Oklahoma
State Senate
Communications Division
State Capitol
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
405-521-5774
For Immediate Release: February 9, 2009
Verda and Tommy Beavors honored by Sen. Kenneth Corn.
Senate Honors Former Head of Teachers’
Retirement System
The Oklahoma Senate has honored a man who devoted
four decades of his life to strengthening one of the state’s
largest pension systems. Tommy C. Beavers officially retired as
Executive Secretary of the Teachers’ Retirement System of
Oklahoma last month. State Sen. Kenneth
Corn is the principal author of Senate Resolution 4, which
was approved by the full Senate on Monday. Corn said Beavers,
who is fighting inoperable lung cancer, has been a remarkable
steward of the pension system.
“One of his last official acts was to assure Oklahoma teachers
that their pensions are protected from the current economic downturn,”
said Corn, D-Poteau. “His leadership, honesty, dedication
and integrity have been second to none. We simply wanted to thank
him for his service, and wish Tommy and his family all the best.”
Beavers provided the leadership to boost the assets of the Teachers’
Retirement System of Oklahoma from $153 million in 1970 to $8.6
billion in 2008. During that same period membership grew from
48,000 to 147,000 and benefit payments rose from $15 million to
$847 million.
Beavers thanked the Senate after the Resolution commending his
service was approved unanimously. “I really do appreciate
this.”
Although he is a nonsmoker, Beavers was diagnosed with lung cancer
shortly before his retirement. He is currently undergoing chemotherapy
and spending time with his family.
“Our hopes and prayers are with Tommy for a full recovery
so he and his family can enjoy the retirement he so richly deserves,”
Corn said.
