PROFS to Host Forum on WRS

As PROFS  noted last month, much has recently appeared in the media about possible changes to the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS).

PROFS has assembled a panel of three experts to discuss WRS and what steps would have to be taken for changes to be made to the system. Our experts will share their knowledge about the history and current state of WRS and how it compares to systems in other states. With their expertise, we hope to help deconstruct the rumors about WRS. The event will feature ample time for questions from the audience.

The forum will be held Tuesday, March 27 at 4 pm in the DeLuca Forum in the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery, 330 N. Orchard Street. It is free and open to the public. The panel includes:

  • Emerita Professor Karen Holden, Public Affairs and Consumer Science. Professor Holden’s research focuses on the effects of social security and pension policy on economic status after retirement. She served on the National Academy of Social Insurance Task Force that examined payout issues if individual social security accounts were created.
  • Attorney Keith Johnson, Reinhart Boerner Van Duren, s.c. Mr. Johnson chairs the Institutional Investor Services Group and represents pension funds and institutional investors globally on fiduciary, investment, corporate governance, and securities litigation matters. Before joining Reinhart, Mr. Johnson served for 21 years as legal counsel to the State of Wisconsin Investment Board (SWIB), the ninth largest public pension fund in the United States, including over six years as chief legal officer. He has published numerous articles on pension fund and institutional investor issues.
  • David Stella, former secretary, Wisconsin Department of Employee Trust Funds. Mr. Stella retired from ETF in January after 23 years at the agency, serving as secretary from 2007 until retirement. He is active in national retirement associations, including the National Association of State Retirement Administrators and the National Council on Teacher Retirement.