The Senate Rules Committee confirmed Governor Kulongoski’s appointment of ten members to the newly created Oregon Educators Benefit Board (OEBB). The OEBB was created by Senate Bill 426, the health insurance savings pool for school employees, which passed earlier in the 2007 Legislative Session.
“With the OEBB members appointed, Oregon can begin to slow the trend of medical inflation and save taxpayer dollars while still maintaining a level of benefits that school employees need and deserve,” said Larry Wolf, President of the Oregon Education Association (OEA). “OEBB creates a level of accountability and transparency in health insurance costs that didn’t exist before. It will also help ensure that money in our public schools is being invested wisely and efficiently.
The OEBB members have expertise representing large, medium, and small school districts. Members also have extensive experience working with school district health insurance plans, local district budgets and bargaining, and school employee healthcare concerns.
“We look forward to working with the Oregon Educators Benefit Board to ensure the success of the health insurance savings pool,” said Wolf.
Members of the Board represent specific constituencies, including two who represent the state’s largest school employee labor union, the Oregon Education Association (OEA). Representing OEA are: Steve McNannay, OEA Choice Trust executive director and Tom Husted, Beaverton UniServ consultant.
McNannay has over 19 years of experience in the administration and delivery of affordable health care benefits for school employees in Oregon. Husted has a long and varied background in handling insurance issues on behalf of both employees and management. In addition to leading the Beaverton Education Association in successful collaborative bargaining with the district, he has also served on the Beaverton School District Insurance Committee.
The other eight OEBB appointments are:
– Dr. Richard Clarke, Portland Public School Board Representative
– Ron Gallinat, Bend-LaPine School Board / High Desert Education Service District Board – Dr. Peter Tarzian, Falls City School District Superintendent
– Brett Yancey, Director of Budget and Financial Planning, Springfield School District
– Victor Musial, Oregon School Employee Association Director of Field Operations
– Michael Cannarella, AFT-Oregon Labor Relations Specialist
– Mylia Christensen, Center for Evidenced Based Policy, OHSU
– Dr. Alison Little, Center for Evidenced Based Policy, OHSU
Information about the board members is available at www.oregoned.org/healthcare.
