Memorandum  PERAC Memo #17: Mandatory Retirement Board Member Training - 3rd Quarter

Date:	06/30/2022
Referenced Sources:	PERAC Website

PERAC Memo #17, 2022

To All Retirement Boards:

M E M O R A N D U M

TO:                  All Retirement Boards

FROM:            John W. Parsons, Esq., Executive Director

RE:                  Mandatory Retirement Board Member Training – 3rd Quarter, 2022

DATE:            June 30, 2022

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 in-person trainings 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 and II is 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 the good faith effort retirement board members are making to fulfill their duties and responsibilities. Since the beginning of the pandemic and our pivot to online offerings, attendance has held at a steady rate. We are slowly beginning to reintroduce in person sessions this quarter, including the return of the Emerging Issues Forum. We will continue to follow all public health guidelines and will make adjustments to our programming if necessary.

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

Date	Topic/Organization	Location / Registration Information
July 13	Open Meeting Law	Webinar
12:00 p.m.	AGO	https://tinyurl.com/AGO-JUL13
July 21	Fiduciary Duty for Board Members | Fraud Prevention & Awareness	Webinar
	IGO	https://tinyurl.com/0721-IGO
July 24-27	NCTR Trustee Workshop	Workshop – Berkeley, CA
	National Conference on Teacher Retirement	https://tinyurl.com/nctr-trustee-2022
July 28	Conflict of Interest Training*	Webinar
9:30 a.m.	State Ethics Commission	https://tinyurl.com/ethics-0728
August 3	Whistleblowing: Knowing your rights and setting your expectations	Webinar
2:00 p.m.	MCPPO ($15)	https://tinyurl.com/mcppo-0803
August 9th	Open Meeting Law	Webinar
9:30 a.m.	AGO	https://tinyurl.com/AG-0809
August 18	Contract Administration Overview	Webinar
10:00 a.m.	MCPPO ($29.00)	https://tinyurl.com/mcppo-0818
August 24	Administrator Training	Training – Northampton, MA
8:00 a.m.	PERAC	https://prosper.perac.state.ma.us/
September 15	Emerging Issues Forum	Forum – Worcester, MA
9:00 a.m.	PERAC	https://2022-emerging-issues-forum.eventbrite.com
September 22	Conflict of Interest Training*	Webinar
10:00 a.m.	State Ethics Commission	https://tinyurl.com/ethics-0922
October 2 – 5	Fall MACRS Conference	Conference -  Springfield, MA
	MA Association of Contributory Retirement Systems	Registration opens later this year
October 8 – 11	NCTR 100th Conference	Conference – Tuscon, AZ
	National Conference on Teacher Retirement	https://nctr.org/upcoming-events/annual-conference/
October 22 – 26	NPEA Annual Conference	Conference – Seattle, WA
	National Pension Education Assoc.	https://www.npea.com/annual-conference/

*Board members must complete the Conflict of Interest Law training at least once every two years, however, the live session may be taken for credit every year.  A certificate of completion is required to receive credit for the Conflict of Interest training.

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

Organization	Topic	How to find webinar:
State Ethics Commission	Conflict of Interest Law* select either State and County or Municipal links	mass.gov/complete-conflict-of-interest-law-education-requirements
Office of the Inspector General	Inspector General Videos You must watch all three videos	mass.gov/info-details/inspector-general-educational-videos
Office of the Attorney General	Open Meeting Law Training You must watch all six videos	mass.gov/info-details/open-meeting-law-training-videos
National Council on Teacher Retirement	New webinar added: Dealing with ASOP 4	mass.gov/info-details/perac-online-training

Links to all of the above resources can be found on PERAC’s Education page at
mass.gov/perac-education.

* Board members must complete the Conflict of Interest Law training once every two years.
A certificate of completion is required to receive credit for the Conflict of Interest training.

Credit for the recorded session may only be awarded once every two years.

III. Administrator Training

We will be hosting two in-person administrator trainings this year, one on August 24^th in Northampton and the second in November at another location. This all-day training is designed for newer administrators and board staff with less than five years of experience, however, board members are welcome to attend. Board members attending will earn three educational credits.

The training will be held at the Hotel Northampton, 36 King Street, Northampton, MA 01060 from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Registration for this session will be through PROSPER.

IV. Emerging Issues Forum Returns

PERAC’s Emerging Issues Forum will be returning to an in-person event September 15, 2022, at the College of the Holy Cross. We will distribute the full agenda later this summer. We are looking forward to hosting everyone again in Worcester! Board members who attend the Forum will receive three educational credits.

To register, go to https://2022-emerging-issues-forum.eventbrite.com and reserve your spot today! You can also find this link on our website. Online registration will be available until August 30^th or until we reach capacity, whichever comes first.

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.  In 2022, we will again 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 2019 and contact PERAC with any questions.   

The following 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)

Commission Members

Philip Y Brown, Esq., Chair
Auditor Suzanne M. Bump, Vice Chair
Kathleen M. Fallon
Kate Fitzpatrick
James J. Guido
Richard MacKinnon, Jr.
Jennifer F. Sullivan, Esq.