Robert Clark is Chair of N.C. Future of Retirement Study Commission

A 13-member commission, comprised of government employees and retirees, human resource experts and private sector leaders, will proactively address the need for change by evaluating and making recommendations for the retirement benefits of North Carolina’s state and local government employees hired in the future.

The commission will be chaired by Robert Clark, a national expert on retirement and pension issues. Clark specializes in aging and labor economics and pension and retirement policies. He has served as a research director of the TIAA-CREF Institute, is a senior fellow at the Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development, and is a member of the Pension Research Council.

“North Carolina is fortunate to have Robert Clark and this group of commission members that bring such a wide range of expertise to this important issue,” stated Cowell in a press release announcing the commission in December 2009. “This diverse group is committed to researching potential options to ensure a safe retirement for our public servants. Their work has the potential to be referred to nationally as our economy and workforce continue to change.”

The first meeting of the commission will take place January 25, 2010, with the group working through the year and targeting the second quarter for initial findings. The department’s website will host a Study Along with the Commission section providing the public with the materials presented to the commission and updates on discussions and events.

The current benefit design has been largely the same since 1963, despite significant changes to the workforce. Additionally, retirement systems across the country have started to attract national attention during the financial crisis and warrant increased attention as funding levels drop and many private sector employees have been forced to delay retirement.

NC State College of Management students in an undergraduate economics class are following the commission’s work in the spring 2010 semester.

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Undergraduate Economics Students Following Deliberations of State Commission