McKay Joins NYSTRS Board

Natalie McKay, a teacher in the Schoharie Central School District, was appointed to the New York State Teachers’ Retirement System (NYSTRS) Board of Trustees. She is one of three active teacher members on the Board.

New York State Commissioner of Education Dr. Betty A. Rosa appointed McKay to succeed Juliet C. Benaquisto, who stepped down from the Board in June upon her retirement from teaching.

Eric J. Iberger of the Bayport-Blue Point Union Free School District and Donald A. Little III of the Syracuse City School District are the other active teacher members on the Board. David P. Keefe of Hempstead is the retired teacher representative and serves as president of the Board.

NYSTRS’ Board sets policy and oversees operations for the Retirement System. The 10 members of the Board serve without compensation and represent various constituents, including active and retired teachers, school administrators, school boards, and financial experts. They are responsible as fiduciaries to protect the long-term value of the System’s investment portfolio and provide benefit security for its approximately 460,000 active members, retirees and beneficiaries.

McKay has taught in the Schoharie Central School District since 2005, with classroom experience in first, third and sixth grades, and has served as a teacher mentor since 2017.

A NYSTRS delegate prior to joining the Board, McKay has served as president of the Schoharie Teachers Association since 2016 and served on its executive board since 2010. She has represented her region as an at-large director on the NYSUT Board of Directors and is a graduate of the AFL-CIO/Cornell Union Leadership Institute.

McKay received a bachelor’s degree in childhood education from the College of Saint Rose and a master’s degree in educational policy and leadership from the University at Albany.

“On behalf of NYSTRS’ staff, I welcome Natalie to the Board and I look forward to the contributions she will bring to the Retirement System on behalf of educators across the state,” said NYSTRS Executive Director and Chief Investment Officer Thomas K. Lee.

Benaquisto, who taught special education at the Schenectady City School District for 37 years, had been a member of NYSTRS’ Retirement Board since 2021. She served on several Board committees, including most recently the Audit, Disability Review, Ethics, and Investment committees.

“I thank Juliet for her service on the Board,” said Lee. “She was dedicated to her fiscal duty to provide retirement security to our members, and she was committed to ensuring the System was well positioned to meet the needs of current and future members.”