PERAC Memo #26 - 2025: Mandatory Retirement Board Member Training – 4th Quarter, 2025

Memorandum PERAC Memo #26: Mandatory Retirement Board Member Training – 4th Qtr, 2025 Date: 09/30/2025 Referenced Sources: PERAC Website PERAC Memo #26, 2025

To All Retirement Boards: TO: All Retirement Boards

FROM: Bill Keefe, Executive Director

RE: Mandatory Retirement Board Member Training – 4th Quarter, 2025

DATE: September 30, 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, the New Administrator Training, and the MACRS Conference are automatically updated by PERAC staff approximately one week after each 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. 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 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. As we all transition from summer into fall, we wish you all the best this holiday season.

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

Date/Time Topic/Organization Registration / Location October 2 Cybersecurity for Retirement Boards Register 10:00 a.m. PERAC October 4-7 NCTR 103rd Conference Register NCTR Conference Salt Lake City, UT October 7 Open Meeting Law Register 11:00 a.m. AGO October 7 Pension Compensation Survey: Key Trends Register 2:00 p.m. NCPERS October 17 Fraud Awareness Register 10:00 a.m. OIG Academy October 18-21 NPEA Annual Conference Register NPEA Salt Lake City, Utah October 25-26 NCPERS Advanced Trustee Studies Register NCPERS Hollywood, FL October 25-26 Accredited Fiduciary Modules 1 & 2 Register NCPERS Hollywood, FL October 25-26 Accredited Fiduciary Modules 3 & 4 Register NCPERS Hollywood, FL October 25-26 FALL Conference Register NCPERS Hollywood, FL October 27 Open Meeting Law Register 6:00 p.m. AGO November 4 Boards and Commissions Register 10:00 a.m. OIG Academy November 5 New Administrator Training Register PERAC Danvers, MA November 5 Fraud Awareness Register 1:00 p.m. OIG Academy November 7 Open Meeting Law Register 12:00 p.m. AGO November 17 Open Meeting Law Register 10:00 a.m. AGO December 7-10 MACRS Fall Conference Registration opens soon MACRS Springfield, MA December 10 Fraud Awareness Register 10:00 a.m. OIG Academy December 11 Open Meeting Law Register 3:00 p.m. AGO

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

Organization Topic Office of the Inspector General Inspector General Videos You must watch all three videos Office of the Attorney General Open Meeting Law Training You must watch all six videos FINRA Elder Financial Fraud 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:

Complete the Conflict of Interest Law Education requirements on the mass.gov website. If your retirement system is not listed in the dropdown menu, please have your board contact the State Ethics Commission at ethicstraining@mass.gov. 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. New Administrator Training

Our next New Administrator training will be on November 5, 2025, in Danvers. The same training will be repeated again next spring in Norwood on March 3, 2026.

These all-day trainings are designed for newer administrators and board staff with less than five years of experience, however, board members are welcome.

Date: November 5, 2025, 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Location: DoubleTree by Hilton, 50 Ferncroft Road, Danvers, MA 01923 Credits: Retirement board members who attend will receive three educational credits.

Register through PROSPER. If an individual wishing to attend does not have access to PROSPER, please contact Rose Morrison at rose.a.morrison@mass.gov. Please contact Natacha Dunker at natacha.a.dunker@mass.gov to request a reasonable accommodation.

V. MACRS Conference

PERAC will be presenting at the Fall MACRS Conferenceto be held December 7 – 10 in Springfield, MA. More information on agenda and credits will be available as the date approaches, but we offered 9 credits at the spring MACRS Conference. Board members must be present and sign in at each session where credit is being offered to ensure they receive proper credit.

Date: December 7 – 10, 2025 Location: Springfield, Massachusetts Credits: Retirement board members can earn up to 9 educational credits.

We will provide more details to boards when registration opens.

VI. 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 2019 and 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)