Houston Firefighters’ Relief and Retirement Fund Selects Government Expert Tim Schauer as Executive Director

Effective Feb. 1, 2022, Tim Schauer will step into the role of executive director of the Houston Firefighters’ Relief and Retirement Fund, according to a recent news release.

The Fund announced the new hire on Jan. 18, ending a nationwide search for an executive director to replace Ralph Marsh, who retired from the position last year.

According to the news release, Schauer is an experienced manager of a government affairs business as a principal at Cornerstone Government Affairs, Inc. He has more than 25 years of experience working in Houston, Austin and Washington on behalf of clients needing public policy assistance, particularly for health care and public health policy. Cornerstone Group has represented the Houston Firefighters’ Relief and Retirement Fund since 2017 in its legislative affairs.

“Our Board ran a nationwide search for an executive director who could immediately take up the complex pension-related government affairs issues in which all Texas pension funds find themselves today,” said Brett Besselman, the chair of the HFRRF Board of Trustees, in a news release. “Tim Schauer’s management abilities, for his company’s business in legislative affairs, put him head and shoulders at the top of the search. We are confident in his selection.”

According to a Fund spokesperson, while at Cornerstone, Schauer advocated for a broad range of policy issues, including health care, health insurance, public health, tort reform, education, water financing, pensions, economic development, and craft beer. In addition to his direct advocacy efforts, Schauer specialized in public policy development with community organizations, exemplified by his ongoing work with Healthy Living Matters - a Houston collaborative focused on solving childhood obesity since 2012. Schauer is a recognized expert on the uninsured, Medicaid/CHIP funding and policy; he has delivered numerous presentations to health organizations and businesses alike.

“Retirement benefits for Houston firefighters became a legislative focus in 2017, so my background, with experience in health benefits and safety net programs, should be of immediate relevance to their concerns,” Schauer said in a news release. “It is a great honor to have been selected to lead this organization.” 

With approximately $5.13 billion in net assets, the Fund serves 6,415 active and retired members as well as approximately 800 widows and children. The American Investment Council ranked the Houston Firefighters’ Relief and Retirement Fund number five among the Top 10 Pension Funds by Private Equity Returns in 2017. 

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