CalSTRS names Jeff Zimmer as chief benefits officer
News release | Karen Doron
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. (January 30, 2025) – The California State Teachers’ Retirement System is pleased to announce the promotion of Jeff Zimmer to chief benefits officer.
CalSTRS conducted a thorough public search before selecting Zimmer to fill this important role. Zimmer joins the executive team after 20 years serving California’s educators in multiple leadership positions at CalSTRS. His first day as chief benefits officer will be January 31, 2025.
“Jeff is a true homegrown talent at CalSTRS,” Chief Operating Officer Lisa Blatnick said. “He has consistently demonstrated his commitment to fulfilling our mission and providing the best possible service to our members and partners. His wide range of experience in several benefit areas and deep knowledge of our system will be an asset to our leadership team.”
In his new role, Zimmer will oversee and lead a staff of more than 450 in the management of the retirement, disability and survivor benefits, employer services, retirement readiness, customer service and defined contribution programs for CalSTRS.
Zimmer began his career at CalSTRS as a data and systems analyst in 2005. He was then promoted to positions in strategic planning and continuous improvement. From 2010 to 2020, he served in several senior leadership and director roles in Service Retirement, Disability and Survivor Benefits, and the Pension Solution project. Since 2019, Zimmer has been the director of employer services, leading the staff dedicated to administering and maintaining contribution and membership reporting from employers of California public educators.
“It is a privilege to serve California’s public educators and provide for the next chapter in their lives after they’ve given so much to our students,” Zimmer said. “I’m excited to build on and grow the relationship we have with our members and stakeholders, and especially excited to support the CalSTRS teams that are committed to delivering outstanding service to our members, their beneficiaries and their employers.”
Prior to joining state service, Zimmer worked in the technology industry at a start-up and Cisco Systems. He was born and raised in California and is the son and son-in-law of CalSTRS members. Zimmer attended Loyola Marymount University where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and finance. He lives in Sacramento with his wife and daughter.
Media contact
Karen Doron
Phone: 916-414-1440
M-F, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. PDT
Newsroom@CalSTRS.com
About CalSTRS
CalSTRS provides a secure retirement to more than 1 million members and beneficiaries whose CalSTRS-covered service is not eligible for Social Security participation. On average, members who retired in 2022–23 had 25 years of service and a monthly benefit of $5,141. Established in 1913, CalSTRS is the largest educator-only pension fund in the world with $349.7 billion in assets under management as of December 31, 2024. CalSTRS demonstrates its strong commitment to long-term sustainability principles in its annual Sustainability Report.