Starting Sept. 1, Gov. Jay Nixon's long-time chief of staff will have a new job - executive director for the Missouri State Employees Retirement System (MOSERS).
The MOSERS board announced the appointment Friday.
John Watson will succeed Director Gary Findlay, who became MOSERS director in 1994 and will retire at the end of the year.
Findlay will help Watson with the transition for this year's final four months.
"I look forward to leading one of the premier public pension systems in the country and building on the strong foundation that Mr. Findlay has established," Watson said in the news release.
The MOSERS news release noted Watson was hired after the MOSERS board of directors conducted a national search, which generated a field of well-qualified candidates.
Findlay added, "I'm very impressed with the deliberative process followed by the board in conducting the search and evaluating the candidates presented by the executive search firm."
The board used EFL Associates, an executive search firm specializing in public pension recruitment, which has five offices around the country, including St. Louis and Kansas City.
"The fact that a board, made up of individuals who are known to have clear political leanings, was able to unanimously reach the decision to hire John is very telling in terms of his skill-set in playing a nonpartisan role in a partisan environment," Finlay said.
Several lawmakers serve on the MOSERS board, including Rep. Caleb Jones, R-Columbia and a California, Missouri, native.
"John Watson and I have worked together on a variety of issues," Jones said in the MOSERS news release. "He is very intelligent and is able to manage complex issues.
"I believe that the MOSERS board has chosen an executive director who will continue the success that MOSERS has had for the last 20 years under the current leadership.
"The unanimous support from the board shows that John Watson is the right person to lead MOSERS into the future."
Antwaun Smith, MOSERS board chairman, said, "We are excited about the leadership and management experience that John brings to this position.
"He is an experienced professional, and I look forward to the work he will do to advance the financial security of MOSERS' members and to ensure that our sound investment practices continue."
Watson earned both his bachelor's degree, in Business Administration, and his law degree from the University of Missouri. He has also done graduate studies in Business Administration at St. Louis University.
He's had a long career in both the private sector and state government - and most recently served approximately two months as Interim State Auditor following last February's death of elected Auditor Tom Schweich.
Watson was Nixon's chief of staff until last December, in both the governor's and attorney general's offices.
His 25 years of state government experience also includes work as an assistant attorney general.
MOSERS manages more than $9 billion in assets, and administers retirement, long-term disability, life insurance, and deferred compensation benefits for approximately 113,000 present and former state employees and their beneficiaries.