About MAPERS

2024-25 MAPERS BOARD MEMBERS

Back Row (left to right) Bill Grayson, Russell Kleffner, Jeff Kempker, Scott Simon, Michael Ruff, Jason Hoy
Front Row (left to right) Kim Drinkard, Cecelia Carter, Andrea Binkley, Ben Frede
Not pictured: Robert Coleman

Constitution Of The Missouri Association Of Public Employee Retirement Systems

I.  NAME

This organization shall be known as the “MISSOURI ASSOCIATION OF PUBLIC EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT SYSTEMS” or “MAPERS”.

II.  PURPOSE

The purpose of this association shall be to provide for education, discussion and mutual exchange of ideas as to retirement system administration, and to strengthen, develop and protect public employee retirement systems in the State of Missouri.

III.  MEMBERSHIP

“MAPERS” shall have three (3) classes of membership.  The Board of Directors may in its judgment, limit the number of corporate and associate memberships.

A.    Plan Sponsor Membership

1. Plan Sponsor membership shall be any public employee retirement system in the State of Missouri which has filed with the “MAPERS” Board of Directors its written desire to become a plan sponsor member.
2. Each plan sponsor membership shall be entitled to one (1) vote, cast independently and in person, and not by proxy, by an authorized representative determined by the particular plan sponsor membership.
3. All voting shall be conducted in accordance with rules established by the Board of Directors.

B.   Corporate Membership

1. Corporate memberships shall be any person, firm, or corporation performing or providing professional services to a public retirement system which has filed with the “MAPERS” Board of Directors its written desire to become a corporate member.  Corporate memberships are non-voting memberships.
2. New corporate membership applications must be accompanied by the name of sponsor (from the current plan sponsor membership) that has a client/customer relationship with the applicant or by the names of two sponsors (from the current plan sponsor membership) that do not have client/customer relationships.
3. Corporate memberships shall be limited to 100 members unless an increase is approved by the Board of Directors.

C.  Associate Membership

1. Associate memberships shall be any affiliated organization which has an interest in public employee retirement which has filed with the “MAPERS” Board of Directors its written desire to become an associate member.  Associate memberships are non-voting memberships.
2. New associate membership applications must be accompanied by the name of sponsor (from the current plan sponsor membership) that has a relationship to the applicant.

IV.  ADMINISTRATION

1. “MAPERS” shall be administered by a nine (9) member board of Directors, consisting of a president, president elect, immediate past president, secretary/treasurer and five (5) directors, elected at the annual meeting, except that the initial Board of Directors shall be elected at the organizational meeting of the associate and shall serve until their successors are elected.  The board of directors shall also include, as a non-voting advisory member, the Executive Director, Joint Committee on Public Employee Retirement, whose shall serve at the pleasure of the board.
2. The officers of the associate shall be president, president elect, and a secretary/treasurer who shall serve as executive officers to the board.  They shall perform the duties usually performed by such officers.
3. The term of office of the officers shall be two (2) years and an officer, except the secretary/treasurer, may not be elected to consecutive terms in the same office.  The term of office for directors shall be two (2) years, with three (3) directors elected in odd calendar years and two (2) directors elected in even calendar years.
4. In the event of a vacancy occurring in the office of the president, the president elect shall immediately succeed to the presidency and serve until the next annual election.  In the event of a vacancy in any other office, the Board of Directors shall appoint any successor, by majority vote, which person shall serve until the next annual election.
5. The Board of Directors is authorized to receive and to expend funds and pay expenses incidental to the operation of the association.
6. The association shall operate on a calendar year basis.
7. The Board of Directors shall formulate and adopt rules and regulations for the government of its own proceedings and for the administration of the association, subject to the approval of the plan sponsor membership.
8. The Board of Directors shall use Robert’s Rules of Order to decide all questions concerning voting procedures.

V.  ELECTIONS

The president shall appoint a nominating committee consisting of three (3) active plan sponsor members, who shall solicit candidates and present their nominations at the annual meeting.  Nominations may be made from the floor.  In the event two (2) or more persons shall be nominated for any one office, the election shall be held by secret ballot according to Article III, Section A(2).

No person may be nominated to elected to the Board of Directors who is not a member or employee of the governing board of a plan sponsor member.  No more than one Board of Directors member shall be from each plan sponsor membership.

A Board of Director member may, if appointed, continue to serve on the Board of Directors after his/her term of employment with the governing board of the plan sponsor member expires, but only until the next annual meeting at which time a successor shall be elected.

VI.  MEETINGS

1. There shall be an annual meeting of the association.
2. The frequency, time and place of meetings shall be designated by the Board of Directors.

VII.  DUES

The dues shall be such amount payable annually as the Board of Directors shall determine.  The Board of Directors may establish separate dues for each class of membership and shall have the discretion to waive dues for certain associate members.

VIII.  AMENDMENTS

This constitution may be amended at the annual meeting of the association by a two-thirds vote of the plan sponsor memberships in attendance at the annual meeting provided that notice of such amendments be given in writing to all plan sponsor memberships thirty (30) days prior to such meeting.

Unanimously adopted 10-21-88 at the organizational meeting of the Missouri Association of Public Employee Retirement Systems (MAPERS).

Clarification to term of officers rule adopted 02-1990.

Clarification of sponsors of consulting memberships adopted 10-1991.

Clarification of consulting and associate memberships adopted 09-1996.

Change the titles of membership from “Participating” to “Plan Sponsor” and from “Consulting” to “Corporate”; and the inclusion of the Executive Director, Joint Committee on Public Employee Retirement as a non-voting board member adopted 07-2003.

Change the Corporate and Participating membership application process by dropping the necessity of Board approval adopted 07-2004.

The MAPERS Public Pension Achievement Award

The MAPERS Public Pension Achievement Award is awarded at the discretion of the MAPERS Board of Trustees. It is awarded to an individual nominated (in writing) to the MAPERS Board of Trustees by one or more members of MAPERS.

This award is designed to recognize long-term achievement in the area of public pension work in the state of Missouri. Specifically, the award may be granted for achievement in Missouri public pension/retirement administration; public pension investment management relating to Missouri; public pension legislation or public policy work in the state of Missouri; or public pension research or consulting relating to Missouri.

1. The award is presented at the discretion of the MAPERS Board of Trustees, but no more frequently than once per year.
2. If a letter of nomination is received by the Board, an ad hoc committee of board members will be established to solicit letters of recommendation in support of the nominee. The committee will determine if the support demonstrated merits a recommendation to the full Board for the presentation of the award.
3. The award will be presented at the Fall MAPERS Conference, or at any other time deemed suitable by the Board.
4. The award will consist of a suitable plaque.
5. The costs of the award will be borne by MAPERS.