Public Funds Summit East 2023
Newport Marriott, Newport, RI
July 10, 2023 - July 12, 2023
Opal Financial Group’s annual public funds conference addresses issues that are critical to the investment success of senior public pension fund officers and trustees in the new millennium. Concerns of funding liabilities for beneficiaries in a world of declining returns yet maintaining a balance between the risk/reward paradigms is center in the mind of many trustees and representatives of pension plans around the country. The exchange of ideas both in and out of the session halls are key in educating and identifying viable alternatives that will address these concerns. We will discuss how surplus returns should affect employee benefit plans; closely examine the processes for selection and evaluation of investment managers. Beyond the investment sphere we also address legal issues facing pension plans, ethic regulations and the importance of on-going education for plan sponsors and their fiduciaries. Although attendance is not limited to those in the public sector, the conference takes aim at topics that are of particular relevance to public pension funds. By focusing on an atmosphere of education rather than sales or marketing, the Public Funds Summit provides a unique environment in which members of the public sector can exchange ideas and learn from other delegates, money managers and consultants. Opal will kick off the event with a Morning Harbor Excursion, a refreshing and invigorating start to the event, providing an opportunity for networking, relaxation, and a memorable experience for all attendees.
CONFERENCE FORMAT
This conference will exclusively feature dialogue driven panel discussions led by consultants and pension funds/plan sponsors. Power Point presentations are prohibited during the sessions but may be made available on our mobile app. Please send in PDF or PowerPoint format if you would like to have presentation included on App. Only Standalone Speakers will be allowed to use PowerPoints, but cannot pitch products or advertise anything with their firms.
Current as of July 1, 2023
| 8:00 am |
MORNING HARBOR EXCURSION NETWORKING EVENT |
| 10:00 am |
Exhibit Set Up |
| 11:30 am |
Registration & Information Desk & Exhibit Hall Opens |
| 1:15 pm |
Welcoming Remarks Xay Khamsyvoravong, Mayor of Newport, RI James A. Diossa, General Treasurer, State of Rhode Island |
| 1:30 pm |
A Global Outlook: State of the Global Economy, US Retirement System and Future Forecast
Moderator
Sarah Hammer, Executive Director, The Wharton School
Panelists
Julian Regan, Senior Vice President, Public Sector Market Leader, Segal Marco Advisors Stacey Dion, Partner, Head of Global Government Affairs, The Carlyle Group Michael Acton, CFA, Managing Director, Head of AEW Research, AEW Capital Management, L.P. |
| 2:25 pm |
Traditional Allocation Strategies: Where are the Equity and Fixed Income Markets Heading and How Should Pensions Allocate Moving Forward?
Moderator
Joe Matthews, CFA, CFP, Senior Institutional Consultant, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management
Panelists
William Beck, Senior Vice President, Wilshire Scott Kimball, CIO, Loop Capital Asset Management Russ Kamp, Managing Director, Ryan ALM, Inc. Alan Hickey, Director, Setanta Asset Management |
| 3:10 pm |
Futuristic Suburbanism: Putting Unity Back Into Community
Presented by
Ari Rastegar, Founder & CEO, Rastegar Property |
| 3:40 pm |
Networking Refreshment Break |
| 4:00 pm |
Alternative Ideas for Alternative Thinkers: Emerging, Niche, & Non-Correlated Alternative Strategies for Pension Plans
Moderator
Brian Green, Partner, Consulting Department, AndCo Consulting
Panelists
Jim Robertson, Executive Vice President – Private Debt, ATEL Growth Capital Brian Sunday, Managing Director & Portfolio Manager, AEW Capital Management, L.P. Jim Schnorf, Investment Committee, Eastern Illinois University Foundation Paul Whiting, CEO, Farsight Partners |
| 4:40 pm |
Portfolio and Investment Risk Management: What Are You Ignoring?
Moderator
Guy Pinkman, Trustee, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation / Lincoln Fire & Police Retirement System
Panelists
Floyd Simpson CFA, CAIA, Director, PFM Asset Management David Thomas, Chief Executive Officer, Founder & Senior Investment Management Consultant, Equitas Capital Advisors Irv Lowenberg, City Treasurer, City of Southfield Fire & Police Retirement System |
| 5:20 pm |
LP Roundtable: A Conversation with Pension CEOs, CIOs, & Executive Directors
Moderator
Frederick Bailey, Trustee & Chairman of Investment Committee, City of Savannah Employee's Retirement Plan
Panelists
Sriram Lakshminarayanan, CIO, Iowa Public Employees' Retirement System Steve Delaney, Chief Executive Officer, Orange County Employees Retirement System (OCERS) |
| 6:00 pm |
Networking Cocktail Hour |
| 8:40 am |
Registration/Information Desk Opens |
| 8:40 am |
Networking Breakfast |
| 9:35 am |
Welcoming Remarks |
| 9:40 am |
Keynote Fireside Chat:
State and Future of Community and Regional Banking
Speaker
Adrienne Harris, Superintendent, New York State Department of Financial Services
Moderator
Sarah Hammer, Executive Director, The Wharton School |
| 10:10 am |
Recovering Damages from Frauds in Non-Conventional Investments and the Current Banking Crisis
Moderator
Kurt Vroman, Chairman, Deltona Firefighters Pension Plan
Panelists
Serena Hallowell, Member, Motley Rice Chet Waldman, Senior Partner, Wolf Popper LLP Scott Foglietta, Partner, Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann LLP |
| 11:10 am |
Real Estate & Real Asset Investing for Institutional Investors
Moderator
William Veliz, Trustee, El Paso Firemen and Policemen's Pension Fund
Panelists
Frederick Bailey, Trustee & Chairman of Investment Committee, City of Savannah Employee's Retirement Plan Eliza Bailey, Managing Principal, Belay Investment Group Dean Crombie, Trustee, New Hampshire Municipal Retirement System |
| 12:00 pm |
Crisis Communications: Reflections and Lessons Learned from the Highland Park, Ill., Parade Shooting. What your Comms team wants you to know and steps you can take to prepare for the unthinkable
Presented by
Michelle Holleman, Director of Communications, Chicago Teachers’ Pension Fund |
| 12:30 pm |
Networking Luncheon |
| 1:50 pm |
Opportunities in Credit & Private Debt: A Mature Asset Class for Pensions
Moderator
Kevin M. Nichols, CPWA®, CAIA®, CIMA®, QPFC, Financial Advisor, Senior Investment Management Consultant, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management
Panelists
James Parker, Co-Founder, Leonid Capital Management Ken Kencel, President and CEO, Churchill Asset Management Peter Gleysteen, CEO/CIO, AGL Credit Management |
| 2:50 pm |
Private Equity and Venture Capital: Where Are The Opportunities in the Private Markets?
