Date: | 04/13/2016 |
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Referenced Sources: | PERAC Website |
PERAC Memo #17, 2016
Date: | 04/13/2016 |
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Referenced Sources: | PERAC Website |
PERAC Memo #17, 2016
TO: All Retirement Boards
FROM: Joseph E. Connarton, Executive Director
RE: Mandatory Retirement Board Member Training – 2nd Quarter 2017
DATE: April 7, 2017
As you know, Chapter 32 mandates that retirement board members complete training during each year of service on the retirement board. Failure to meet this mandatory requirement will prohibit the member from serving beyond the conclusion of the term for which the training requirement was not met.
Retirement board members are reminded of the requirement to meet the statutory education mandate. As we enter the fifth year of this program it must be noted that, unfortunately, several retirement board members have become ineligible for service on retirement boards due to failure to fulfill the education mandate.
Upcoming events and locations include:
Date |
Topic |
Location |
Registration Info |
April 13, 2017 |
Grimes and Other Cases of Interest |
PERAC’s Somerville Office |
Email Rose Morrison |
May 17, 2017 |
Domestic Relations Orders
|
PERAC’s Somerville Office |
Email Rose Morrison |
May 18, 2017 |
Grimes and Other Cases of Interest |
Springfield Retirement Board |
Email Rose Morrison |
May 24, 2017 |
Grimes and Other Cases of Interest |
Danvers |
Email Rose Morrison |
May 25, 2017 |
Actuarial Assumptions |
PERAC’s Somerville Office |
Email Rose Morrison |
June 4-7, 2017 |
MACRS Conference |
Hyannis |
Email Rose Morrison |
(Additional details available on the following pages)
Webinars and On-Line Training
Topic |
Registration Info |
State Ethics Conflict of Interest Law |
www.mass.gov/ethics/ |
Open Meeting Law |
|
National Crime Prevention Webinar |
|
Ethical Decision Making for Pension Plan Trustees |
https://www.cfainstitute.org/learning/products/multimedia/Pages/130211.aspx?WPID=BrowseProducts |
(Additional details available on the following pages)
Pre - Approval
The Commission is willing to approve educational credits for a variety of events sponsored by “…local, state, regional and national organizations recognized by the Commission as having expertise in retirement issues of importance to retirement board members or other entities…” This provision of the statute has been interpreted to encompass particular programs offered by such entities. For example, an ethics class or open meeting law class offered as part of a broader conference may be eligible for education credit. However, approval for such credit must take place well in advance of the date of the event. This will enable the Commission to analyze the program and to provide a general notice to retirement board members to maximize participation
The Commission will grant credits for the following:
Non-PERAC; Non-MACRS Events
PERAC will award credit for attendance at the following educational events sponsored by entities other than the Commission and MACRS:
State Ethics Commission Seminars (Three Credits):
The Commission will grant three (3) credits to retirement board members who complete a Public Education Seminar on the Conflict of Interest Law conducted by the State Ethics Commission. As noted above, these sessions are sometimes held in conjunction with meetings of certain organizations. Credit will be granted upon receipt by the Commission of a copy of the Certificate of Attendance issued to the retirement board member by the State Ethics Commission.
The State Ethics Commission will be conducting educational seminars throughout 2017 at its offices in Boston at One Ashburton Place, Room 619. Present offerings include:
Thursday, June 1, 2017 at 10:00 a.m.
Space is limited. To attend a seminar at the Commission office, please call 617-371-9500 to register.
The Ethics Commission is now offering the opportunity to attend a seminar via webinar. To attend a seminar via webinar, please contact Carolyn Teehan at 617-371-9517 or cteehan@eth.state.ma.us to register and receive sign-in information.
AG Open Meeting Law Training (Three Credits):
In an effort to better inform the public and government officials about the Open Meeting Law and its requirements, Attorney General Maura Healey’s Office will hold six free trainings on the law throughout the state this spring. The AG’s Office will also offer live web-based trainings on the law:
Stoughton
Tuesday, April 25
6:00PM-7:30PM
Stoughton Town Hall, Great Hall
10 Pearl Street, Stoughton
Orleans
Tuesday, May 16
5:30PM-7:00PM
Nauset Regional Middle School Auditorium
70 Route 28, Orleans
Holyoke
Tuesday, May 30
6:00PM-7:30PM
Holyoke Senior Center
291 Pine Street, Holyoke
April, May and June Educational Events
The list below contains the educational offerings to be presented in the second quarter of 2017. It is suggested that retirement board members pre-register, however, “walk-ins” are always welcome.
