The Massachusetts Deferred Compensation SMART Plan wins Communications Awards

Judges recognize employee transition, enrollment, and ongoing education campaigns

Boston, MA, Feb. 23, 2009 – Treasurer Tim Cahill announced today that The Massachusetts Deferred Compensation SMART Plan, won four awards for its 2008 employee communications programs.

The SMART Plan received a Pension & Investments Eddy Award February 9, 2009 for its print enrollment materials in the Initial Education category. The plan’s enrollment materials also received a Gold MarCom Award in the Employee Publications/Benefits category. These award-winning enrollment materials helped raise participation in the SMART Plan.

The Eddy Awards recognize outstanding efforts to educate employees about how to invest their defined contribution plan assets for retirement, and the MarCom Awards recognize outstanding achievement by marketing and communication professionals.

“These enrollment awards acknowledge the SMART Plan’s communications expertise and also demonstrate the effectiveness of our communications in helping Commonwealth employees participate in the SMART Plan retirement savings program,” said Treasurer Cahill.

The SMART Plan’s employee transition campaigns also received recognition. The National Association of Government Defined Contribution Administrators, Inc. (NAGDCA) honored the SMART Plan with an Effective Communication Leadership Award Winner, and APEX also acknowledged the plan’s transition materials with an award.

NAGDCA recognizes achievements in effective communication or plan design and administration. The APEX Awards for Publication Excellence is an annual competition for writers, editors, publications staff, business, and non-profit communicators.

Gregg Seller, senior vice president for Great-West Retirement Services^®, which is the service provider for the SMART Plan, said, “Effective communications are critical in helping employees save for their retirement. We congratulate the SMART Plan on its award-winning communications efforts.”

About the SMART Plan

The SMART Plan is a retirement savings plan that is offered to state employees and employees of any participating governmental entity. The mission of the SMART Plan is to provide employees in Massachusetts with an effective tax deferred savings plan to help build and maintain a financially secure retirement. As of December 31, 2008, the SMART Plan had 93,000 full-time participants and 170,000 part-time participants with $3.6 billion in assets.

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