The 2023 LACERS Symposium will feature a range of speakers to educate all of our stakeholders regarding the national perspective of public pensions, risks to public pension funds, aspects of investments, retirement, and what’s happening at LACERS.

Save the date and join us on our first virtual LACERS Pension Symposium on February 22, 2023 at 9:00 a.m. 

Agenda 

9:00 AM      Welcome & Opening Remarks

9:15 AM      Pensions Administration

10:20 AM    Investments

11:30 AM    Recess

12:15 PM     Future of Medicare/Controlling Health Care Cost

1:20 PM       LACERS Wellness Program

1:35 PM       My LACERS Retirement Experience Member Roundtable

2:05 PM       LACERS Focus on the Member Experience

2:35 PM       LACERS Vision

2:50 PM       Closing Remarks

 

How to Join

This is a virtual event and registration is not required to join.

Zoom Webinar ID:  858 4290 5352

Please click on the link below to join this symposium:
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85842905352

Or join via telephone
Dial  (669) 444-9171
        (669) 900-6833

If you would like to listen to the symposium only, please use one of the following options.

Council Phone system 
Downtown (213) 621-CITY 
San Pedro (310) 547-CITY 
West Los Angeles (310) 471-CITY 
Van Nuys (818) 904-9450 

Public Comment Instructions:

Public comments and general public comments on matters within the board’s jurisdiction and comments on any specific matters on the agenda – this will be the only opportunity for public comment – call-in participants press *9 to raise hand during public comment period. Webinar link participants use “raise hand” function located at bottom of Zoom screen.

Guest Speakers

Alex Brown, NASRA

Alex Brown is the Research Manager with the National Association of State Retirement Administrators. In this role he collects and distributes data and information covering a wide range of topics pertinent to public retirement system administration and policy. He has co-authored briefs and papers on topics such as employer and employee pension contributions, hybrid retirement plans, and pension reform. He has also discussed pension issues in front of state legislatures, public pension boards of trustees, professional associations, and other stakeholders. Prior to joining NASRA, Alex worked at the Center for State & Local Government Excellence and the International City/County Management Association, focusing on pension and retiree health care issues. He holds a B.S. from James Madison University and an M.P.P. from George Mason University.

 

Carolyn Smith, NEPC

Carolyn’s career in investment consulting began in 1987, and she joined NEPC in 2006.  Carolyn has extensive experience working with large institutional clients.  She has a specialty in defined benefit and defined contribution plans working with them on plan design, investment and governance issues.  She is a member of the Diverse Manager Committee and Women’s Leadership Forum.

Carolyn’s experience includes twelve years as a director and senior consultant with Watson Wyatt Investment Consulting working with a broad array of clients.  She also had management responsibilities for the U.S. Western Region.  Prior to Watson Wyatt, Carolyn was a senior consultant at Callan Associates, Inc. working with the firm’s foundation, endowment, corporate and public fund clients.

Carolyn received a B.S. degree in Finance from the University of Utah.  She currently chairs the investment committee for a San Francisco Bay Area not-for-profit overseeing multiple operating reserve accounts, a foundation and 403(b) plan.

 

Todd Tauzer, Segal

Todd Tauzer is a Vice President and Actuary, and Segal’s National Public Sector Retirement Practice Leader, specializing in public pension funding and risk management for public pension plans across the United States. He came to Segal as Director of Municipal Pensions from S&P Global Ratings, where he developed a detailed framework to evaluate the health and sustainability of public pension and OPEB plans across all 50 states. Prior to S&P he was a senior pension actuary at CalPERS, where he worked for almost ten years and led work in asset liability management and risk mitigation. Mr. Tauzer sits on both the Board of the California Society of Municipal Analysts and the University of the Pacific’s Actuarial Science program. He is also active in leadership within the State of California, serving on both the California Actuarial Advisory Panel and for the California State Auditor’s High Risk Advisory Team for Local Governments. He has been quoted by The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, The Economist, Pensions & Investments, Investments & Pensions Europe, Chief Investment Officer, Plan Sponsor, and The Bond Buyer, among others.

 

Andy Yeung, Segal

Andy Yeung is a Vice President and Actuary in Segal’s San Francisco office with over 25 years of actuarial experience. He currently serves as supervising and co-consulting actuary for LACERS, LAFPP, LADWP and twelve 1937 Act county and chartered city retirement systems. He has also served as a member of the State Association of County Retirement Systems (SACRS) Legislative Committee since 2009. He is an Associate of the Society of Actuaries, a Member of the American Academy of Actuaries, a Fellow of the Conference of Consulting Actuaries and an Enrolled Actuary.

 

Peter Cassidy, Anthem

As a Group Retiree Solutions Sales Executive, Peter partners with commercial sales teams, brokers, consultants and clients as the Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D subject matter expert for strategic new sales. He has experience managing large, complex accounts and excels at developing strong client relationships.

