The 83rd State Treasurer of Connecticut, Shawn T. Wooden, announced this morning that he will not be on the ballot this fall, instead stepping down from his role as public servant.
Wooden is the only elected African-American State Treasurer in the country, the sole trustee of the Connecticut Retirement Plans & Trust Funds and has been a leading decision-maker when it comes to tapping into alternative investment strategies.
He commented on the price of public service in his announcement this morning. “As a father, I’ve sacrificed countless hours, missing everything from basketball games and track meets to family dinners,” he said. “With one of my sons going to college soon and the other right behind him, I’ve decided no to seek re-election as Treasurer.”
He was recently elected to serve as the President of the bi-partisan National Association of State Treasurers and recently led a bi-partisan coalition of 38 state treasurers to support divestment of securities of Russian companies.
Wooden, who added that he hoped to continue public service in the future, recently spoke to us about what the prospects look like for public pension fund investors.