Former statewide CSEA President J.J. Jelincic emerged the unofficial victor Dec. 11 in the run-off election for an open seat on the CalPERS Board of Administration.
The results announced by a CalPERS official in Sacramento showed Jelincic with 109,088 votes (51.037%). His opponent, Cathy Hackett of SEIU, Local 1000, received 104,656 votes (48.963%). The results of the election must still be certified by the Secretary of State’s Office.
CSEA Retirees, Inc. supported Jelincic in the race because of his experience, education and dedication to protecting pensions and health care for state workers and retirees. Besides his extensive involvement in CSEA, Jelincic has worked at CalPERS for 23 years, currently as an investment officer.
Asked for his reaction after the results were announced, Jelincic said: “I feel great! And I love the retirees!”
All CalPERS members – active and retired – were eligible to vote in the election for the seat that will be vacated with the January retirement of Charles P. Valdes, who is also a former CSEA president.
CalPERS, the largest public retirement system in the nation, manages retirement benefits for more than 1.6 million California public employees, retirees and their families. CalPERS also manages health benefits for nearly 1.3 million members. The retirement fund’s assets currently stand at about $200 billion.
"I wish to thank the thousands of public employees and retirees from all across California who have put their trust in me to protect and defend their pensions and health care benefits,” Jelincic said in a statement.
"This is a challenging time for CalPERS. Recent events have shown that internal reforms to change the way CalPERS operates are needed,” he said. “But the key is to carry out these needed reforms to protect the hard earned pensions without allowing people like [former Assemblyman] Keith Richman and his allies to weaken or destroy the public employee retirement system that has served our state, its political subdivisions and its workers so well.
"I pledge that I will serve as a strong voice for the more than 1.6 million CalPERS members who depend upon the system for their retirement and health security,” Jelincic said.
His term on the the 13-member board is for four years.
Jelincic was also the top vote-getter in this fall’s election for the seat against four other candidates. The run-off was called after nobody received a majority of the votes.
Besides being the former statewide president of CSEA, Jelincic has held several other positions within CSEA, including bargaining chair for Unit 1, representing professionals, including analysts and accounting officers. He has earned a bachelor’s degree in economics, a MBA in finance and is a Chartered Financial Analyst®.
Jelincic’s goals as a CalPERS board member are to advocate for the members and dependents; protect and expand secure retirements; control health care costs through efficiencies, not cost shifting to members; and to improve customer service.
Jelincic was endorsed in the election by a wide range of unions and organizations, including the Retired Public Employees Association (RPEA), the Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA), the California Association of Highway Patrolmen (CAHP) and the Association of California State Supervisors (ACSS).
For more information, visit www.jjforcalpers.org