It is ironic but nonetheless true that PERS success and large role in the current and future well-being of so many Oregonians often puts the System in the spotlight, which creates policy, administrative, and communication challenges almost daily. Ensuring a sound foundation for a financial program as large, complex, and important as PERS means the System must reflect the interests and practical realities of all the participants - the members who depend on the System for their retirement benefits and the employers whose taxpayers must help finance those benefits. One of the remarkable aspects of PERS is the extensive range of opportunities for those interests and realities to be voiced. From the legislature itself to a deliberately diverse PERS Board to an active network of ad hoc advisory committees involving the widest possible array of constituencies, the process at PERS is one of the most participatory and open I have seen. As someone who has spent virtually all of his career in public policy development, management, finance, and investments, I immediately recognize the benefits of such a deliberate and transparent process.
Deliberation leads to better outcomes, openness to greater trust and fewer misunderstandings.
Mysteries are better left in the bookstore. Among the most encouraging aspects of my first month as PERS director is the commitment to public good and client service I have witnessed at every level in the System. From a PERS Board that has steadfastly and selflessly acted to carry out its duties to protect the System as a whole to PERS staffers who put our clients needs before their own, there are many reasons already for a new director to take pride in the organization. That said, our retired members from the public service certainly have a right to rest on their laurels, but we must keep searching for ways to do an even better job. I am confident we will, and I look forward to making a personal contribution to those efforts.