Former Ohio State Treasurer and Other Pension Leaders Join the Advisory Board for the Institute for Pension Fund Integrity
Arlington, VA – The Institute for Pension Fund Integrity (IPFI) is a non-profit that focuses on strict adherence to fiduciary duty by public pension fund leaders, keeping politics out of public pension fund management, bringing market-based assumptions to the calculation of public pension unfunded liabilities, and providing pension beneficiaries and policy leaders all the facts and transparency needed to make the best informed and rational decisions.
IPFI is excited to announce its new advisory board, comprised of members from across the political spectrum who are passionate about keeping politics out of the management of public pension funds. The board members have deep backgrounds in public service and pension fund management and will provide guidance and gravitas to the organization.
The IPFI Advisory Board, announced today, includes following:
- The Honorable Ken Blackwell, former Ohio State Treasurer and Cincinnati Mayor;
- Richard Brower, former Vice Chairman of the New York City Fire Department Pension Fund and Managing Director at Profor Advisors;
- The Honorable Chris Cummiskey, former Arizona legislator who oversaw various municipal finance and state pension funds, including the Arizona State Retirement System and the Arizona Public Safety Retirement System, and CEO of Cummiskey Strategic Solutions and;
- Kevin O’Connor, former Assistant to the General President of the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF), elected trustee of the Baltimore County Employees Retirement System, and founder of O’Connor CARES Solutions.
The IPFI Advisory Board will help provide bipartisan direction to the organization. There is a growing awareness in recent years of the massive unfunded liabilities in public pensions – but that’s only the beginning of the story. There has been an increased push to allow politics to dictate investment decisions through divestment movements. In addition, public pension funds frequently allow politics to drive the adoption of unrealistic assumed rates of return and outdated mortality expectations, in order to reduce the amount that the state or local government must contribute to the fund annually. The Board Members will add their voices to the growing chorus of opposition to the politicization of pension funds.
IPFI President Christopher Burnham spoke to the benefits of the Board and its members, saying “I’m thrilled to have such a deeply experienced group of senior policy leaders with vast pension fund oversight experience, who share IPFI’s unbridled passion for keeping our public pension funds strictly adherent to fiduciary responsibility. As we continue growing and expanding, this diverse group will be essential to helping guide our growth and direction.”
For more information on IPFI or the Advisory Board, please visit www.ipfiusa.org/leadership.
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The Institute for Pension Fund Integrity seeks to ensure that local, state and federal leaders are held responsible for their choices in investment, led not by political ideation and opinion but instead by fiduciary responsibility. IPFI is a non-partisan, non-profit organization based out of Arlington, Virginia, and spearheaded by former Connecticut State Treasurer Christopher B. Burnham.