SERS’ Board Appoints New Executive Director

At today’s special Board meeting, SERS’ Board announced the appointment of Ray Higgins as the System’s next executive director.

Higgins is expected to join the organization in early July. He was selected from a pool of highly qualified executives recruited in a national search conducted by Hudepohl & Associates.

With this appointment, Higgins becomes the eighth Executive Director since the System’s founding in 1937. “I am honored to be selected as the next executive director of SERS, and I am excited to join the team. SERS is respected nationally for its management, investment performance, and effective Board leadership,” Higgins said. “Together, we will work hard to maintain and enhance that reputation while ensuring the highest level of service to our members.”

Higgins has served as executive director of the $39 billion Public Employee’s Retirement System of Mississippi for the past eight years.

This public service followed almost 20 years working for the State of Georgia, including service as deputy director and chief operating officer for the Employees’ Retirement System of Georgia and deputy commissioner for the Department of Early Care and Learning.

Higgins received a B.B.A. degree in finance from Georgia Southern University, and a M.S. degree in finance and investments from Georgia State University.

“On behalf of the SERS Board, I would like to thank Richard Stensrud for his outstanding leadership and service to the System over the past nine years. Thanks to Richard’s direction, the organization is  in a strong position across all key metrics,” said James Rossler, Chair of the SERS Board. Stensrud will retire in July following nine years as SERS’ executive director.