Trustee
Worthy
Through his experience as
a correctional police offi cer,
State Delegate and elected
offi cial, Ray Heck has established
the cred to guide the new PFRS
■ BY MITCHELL KRUGEL
Aptitude and acumen required of trustees for the new PFRS
board, as defined in Chapter 55 the governor signed in July, are
detailed and voluminous. As the NJ State PBA-endorsed candi-
date for the law enforcement trustee, NJ State Corrections Lo-
cal 105 State Delegate Ray Heck presents distinct and unique
credentials.
He used to be an exterminator. Heck can identify nearly ev-
ery species of bug, including 12 types of cockroaches. A friend
of Local 105 Executive Vice President Bill Sullivan had termites
in his house. Bill called Ray, who told him to have the friend
text some photos. After seeing the photos and a couple of
bagged samples, Heck advised about exactly how to treat the
disturbance.
Heck can name all 26 bones in the hand. Google this, and the
answer will come back with 27. But Heck contends that one is
cartilage; not really a bone.
During a recent Local 105 contract negotiation session, Heck
directed the attorney for the state about a savings that could
be had regarding gear. If the uniform allowance were divided
between maintenance and weather gear, tax could be avoided.
“The attorney said, ‘yeah, yeah, you’re right,’” Sullivan recount-
ed. “Ray had him dumbfounded.”
When the 40-hour training bill for state correctional police
officers was in front of the Senate Budget Committee, Heck
approached to testify for the third time, revving up one of his
renowned, well-thought-out and detailed speeches. Before he
even started, the committee voted for the bill, noting, “We’re all
32
NEW JERSEY COPS
■ OCTOBER 2018
in your favor, Mayor Heck.”
Yes, in his spare time, Heck is the mayor of Millstone Bor-
ough, having been re-elected to the unpaid position three
times. From bugs to bones to bills to everything financial,
Ray has developed acute expertise and a growing reputation
throughout the State PBA as one of its wise men.
“He’s like a walking dictionary,” Sullivan remarks about his
longtime colleague. “With his vast knowledge and attention
to detail, he will make sure of everything. I was talking to him
about the PFRS manual. He said it’s missing a lot. He stressed
ideas about how to fix the language and clarify things.”
Even before considering becoming a trustee candidate,
Heck read through Chapter 55 10 times because he wanted to
know every intricacy. He explained that whether working with
a school budget, a municipal budget or the Local 105 budget,
you treat a dollar like a million dollars because according to his
philosophy, “Investing a dollar, $1 million or $1 billion comes
with responsibility and liability.”
To be sure, Ray Heck has unique qualifications to be a PFRS
trustee.
“As we assume internal control of the pension system, we
must have the oversight to clearly manage it effectively and ef-
ficiently,” Heck pledges as his mission statement. “It’s our obli-
gation to make sure this does not fail, and I want my legacy to
the PBA to be making sure this is done correctly.”
The climb
When you’re a candidate for PFRS trustee, you have to talk