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Missouri Local Government Employees Retirement System

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Missouri Local Government Employees Retirement System (LAGERS)
MissouriLocalGovernmentEmployeesRetirementSystemLogo.png
Basic facts
Location:Jefferson City, Missouri
Top official:Joan Leary, chair
Year founded:1967
Active members:36,453
Website:Official website
Total assets under management
2023:$10,141,171,396
See also: Public pensions in Missouri

The Missouri Local Government Employees Retirement System (LAGERS) is a Missouri state pension fund that provides retirement, disability, and survivor benefits to the state's local government employees such as firefighters, police officers, utility workers, EMTs, public works personnel, librarians, and others. The Missouri Local Government Employees Retirement System had $10,141,171,396 ($10.1 billion) in total assets under management as of June 30, 2023.[1]

The management of public pension funds can indicate support or opposition to environmental, social, and corporate governance (ESG) investment practices. ESG investing considers the extent to which corporations align with and promote certain non-financial standards, such as net carbon emission or corporate board diversity goals. States typically hire asset management companies (AMCs) to direct pension plan investments, some of which have ESG commitments that guide their strategies.

This article features the following sections:

Background

See also: Public pensions

The Missouri Local Government Employees Retirement System, founded in 1967, is a defined benefit pension plan based on a formula established by Missouri state law. This plan—based on the employee's length of service and salary— provides retirement, disability, and survivor benefits to the state's local government employees such as firefighters, police officers, utility workers, EMTs, public works personnel, librarians, and others.[2]

The Missouri Local Government Employees Retirement System served over 36,453 active members and approximately 29,536 retirees and beneficiaries as of June 30, 2023.[1]

Pension performance overview

The following table features information about the funding level and assets managed by the Missouri Local Government Employees Retirement System as of June 30, 2023:[1]

Missouri Local Government Employees Retirement System pension performance (June 30, 2023)
Fiscal year Percent funded Unfunded liabilities Total assets
2023 95.1 % $ 518,141,998 $ 10,141,171,396

Assets and asset management

Environmental, social, and corporate governance
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Asset management companies (AMCs) are hired to manage asset investment for state pension funds across all 50 states.

As of October 2024, 330 AMCs were members of the Net Zero Asset Managers Initiative (NZAM), and 391 AMCs were investor participants in the Climate Action 100+ initiative. Both international asset manager initiatives aimed to align the investment decisions of signatories with the goal of achieving net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.[3][4]

NZAM announced on January 13, 2025, that it was suspending operations and removing the commitment statement and list of signatories from its website. The group said in a statement it would reevaluate its plans and operations in light of “[r]ecent developments in the U.S. and different regulatory and client expectations in investors’ respective jurisdictions.”[5]

List of AMCs contracting with the Missouri Local Government Employees Retirement System

The Missouri Local Government Employees Retirement System contracted with 56 asset management companies (AMCs) or specific funds as of June 30, 2024. Of those companies, three were investor participants in Climate Action 100+, and five were members of NZAM as of October 2024. The following list identifies the AMCs (and in some cases, the specific funds) contracting with the Missouri Local Government Employees Retirement System:[6]

Missouri Local Government Employees Retirement System asset management companies
Click on a column header below to sort the list of asset managers.
AMC name Investment type Assets under management Percentage of total fund assets NZAM Initiative signatory as of October 2024[7] Climate Action 100+ signatory as of October 2024
AJO Vista, LLC Equity, Fixed Income, Real Assets, Strategic; 27,387,000 3.308% No No
Dimensional Fund Advisors Equity; 15,136,000 1.828% No No
Russell Equity, Fixed Income; 3,600,000 0.435% Yes Yes
Alchemy Partners Equity, Fixed Income; No No
Federated MDT Advisors Equity; No No
Seizert Capital Partners Equity; No No
Allspring Global Equity; No Yes
FSN Capital Partners Equity; Yes No
Silvercrest Asset Management Group Equity; No No
Borromin Capital Equity; No No
Jennison Associates Equity; No Yes
Tailwind Capital Equity, Fixed Income; No No
Brentwood Associates Equity, Fixed Income; No No
Pamlico Capital Equity; No No
Timberland Investment Resources Equity, Real Assets; No No
Catterton Partners Equity; No No
Portfolio Advisors Equity, Fixed Income, Real Assets; No No
Walter Scott & Partners Limited Equity; No No
Copeland Capital Management Equity; No No
RFE Investment Partners Equity, Fixed Income; No No
AQR Capital Management Alpha; No No
BlackRock Alpha; Yes No
Bridgewater Associates Alpha; No No
Aberdeen Standard Investments Fixed Income; No No
Garrison Investment Group Fixed Income, Real Assets; No No
Resource Capital Funds Fixed Income, Real Assets, Strategic; No No
Global Infrastructure Partners Fixed Income, Real Assets; No No
HBG Advisors Fixed Income; No No
Hoisington Investment Management Fixed Income; No No
Sound Mark Partners Fixed Income, Real Assets, Strategic; No No
Eagle Private Capital Fixed Income; No No
Pacific Investment Management Co. Fixed Income, Real Assets; No No
Star Mountain Capital Fixed Income; No No
EIG Global Energy Partners Fixed Income, Real Assets; No No
Stonepeak Fixed Income, Real Assets; Yes No
Fidelity Institutional Asset Management Fixed Income; No No
Related Fund Management Fixed Income, Real Assets; No No
Fireside Financial Fixed Income, Real Assets; No No
Prudential Real Estate Investors Real assets; No No
Avenue Capital Group Real assets, Strategic; No No
Glenmont Partners Real assets; No No
Redcar Fund Management Real assets; No No
BentalGreenOak Real assets; No No
Blue Vista Capital Management Real assets; No No
I Squared Capital Advisors Real assets; No No
CBRE Investors Real assets; Yes No
Lease Corporation International Real assets; No No
Sole Shipping Real assets; No No
Crow Holdings Real assets; No No
Machine Investment Group Real assets, Strategic; No No
Noble Investment Group Real assets; No No
Europa Capital Partners Real assets; No No
Dock Square Capital Strategic; No No
Allegro Strategic; No No
Healthcare Royalty Partners Strategic; No No
Soryn IP GP I Strategic; No No

Governance and accountability

This section features information about the seven-member board of trustees that oversees the Missouri Local Government Employees Retirement System. The board is specific to oversight of the Missouri Local Government Employees Retirement System and does not exercise oversight duties for other state funds.[8]

Board selection method

The board of trustees that oversees the Missouri Local Government Employees Retirement System is made up of seven members who serve four-year terms. There are three Member Trustees, who are active employee members of LAGERS, three Employer Trustees, who are elected or appointed officials of a LAGERS participating employer but are not members of the system, and one Citizen Trustee, who is neither an active member nor an employer official. The three Member Trustees and the three Employer Trustees are elected at the LAGERS Annual Meeting. The Citizen Trustee is appointed by the governor.[8]

Board of trustees membership

A seven-member board of trustees oversees the operation and administration of Missouri Local Government Employees Retirement System. The following individuals served on the board as of September 2024:[8]

  • Joan Leary, chair
  • Frank Buck, vice chair
  • Sandy Walker
  • Mark Perkins
  • Tony Kelley
  • Chad Munsey
  • Claire West

See also

External links

Footnotes