Perry Kenny is state retirees' choice for CalPERS Board

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Aug. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- State retirees agree that the most important election this year is for the retirees' seat on the California Public Employees' Retirement System (CalPERS).

That is why Perry Kenny is strongly endorsed by the most experienced and largest state retiree organization in California -- CSEA Retirees, Inc., which represents 28,000 state retirees.

But that is only the beginning of Perry Kenny's long list of endorsements from public employee and retirement organizations statewide.

The Board of the California State Employees Association (CSEA), representing 140,000 active and retired state employees, has also strongly endorsed Kenny, who was elected three times to serve as CSEA president.

"He is the most knowledgeable and experienced of the candidates, and I know he will do an excellent job," said Robert Carlson, who will soon retire from the seat Kenny is seeking to fill. Carlson, who is the retired chief counsel of Caltrans, has served on the CalPERS Board for nearly 36 years. He is currently the Vice President.

Two more CalPERS Board Members -- Charles Valdes and Kurato Shimada -- are also supporting Perry Kenny for the Board, which oversees public pensions and health care for public employees and retirees.

After serving three terms as CSEA President, along with many other positions within CSEA, Kenny worked as a tax consultant expert for the State Board of Equalization. He retired last year.

"I'm an advocate for members," said Kenny. "The CalPERS attorneys, actuaries and other professional staff members advise the Board members on the technical matters so that the Board members can make the appropriate choices for the people who have worked in public service."

The most recent additions to Perry Kenny's list of endorsements are the Department of Forestry and Firefighters and the California Professional Firefighters.

Perry Kenny has been honored over the years by women's groups, the governor, several minority groups, Justice for Janitors, counties, Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan, the National Council of CalPERS, the committee for the Public Employees Medical and Hospital Care Act (PEMHCA) and many minority groups, including the Asian Pacific State Employees Association.

Kenny says the many things he has learned during his career have prepared him to be an effective member of the CalPERS Board.

CalPERS was established through legislation introduced by CSEA in 1931. Over the years, people who served as CSEA presidents moved on to serve on the CalPERS Board, including Carlson and Valdes. Now, they say they'd like to see Perry Kenny become part of the tradition.

 "Anyone who has served as president of the state's largest state employee union knows the concerns and issues that public retirees and employees face," said Barbara LaPlante, president of CSEA Retirees, Inc. "Perry Kenny has lived and breathed our issues, testified for us at   CalPERS hearings and has consistently fought to protect our pensions and health benefits. That is why retirees cannot afford to sit out this election."

All retired CalPERS members may vote in the election. If you have not received your ballot by Aug. 20, call CalPERS at this toll-free hot line: (800) 794-2297. Ballots must be returned to the address given on envelope between Aug. 20 and Sept. 28.