Members’ Choice Award
Established in 2021, the Members’ Choice Award gives NAGDCA members the opportunity to recognize an outstanding project, program, or campaign that demonstrates innovation and excellence in public sector defined contribution plan administration.
Each year, Leadership Award finalists—those advancing to the final round of the Leadership Awards selection process—are eligible for the Members’ Choice Award. Beginning in 2026, voting opens prior to the Annual Conference, allowing the Members’ Choice Award winner to be recognized during the conference. The finalist receiving the most votes earns complimentary NAGDCA membership for the following year—and, of course, major bragging rights.
2026 Members’ Choice Award Winner
Pennsylvania Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS)
Implementing a Life-Cycle Based, Data-Driven Communication and Engagement Model
Selected by their fellow NAGDCA members, the Pennsylvania Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS) earned the 2026 NAGDCA Members’ Choice Award for its innovative approach to participant communications. PSERS replaced a one-size-fits-all strategy with targeted messaging based on members’ tenure and engagement, creating communication “lanes” that deliver relevant education at key points in the retirement journey.
The initiative covers nearly 105,000 participants and delivered more than 1.3 million emails in 2025, generating a 48.9% open rate and nearly 37,000 clicks. The targeted approach also contributed to increased use of PSERS’ online retirement account resources and greater engagement with financial wellness education.
PSERS’ work demonstrates how thoughtful, data-informed communications can make retirement education more relevant and actionable for participants. NAGDCA members can look to PSERS’ approach for inspiration as they consider new ways to engage participants throughout their retirement journey.