Retirement Industry People Moves

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NAGDCA Elects 2020 Governing Officers

The National Association of Government Defined Contribution Administrators, Inc. (NAGDCA) elected its 2019-2020 governing officers and members-at-large at the organization’s annual conference.

Sandy Blair will preside over the new board as board president. Blair is the director of retirement readiness for the California State Teachers’ Retirement System (CalSTRS). She rose through the ranks in CalSTRS after arriving in 2009 to a management position in CalSTRS’ office of Client Outreach and Guidance and was instrumental in establishing the model of CalSTRS first Member Service Center in West Sacramento. Blair administers the CalSTRS Pension2 personal wealth plan, which consists of 403(b), 457 and Roth 403(b) plans. Pension2 serves as a supplemental savings plan for all California school and community college employees. Blair also has extensive private sector experience in consumer banking, finance and tax preparation.

Other NAGDCA members elected to the Executive Board include Josh Luskin, Indiana Public Retirement Systems; Rob Boehmer, State of Nevada; Darlene Malaney, Palm Beach County Clerk & Comptroller; Kelly Hiers, Virginia Retirement System; Cindy Rehmeier, Missouri State Employees’ Retirement System; Ketul Thaker, Voya Financial; and Jake O’Shaughnessy, SageView Advisory Group.

Wagner Law Group Adds ERISA Attorney 

The Wagner Law Group has added Kim Shaw Elliott to the firm as of counsel in its St. Louis office.

“Kim is a recognized expert in in her fields of practice with an extraordinarily unique wealth and depth of experience; we are excited that she will be joining us, ” says Marcia Wagner, managing director of the firm.

Elliott is an ERISA [Employee Retirement Income Security Act of  1974] investment lawyer, engaging in a multi-disciplinary practice helping clients successfully navigate the complex intersection of ERISA, securities law, broker/dealer regulation and tax regulation. Elliott represents broker/dealers, investment advisers, insurance companies and other entities nationwide, with a focus on fiduciary responsibility and best practices. She brings a business leader’s perspective to the practice of law, having served as an executive responsible for advisory services to retirement plans, as well as a chief compliance officer. As general counsel of industry leading broker/dealer and investment adviser firms, Elliott navigated through extensive claims litigation, multi-state regulatory actions and errors and omissions disputes, and presented actionable plans and guidance for compliant sales, operations, product development and customer service. 

Elliott is a three-time graduate of Washington University in St. Louis, where she earned her J.D., LL.M, and executive MBA. She is a member of the compliance and legal division of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA), was named president emeritus of the Association of Corporate Counsel (St. Louis), chaired the Employee Benefits Committee of the Missouri Bar, and is a frequent speaker on employee benefits and securities-related topics. Elliott is licensed to practice law in Illinois and Missouri. She formerly held Series 7, 66 and 24 securities licenses.