Public Pensions Online Advisory Board
The PPO advisory board offers our website pragmatic suggestions and review. The advisory board is made up of professionals from all aspects of the public pension industry, offering experience and knowledge to maximize Public Pensions Online's value to our readers.
 Frank Ready
Frank Ready has spent the last 43 years in the public pension industry. Presently Mr. Ready is the former Executive Director of the Mississippi Public Employees Retirement System. Mr. Ready is now retired. Before joining the Mississippi system, Frank held the same position in New Mexico. He has served on various public pension committees both on a state and national level. Frank is also a past president of both the National Council on Teacher Retirement and the National Association of State Retirement Administrators.
 Michael T. Merlob
Michael T. Merlob is a Consulting Actuary at Gallagher Benefit Services. Mr. Merlob has over 22 years of experience providing actuarial services to clients. Mr. Merlob is a Fellow of the Society of Actuaries. Mr. Merlob has performed actuarial valuations for a broad clientele of corporations and municipalities, prepared governmental and financial statement filings, as well as being a frequent author and speaker on pension and retiree benefits medical accounting. Mr. Merlob has presented testimony to the Financial Accounting Standards Board regarding accounting for Other Post Employment Benefits (OPEB), assisted in labor negotiations, mergers and acquisitions, plant closing and early retirement incentive program analysis. Mr. Merlob has also helped clients analyze funding and asset allocation options, and is responsible for office compliance with professional standards. Mr. Merlob currently serves as Trustee of the City of Parkland (Florida) Police Pension Board, and is a prior Member of the City of Norwalk (Connecticut) Pension Board.
 James Manley
James Manley is a founding member and advisor to 3D Asset Management having served the asset management needs of Taft/Hartley and Public Pensions for over 36 years. Jim graduated from Penn’s Wharton School with a BS in economics and minored in industrial relations. Jim’s career includes serving as A.G. Becker’s National Coordinator for Taft/Hartley programs and Public Pension Funds coordinator for the East Coast. Jim also served union and public funds having held positions with Lehman Management Company, Miller Anderson & Sherred and Morgan Stanley in New York City, where upon resigning established JM Associates in Cranbury, NJ. Jim is a 30-year veteran of military service and retired USMC Colonel.
 David Daly
David Daly is the Administrator of the National Pension Education Association(NPEA), an organization of over 90 public pension systems dedicated to promoting pension educaton programs to assist the nation's public employees plan for a successful retirement. He a frequent speaker on pension and communication issues at state and national conferences. He retired in 2005 as the manager of the Public Information Office of the New York State Teachers' Retirement System which represents over 400,000 active and retired members. He was the System's spokesperson and was responsible for its publications,website and media information. Previosly he served as the coordinator of retirement planning where he organized and implemented the System's highly successful retirement planning seminar program. David began his career in education as a junior high school teacher and coach prior to joining the Retirement System as an Information Representative. He served on the board of directors of NPEA from 1994 to 2006. He is a graduate of Mount St. Mary's University and the University of Albany.
 Raymond T. Edmondson
Raymond T. Edmondson is the Executive Director of Florida Public Pension Trustees Association, and Chairperson of the Statewide Public Pension Organizational Network. Mr. Edmondson served in the US Navy Seabees. Mr. Edmondson was a member of the Fraternal Order of Police Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, Lodge 31. He has served as President for 7 years, State FOP Lobbyist, Legislative Chairperson, Local Legal Assistance Chairperson, Administrator of Health Insurance Program, Trustee Police & Fire Pension System for eight years, and is a founder of FPPTA and SPPON. Raymond graduated from Don Bosco Tech Catholic Boys School, he received the Machine Design Ford Award for Machine Technology. Farleigh Dickinson University Industrial Engineering, New Jersey. Licensed Real Estate Broker New Jersey, Certified Firefighter, New Jersey, Certified Police Officer, Florida. Raymond is a licensed Insurance Broker in Florida, licensed General Contractor with unlimited Class A in Florida. Raymond is a Certified Public Pension Trustee in Florida. Raymond attended Broward Community College, Florida, and Florida Atlantic University, Florida receiving a degree in Criminal Justice.
Mary Most Vanek
Mary Most Vanek is the Executive Director of the Minnesota Public Employees Retirement Association (PERA). She has been a member of the PERA staff since January 1975 and was appointed by the Board to her current position in January 1997. With total assets close to $20 billion, PERA administers three defined benefit plans that provide retirement, survivor and disability benefits to over 160,000 local government employees working for cities, counties and school districts, as well as a defined contributions plan for 4500 local government elected officials. Benefits of $1 billion a year are currently paid to more than 70,000 former members and their beneficiaries. Mary directs a staff of 94 employees located in PERA’s main office in St. Paul, and satellite offices in northeastern and south central Minnesota. Mary was on the board of the National Pension Education Association (formerly National Preretirement Education Association) for ten years and has spoken on preretirement education at conferences hosted by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans.
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