Nevada's Aug. 30 ransomware shutdown shows how fast entire systems—even pensions—could be paralyzed by a single cyber strike.

Texas lawmakers officially adjourned the 89th Legislature’s 2nd Called Special Session sine die on Sept. 4, 2025—a Latin phrase meaning “without day,” which signals the final adjournment of a legislative session with no set date to reconvene. The move closed out the session without advancing any new legislation directly affecting public pensions, investments, or retirement benefits. Despite calls from retiree advocates for a supplemental “13th check,” the issue was not included in the Governor’s call, according to the Texas Public Employees Association.

For pension fund trustees and administrators, understanding workforce trends is essential to anticipating contribution flows and retirement readiness. The U.S. Census Bureau on Sept. 3 released Educational Attainment in the United States: 2024, a table package examining the education levels of adults age 18 and older. The findings provide valuable insight into the economic and demographic forces that shape public pension systems.

(An update to our Aug. 27 post: “Two Proxy Advisory Firms Suing State Over New Law”.) A U.S. federal judge has blocked enforcement of Senate Bill 2337 (SB 2337)—the new Texas law targeting proxy advisory firms—before it could take effect, according to Reuters.

The National Institute on Retirement Security (NIRS) released a new study, Debunking the Job-Hopping Myth: A Data-Driven Look at Tenure and Turnover Among Younger Workers (Sept. 2025), challenging the belief that Millennials and Gen Z workers change jobs more often than previous generations.

Two of the nation's largest proxy advisory firms, Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) and Glass Lewis, are suing the State of Texas over a new law that could directly affect how public pension funds and trustees receive shareholder voting guidance.

The 2025 Summer Educational Forum, presented by Dimensional Fund Advisors, may be over, but your learning and networking don’t have to be. The Whova mobile and web app remain open, so you can swap templates, line up quick peer chats, and grab sponsor resources tailored to public plans.

From Aug. 3–5, 2025, 274 trustees, administrators, and industry professionals convened in El Paso, Texas, for the TEXPERS Summer Educational Forum—offering three days packed with professional development, pension fund governance insights, and networking built on a foundation of retirement security for public employees.

Rector “Choc” McCollum, a retired Dallas police sergeant and longtime advocate for public employee retirement systems, died July 16 in Plano. He was 69.

TEXPERS is proud to welcome Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossman LLP (BLBG) as the official sponsor of this year’s Fiduciary Fizz Mocktail, the signature drink of the 2025 Summer Educational Forum’s Networking Welcome Reception on Sunday, Aug. 3, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the Paso Del Norte Lobby of the El Paso Convention Center.

Texas Pension Review Board staff actuary David Fee and agency intern Annika Leong, briefed board members July 10 on the latest steps in the Funding Soundness Restoration Plan. Their report outlined shifts in actuarial assumptions, valuation timing, key system statistics, and statewide funding trends, highlighting both system-specific changes and broader patterns in public pension liabilities and assumptions.

TEXPERS is proud to welcome back Dimensional Fund Advisors as the Presenting Sponsor of our 2025 Summer Educational Forum, taking place August 3–5 in El Paso, Texas.

TEXPERS has extended the deadline to reserve rooms in the official hotel block to July 18, 2025, for the 2025 Summer Educational Forum, presented by Dimensional Fund Advisors. Held Aug. 3–5 at the El Paso Convention Center in El Paso, the forum provides state-approved continuing education hours for public retirement system trustees and administrators. The official event hotel is the Hotel Paso del Norte (Autograph Collection).

The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) has released its Pro‑Worker Scorecard for the 89th Texas Legislative Session, grading state lawmakers on their alignment with ten legislative priorities aimed at improving wages, benefits, and workplace conditions across Texas. For public employees and those overseeing retirement systems, the scorecard provides insight into where elected officials stand on issues that can impact compensation, benefits, and long-term retirement security.

The box has just arrived and is nearly overflowing with ribbons for the 2025 TEXPERS Summer Educational Forum, thanks to sponsor Pomerantz LLP, the official Lanyard Sponsor of the event.

In a June 2025 blog post, AARP Texas highlighted a range of legislative achievements for older Texans: enhanced fraud protection, stronger standards for long‑term care, expanded housing support, judicial training, and a proposed Dementia Prevention & Research Institute. While not all bills directly reference pensions, they have clear implications for fund administrators in policy, risk management, and member communication.

TEXPERS is excited to announce the sponsors supporting the Pre-Forum Soccer Social taking place from 7 to 9 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 2, 2025, in El Paso, Texas, ahead of the Association’s Summer Educational Forum.

The Texas Municipal Retirement System has named Debbie Muñoz as its new executive director, according to a statement posted on the organization’s homepage at www.tmrs.com.

America is facing a wave of retirements that is unprecedented in modern history. Each day in 2025, more than 11,000 Americans from the baby boomer generation will reach the retirement age of sixty-five. They will find themselves confronted by a decision they likely did not give much thought to prior to retirement: do they keep their retirement assets in their employer’s plan, roll them over to an IRA, or withdraw them as a lump-sum distribution? For most employees, the accumulation phase of saving for retirement is discussed far more frequently than the decumulation phase. Plan sponsors and retirees may be unaware of the benefits afforded to both parties by leaving assets in the plan, and the lack of awareness can often create plans that are not very friendly to retirees. A deeper understanding of these benefits can help plan sponsors better care for their participants’ assets and individual needs. 

Trustees and administrators of Texas public employee pension systems carry the critical responsibility of safeguarding retirement benefits for thousands of public servants. To do the job well, staying current on industry trends, governance practices, and regulatory expectations is essential. The TEXPERS 2025 Summer Educational Forum, presented by Dimensional Fund Advisors and held Aug. 3–5, 2025, in El Paso, offers the perfect opportunity to do just that.