House Committee to Meet about TRS Benefits
Mark your calendar for September 12, 2012. In one month, the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS) will be celebrated for their 75 years of service to public education personnel and the state of Texas! TRTA and friends of TRS are hosting a special TRS 75th anniversary dinner celebration. We hope you can come to this special event. Tickets are $20 each, and the cost includes a great meal at the Driskill Hotel in Austin as well as an exceptional guest speaker.
TRTA is proud to welcome Mr. Brad McCoy. Brad graduated from Abilene Christian University—where he played football—in 1983. He served as an athletic director, head football coach and teacher during his career. Brad and his wife, Debra, have raised three sons. His oldest son, Colt, played for the University of Texas and set national records for most wins ever and highest completion percentages ever by a quarterback along with 47 other national, Big 12 and school records. Currently, Colt plays for the NFL Cleveland Browns. Chance, a receiver at Hardin-Simmons University, and Case, a quarterback at the University of Texas, are also great performers on and off the field.
We are happy to welcome Brad McCoy to the TRS 75th anniversary dinner celebration! We know his comments will inspire us all to keep TRS strong and fight for those who rely on this pension trust fund for their retirement livelihood.
Here is what you need to know if you are interested in attending:
- The TRS 75th anniversary dinner celebration is September 12, 2012 at 6:00 p.m.;
- The event is being hosted at the historic Driskill Hotel in downtown Austin (Brazos and 6th Street);
- Seating for the event is limited to 400 people;
- Tickets are on sale now for $20 per ticket;
- Everyone is welcome, including retired or active school employees, guests, legislators, staff members, and the media;
- You must contact TRTA to purchase tickets;
- Contact TRTA by phone to order your tickets by calling 1.800.880.1650;
- Tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis;
- Dinner will include a commemorative program, a delicious three-course meal, special entertainment, and guest speakers; and
- TRTA does not have a room block rate at the Driskill, but a list of nearby hotels will be posted on our web site (www.trta.org) for your information.
The Teacher Retirement System of Texas provides retirement security to over 1.3 million Texans. Through economic booms and busts, a World War and international conflicts, in good times and bad, the TRS pension program has never missed a payment to its retirees. The Texas Legislature has also supported this vital pension trust fund by never missing a contribution or taking a “pension funding holiday.”
TRS Texas is a key economic stabilizer for the state and local economies. In these politically charged days when attacks are more and more common against the defined benefit plan, now is the time to recognize and celebrate how vital TRS has been to thousands of public education personnel and to the state.
We hope you will consider joining TRTA and the friends of TRS for this special anniversary dinner celebration!
House Committee to Meet about TRS
The House Pensions, Investments, and Financial Services Committee (PIFS) is scheduled to meet on September 12, 2012. The Teacher Retirement System will present their legislatively mandated pension plan study at this meeting. TRTA has been monitoring and commenting on this plan design study since TRS started working on it at the end of last legislative session.
TRTA members in the area are encouraged to attend this hearing. The plan design study will be influential during the next legislative session. We will continue to defend the current traditional defined benefit plan for all retired and active school employees. TRTA is confident that this plan provides the greatest financial security for TRS members and is a great value to the state.
If you plan to attend the TRS 75th anniversary celebration dinner, this is also a great opportunity for you to attend the House PIFS committee hearing. TRTA will provide more information about time and location as details are finalized.
Thank you for your membership with TRTA. If you are not a member, please contact our state office at 1.800.880.1650 and we will be happy to answer your questions.