Bill BensonElected by County Employees Current Term: January 2016 through December 2021
Bill Benson is chancery clerk of Lee County. He has a degree in accounting from the University of Mississippi. Prior to his service as chancery clerk, he served as Monroe County administrator and in the State Auditor’s Office.  Edward Lee ChildressElected by Public Schools and Community/Junior College Employees Current Term: May 2016 through April 2022
Edward Lee Childress, Ed.D., is superintendent of Corinth School District. Prior to becoming superintendent, Childress worked as assistant superintendent for Corinth School District, director of school improvement for DeSoto County Schools, program manager for the School Executive Management Institute with the Mississippi Department of Education, and a social studies teacher for Clarksdale High School. Childress currently serves on the Mississippi Department of Finance State and School Employees’ Health Insurance Advisory Council, University of Mississippi North Mississippi Education Consortium Board of Directors, Mississippi State University Program for Research and Evaluation in Public Schools Project Advisory Committee, Mississippi Association of School Superintendents, American Association of School Administrators, Northeast Mississippi Superintendents Association, and Regional Education Service Association.  Lynn FitchMississippi State Treasurer Current Term: January 2016 through January 2020
Re-elected to a second term in 2015, Lynn Fitch is Mississippi's 54th Treasurer.
Raised in Holly Springs, Mississippi, she earned both a Bachelor of Business Administration and Juris Doctorate at the University of Mississippi. At 23, Fitch began practicing law as a special assistant attorney general and was later in private practice as a bond lawyer.
In 2009, Fitch was selected by Governor Haley Barbour to serve as executive director of the Mississippi State Personnel Board (MSPB). Prior to MSPB, Fitch served as deputy executive director at the Mississippi Department of Employment Security and as Counsel for the Mississippi House of Representatives Ways and Means and Local and Private Legislation committees.
Fitch attended Harvard's Business School of Management and Leadership Program. She has been active in The National Association of State Treasurers, where she sits on the Executive Committee and serves as vice president for the Southern Region and has been active in the State Financial Officers Foundation, where she serves as a vice chair. She was selected as Outstanding Woman Lawyer of 2012, recognized as a Woman Trailblazer by the Mississippi Bar Association, recently named a Mississippi Bar Fellow, and named a 2015 Honoree of the Women in Government Leadership Program by Governing Magazine.
Kelly BrelandElected by State Employees, Past Board Chair Current Term: January 2019 through December 2024
Kelly Breland, of Clinton, is the director of the Bureau of Administration for the Mississippi Department of Mental Health. He holds an MBA from Mississippi College and is a Certified Public Accountant, as well as a Certified Public Manager. Breland has formerly worked as the assistant director for Mississippi State Hospital and the Mississippi Adolescent Center and has served as lead instructor at Becker Professional Education. Brian Rutledge, Ph.D.Elected by Institutions of Higher Learning Employees, Board Chair Current Term: December 2016 through December 2022
Dr. Brian Rutledge currently serves as chief of staff at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC), where he previously held positions in the departments of emergency medicine and internal medicine. He has also served as a fellow to Senator Thad Cochran and is on the faculty of the UMMC School of Health Related Professions. A native of Clinton, he holds bachelor's and master's degrees from Mississippi College and a Ph.D. from the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
Kimberly HannaElected by Municipal Employees Current Term: January 2015 through December 2020
Having begun her career with the city of Tupelo in 1994 as controller/deputy clerk, Kimberly Hanna continues her commitment to serving Tupelo today as chief financial officer and city clerk. She is a graduate of Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Science in Professional Accountancy and a Master of Professional Accountancy. She is also a member of both the Mississippi Clerks & Collectors Association and the Government Finance Officers Association.
Chris HowardElected by State Employees, Board Vice Chair Current Term: July 2014 through June 2020
Chris Howard of Madison is the executive director of the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services. He previously worked as an audit supervisor for the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor. Howard is a graduate of Mississippi State University with a Bachelor of Science in Professional Accountancy. He completed the Certified Public Manager program in 2013 and is a graduate of the John C. Stennis Institute of Government. He is currently enrolled in the National Rehabilitation Leadership Institute. Howard is a member of the Association of Government Accountants and a member of the Mississippi Association of Governmental Purchasing and Property Agents.
