Events & Training
Regional Pre-Retirement Conferences
Handouts/Presentation | AgendaThese conferences are free half-day events designed to help employees better understand their TMRS benefits and make plans for their retirement. The programs also include a presentation by a Social Security expert. They are especially useful for members eligible for or considering retirement. TMRS provides a continental breakfast, and spouses are welcome to attend.
2020 Conference Calendar
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Cancelled Travel is suspended until further notice due to COVID-19. |
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Cancelled November 18 Regional Pre-Retirement Conference – North Richland Hills |
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Cancelled December 9 Regional Pre-Retirement Conference – Sherman |
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Cancelled December 15 Regional Pre-Retirement Conference – Richardson |
About City Correspondent Certification Courses
Course Manual | AgendaThis one-and-a-half-day training course gives City Correspondents and other TMRS plan administrators the knowledge and tools they need to function in partnership with TMRS. After taking the course, you receive a certificate, making you a certified City Correspondent.
2020 Course Calendar
| Cancelled Travel is suspended until further notice due to COVID-19. |
About Executive Workshops
Presentations | Executive E-NewsThese free workshops are held in cities around the state to provide TMRS-related education for City Managers, Assistant City Managers, Finance Officers, HR Directors, elected officials, and other decision-makers at cities. Presentations cover TMRS plan design, the value of TMRS as a benefit for your city, TMRS investments and actuarial funding to help you understand your plan's costs. Each Executive Workshop lasts approximately 2.5 hours, with a light breakfast and lunch served.
2020 Executive Workshops
Dates are listed below. Check back for registration links.
You can read the most recent Executive E-news for more information related to our Executive Workshops.
| Cancelled Travel is suspended until further notice due to COVID-19. |
About the TMRS Annual City Conference
Annual City Conferences allow city administrators and decision-makers to network with TMRS staff and peers and keep abreast of TMRS changes and policies.
2019 Annual City Conference
The 2019 TMRS Annual City Conference was held November 3-5 at the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa in San Antonio, Texas. The event included panel discussions and presentations on legislation, investments, security, legal issues, actuarial matters, and city services, our four visiting speakers discussed leadership, collaboration, business etiquette, and the psychological aspects of retirement.
2018 Annual City Conference
The 2018 TMRS Annual City Conference was held in Lakeway at the Lakeway Resort & Spa on November 7 - 9. The theme of the Seminar was “Sailing into Retirement.” In addition to panel discussions and presentations on the topics of investments, transparency, rate stability, and training, our visiting experts discussed educational storytelling, Texas demographics, and cybersecurity.
2017 Annual Annual City Conference
Our 2017 annual training event for cities, "Strong by Design," was held in Grapevine on October 25–27, 2017.
| Presentations |
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| TMRS — The Basics TMRS Staff |
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Welcoming Remarks | TMRS — Strong by Design TMRS Staff |
| Panel — Actuarial and Investment Overview TMRS Staff |
| Finance and GASB Update TMRS Staff and Bob Scott, CFO, Carrollton |
| Strength in Numbers — Membership and Retirement Hot Topics TMRS Staff |
| Strength in Projects — New Processes to Benefit our Membership TMRS Staff |
| Legislative Issues — National & State Level TMRS Staff |
| Outline of Fiduciary Responsibility TMRS Staff and Robert D. Klausner, Esquire |
| About CPE Credit and Other Seminar Materials
CPE Credit Instructions TMRS Staff |
| CPE Credit Rate Sessions Form TMRS Staff |
| City Portal flyer TMRS Staff |
| MyTMRS flyer TMRS Staff |
| City Portal Training Manual • October 2017 TMRS Staff |
2016 Annual City Conference
Our annual training event for cities, “The Power of Partnership,” was held on September 7-9, 2016. The training was focused on those who administer TMRS at our member cities: City Correspondents, HR and Finance personnel, and City Portal Administrators and users.
| Session |
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| Introduction to TMRS TMRS Staff |
| Opening Keynote The Power of Partnership Reggie Butler, Performance Paradigm, LLC |
| Funding and Investments TMRS Staff and Mark Randall, GRS |
| Important Issues and Error Correction Panel Discussion |
| Update on GASB Implementation TMRS Staff and Bob Scott, CFO, Carrollton |
| Legal Issues and Special Considerations Panel Discussion |
| TMRS Makes Sense TMRS Staff |
| Current State and National Issues TMRS Staff and Keith Brainard, NASRA |
| The Full Retirement Picture – Social Security and Medicare Social Security Handout TMRS Staff and Tom Clark, Social Security Consultant |
| Closing Keynote The Power of Public Pensions Julia Nicholson, Pension Consultant |
2015 Annual City Conference
The TMRS Annual City Conference for 2015, "The Direct Approach," was held in San Antonio, Texas, on November 9-10, 2015. In addition to focusing on pension issues and administrative training, the 2015 seminar showcased TMRSDirect, our online project to provide "straight-through processing" for TMRS cities and members.
