Public Pension Communicator of the Year Award
The Public Pension Communicator of the Year award, presented by NCPERS, honors the communications staff person at a public pension who has demonstrated superior leadership skills; innovation and creativity; and created an impact with their communications endeavors in the preceding year.
The first-ever winners were honored in person at NCPERS Pension Communications Summit in Washington, DC on January 22, 2024.
The deadline to nominate an individual for the 2023 award has passed. To learn more about the judging process, please review the scoring rubric and FAQs below. If you have any additional questions, please contact communications@ncpers.org.
Who is eligible for the Public Pension Communicator of the Year Award?
Employees of public pension funds. The fund must be an active NCPERS member in good standing. However, you do not need to be an NCPERS member to nominate an individual. To verify your membership status, please contact membership@ncpers.org.
How do I nominate someone for the award?
You can either nominate someone else or self-nominate. We strongly recommend reviewing the judging criteria before completing your submission. The deadline to nominate an individual for the 2023 awards was Friday, November 10.
How will submissions be evaluated?
Submissions will be scored anonymously by a panel of three judges with communications expertise. Identifying information will be removed during this review process. Please see the scoring rubric for specific criteria.
Who has received the award?
2023 Winner, less than $10 billion AUM category: Alison Taylor-Thévenin, Deputy Director, Member Communications for the New York City Board of Education Retirement System
2023 Winner, $10-50 billion AUM category: Taneda Larios, Chief Benefits Analyst for the Los Angeles City Employees’ Retirement System
2023 Winner, greater than $50 billion AUM category: Patrick von Keyserling, Senior Director of Communications for Colorado PERA
2023 Honorable Mention: Michelle Holleman, Director, Communications and Stakeholder Relations for the Chicago Teachers' Pension Fund