Moderator
Jack Frost, Trustee, West Palm Beach (FL) Police Pension Fund
Panelists
Eric Newman CPA, CGMA, Treasury Manager, City of Stamford (Conn) Dail St. Claire, President & Sr. Advisor, St. Claire Consultants, LLC Svetlana Loshakov, Senior Managing Director, Head of Investment Office, Clearstead |
| 3:30 pm |
Networking Refreshment Break |
| 4:00 pm |
Integrating ESG Investment Strategies and Policies for Pensions
Moderator
Oliver Fadly, Principal, Head of Private Debt, NEPC, LLC
Panelists
Timothy Schantz, Chairman of the Investment Committee, Historical Society of Pennsylvania Laura Weeks, Relationship Manager, UN Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) Francie Heller, Member Board of Trustees, Furman University Endowment |
| 5:00 pm |
Panels Conclude |
| 5:30 pm |
Shuttle Bus Service to Summer Social Bash |
| 6:10 pm |
Summer Social Networking Bash |
| 8:30 am |
Registration Desk Opens & Networking Breakfast |
| 9:30 am |
Breakfast with Consultants: Gatekeepers vs. Outsourced Due-Diligence
Moderator
Guy Pinkman, Trustee, Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, Lincoln Fire & Police Retirement System
Panelists
Daniel Johnson, Partner, Consulting Director, AndCo Consulting Oliver Fadly, Principal, Head of Private Debt, NEPC, LLC Christopher S. Tessman, Senior Vice President, Wilshire Advisors, LLC Christopher Cutler, CFA, Founder, Manager Analysis Services |
| 10:10 am |
Non-Investment Challenges: 5+ Questions Facing Pension Plans and How to Handle Them
Moderator
Kurt Vroman, Chairman, Deltona Firefighters Pension Plan
Panelists
Steve Delaney, Chief Executive Officer, Orange County Employees Retirement System (OCERS) Irv Lowenberg, City Treasurer, City of Southfield Fire & Police Retirement System |
| 10:40 am |
Learning from Actuaries: Actuarial Science and Your Pension Plan
Moderator
Greg Knoll, Beneficiary Trustee & Board Treasurer, Illinois Fire Pension Investment Fund / IPFA Executive Director
Panelists
Michelle Boyles, Consulting Actuary, Bolton William Fornia, FSA, President, Pension Trustee Advisors |
| 11:20 am |
Practical Tools to Improve Governance, Fiduciary Responsibility & Avoid Conflicts
Moderator
Michael Grodi, Board Chair, Monroe County Employees Retirement System
Panelist
Jillean Battle, Chief Deputy Treasurer, General Counsel and Chief Privacy Officer, Office of the Indiana State Treasurer |
| 12:00 pm |
Conference Concludes |
Registration Pricing
| Standard Rate | |
|---|---|
| Managers/Service Providers | $2,895 |
| Plan Sponsors, Pension Trustee & Staff, Non-Discretionary Consultants, Endowments, and Foundations can be verified for complimentary access* (must be allocators to 3rd party fund managers) | Complimentary* |
*Subject to Opal Group’s verification and approval. Only individuals who are solely investing on their own behalf can be verified for a complimentary pass. Solution Providers or Fund Providers to third parties will not be able to receive complimentary access. As investment portfolios/strategies are constantly changing, we reserve the right to re- verify past delegates for future complimentary passes.
- Pension Outlook: The State of the U.S.Retirement System
- New Styles and Strategies for Investing
- Asset Allocation best Practices
- Ongoing Education for Plan Fiduciaries and Participants
- Challenges facing Public Pension Plans
- Risk Management
- Manager Selection
- Equity Investing
- Securities Lending
- Hedge Funds
- Private Equity/Venture Capital
- Real Estate
- Real Assets – precious metals, timber, infrastructure, agriculture, managed futures, etc.
- Emerging and Frontier Markets
- Choosing the right advisor/consultant
- and many more!
- Pension Rep – Trustee, Administrators, Commissioners, Staff
- Consultants
- Attorneys
- Taft Hartley Reps – Trustee, Administrators, Commissioners, Staff
- Accountants
- Hedge Funds
- Fund of Funds
- Real Estate Managers
- Equity Managers
- Venture Capitalists
- Private Equity
- Insurance Companies
- Benefit Companies
- Public Service Administrative Providers