Financial Presentations
- Kicking the Tires Without Stubbing Your Toe – Pension Plan Due Diligence and Audit Procedures for Employers
Robert Scott and Susan Warren
- Swinging from Theory into Practice – Accounting for Your Pension Plan and Resources for Employers
Robert Scott and Rhonda Covarrubias
- The Actuarial Changes and the Investment Assumption
Mark Randall
- Overview of TMRS Investments
TJ Carlson - Federal and State Legislative Overview
Leigh Snell and Dan Wattles
TMRS Training Presentations
- Membership in TMRS
TMRS Travel Team - Retirement with TMRS
TMRS Travel Team
- Social Security and Medicare
TMRS Travel Team
- Solving Thorny Benefit Problems
TMRS Travel Team
- Tales Around the Campfire
TMRS Travel Team
Seminar Flyers
The 2014 Annual City Conference
The TMRS Annual City Conference, "Exploring TMRS," was held in Austin on November 17-18.
2014 Flyer and Registration | Agenda
Overview
- TMRS – The Year in Review
David Gavia
General Session Presentations
- Generations Matter Presentation | Ten Transcendent Trends Reshaping Retirement Systems Flyer | Generations Matter Flyer
John W. Martin
- Federal and State Legislative and Regulatory Update (Federal | State)
Jeannine Markoe Raymond and Dan Wattles
- GASB Disclosure Requirements
Robert Scott and Rhonda Covarrubias
- The Breakdown in Retirement Security and the Role of Smart Employer Plans
Teresa Ghilarducci
TMRS Training Presentations
- How Does TMRS Membership Work?
TMRS Travel Team
- What Does it Mean to Retire with TMRS?
TMRS Travel Team
- What Issues Can Affect Members?
TMRS Travel Team
Financial Presentations
- Investment Update
TJ Carlson
- Actuarial Update – Exploring the New GASB Changes
Mark Randall
- Communicating to Elected Officials, the Public, Cities, and Members
Bill Wallace
2013 Annual City Conference - Austin
This 2013 TMRS Annual City Conference, "Ahead of the Curve," was held Tuesday, November 19 through Wednesday, November 20.
General Session Presentations
- Retirement Security for All (link to text of speech), Karen Freidman, Pension Rights Center
- Public Pensions • A National Overview, Keith Brainard, NASRA
- Practical Economics in a Noisy World, Jim Kee, South Texas Money Management
Financial Presentations
- The Coming Actuarial Changes, Mark Randall, GRS
- Staying Ahead of the Invesment Curve, Marcia Beard, RVK
- Update on GASB Changes, Rhonda Covarrubias and Leslee Hardy, TMRS
- Legislative and Legal Summary, Michelle Mellon-Werch and Dan Wattles, TMRS
Training Track Presentations
- How Does Membership Work, TMRS Staff
- What Does it Mean to Retire with TMRS, TMRS Staff
- What Issues Can Affect Members, TMRS Staff
- How Can Cities Improve the TMRS Partnership,TMRS Staff
2012 Annual City Conference - Sugar Land
The 2012 TMRS Annual City Conference, "TMRS Retirement Toolkit," was held Sunday, October 7 through October 9 at the Sugar Land Marriott Town Square.
General Session Presentations
- Pension Straight Talk, Kelly Kenneally, NIRS
- TMRS Legislative Update | TMRS Facts (handout), Dan Wattles, TMRS
- Legal Protections of Public Pensions, Robert D. Klausner, TMRS Fidicuary Counsel
- The Real Value of a TMRS Benefit, David Rodriguez and Leslee Hardy, TMRS
Training Track Presentations
- Membership, Lorraine Moreno, TMRS
- Retirement, Colin Davidson, TMRS
- Death, Divorce and Taxes, Shannon Lucero, TMRS
- TMRS — The Whole Picture, Travel Team, TMRS
Financial Presentations
- Actuarial Update, Mark Randall, GRS
- Navigating the Current Environment, Jim Voytko and Marcia Beard, RVK
- GASB's and Moody's Proposed Changes, David Kausch, GRS
- Payroll 101, Sean Thompson and Debbie Muñoz, TMRS