85 Years Strong: Why the NCPERS Community Matters Now More Than Ever
By: Hank Kim, CEO, NCPERS
Anniversaries have a way of sneaking up on us. One day you’re planning for “next year,” and the next you’re looking back, wondering how time moved so quickly.
They’re a natural moment for reflection and celebration — an opportunity to take stock of what has endured, what has changed, and what we’ve learned along the way. Some things feel comfortably familiar year after year. Other challenges show up in new forms. And if we’re being honest, anniversaries also tend to remind us that none of us are getting any younger.
More than anything, though, anniversaries offer perspective. They remind us how progress is built: Steadily, intentionally, and by people willing to learn from one another.
Celebrating 85 Years of Serving Public Pensions: Join Us in Las Vegas
In just a few weeks, we’ll celebrate NCPERS’ 85th anniversary alongside more than 800 members in Las Vegas, May 17–20, during our Annual Conference & Exhibition (ACE).
ACE has long been a cornerstone of our community. It brings together new trustees, experienced board members, plan executives, staff, and service providers — professionals across roles and regions who all share responsibility for strengthening retirement security for public servants.
With 40+ educational sessions, ACE provides a truly 360-degree view of the issues shaping public pensions today — from governance and investments to actuarial science, legal compliance, and emerging trends. The goal is not theory, but practical insight participants can take back to their boards, teams, and systems.
What Makes ACE Special Every Year: The Public Pension Community
As important as the content is, what truly sets ACE apart year after year is the community.
Public pensions operate in a complex environment, but they are also uniquely collaborative. Across the industry, there is a genuine willingness to share experiences, lessons learned, and practical solutions. Nowhere is that more evident than at NCPERS in-person events, where members openly exchange ideas, learn from one another, and build connections that extend far beyond the conference itself.
The public pension community is rich with institutional knowledge shaped by decades of experience. As the largest association serving public sector retirement systems, NCPERS plays a critical role in convening that expertise — creating space for best practices, peer-tested strategies, and candid conversations about shared challenges.
When professionals from different systems and roles come together, everyone benefits. Leaders leave better informed, better connected, and more confident knowing they don’t have to navigate today’s uncertainty alone.
Evolving With the Industry We Serve: NCPERS 2.0
Celebrating 85 years is also a reminder that longevity only matters when it’s paired with relevance.
Since NCPERS was founded in 1941, our mission has remained constant: to help protect and strengthen retirement security for public servants. But the world public pensions operate in today looks very different than it did even a decade ago. The financial, regulatory, and political landscape has become more complex, and expectations on pension professionals continue to grow.
Meeting that moment requires more than maintaining tradition — it requires evolution.
That’s the thinking behind NCPERS 2.0, a transformation that goes far beyond a new logo and website. It represents a bold new vision for how we connect with our members, deliver value, and support public pension leaders as they navigate what’s next.
It reflects a renewed commitment to how we show up for our community: providing informed perspective on emerging issues, fostering a true sense of professional belonging, and delivering practical, real-world solutions grounded in peer experience.
Looking Ahead
If you’ll be joining us at NCPERS Annual Conference & Exhibition in Las Vegas, May 17–20, I look forward to connecting in person — whether you’re coming to sharpen your expertise, strengthen your governance practices, or reconnect with peers who understand what’s at stake.
And if you haven’t made plans yet, consider this your reminder: in an industry built on long-term thinking, there are few investments more valuable than time spent learning from and building relationships with the public pension community.
Here’s to 85 years of service, and to the work ahead that we’ll continue building together.