Leadership
Mission Statement
The mission of PERS is to provide secure benefits to our members and consistently deliver quality service by meeting our customer's needs, operating efficiently and transparently, investing and managing assets prudently, and acting in the best interest of all members.
Board of Trustees
The 10-member PERS Board of Trustees includes the State Treasurer, a gubernatorial appointee who is a member of PERS, two retirees, two state employees, and one representative each of public schools and community colleges, institutions of higher learning, counties, and municipalities. With the exception of the State Treasurer and the gubernatorial appointee, members are elected to staggered six-year terms. The Board is responsible for designating the System’s executive director and for establishing the policies for administration of the trust. The Board also works to carry out the intent and purposes of the state Legislature by establishing rules and regulations for the administration of PERS and the transaction of its business.
Requesting to Make Public Comments to the Board
Request to Make Public Comments to the Board
Current Board Elections
State Employee Representative for the Term July 1, 2026, - June 30, 2032
Board Meeting Minutes
Board Meeting Live Streaming and Archiving
PERS began live streaming and archiving all board and committee meetings on YouTube in August 2024. To access and subscribe to the PERS YouTube channel, click here.
Board Meeting Schedules, Agendas, and Materials
PERS posts dates and times of all meetings for the year on this page. Once meeting agendas are set, they are uploaded and linked to the name of their respective meetings on this page, as well as posted to the Mississippi Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) Public Meeting Notice website. Click here to subscribe to be alerted by e-mail when an upcoming PERS meeting is posted to the DFA site. Meeting materials are uploaded to this page once finalized, typically the day before meetings begin. Materials are subject to being updated prior to the meeting. Note: The committee meetings below will start at the scheduled time or immediately following the preceding meeting.
2026
- February
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Defined Contribution Committee | February 24 | 10 a.m. | Live Stream | Materials Investment Committee | February 24 | 10:30 a.m. | Live Stream | Materials Claims Committee | February 25 | 10 a.m. | Live Stream | Materials Administrative Committee | February 25 | 10:15 a.m. | Live Stream | Materials Legislative Committee | February 25 | 11 a.m. | Live Stream | Materials Board of Trustees | February 25 | 1 p.m. | Live Stream | Materials - April
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Board of Trustees | April 22 | 1 p.m. - June
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Board of Trustees | June 24 | 1 p.m. - August
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Board of Trustees | August 26 | 1 p.m. - October
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Board of Trustees | October 28 | 1 p.m. - December
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Board of Trustees | December 16 | 1 p.m.
View 2025 Board and Committee Meeting Schedule, Agendas, and Materials on the Archive page
Board of Trustees
Bill Benson
Elected by County Employees, FY 2026 Board Chair
Bill Benson
Elected by County Employees, FY 2026 Board Chair
Current Term: January 2022 through December 2027
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.
George Dale
Elected by Retirees, FY 2026 Board Vice Chair
George Dale
Elected by Retirees, FY 2026 Board Vice Chair
Current Term: May 2023 through April 2029
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.
Kelly Breland
Elected by State Employees, Past Board Chair
Kelly Breland
Elected by State Employees, Past Board Chair
Current Term: January 2025 through December 2030
Kelly Breland, of Clinton, is the chief financial officer 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 he has served as a lead instructor at Becker Professional Education.
Chris Graham
Gubernatorial Appointee
Chris Graham
Gubernatorial Appointee
Current Term: January 2024 through January 2028
Commissioner of Revenue Chris Graham previously served as Senate Budget officer for the Mississippi Legislative Budget Office and as assistant director and counsel to the Mississippi Ethics Commission. He is a graduate of the University of Mississippi with a Bachelor of Accountancy, Millsaps College with a Master of Accountancy, and the University of Mississippi with a Juris Doctor.
Kimberly Hanna
Elected by Municipal Employees
Kimberly Hanna
Elected by Municipal Employees
Current Term: January 2021 through December 2026
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.
Randy D. McCoy
Elected by Retirees
Randy D. McCoy
Elected by Retirees
Current Term: July 2025 through June 2031
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.
