The candidates for the TRS Board of Control election are listed below by position in the order they will appear on the ballot. The order was determined in a random drawing by the TRS Election Committee. The statements below were provided by the candidates to give voters more information.

Mr. Ricky Whaley - As the incumbent, it would be an honor to continue to serve you on the Teacher Retirement System Board.  I have attended 100% of the board meetings during my tenure as a member of the board. I attended the National Conference on Teacher Retirement in 2008 and the Southern Conference on Teacher Retirement in 2009.  I am a member of the National Council on Teacher Retirement and the Southern Conference on Teacher Retirement.  As your representative I will always conduct myself in a professional manner that demonstrates the highest ethical standards for the benefit of the Teacher Retirement Beneficiaries. I promise to continue to support Drs. Paul Hubbert and David Bronner.  In addition, I promise to continue the tradition of excellence in our retirement fund and our health care plan. I realize each vote I make as a member of the board affects the future of our membership of which I am so fortunate to represent.   I will always do my best to communicate with you on a regular basis and make myself available to listen to your thoughts and suggestions.   As your board representative, I promise to keep our retirement and health care benefits the best in the nation!

Dr. Philip Westbrook - no statement provided

Dr. Steve Swidler - My interest in pensions dates back to my doctoral dissertation on social security and saving.  Since then, my professional experience includes pension fund consulting, bank regulatory work, and scholarly activity in the areas of investments, securities analysis and financial risk management.  As a Board member, I hope to use this background to insure the continued safety and soundness of the Alabama Teacher Retirement System.

In addition to my interest in the fund’s financial performance, I would like to see an expansion of information disseminated to TRS members.  With creative use of the web and email, members should be able to see financial statements of the fund, specific assets in the portfolio and otherwise be apprised of relevant investment information.  Information transparency of Board actions is of paramount importance since the financial and social responsibilities of the fund rest with us all.

Married to a retired junior high teacher, I know the long hours and dedication of public school teachers.  In return, our teachers earn a modest wage, and for many, their largest single asset is their TRS pension.  Thus, I hold sacred the fiduciary responsibilities of Board of Control members who must guarantee the financial integrity of the system.

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Dr. Susan Williams Brown - My name is Susan Williams Brown. I have served you as a member of the Teachers' Retirement/PEEHIP Board for eight continuous years.  During this time, I have worked diligently to represent the TRS members and their concerns. I can honestly say that I am very passionate about defending our retirement and health insurance benefits. I am a native of Alabama and have worked in education for 29 years. I received a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in education from Jacksonville State University and an Ed. D. from The University of Alabama.  I am aware of the needs of the education employees of Alabama and will continue to work with Dr. Hubbert and Dr. Bronner to maintain a sound retirement system and insurance plan.  I wish to continue serving you, the TRS member, as your voice on the TRS Board of Control and pledge to you to protect and preserve the TRS System.  I, Susan Williams Brown, would appreciate your vote and support.  Thank you.

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Dr. Charles D. Lake - Charles would like to serve on the Board to ensure that the benefits earned by the members will be protected and safeguarded when we retire.  Charles knows and appreciates the dedication and work done over the years that has made RSA strong.  With the economic and political climate threatening our security - now more than ever – we must be vigilant to protect RSA and recognize all those who have built RSA.  This means that both active and retired members must unify as one force to protect what we have all built and are still building.

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Mrs. Sharrie Cranford - I believe our retirement system is among the best in the United States.  We should be proud to be part of a system that continues to do so well for its investors.  I would like to help, adding my time and experience to assist the Board in making prudent and financially sound decisions about our future.  Understanding the decision of the RSA Board is something that we should all work toward.  Sometimes it is difficult to understand all the materials we get in the Advisor.  I would like to see the Board address this issue, making information more accessible and user friendly.  It is easier to assist with your own retirement system plan, if you understand it.  We should strive to make all state employees educated about RSA, what they do and where we are going. Suggestions or questions: scranford@usouthal.edu.

Mr. Richard O. Nenstiel - While I have spent most of my working career in postsecondary education, I have been a strong supporter of public education in Alabama.   My four children have all attended Mobile County Public Schools and my wife and I have been very involved in supporting all of their schools.  Having retired in 2007, I have followed with great interest the concerns expressed by RSA regarding the current economic situation and the anticipated cost increases in the foreseeable future.  According to the July 2009 Advisor, the anticipated increases in the TRS, ERS and PEEHIP programs between 2010 and 2011 will total $230 million with nearly 70% ($157 million) of that in the PEEHIP program.  I have spent a career in the health care industry and have experience from both clinical and administrative perspectives.  It is my wish to put this experience to work to help the RSA to secure adequate funding and control costs in order to maintain the Retirement Systems of Alabama as one of the premiere public retirement systems in the nation.

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Mrs. Sarah S. Swindle - Stability is vital to the TRS Board.  Some politicians want to increase premiums and decrease benefits.  Some want copays increased and 90-day maintenance drugs changed to 60-day maintenance coverage.  We must be very careful in the decisions we make.  Our responsibility is to keep PEEHIP adequately funded, stable, and affordable.  Never allow anyone to keep that from happening.

I have held both active teacher and retired positions on the TRS and PEEHIP Boards.  I am a tried, true and experienced Board member and for 14 years my peers have elected me Vice Chair.

In the last three years we have successfully passed a constitutional amendment that assures no governor or legislature can take protected funds from PEEHIP, putting our health insurance in jeopardy.  We consistently put money into this fund so our health insurance program can be self-funded.  Because this program is well managed, we used some of that money this year to keep rates from increasing.

Our salaries have been low for years, and we have sacrificed pay raises to keep PEEHIP sound.  We cannot allow politicians to lower our benefits.  Keep me working for a fully-funded PEEHIP and protected retirement benefits.  I will continue to be your advocate!

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