Memorandum  PERAC Memo #14: Mandatory Retirement Board Member Training – 2nd Quarter 2025

Date:	04/01/2025
Referenced Sources:	PERAC Website

Memorandum

M E M O R A N D U M

TO:                  All Retirement Boards

FROM:            Bill Keefe, Executive Director

RE:                  Mandatory Retirement Board Member Training – 2nd Quarter 2025

DATE:            April 1, 2025

Chapter 32 mandates retirement board members to complete training during each year of service on the retirement board. This requirement has two elements: 18 credits over the course of the member’s term and at least 3 credits in each year of the term. Failure to meet either of these statutory standards will prohibit the member from serving beyond the conclusion of the term for which the training requirement was not met. We urge board members to utilize the full array of training choices in order to remain eligible to serve. All classes, webinars, seminars, and conferences listed will earn three credits each, unless otherwise noted.

Ways to receive your credits:

• Credits for attending live PERAC webinars and the MACRS Conference are automatically updated by PERAC staff approximately one week after the event.
  • All attendees must register through the links available on our website.
  • Board members seeking educational credits – it is important that you register with your full name and the email address we have on record so we can accurately update your account.
  • Board members must check in each day at MACRS to receive full credit.
• You must submit a completed Training Affidavit in PROSPER for all other trainings, including pre-recorded PERAC webinars and pre-approved webinar and conference attendance. Any session listed under sections I, II, and III are pre-approved.
• If a Certificate of Completion is offered for any training not directly provided by or sponsored by PERAC, you must submit the certificate through PROSPER to receive credit.
• Please note the full name of the recorded session you have viewed when submitting a Training Affidavit in PROSPER.
• Some sessions require pre-registration. Check individual sessions for closing dates.

The Commission appreciates all the retirement board members who are making a good faith effort to fulfill their duties and responsibilities. Please remember to update your records with our new address: 10 Cabot Road, Suite 300, Medford, MA 02155. Please save the date for our open house on June 11^th!  

I. Training Schedule Dates (pre-registration is required)

Date/Time	Topic/Organization	Registration / Location
April 8	Open Meeting Law	Register for Webinar
12:30 p.m.	AGO
April 8	Navigating the 2025 Public Pension Compensation Survey	Register for Webinar
1:00 p.m.	NCPERS
April 17	Contact Center Innovations Roundtable	Register for Webinar
12:00 p.m.	NPEA
April 17	Boards and Commissions	Register for Webinar
1:00 p.m.	OIG Academy
April 29	Open Meeting Law	Register for Webinar
6:30 p.m.	AGO
May 7	Open Meeting Law	Register for Webinar
2:00 p.m.	AGO
May 16	30B Overview: Basics and Beyond	Register for Webinar
9:00 a.m.	OIG Academy (Free)
May 17-18	NCPERS TEDS/NAF	Register for Training
	NCPERS	Denver, CO
May 18-21	NCPERS Annual Conference	Register for Conference
	NCPERS	Denver, CO
May 22	Chapter 32 and Federal Taxation (Part 1)	Register for Webinar
1:00 p.m.	PERAC/Ice Miller
May 29	Managing Risk, Measuring Success	Register for Webinar
1:00 p.m.	OIG Academy
June 1-4	MACRS Conference	Register for Conference
	PERAC/MACRS	Hyannis, MA
June 4	Open Meeting Law	Register for Webinar
8:00 a.m.	AGO

 

June 8-10	NCTR Customer Service Workshop	Register for Workshop
	NCTR.org	Sacramento, CA
June 8-10	NCTR Administrative Assistant Workshop	Register for Workshop
	NCTR.org	Sacramento, CA
June 12	Fraud Awareness	Register for Webinar
1:00 p.m.	OIG Academy
June 16-18	NCPERS 2025 Chief Officers Summit	Register for Conference
	NCPERS	NY, NY
June 17	Open Meeting Law	Register for Webinar
9:00 a.m.	AGO

II. Recently Added or Recurring Pre-Approved Online Training 
(available on demand)

Organization	Topic	How to find webinar:
PERAC	Webinars added: Preparing the Annual Statement Recent Cases of Interest	Click webinar title to view
Office of the Inspector General	Inspector General Videos  You must watch all three videos	View videos
Office of the Attorney General	Open Meeting Law Training You must watch all six videos	go.usa.gov/xpPx5
National Council on Teacher Retirement	New webinar added: Retiree Reemployment Policy Design Challenges	View the webinar

Links to all of the above resources can be found on PERAC’s Education page at 
mass.gov/perac-education. Members can view the recordings and receive 3 educational credits by completing a Training Affidavit in PROSPER.

III. Conflict of Interest Online Training (three credits)

The State Ethics Commission no longer offers live webinars for the Conflict of Interest Law training. Users must create a login to take the training and receive a certificate:

• Go to mass.gov/how-to/complete-the-conflict-of-interest-law-education-requirements
• If your retirement system is not listed in the dropdown menu, please have your board contact the State Ethics Commission at [e-mail]. They will add organizations upon request.
• A certificate of completion is still required to receive credit for this training and credits may only be awarded once every two years.
   

IV. MACRS June Conference

Registration opens on April 4^TH for the Massachusetts Association of Contributory Retirement Systems (MACRS) Spring Conference. See their website, macrs.org, to register. PERAC, in conjunction with MACRS, will be making educational opportunities available for retirement board members and staff. Board members will have an opportunity to earn educational credits during the conference.

Conference dates: June 1 – 4 at the Emerald Resort in Hyannis, MA.

Current credit opportunities:

• The Legal Panel Session (three credits)
• PERAC sessions on Friday (three credits)  

V. Other Opportunities to Obtain Educational Credit

The Commission is willing to approve other 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…”   

Additionally, the Commission has approved education credit for participating in webinars.  We will entertain requests for credit in relation to relevant webinars provided that such a request is made well in advance of the session.

Approval for credit must take place well in advance of the date of the event or webinar.  This will enable the Commission to analyze the program and provide a general notice to other retirement board members to maximize participation. Once approved, you must complete the Training Affidavit in PROSPER to ensure proper credit. Board members experiencing Extenuating Circumstances in meeting educational requirements should review Memo 15 of 2019and contact PERAC with any questions.   

The following list of local and national organizations provide additional educational opportunities that may be relevant for retirement board members:

• American Society of Pension Professionals and Actuaries (ASPPA)
• City/Town Sponsored Conflict of Interest or Open Meeting Law Training
• Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA)
• International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP)
• MA Association of School Committees Open Meeting Law Training
• MA Town Clerks Association Ethics Training
• National Association of State Retirement Administrators (NASRA)
• National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems (NCPERS)
• National Council on Teacher Retirement (NCTR)
• National Pension Education Association (NPEA)