MOSERS executive director to retire

Outgoing MOSERS Executive Director Ronda Stegmann.
Outgoing MOSERS Executive Director Ronda Stegmann.

The Missouri State Employee Retirement System (MOSERS) executive director plans to retire next year after decades of public service in the pension plan arena.

Director Ronda Stegmann has been a staple of the pension sector for more than two decades, having started with the Legislature's Joint Committee on Public Employee Retirement in 1999 and eventually becoming its executive director. She joined MOSERS in 2015, initially serving as its legislative and policy coordinator.

She was named interim executive director in January 2018, and the position was made permanent that June. After a nationwide search for someone to fill the role, the board unanimously decided to keep her on board, a statement from MOSERS Board of Trustees Chair Crystal Wessing said, touting Stegmann's leadership skills and ability to engage with the system's stakeholders.

She was also featured as one of several "Voices of Influence" in #jcmo Inside Business for her work within the Jefferson City business community.

Stegmann announced her intentions to retire in 2023 last week, touting the work of state employees and the MOSERS leaders and staff who represent them.

"I have been humbled by the opportunity to serve as MOSERS' executive director," Stegmann said in a statement. "Administering the retirement, life insurance, long-term disability, and deferred compensation program benefits for hardworking state employees is an extreme honor, which I know MOSERS staff will continue to perform with dedication and commitment.

"I have been proud to experience the diligent collaboration between the MOSERS Board of Trustees and staff, for the ultimate betterment of the system for all stakeholders."

The system touted several notable moments of her tenure at the helm of the system, including the highest one-year return on its investment program in 30 years, making good on plans put forth in the board's first three-year planning cycle through this fiscal year, reducing the assumed rate of return to reflect capital market expectations and implementing video reports of the board's quarterly meetings, called "A Moment With MOSERS."

The board was complimentary of the outgoing director, with Wessing touting her work and dedication in the role.

"The MOSERS Board of Trustees is thankful to Ronda for her commitment and dedication to MOSERS' membership and the citizens of this state," Wessing said in a statement. "We wish her every happiness in retirement and will continue to promote Ronda's example of servant leadership."

The MOSERS Board of Trustees is set to begin its search for a replacement soon and seeks to work with Stegmann in her final months in the role to ensure a smooth transition.

Stegmann's transition follows the retirement of another long-time MOSERS leader. TJ Carlson was named as the new chief investment officer last year following the retirement of Shannon Davidson, who had been with the fund for 25 years.

The board has made changes this year related to current events, recently voting to halt the use of proxy voting -- which allows company shareholders to weigh in on issues regarding public companies and to vote in board member elections -- after a large investment firm used its votes to appoint controversial members to the Exxon Board. It also ceased all Russian investments amid the conflict in Ukraine.

MOSERS has been serving state employees since 1957, offering retirement benefits, pension plans, life and disability insurance and deferred compensation. The system serves around 142,000 current and retired state employees and beneficiaries, according to its website. The pension fund amounts to around $9 billion.

Missouri is home to more than 50,000 state employees, according to the Office of Administration. More than 14,000 of them live in the Jefferson City area, according to statistics from the Jefferson City Area Chamber of Commerce.