first-ever set of investment beliefs to provide overarching guidance on CalSTRS’ investment decisions across its portfolio asset classes.
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Feb. 2, 2018) – The California State Teachers’ Retirement System announced today that, following a rigorous 15-month process, it has selected eight Environmental, Social and Governance-focused asset managers. The following asset managers have been chosen to execute specific investment strategies. When the right investment opportunity presents itself, one or more of these managers are eligible to receive a commitment.
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (January 30, 2018)– The California State Teachers’ Retirement System today released Global Stewardship at Work, its 2016-17 sustainability report. This is the fourth year the system published the report, which is based on the Global Reporting Initiative G4 Guidelines.
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Jan. 18, 2018) – The California State Teachers’ Retirement System’s Director of Corporate Governance, Anne Sheehan, announced that she will retire March 30, 2018 after 10 years at the helm of the division.
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. – CalSTRS Director of Corporate Governance Anne Sheehan made the following statement regarding the recent letter issued to Apple Inc. on January 6, 2018.
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Dec. 12, 2017) – The California State Teachers’ Retirement System today announced that Pensions & Investments magazine has named it a Best Place to Work in Money Management for 2017. This year’s honor is the third CalSTRS has garnered—the only public pension plan to do so.
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Nov. 29, 2017) – California State Teachers’ Retirement System’s Chief Investment Officer Christopher J. Ailman has been named recipient of Institutional Investor magazine’s first-ever lifetime achievement award. The award recognizes Mr. Ailman’s three-decade career, including 17 years at CalSTRS–where he shepherded the portfolio’s growth from $116 billion upon his arrival in 2000 to $219.6 billion today.
