Oregon State Treasurer Tobias Read
Tobias Read knows that financial empowerment, wise investments, and sound management are foundational to the quality of life and economic opportunities for Oregonians, and key for the long-term vitality of our state. As State Treasurer he has been implementing the first in the nation state based retirement savings program, OregonSaves, to help put more Oregonians on the path to a secure financial future.
The Treasurer sits on the Oregon Investment Council and State Land Board, and oversees public investing, banking, bonding and financial empowerment programs. Those include the Oregon College Savings Plan and the ABLE savings plan, which allow families to save for higher education, job training and disability-related expenses.
Tobias earned his bachelor’s degree from Willamette University and his MBA from the Michael G. Foster School of Business at the University of Washington. He lives in Beaverton with his wife, Heidi Eggert, and their two children.As Treasurer, Tobias Read has focused on giving Oregonians the tools they need to save for college and retirement, along with protecting the long-term returns for public employees.
OregonSaves
Tobias lead the passage and implementation of a first of its kind program to help workers save for retirement. OregonSaves is an opt-out automatic enrollment plan for employees who do not have access to retirement plans through their employers. Since it’s roll out in 2017 nearly 56,000 accounts have been funded and over $40 million has been saved.
College Savings Plan
Tobias is committed to ensuring every Oregon kid has a path to education after high school. In 2019 Tobias worked with the Oregon Legislature to pass the Education Savings Credit which will make it easier for low-to-moderate income families to save for education after high school. Additionally Tobias piloted the BabyGrad program which invests $25 into a college savings account opened in a child’s first year because Tobias knows the best investment we can make is in our children’s educational future.
Environment, Social & Governance
Tobias is a leading voice on how environment, social & governance factors should impact the investment decisions of institutional investors. He hired the first ESG officer at Oregon State Treasury who is responsible for assembling and analyzing ESG material data and leading efforts to ensure action is taken to enhance long-term returns and bolster sustainable investments throughout the portfolio.