Awards

Robert Anthony Toigo was a California State Legislator, and acted as the Chief-of-Staff for Speaker of the Assembly, Leo McCarthy. In June of 1984, Robert (“Bob”) Toigo had just completed work as the Chairman for the campaign to pass Proposition 21 – a proposition that would make the Prudent Person Rule related to pension plan trustees a part of California’s constitution and that would open the door for public retirement plans to invest in an expanded number of asset classes.

Following the successful campaign, Toigo, with several thousand dollars remaining in the campaign’s account, joined with several public pension administrators throughout the state to create an organization for improving the level of education of public pension trustees. Toigo’s funds helped to provide seed money and with it the group formed the California Association of Public Retirement Systems (CALAPRS), an association that would have as its central purpose to provide quality educational opportunities for public retirement plan Trustees, staff and others interested in the administration and understanding of public retirement systems. After his untimely death in 1993, CALAPRS instituted an Award in his name.