The PROFS forum on the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) will be available to watch live via Discovery WebEx. The password for the PROFS WRS Forum is 32712. You may be asked to run Java Applet installer, which will take about one minute. The video conference will use your computer audio. Video from the forum will also be posted to the PROFS website at a later date.
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, and refreshments will be served. 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.
- Attorney Keith Johnson, Reinhart Boerner Van Duren, s.c. Mr. Johnson chairs the Institutional Investor Services Group. 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.
- 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.
The panelists will share their knowledge about the history and current state of WRS and how it compares to systems in other states. They will also discuss what steps would have to be taken for changes to be made to the system. With their expertise, we hope to help deconstruct rumors about WRS. The event will feature ample time for questions from the audience.