David McRae
Mississippi State Treasurer
David McRae
Mississippi State Treasurer
Current Term: January 2024 through January 2028
State Treasurer David McRae is a fourth-generation Mississippian. His great-grandfather, Sam McRae, grew up on a farm in rural Rankin County, established the S.P. McRae Company on Capitol Street in 1902. This family business grew to become one of the premier department store chains in the southeast and remained so for more than 100 years. McRae has helped carry on the family business as a managing partner, while also being active in civic and charity organizations throughout the community and statewide. His civic involvement includes the Mississippi Republican Party Foundation, efforts to expand the presence of the Metro Capital Area Habitat for Humanity, work with Friends of Children’s Hospital and the American Heart Association, and time serving as liaison with the Mississippi Museum of Art to fund the McRae Children’s Fountains. While studying for his law degree, McRae was chief justice of the Honor Court and worked for Justice Jess Dickinson at the Mississippi Supreme Court. He lives in Ridgeland with his wife, Katherine, and their three children. Mississippi's Treasurer serves as an ex officio member of the PERS Board of Trustrees for the four years he or she is in office.
Brian Rutledge
Elected by Institutions of Higher Learning Employees
Brian Rutledge
Elected by Institutions of Higher Learning Employees
Current Term: January 2023 through December 2028
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.
Jay Smith
Elected by Public Schools and Community/Junior College Employees
Jay Smith
Elected by Public Schools and Community/Junior College Employees
Current Term: May 2022 through April 2028
Dr. Jay Smith currently serves as superintendent of the North Pike School District. Previously, he served as superintendent in the Long Beach School District from 2016-2021. He has more than 25 years of experience in school leadership. He currently serves on the Mississippi Association of School Superintendents' Board of Directors and has been appointed to numerous state-wide task forces and committees for Mississippi public schools. Smith is a veteran of the United States Army. His wife Michelle and three of their six children are all members of PERS as Mississippi public school educators.
Terrance Yarbrough
Elected by State Employees
Terrance Yarbrough
Elected by State Employees
October 2024 through June 2026
Terrance Yarbrough is currently the deputy administrator of Human Resources for the Mississippi Department of Transportation. Yarbrough has more than 15 years of management experience in the public sector arena, 10 of these years were spent working at PERS. He is an instructor at multiple colleges and teaches subjects in both the psychology and business management disciplines. He’s a graduate of the Stennis Executive Leadership Institute, Certified Public Manager’s Program, Leadership Greater Jackson, and the American Association of State Highway Transportation Officials (AASHTO) Executive leadership institute.
Executive Staff
Ray Higgins
Executive Director
Ray Higgins
Executive 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.
Melanie Estridge
Deputy Director, Administrative Services
Melanie Estridge
Deputy Director, Administrative Services
As deputy director, this position is responsible for planning and oversight of the various Administrative Services departments, which include Human Resources, Accounting and Finance, Information Technology, Internal Audit, and Facilities Management.
Mason Frantom
Deputy Director, Member and Employer Services
Mason Frantom
Deputy Director, Member and Employer Services
The deputy director for Member and Employer Services is accountable for directing the activities within the division, which consists of Employer Reporting, Member Account Support, and Benefit Payments. Employer Reporting is primarily responsible for processing the monthly retirement reports and all enrollment forms submitted by participating employers. Member Account Support audits member accounts, prepares detailed service credit history reports, and processes requests for optional types of service. Benefit Payments is responsible for processing and maintaining daily and monthly benefit payrolls for all defined benefit plans administered by PERS, as well as processing refund applications.
Lisa Green
Deputy Director, Benefit Services
Lisa Green
Deputy Director, Benefit Services
The deputy director for Benefit Services plans and directs the activities associated with the Benefit Services division, which consists of Service Retirement, Survivor and Disability Retirement, and Customer Services. Service Retirement and Survivor and Disability Retirement 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. Customer Services encompasses Retirement Education, as well as the Customer Service Call Center. Retirement Education is responsible for statewide pre-retirement education seminars, retiree seminars, and agency training seminars. The Customer Service Call Center serves as a first point of contact for members seeking general information about PERS.
Davetta Lee
Compliance Counsel and Director of Defined Contribution Plans
Davetta Lee
Compliance Counsel and Director of Defined Contribution Plans
As compliance counsel and director of defined contribution plans, Davetta Lee works to ensure PERS remains compliant to all applicable laws and regulations and serves as lead over all the defined contribution plans.
Charles Nielsen
Chief Investment Officer
