P.O. Box 9056
Pittsburgh, PA 15224
pghpasr@yahoo.com

Pittsburgh, the “City of Bridges,” has garnered a lot of attention in recent years, from being named “Most Livable City in the United States” to winning both the Super Bowl and the Stanley Cup in the same year, to hosting the G-20 summit in 2009. The Pittsburgh Chapter of PASR is part of Pittsburgh’s winning tradition. It has almost 1,000 members and is committed to providing its membership with the best in benefits and leadership. It offers great opportunities for service, socializing, and support.

PASR Statement on PSERS from the Board of Directors
(May 26, 2021)

Due to recent news about issues involving the Public School Employees Retirement System (PSERS), the Pennsylvania Association of School Retirees (PASR) is compelled to respond as it funds our pensions in retirement. Since PASR represents only retirees and not active members, issues involving alleged malfeasance at PSERS significantly impacts our members and their livelihoods.

PSERS has acknowledged that there is an active FBI investigation along with a federal grand jury investigation into its recent operations. At this time, there is no evidence or information leading to the conclusion that any pension has been placed in jeopardy.

Please note that PASR and PSERS are separate operations without any direct connection, therefore the investigation does not directly involve our organization.

Reason for the Investigation
There is a shared risk provision with active (non-retiree) PSERS members under Pennsylvania State Law that is based on an investment “window” of nine years. If PSERS investment returns fall below 6.36 percent over that nine-year period, a shared risk provision increases the amount that public school employees, who were hired after July 1, 2011, pay into PSERS. Originally, PSERS certified that the nine-year return was 6.38 percent. Later, PSERS held a special meeting and changed the number to 6.34 percent which activated that shared risk provision.

News reports surfaced that indicated a possible investigation was underway at PSERS about the estimation of the nine-year investment return and the process it took to reach that number. Recently, additional reports have indicated that the investigation goes beyond the process of the estimation. At this point, it is speculation until there is a second party validation.

As a result of the pending investigations, PSERS has acknowledged hiring at least four outside law firms to represent them. Also, PSERS has acknowledged hiring an additional outside consulting firm to help with investments during the time their staff is under investigation. This will result in additional money being spent in addition to normal management and personnel costs. PASR will seek information about the impact of those additional expenditures.

Next Steps
The PSERS investigation will take time to run its course, and we must respect that process. It is important to note that the average federal grand jury investigation usually takes anywhere from 12 to 18 months to complete.

PASR will closely follow this issue and we are committed to providing factual updates to keep you informed as the investigation progresses. We are here to be a trusted resource and will continue to advocate on your behalf

We sincerely appreciate our members and leaders who have reached out to us to comment and seek additional information. We rely on feedback from our members, and we will continue to be responsive. 

A message from the Board of Directors

Mark McKillop
The Pennsylvania Association of School Retirees (PASR)

PghASR Holiday Luncheon
December 7, 2021
Title:  Join your friends and colleagues at the PghASR Holiday Luncheon at Rivers Casino on December 7!
Text:  Come to the PghASR Holiday Luncheon at Rivers Casino for a festive gathering with friends and colleagues. Awards will be presented at 11:30, followed by lunch. Click on the link below for the reservation form.

 PghASR Holiday Luncheon Reservation Form

The PghASR Newsletter is going paperless!
In order to keep PghASR financially solvent in the coming years, your Leadership Team is planning to move forward in the distribution of our Newsletter via email. Printing and postage costs have gone through the roof, and therefore sending out the newsletters requires a new distribution approach. In 2022, we will begin the process to transition to sending out the newsletters via email when possible, starting with compiling a list of all members who have email addresses. We need your assistance in this endeavor.  We request that PghASR members who have an email address click on the link below to download and print a form to complete about your contact information. Mail the form to PghASR, PO Box 9056, Pittsburgh, PA 15224, or email our Membership Secretary, Dr. A. Jay Gross, at ajaygross@msn.com, so he can add your current email address and contact information to his membership list. We also need to know which of our members don’t have access to a computer or other device. If that is the case with you, place an X on the line on the form that says, “I have no email address,” to let your Leadership Team know the only way we will be able to communicate with you is by mail or phone. We will mail newsletters to members who don’t have email addresses. If you move, let us know. Leadership Team members have their addresses and phone numbers listed on page 13 of this newsletter. Any of us can assist you. We anticipate this process will take a year to implement.

PghASR Member Demographic Information Form

PghASR needs you! Please consider volunteering to be an officer, chair, newsletter editor, or member of one of our committees. 
PghASR flourishes on partnership and collaboration. The organization depends on those who think outside the box and are not afraid to take a stand, express ideas or make suggestions. Is that you?

To volunteer or find out more about a committee, email or write a note to PghASR. Contact information is at the top of the website. You can also call one of the PghASR Officers. 

Help is especially needed to assist with computer-related tasks such as keeping the membership database current, creating and maintaining a Facebook page, and emailing members with important updates.

If you are not eligible to be a PghASR member, consider becoming an associate member
Associate members can take advantage of all the benefits and activities of PghASR except they are not eligible to vote or hold office. They can serve as or assist committee chairs and help us to continue offering activities and services that benefit our organization. Contact me, Joe Poerio, at pjpoerio@comcast.net  or 412-489-5443 if you would like to become an associate member or if you have any questions.

An associate member of PASR or PghASR can be any person who is interested in the work of PASR/PghASR, is an active school employee aged 50 or older, a teacher who is not an annuitant of a school employees’ retirement system, a former school employee who has retired from a non-public school, and/or a spouse of an active member of PASR/PghASR. If you know of anyone who fits in one or more of the above categories and is interested in our organization, encourage them to become an associate member. PASR dues are $60 Year/ $700 Lifetime and PghASR dues are $15 Year/ $150 Lifetime.