Annual Retirement Policy Conference

The National Institute on Retirement Security held its 15th Annual Retirement Policy Conference, Uniting for the Future | Accelerating Retirement Policy Progress, on Monday, February 26 and Tuesday, February 27, 2024, at the Park Hyatt in Washington, D.C.

This exclusive members-only event kicked off with an opening reception on Monday, February 26, from 5:30 to 7:30 PM at The Park Hyatt Washington, located at 1201 24th Street N.W., in Washington, D.C. The conference continued on Tuesday, February 27, from 8:00 AM to 3:30 PM.

 

Attendees heard from leading experts on a range of key retirement issues including the retirement savings shortfall, Social Security, new public opinion retirement research, employers returning to pensions. the growth of state-facilitated retirement plans, municipalities joining state pension plans, and more.

The conference program included:

  • Welcome and Opening Remarks |  Gerri Madrid-Davis, Board Chair, National Institute on Retirement Security, and Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Programs, AARP
  • Keynote | Work, Retire, Repeat: The Uncertainty of Retirement in the New Economy, Teresa Ghilarducci, PhD, Professor of Economics, The New School for Social Research, and Director, Schwartz Center for Economic Policy Analysis. Read presentation.
  • Panel Discussion | Will More Plan Sponsors Return to Pensions with Ilana Boivie, Senior Economist, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers; Emmanuel Boulukos, Partner, IceMiller; Jonathan Price, Senior Vice President, National Retirement Practice Leader, Segal; and Helaine Olen, Reporter in Residence for 2024, the Omidyar Network. Read Price’s presentation.
  • Keynote | A Technology-Based Investment Model for Public Pensions with Dan Golosovker, Deputy Head of Research with Addepar. Read presentation.
  • Keynote Conversation | Retirement Insecurity 2024: Biennial Public Opinion Research with Kelly Kenneally, Communications Consultant, National Institute on Retirement Security and Doug Kincaid, Managing Director of Financial Services, Greenwald Research. Read presentation.
  • Keynote | States Charge Ahead on Retirement Plans, Angela Antonelli, Research Professor and Executive Director, Center for Retirement Initiatives, Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy. Download the presentation. Read the presentation.
  • Panel | The Societal Benefits of Litigation that Protects and Preserves Public Pension Plan Assets with Patrick T. Egan, Partner, Berman Tabacco; Carol C. Villegas, Partner, Labaton Sucharow; Erin Woods, Partner, Bleichmar Fonti & Auld LL; Ryan Connell, Legal Counsel, State of Delaware Office of Pension; and Tyler Bond, Research Director, National Institute on Retirement Security (Moderator). Read Villegas’ presentation.
  • Panel | Municipalities Joining Statewide Pension Plans: An Untold Story with Jeff Kempker, CEBS, Chief Strategy and External Affairs Officer Missouri LAGERS; Kerrie Vanden Bosch, Chief Executive Officer, Municipal Employees’ Retirement System of Michigan; John Herrington, Division Director, Retirement Services Division, Connecticut Office of the State Comptroller; and Dan Doonan, Executive Director, National Institute on Retirement Security (Moderator). Read Kempker’s presentation. Read Vanden Bosch’s presentation. Read Herrington’s presentation.
  • Keynote | The Bi-Partisan Big Idea for Fixing Social Security, Honorable Bill Cassidy, MD, United States Senator (R-LA)

Read the full conference program.

As always, attendance at the conference was exclusive to NIRS members and special invited guests. If you’re not a member but want to be a part of this important retirement policy conversation and networking, we invite you to learn about NIRS membership.

Learn About NIRS Membership