PERAC Memo #24 - 2022: Mandatory Retirement Board Member Training – 4th Quarter, 2022

TO: All Retirement Boards

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

RE: Mandatory Retirement Board Member Training – 4th Quarter, 2022

DATE: September 26, 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 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 continued efforts of retirement board members to fulfill their duties and responsibilities as well as the continued engagement of board staff. Please note two upcoming in-person events scheduled this quarter: the MACRS Conference in October and the Board Administrator Training Scheduled for November. We hope to see many of you at these upcoming events.

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

Date Topic/Organization Location / Registration Information October 2 – 5 Fall MACRS Conference Conference - Springfield, MA MACRS macrs.org October 4 Open Meeting Law Webinar AGO tinyurl.com/AG-10-04 October 8 – 11 NCTR 100th Conference Conference – Tucson, AZ National Conference on Teacher Retirement nctr.org/ October 18 Procurement Fraud Webinar MCPPO / OIG tinyurl.com/IGO-1018 October 20 Chief Procurement Officer Responsibilities Webinar MCPPO / OIG tinyurl.com/IG-1020 October 22 – 26 NPEA Annual Conference Conference – Seattle, WA National Pension Education Assoc. npea.com October 27 Open Meeting Law Webinar AGO tinyurl.com/AG-1027 October 27 IT Procurement: Hardware, Software, and Cybersecurity Webinar MCPPO / OIG tinyurl.com/IGO-1027 November 2 Fraud Awareness Webinar MCPPO / OIG tinyurl.com/IGO-1102 November 15 Administrator Training Register through PROSPER PERAC Danvers, MA November 15 Boards and Commissions: Know your responsibilities Webinar 12:00 p.m. MCPPO / OIG tinyurl.com/IGO-1115 November 16 How to Detect Fraud in Financial Statements Webinar MCPPO / OIG tinyurl.com/IG-111622 November 30 Public Sector Ethics Webinar MCPPO / OIG tinyurl.com/IG-113022 December 1 Conflict of Interest Training* Webinar 9:30 a.m. State Ethics Commission tinyurl.com/ETH-1201 December 8 Recent Cases of Interest Webinar 10:00 a.m. PERAC prosper.perac.state.ma.us

*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

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 an in-person administrator training on November 15, 2022, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., in Danvers, MA. We encourage new board administrators and staff to attend this all-day training. Board members who attend will earn three educational credits.

Location:

Doubletree by Hilton 50 Ferncroft Road Danvers, MA 01923

Registration for this session will be through PROSPER. If a staff member wishing to attend does not have access to PROSPER, please contact Rose Morrison at rose.morrison@mass.gov to register.

IV. Fall MACRS Conference

The Massachusetts Association of Contributory Retirement Systems (MACRS) will be hosting their fall conference in Springfield, MA from October 2-5.

Conference location: Springfield Marriot One Monarch Place Springfield, MA

You can register and download the agenda at their website, macrs.org.

Board members who attend can earn up to nine credits – the legal presentation on Monday, the legal panel on Tuesday, and the PERAC presentation on Wednesday morning are three credits each. Board members must sign in at each session to ensure proper credit.

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. This year we are again accepting requests for credit in relation to relevant webinars.

You must request approval for credit at least three weeks before 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. After attending, you must complete the Training Affidavit in PROSPER to ensure you receive 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)