CalSTRS committee adopts policy clarifying chair speaks for board

The California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS) Board Governance Committee voted unanimously to adopt a policy clarifying the duties of the board chair and vice chair, including language that the chair may speak on behalf of the board in certain situations.

Bridal, presenting the item, said the change "codifies what our current practice has been is for the board chair to speak on behalf of the board," and noted the amendment is intended to align the manual with existing practice and with the governance manual’s ethical conduct provisions that discourage members from speaking for the board when the board has not taken a position.

Committee members discussed that the provision preserves the vice chair’s authority to step in "if the chair is unavailable," and that the change "does not also restrict board members from speaking as a private person or in a different role," Bridal said. No members of the public spoke on the item.

The committee approved the motion by roll-call vote with all committee members voting in the affirmative. On first reference in this article, the board is named fully as the California State Teachers Retirement System; CalSTRS is used thereafter.

The committee took the action as an update to the governance manual; staff recorded the vote and will incorporate the revised language into the manual and public materials. The committee then proceeded to the next agenda item.