Dear NAGDCA Friends
Public-employer sponsored deferred compensation plans were in their infancy thirty years ago. NADGCA was founded to fill that information gap and to provide deferred compensation plan sponsors and administrators with a national network where they could share ideas, create educational opportunities, and advance best practices in administration and responsibilities. NAGDCA has grown from its initial founding members of administrators of state deferred compensation plans to include local plans and the wider defined contribution community. This year has been another testament to meeting those goals and continued growth.
Planning for the Annual Conference is nearly complete. The Conference Committee has put together another exemplary array of breakout topics to be led by knowledgeable presenters. Philadelphia is an exciting city that is full of historical sites and significance. We hope that all NAGDCA members will be able to attend the Conference, partake in the educational opportunities, and experience a little history.
Part of our future is in the hands of the next generation. Again this year, college students will be attending the Conference to obtain insights to serving public employees through defined contribution plans and the opportunities this provides. Being a mentor to a student during the Conference is a very rewarding experience. We are currently seeking volunteer mentors and heartily recommend that you share your time and expertise through this program.
The Arthur N. Caple Foundation will again be awarding scholarships to very deserving students. This year’s full scholarship is being awarded to Graham Brown of the University of Georgia. Graham’s academic accomplishments and extracurricular activities show great aptitude toward financial planning and a wide open future. Congratulation’s to Graham. Five additional travel scholarships are also being awarded.
We have been working to provide an educational program for colleges that explains retirement issues in the public sector. For the second year, NAGDCA has been invited to college campuses to make this presentation. But we can’t always honor a request to do an in person presentation. This year we developed a web based presentation that any one can download from our website. Special thanks to the Education Committee for creating the slide show presentation and to Jack Schafroth (Oregon) who provided the presentation voice over.
2010 is another exciting and productive year thanks to all of you. Your active participation on committees and task forces, as speakers at the Annual Conference and on web casts, as respondents to the NAGDCA surveys and numerous listserve questions, and as participants in the various programs and services permits NAGDCA to grow and continually strive to meet its founding goals. We have come a long way and I know that NAGDCA will continue to provide quality services over the next thirty years.
It is hard to believe that this is my last installment of the President’s Corner. Thank you for allowing me to serve you and NAGDCA as President this year and as an Executive Board Member for the past five years. It has been a very rewarding experience. Enjoy your summer and I look forward to seeing you in Philadelphia.
