Michael Bilbrey has won election to the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) Board of Administration.

Bilbrey, California School Employees Association first vice president, handily won a special runoff election to take a seat on the 13-member board.

“Thank you to everyone for all your support and diligent efforts on our campaign,” said Bilbrey, a 22-year employee of Citrus College and the only classified school employee on the ballot. “Your dedication to winning this election made all the difference!”

According to the unofficial vote count, Bilbrey received 117,034 votes while opponent Richard Ross received 78,718 votes. The result is not official until certified by the California Secretary of State's Office.

Bilbrey and Ross were among a field of eight candidates vying for a member-at-large board seat following the resignation of Kurato Shimada last August.

A runoff election was held after no candidate received the majority of votes in the first round of the election that took place earlier this spring.

Bilbrey will serve out the remainder of the term vacated by Shimada, which ends on Jan. 15, 2014.

Bilbrey becomes the second CSEA member to currently sit on the CalPERS board. CSEA Past President Rob Feckner is the current CalPERS board president.

“I am eager to take my seat alongside CalPERS Board President Feckner to represent public employees statewide.”

CSEA President Allan Clark said Bilbrey will be an excellent steward of the retirement fund.

“Public employees and retirees will be well-served with Michael Bilbrey on the CalPERS board,” he said.

CSEA represents more than 210,000 classified school employees in public schools and community colleges throughout California. Classified employees are school bus drivers, custodians, school secretaries, paraeducators, food service workers and other essential workers in California’s public schools and community colleges.