Press Release   ·   December 16, 2022

Treasurer Read Receives National Recognition for Trailblazing Work on State Retirement Savings

Oregon State Treasurer, Tobias Read, has been named the 2023 Distinguished State Leader by Georgetown University Center for Retirement Initiatives’ (CRI). The award will be presented at Georgetown CRI’s annual State-Facilitated Retirement Savings Program Network (SRSPN) Conference at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) on January 24. The award is being presented to Treasurer Read for his significant contributions to strengthening retirement security as a leader in the establishment of state retirement savings programs, both as a legislator and as the state's treasurer. Other award winners this year will be Mark Iwry of the Brookings Institution and David John of AARP for their contributions to the design of these programs. Elected Oregon’s 29th State Treasurer in 2016, Treasurer Read is the state's chief investment officer. As part of his role, the Treasurer oversees financial empowerment programs, including the Oregon Treasury Savings Network, which enables families to save for higher education, job training and disability-related expenses, as well as Oregon’s state-based retirement program, OregonSaves. As a legislator, Treasurer Read was a chief sponsor of the Oregon Retirement Savings Plan, which, in 2017, became the first operating state-sponsored retirement program in 2017, and is now known as OregonSaves. “I am honored to accept this award on behalf of the Oregon Treasury team. I’m proud of them and the work we’re doing to improve the financial future of countless Oregonians,” said State Treasurer Tobias Read. “To see OregonSaves providing financial security for savers and sparking a growing national movement of state programs responding to the retirement savings crisis, is gratifying.” As noted by Angela Antonelli, Executive Director of Georgetown CRI, the lineup of 2023 awardees are especially meaningful—Treasurer Read alongside Mark Iwry and David John “collectively represent three of the most influential thinkers and leaders that have brought us to where we are today with these important state retirement savings programs.” Georgetown CRI’s annual SRSPN Conference is an invitation-only, in-person conference on January 23–24, 2023 at UCLA’s Luskin Conference Center in Los Angeles, California. State executives, legislators, and other key stakeholders will gather to share the latest updates on program implementation and best practices and lessons learned, as well as opportunities for multi-state partnerships. This annual conference is exclusive to states, CRI supporters, and special invited guests. In just five years, Oregonians (across every county in the state) have saved just shy of $170 million for retirement through OregonSaves. Oregon continues to blaze a trail, including being the first state to welcome cannabis businesses and their employees into the program. In 2018, OregonSaves opened its doors to the self-employed and gig economy workers, allowing them to join the 114,000+ employees already taking part through a facilitating employer. Continuing its efforts toward inclusivity for industries typically excluded from other programs and benefits, the past few years have seen OregonSaves welcome SEIU represented Personal Support Workers, as well as Homecare Workers and Personal Care Attendants to the program. These steps demonstrate the program’s continued commitment to retirement savings accessibility for every worker in Oregon.

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