 George DaleElected by Retirees Current Term: May 2017 through April 2023
George Dale served for 32 years as Insurance Commissioner for the State of Mississippi. Elected to that position in 1975 at the age of 35, he was the youngest insurance commissioner in Mississippi history and became the longest serving, elected insurance commissioner in United States' history. During his tenure, the Mississippi Insurance Department (MID) was granted financial accreditation status by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC)--an accomplishment that the MID still holds today. Dale was actively involved at the NAIC and served multiple times in numerous committees and work groups. Mississippi endured eight hurricanes, including Hurricane Katrina, while Dale held office. As a result of his leadership, Mississippi successfully navigated the aftermath of those eight hurricanes without a collapse or mass exodus of the Mississippi market by insurance carriers. He worked to form substantive coalitions involving local, state, and federal government agencies, as well as stakeholders from the private sector, to bolster the state's economic recovery efforts after Hurricane Katrina. As Insurance Commissioner, Dale also served as the State Fire Marshall. Recognizing the effect that a well-trained and well-equipped fire department can have on public safety, he oversaw the enactment and implementation of the Rural Fire Truck Acquisition Act, resulting in 502 new fire trucks for Mississippi communities and lower fire insurance rates for many Mississippians.
Drew SnyderGubernatorial Appointee Current Term: April 2016 through April 2020
Drew Snyder is policy director and counsel to Governor Phil Bryant. Snyder previously served as assistant secretary of state and practiced with the law firm of Hollingsworth LLP in Washington, D.C. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Virginia School of Law and bachelor of business administration from the University of Mississippi.
Ray HigginsExecutive Director Ray Higgins became PERS' sixth executive director July 1, 2018. As executive director, he is responsible for the effective and efficient operations of all systems under PERS.
As PERS' chief executive officer, he oversees all facets of the retirement system, which consists of 22 defined benefit plans, an optional retirement plan for Institutions of Higher Learning, and the state deferred compensation plan. He also acts as the System's liaison with retirees, employers, employees, the Legislature, and the Board of Trustees.
Charles NielsenInterim Chief Investment Officer As interim chief investment officer (CIO), this position is responsible for planning and directing the activities of the PERS Investment Department to ensure the prudent management of the investment assets. Under the general direction of, and through accountability to the executive director, the interim CIO initiates investment-related programs and procedures in accordance with state and federal laws governing PERS.
Terri HudsonSenior Deputy Administrator, Office of Administrative Services The senior deputy administrator is responsible for planning and directing the activities of various departments within the Office of Administrative Services, which includes Management Information Systems, Accounting, Human Resources, and Facilities Management.
Kenny Grissett, CIA, CIDA, CGAP, CPM, CRC, CGFMDeputy Administrator, Member and Employer Services Kenny Grissett, deputy administrator for Member and Employer Services, is accountable for directing the activities of various divisions within the Member and Employer Services Bureau, which consists of the Employer Reporting Division, the Member Account Support Division, and the Benefit Payments Division. The Employer Reporting Division is primarily responsible for processing the monthly retirement reports and all enrollment forms submitted by the member agencies. The Member Account Support Division audits member accounts, prepares detailed service credit history reports, and processes requests for optional types of service. The Benefit Payments Division is responsible for processing and maintaining the monthly benefit payrolls for all defined benefit plans administered by PERS, as well as processing refund applications.
 Shirley A. Sessoms, CPM Deputy Administrator, Benefit Services Shirley Sessoms, deputy director for Benefit Services, plans and directs the activities associated with the Benefit Services Bureau, which consists of the Service Retirement Division, the Survivor and Disability Retirement Division, and the Customer Services Division. The Service Retirement Division and Survivor and Disability Retirement Division are responsible for processing retirement applications and benefit estimates, performing member account analyses, preparing detailed service credit history reports, and offering members a personal contact with PERS. The Customer Services Division encompasses Retirement Education and Field Services, as well as the Customer Service Center. Retirement Education and Field Services is responsible for statewide pre-retirement education seminars, retiree seminars, and agency training seminars. The Customer Service Center provides high quality and timely service to incoming general information calls.
Randy D. McCoy, Ed.D.Elected by Retirees Current Term: July 2019 through June 2025
Randy D. McCoy is a retired superintendent of the Tupelo Public School District (2002-2009). Prior to his work in Tupelo, he taught sixth grade in Patterson, Louisiana; taught business education and coached in Tupelo; and served as superintendent in Brookhaven, Clinton, and Oak Ridge, Tennessee. McCoy earned his Bachelor of Science in accounting from Mississippi State University, a Master of Education from the University of Mississippi, and a Doctorate of Education from the George Peabody College of Vanderbilt University. Currently McCoy is a lifetime member of the Mississippi Retired Public Employees' Association, a lifetime member of the Retired Education Personnel of Mississippi, an active member in the Lee County Retired Education Personnel of Mississippi, and a mentor for first-year administrators through the North Mississippi Education Consortium based at the University of Mississippi.
Davetta LeeCounsel and Policy Advisor As counsel and policy advisor, Davetta Lee formulates policy, rules, and regulations; coordinates elections for the PERS Board of Trustees; conducts long-range planning to set goals, objectives, and plans for program changes; coordinates with legislative staff to draft and review proposed legislative changes; tracks, reports, and provides analysis of legislation during the legislative session; responds to constituent issues; and provides administrative assistance for the Mississippi Deferred Compensation Plan and the Optional Retirement Plan. |
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