SERS Leadership

Ray Higgins joined SERS as the Executive Director in 2026. He is the central point of accountability for SERS’ overall affairs, investment performance, and operational and financial performance.

Before joining SERS, Higgins served as Executive Director of the $39 billion Public Employees’ Retirement System of Mississippi from 2018 to 2026.

This public service followed nearly 20 years working for the State of Georgia in various roles including time serving as Deputy Director and Chief Operating Officer of the Employees’ Retirement System of Georgia and Deputy Commissioner for Finance and Administration with the Department of Early Care and Learning.

Higgins received an associate degree in business from Reinhardt College, a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in finance from Georgia Southern University and a Master of Science degree in finance with a specialization in investments from Georgia State University.

Karen Roggenkamp joined SERS as the Deputy Executive Director in 2019. She oversees the administration of SERS’s Member Services, Health Care, Information Technology, Administrative Services, and Human Resources departments.

Before joining SERS, Roggenkamp served as Deputy Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer of the Kentucky Retirement Systems. In addition, she served in various senior management positions at Huntington Bank and Bank One/JP Morgan Chase.

Roggenkamp received a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Western Kentucky University and her MBA from Xavier University.