Memorandum  #28: Mandatory Retirement Board Member Training – 4th Quarter 2018

Date:	09/24/2018
Referenced Sources:	PERAC Website

PERAC Memo #28, 2018

To All Retirement Boards:

M E M O R A N D U M
TO:                All Retirement Boards

FROM:          Joseph E. Connarton, Executive Director

RE:                Mandatory Retirement Board Member Training – 4^thQuarter 2018

DATE:            September 20, 2018

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 sixth 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
October 1-3, 2018	MACRS	Springfield	MACRS
October 10, 2018	Open Meeting Law	Winchester Town Hall	Call 617-963-2925 or email [e-mail]
October 18, 2018	Administrators Meeting	Framingham	PROSPER
October 18, 2018	Open Meeting Law	Spencer Memorial Town Hall	Call 617-963-2925 or email [e-mail]
November 8, 2018	Administrators Meeting	Norwood	PROSPER
November 15, 2018	Open Meeting Law	Bromfield School Harvard	Call 617-963-2925 or email [e-mail]
November 29, 2018	Conflict of Interest Law	State Ethics Commission	Call 617-371-9500
November 29, 2018	Smoothing, Spiking  and Other Actuarial Mysteries	PERAC	PROSPER
December 27, 2018	Chapter 32 in a Nutshell	PERAC	PROSPER

Webinars and On-Line Training

Topic	Registration Info
How to be an Effective Public Board and Commission Member	www.mass.gov/orgs/office-of-the-inspector-general
State Ethics Conflict of Interest Law	Call 617-371-9500 or email [e-mail]
Open Meeting Law	Call 617-963-2925 or email [e-mail]
Ethical Decision Making for Pension Plan Trustees	https://www.cfainstitute.org/en/research/multimedia/2016/ethical-decision-making-for-pension-plan-trustees

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:

1. NCPERS (TEDS) – 3 Credits;
2. NCPERS (PATS) – 3 Credits;
3. NCTR Trustee Workshop – 3 Credits;
4. NCTR Annual Conference – 3 Credits;
5. International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFB) New Trustee
   Institute/Advanced Trustees Institute - 3 Credits;
6. PRIM Investors’ Conference – 3 Credits;
7. Ethics Training – MA Town Clerks Association – 3 Credits;
8. Open Meeting Law – MA Association of School Committees – 3 Credits;
9. City/Town Sponsored Conflict of Interest Training – 3 Credits;
10. City/Town Sponsored Open Meeting Law Training – 3 Credits;
11. National Pension Education Association – 3 Credits;
12. NCPERS Legislative Conference (DC)  – 3 Credits;
13. NASRO – 3 Credits;
14. GFOA – 3 Credits;
15. NCPERS Public Pension Funding Program – 3 Credits;
16. American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA) Annual Conference – 3 Credits; and,
17. NCTR Webinar – Setting the Discount Rate – A Balancing Act – 3 Credits

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 2018 at its offices in Boston at One Ashburton Place, Room 619.  Present offerings include:

Thursday, November 29, 2018 at 10:00 AM

Space is limited.  To attend a seminar at the Commission office, please call 617-371-9500 or email [e-mail]-You may also register to participate remotely in a webinar.

Office of the Attorney General – Open Meeting Law Trainings (Three Credits)

Register by emailing [e-mail] or by calling 617-963-2925. Please provide: First and last name, phone number, email address, town of residence, your retirement board and the training that you wish to attend.

Wednesday, October 10, 2018 at 5:30 PM at the Winchester Room, Town Hall, 1^stFloor, 71 Mt. Vernon Street, Winchester, MA 01890

Thursday, October 18, 2018 at 5:30 PM at the Spencer Memorial Town Hall, Great Hall, 157 Main Street, Spencer, MA 01562

Thursday, November 15, 2018 at 5:30 PM at the Bromfield School, Cronin Auditorium, 14 Massachusetts Avenue, Harvard, MA 01451

October, November and December Educational Events

The list below contains the educational offerings to be presented in the fourth quarter of 2018.  It is suggested that retirement board members pre-register, however, “walk-ins” are always welcome.

MACRS October Conference (Nine Credits)

As has been the case in the past, PERAC, in conjunction with MACRS, will be making educational opportunities available at the October MACRS Conference (September 30 – October 3, 2018) in Springfield. The breakout will be as follows:

1. Monday, October 1, 2018 – Legislative Changes – Cancer Presumption, Veterans and Group Classification – (Three Credits)
    
2. Tuesday, October 2, 2018 –Legal Panel – (Three Credits)
    
3. Wednesday October 3, 2018 – PERAC Revised Forms – (Three Credits)

Board/Administrators – 91A, Veterans, 12(B) and More  (Three Credits)

1. Thursday, October 18, 2018 at 8:00 AM at the McAuliffe Library, 746 Water Street, Framingham, MA (Please make reservations through the PROSPER System)
    
2. Thursday, November 8, 2018 at 8:00 AM at the Four Points by Sheraton, 1125 Boston Providence Turnpike, Norwood, MA (Please make reservations through the PROSPER System)

3 (8) (c), Smoothing, Spiking and Other Actuarial Mysteries (Three Credits)

1. Thursday, November 29, 2018 at 10:00 AM at the PERAC Offices, 5 Middlesex Ave., Somerville, MA (Please make reservations through the PROSPER System)

Chapter 32 in a Nutshell (Three Credits)

1. Thursday, December 27, 2018 at 10:00 AM at the PERAC Offices, 5 Middlesex Ave., Somerville, MA (Please make reservations through the PROSPER System)

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 Conflict of Interest Law Training”.  Following transfer to that page scroll down and click the link to “Complete the Online Training Program for Employees of Cities and Towns”. Make sure to print out the Completion Certificate and submit it to PERAC through PROSPER.  No credit will be granted unless a completed certificate is filed with PERAC.

Office of the Attorney General – On-Line Open Meeting Law Training (Three Credits)

The AG’s Office is conducting webinars on the Open Meeting Law on the following dates:

Tuesday, October 16, 2018 from 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM

Attendees can participate entirely online and will be able to submit written questions during the training and receive real-time responses from Division attorneys. 

To attend please register in advance by calling 617-936-2925 or by emailing 
[e-mail].

Office of the Inspector General – On-Line How to be an Effective Public Board and Commission Member (Three Credits)

To access go to www.mass.gov/orgs/office-of-the-inspector-general under “Social” and click on “Free Video Trainings for Effective Government”.

NCTR Webinar – Setting the Discount Rate – A Balancing Act (Three Credits)

Access at www.nctr.org/government-relations/federal-webinar/ and enter the password: nctrinsight.

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 link below 
www.cfainstitute.org/en/research/multimedia/2016/ethical-decision-making-for-pension-plan-trustees

PARTICIPATION CONFIRMATION (ON-LINE OR WEBINARS)

Please note, in order to receive educational credit retirement board members can confirm participation in the on-line or webinar offerings by completing and submitting an affidavit through the PROSPER system.  In the event a certificate of completion is issued by an organization, board members must submit a copy of that certificate through the PROSPER system.

Other Webinars

The Commission has approved education credit for participating in Webinars.  In 2018, 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.

Commission Members

Philip Y Brown, Esq., Chairman
Auditor Suzanne M. Bump
Kathleen M. Fallon
Kate Fitzpatrick
James M. Machado
Robert B. McCarthy
Jennifer F. Sullivan