As the holiday season approaches, we at TEXPERS want to take a moment to express our deepest gratitude to our members for their unwavering support and dedication throughout 2024. This year has been one of growth, achievement, and community, and it would not have been possible without you.

Celebrating a Year of Milestones

As we close the year, let’s take a moment to reflect on some of the incredible achievements we accomplished together:

• 35th Anniversary Celebration: This year marked TEXPERS’ 35th anniversary, a milestone we celebrated during our Annual Conference. Through a year-long series in our membership publication, including the Age of Inception feature, we honored the history and foundation of TEXPERS by sharing stories from our early members. You can read more about this significant milestone here.

• Legislative Advocacy: We made significant strides in protecting public employee pensions, including prioritizing efforts to repeal the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and Government Pension Offset (GPO). These federal provisions unfairly reduce benefits for public servants, and we advocated tirelessly to ensure fair treatment for our members.

• Educational Programs: With nearly 1,000 participants across our courses, webinars, and conferences, 2024 was a record-breaking year. Highlights included sessions like Understanding a Fiduciary's Roles and Responsibilities, The Role of Defined Benefit Pensions in Public Safety Recruitment, and AI and Electricity Demand. We also co-sponsored Texas Talks, offering regional training sessions to help trustees and administrators meet state-mandated competency requirements. Don't forget state law requires trustees and administrators to fulfill core educational competency standards in order to serve on pension funds. You can visit our website to see what events we have planned, such as Basic Trustee Training. 

• TEXPERS Pension Observer: This year, we published 57 original articles in our quarterly magazine, providing valuable insights on pension fund management and public employee retirement trends. Explore past editions in our digital TEXPERS' Bookcase.

• Cybersecurity Awareness Month: In October, we joined the National Cybersecurity Alliance as a Champion to raise awareness about digital security. Through blogs, social media, magazine articles, and an exclusive webinar, we provided resources to help our members protect their data.

• Community Engagement: Our outreach efforts expanded this year, fostering greater awareness of the value of defined benefit plans and connecting with communities statewide.

Looking Ahead

As we celebrate these accomplishments, we also look forward to 2025 with optimism and determination. Together, we will continue to advocate for local government public employee pensions, provide top-tier educational resources, and support our members in every way possible.

Office Closure Announcement

Please note that the TEXPERS office will be closed from Monday, Dec. 23, 2024, through Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2025, in observance of the holiday season. We will resume regular operations on Thursday, Jan. 2, 2025.

Warm Holiday Wishes

During this holiday season, we hope you find time to relax and celebrate with your loved ones. From all of us at TEXPERS, we wish you joy, peace, and a prosperous New Year. Thank you for being a vital part of our mission to support public employee retirement systems in Texas.

Happy Holidays,

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