MACRS June Conference (Nine Credits)
As has been the case in the past, PERAC, in conjunction with MACRS, will be making educational opportunities available at the MACRS Annual Spring Conference June 4-7 in Hyannis. The breakout will be as follows:
Grimes and Other Cases of Interest (Three Credits)
Domestic Relations Orders (Three Credits)
Actuarial Assumptions (Three Credits)
ON-LINE TRAINING
State Ethics Commission On-Line Conflict of Interest Law Training (Three Credits)
In order to access the program retirement board members should go to the Ethics Commission Web Page at www.mass.gov/ethics/ and then click on the link “Online Training Programs” at the bottom of the page. Following transfer to that page scroll down and click the link to “Municipal
Employee Online Training Program”.
Office of the Attorney General – Open Meeting Law (Three Credits)
The Office of the Attorney General (AG) offers an online web training seminar on the Open Meeting Law. Attendees can participate entirely online and will be able to submit written questions during the training and receive real-time responses from Division attorneys. Those interested in registering or receiving additional information about the webinar may do so by emailing OMLTraining@state.ma.us.
When: April 12, 2017
Time: 4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.
When: May 10, 2017
Time: 9:30 a.m. – 11:00 a. m.
National Crime Prevention Council – “Taking Action: An Advocate’s Guide to Assisting Victims of Financial Fraud; “Investment Fraud Prevention Strategies”; “The Psychology of a Scam ”; “Targeting Investment Fraud”; “Understanding Financial Fraud Victimology, Risk Factors, and Psychological Impact” (Three Credits)
The National Crime Prevention Council has initiated a Webinar Series focused on Investment Fraud Prevention. Retirement Board members may access the site by going to www.ncpc.org/ and clicking on “Programs”. On that page click on “Investment Fraud Prevention Program” in the green box on the left. This will bring you to the page entitled Investment Fraud Prevention Program. On that page click on “Webinar Series” in the green box.
This will bring you to the presentations listed above. In order to complete the program and receive credits the retirement board member must download and watch the presentation “Taking Action: An Advocate’s Guide to Assisting Victims of Financial Fraud” and download and review the presentations pertaining to “Investment Fraud Prevention Strategies”, “The Psychology of a Scam”, “Targeting Investment Fraud” and “Understanding Financial Fraud Victimology, Risk Factors, and Psychological Impact”.
CFA Institute – An Overview of Compliance with the CFA Institute Asset Ethical Decision Making for Pension Plan Trustees (Three Credits)
In order to access this Webcast retirement board members should go to the www.cfainstitute.org and click on “Insights & Learning”. Click on “Publications & Multimedia” then type the course in the search box in the upper right hand part of the screen. This will bring you to a series of webcasts, choose the appropriate audio webcast recorded on June 7, 2016.
AFFIDAVIT
Retirement board members can confirm participation in the offerings by the Inspector General, Ethics Commission, Attorney General, NCPC, and CFA Institute by filing an affidavit with the Commission or, in the event a certificate of completion is issued by the organization, submitting a copy of that certification to PERAC. After completing the course fill out the Affidavit available at http://www.mass.gov/perac/docs/forms-pub/edu-materials/training-affidavit.pdf and fax or mail to PERAC, attention Tom O’Donnell.
Other Webinars
The Commission has approved education credit for participating in Webinars. In 2017, we will entertain requests for credit in relation to relevant Webinars, again, provided that such a request is made well in advance of the session.
Thank You
The Commission would be remiss if we did not thank all the rank and file members of the retirement boards who, in spite of other pressing duties, are making a good faith effort to fulfill their duties and responsibilities.
Philip Y Brown, Esq., Chairman
Auditor Suzanne M. Bump
Kathleen M. Fallon
Kate Fitzpatrick
James M. Machado
Robert B. McCarthy
Jennifer F. Sullivan