Sharon Hendricks was elected Vice Chair of the California State Teachers' Retirement System (CalSTRS) Teachers' Retirement Board at the Board's May 2026 meeting. Chair Denise Bradford, an elementary teacher from Saddleback Valley Unified School District, was re-elected to her third term as Chair. Hendricks and Bradford both serve four-year terms on the Board, from January 1, 2024 through December 31, 2027.
What makes the election significant for community college faculty: Sharon Hendricks is one of us. She is a communication studies faculty member at Los Angeles City College and has taught in the California Community Colleges for nearly two decades. She has served on the CalSTRS Board since winning her elected seat in 2011, chaired the Board in 2019-2020, and served as Vice Chair in 2014-2019 and again in 2021-2023. She also chairs the American Federation of Teachers Trustee Council and serves on the board of Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI).
Every full-time faculty member at Cypress College, Fullerton College, and North Orange Continuing Education is a CalSTRS member. CalSTRS is the largest educator-only pension fund in the world — about one million members and beneficiaries, with $408.3 billion in assets under management as of April 30, 2026. The average CalSTRS retiree who left service in 2024-25 receives a monthly benefit of $5,740. Members average 24.9 years of service at retirement. California educators are not eligible for Social Security participation, which makes CalSTRS the primary retirement security for the profession.
Board leadership matters because Board decisions shape investment strategy, benefit administration, contribution rate policy, and how the fund responds to market conditions and long-term solvency questions. Hendricks' advocacy focus has centered on investment beliefs, transparency on investment fees, climate risk in the fund's holdings, and employee wellness at portfolio companies. Having a community college faculty member in the Vice Chair seat is a direct governance win for members' interests.
"I am excited to be elected vice chair and continue the vital work of protecting the financial future of my friends and peers in California education. Together with my fellow board members, CalSTRS staff and engaged stakeholders, I believe we can meet the challenges before us and ensure the long-term stability of the fund." — Sharon Hendricks
For NOCCCD faculty members, the connection to the current bargaining cycle is worth naming. Highest-year final compensation drives CalSTRS benefit calculations. The 2024–2027 CBA contains salary contingency language for 2025–2026 that could produce an ongoing percentage increase to salary schedules effective Fall 2026, plus a one-time payment. Members approaching retirement, or weighing sabbatical or reduced-workload options, should model how the timing of those increases interacts with their own STRS calculations. Individual account questions go to CalSTRS directly at calstrs.com or through the member portal.
Have a question or concern? Bring it through your Rep Council member — that is the formal channel for accurate, timely response. See Leadership & Reps for your campus and division contacts. Official UF updates are distributed only by email from UF role-based accounts and posted to UnitedFacultyNOCCCD.org.
