From the Basketball Court to the C-Suite: Missie O’Neal’s Journey in Public Pension Leadership

NCPERS spoke with Missie O’Neal about the unique perspective women bring to public pension leadership and her experiences in her first year as ERFC’s Executive Director.

In celebration of Women’s History Month, NCPERS is highlighting the unique career paths of women shaping the future of the public pension industry.  

Missie O’Neal began her career as a women’s basketball coach at West Point. Today, she leads the Educational Employees’ Supplementary Retirement System of Fairfax County (ERFC), a $3.6 billion pension plan that helps build financial retirement security for more than 440,000 active and retired members.  

NCPERS spoke with Missie about the unique perspective women bring to public pension leadership, career transitions, and her experiences in her first year as ERFC’s Executive Director. 

How did your early experience as an athlete and basketball coach shape your leadership style?  

I approach every professional role as a part of a team. I feel very fortunate to have been a part of some amazing sports programs that were led by tremendous coaches. As an athlete, you learn to push through pressure, manage conflict and feel discomfort, but ultimately leadership habits are forged in being uncomfortable to grow in ways that you never thought possible.  

It’s no different in being a professional and leader.  

I have often been told my strength has been in planning for the future and I directly correlate that strength to college coaching where it was my responsibility to schedule and plan for one of the most prestigious military schools in the country. I am a believer that you become a better person by surrounding yourself with people that you can learn from. 

What initially drew you to working in the public pension industry?  

This industry was not something I had previously considered, but my professional career had set me on a path to be uniquely qualified for this role. After coaching at the college level for five years, I married an active-duty service member and moved overseas. During my 26 years as an Army spouse, I continued to find every opportunity to continue to grow personally and professionally.  

My communications and education foundations coupled with the jobs I have held previously provided me with perspectives no one else at ERFC had. Over the past five years, I was able to help modernize our internal operations by establishing an online retirement and building a stand-alone website. And now we’re undergoing a Pension Administration System (PAS) modernization project that will help ensure ERFC remains a leader amongst peers while providing enhanced security and customer service to our members. 

As you approach the one-year mark in your role as Executive Director for ERFC, how does it feel looking back on the past 12 months?

It’s been an incredible first year of learning, growth, and collaboration. Having previously served in multiple roles at ERFC, I’m now in a position to implement changes and guide our organization in a positive new direction. I’ve remained especially focused on retaining internal talent, and the support from our Board, Fairfax County Public Schools colleagues, and ERFC staff has been outstanding.  

Surrounding myself with experienced and driven executive deputies in the past several months provides the stability and strength ERFC needs to maintain succession planning as well, which is something that is very important to me for the security of the Plan. 

I have also been developing a solid network of peers across the industry, and I continue to learn so much from them.  

Is there a moment in your career you’re most proud of? 

I was asked to attend a ceremony for one of my former basketball players from West Point, where she spoke about how my presence in her life influenced her journey. She is now President and CEO of her own company and continues to give back in the nonprofit space.  

Being able to have a positive impact on the women around me is a tremendous privilege that I do not take lightly.  

What advice would you give to other women seeking a role in the C-suite?

Continue to find opportunities to learn and stay connected to the people that support you and want to see you grow.  

I also try to listen as much as possible rather than be the one leading a conversation. Having lived all over the U.S. and in Europe, navigating cultures and varying opinions also has been instrumental in learning that not everyone thinks or feels like me.  

And finally, don’t be afraid to ask for help. The Board has supported me in working with a professional coach during my first year and it has been a tremendous opportunity to take a deeper look at my leadership and how I can continue to improve. 

In a male-dominated industry, what unique strengths do you think women leading pension funds bring to the table?

Women leaders often excel at long-term planning. In this role, I must build trust with the staff, our Board, beneficiaries, and investment partners alike. Women often are the ones that build cultures where people feel heard and aligned because we have had to also be in this role in our personal lives as well. 

Leading an organization whose main population of membership is females, I can relate to how difficult it is to balance building a professional career, being a mother, and maintaining all that comes with having both. I often talk about how hard it was for me to search for opportunities, whether they were paid or volunteer, to continue to serve others and have a positive impact.   

I am ultimately responsible for sustaining our ERFC supplemental pension to help provide a more secure financial future for all of our members, but the women’s lives that I can positively affect is what ultimately drives me to continue to work harder each day.