Peter joined the Anthem team in 2018 with over 20 years of experience in the healthcare industry, including network management, small and large group sales, account management, and labor and trust. Peter has extensive experience consulting with large group clients, especially in public entity and labor and trust sectors, to develop and implement Medicare Advantage goals and objectives. He also oversees the implementation process for new clients. Peter has in-depth knowledge of CMS regulation, plan administration and benefit design, and retiree benefit management.

 

Dr. Alana Thompson-Byrd, Anthem

Dr. Alana Thompson-Byrd is the Managing Medical Director for Group Retiree Services in Medicare Advantage. Dr. Thompson joined Anthem in 2017 as an Operational Medical Director in the Integrated Health, and Total Health Total You model for Anthem National Accounts. Dr. Thompson lead both utilization and case management teams that were responsible for jumbo commercial and specialty business accounts. Dr. Thompson regularly interacts with her plan providers to guide adherence to medical policy and clinical guidelines as well as with her clients to optimize plan design. Dr Thompson is one of the physician leads for the Inclusive Care Initiative and the Anthem Physician and Clinician (APC) for Health Equity Workgroup.

Dr. Thompson brings experience in large commercial business from her time as St. Louis’s Area Medical Director for Concentra occupational and health services. In this role she regularly met with local and national clients to review and address their utilization metrics, while providing insight to any outliers. She managed seven clinics, was responsible for medical personnel development and training, performed regular audits of each clinic, and worked directly with the Account Executives to support client-specific needs. Dr. Thompson was responsible for improving the NPER scores of one of St. Louis’s flagship centers.

Previously Dr. Thompson practiced full scope family medicine including pediatrics and obstetrics in the metropolitan area surrounding St. Louis.

Dr. Thompson is a graduate of the University of Illinois College Of Medicine at Peoria and a residency graduate of the Saint Louis University Family Medicine program. She is board certified in Family Medicine and lives in Illinois.

 

Ramiro Salas, Kaiser Permanente

Ramiro Salas is the Director of Group Medicare at Kaiser Permanente. He has over 29 years of experience in the healthcare industry – 16 of those in Medicare.

Ramiro works closely with Kaiser Permanente’s leadership team to develop sustainable Medicare Advantage products for employer group customers in the States of California and Hawaii.

He leads the team of Retiree Solutions Managers who are responsible for ensuring City of LA’s Group Medicare contracts are compliant with CMS regulations and to support City of LA with all Medicare administrative needs.

 

Ju Anderson, Keenan

Ju Anderson is the Practice Leader of the Employee Benefits HealthCare Division at Keenan. Ju has over 25 years of consulting experience with 15 of those years at Keenan. Previous positions were with Deloitte, Time Warner, Gallagher, Verisign and Deutsche Bank. Ju holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Wellesley College in Massachusetts.

As Practice Leader of the HealthCare Benefits Division for Keenan, Ju consults clients with solutions that address their specific needs and future organizational goals.  Ju’s expertise is in health and welfare benefits consulting that involves team building and facilitating a collaborative environment to deliver on high-value consultative services that include benefits analysis, strategy, mergers and acquisition support for clients, benefits program alternatives, vendor management and solutions, retirement benefits, self-insured opportunities, HR and other strategic solutions.

 

Laurie LoFranco, Keenan

Laurie LoFranco has more than 30 years of experience in human resources and employee benefits. Laurie joined Keenan & Associates in 2008 after spending the previous 12 years at the City of Corona, most recently serving as their Human Resources Director. Laurie has been with Keenan & Associates for 14 years and currently runs the Municipal Practice for Keenan covering the State of California.  Laurie served on the Board of Directors for the California Personnel Employee Labor Relations Association (CALPELRA) and is currently serving on the Board of Directors for the Inland Empire Chapter of IPMA-HR. Laurie holds an Executive Level Human Resources Certification from IPMA and holds a California State Insurance License in Accident, Health and Life Insurance. Laurie graduated from the College of Notre Dame with a Degree in Human Services and holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from California State University, San Bernardino.

 

Robin Rager, Keenan

Robin Rager, Vice President of Health Management at Keenan, has been involved in the health and wellness field for over three decades, as a consultant, college professor, and researcher, and has been leading the Keenan employee health management consulting team since 2010. His professional activities have focused on individual and population health management, and the design and evaluation of effective health and wellness programs in a variety of populations and settings. He holds M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Health Education from Penn State University, has served as the Director of Penn State’s Center for Worksite Health Enhancement, and has authored numerous articles and presentations on health management.  He has been honored as a Fellow of the Association for Worksite Health Promotion, served as chair of the American Public Health Association’s Worksite Health Promotion Committee, and participated in the development of the Healthy People Objectives for the Nation.