Benefits Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes
IPERS Board Room
7401 Register Drive, Des Moines, Iowa
April 28, 2025
The following people attended the IPERS Benefits Advisory Committee (BAC) meeting held on Monday, April 28, 2025.
Members of the Benefits Advisory Committee - Present
Lowell Dauenbaugh, Chair
Matt Carver, Vice Chair
Sue Cave
Len Cockman
Todd Copley
Steve Hoffman
John Hieronymus
Richard Hoffman
Steve Hoffman
Connie Kuennen
Brian McDonough
Erin Mullenix
Melissa Peterson
Adam Steen
Members of the Benefits Advisory Committee - Absent
Andrew Hennesy
John Hieronymus
Richard Hoffman
IPERS Administration and Staff
Greg Samorajski, Chief Operating Officer
Steve Herbert, Chief Benefits Officer
Melinda McElroy, Executive Assistant
Sriram Lakshminarayanan, CIO
Elizabeth Hennessey, General Counsel
Shawna Lode, Chief Strategy Officer
Jan Hawkins, Deputy Chief Benefits Officer
Call to Order
Lowell Dauenbaugh, chair, called the meeting to order at 1:00 p.m.
Membership Elections
Three voting positions on the BAC were open for election and any member organization representing active or retired IPERS members was eligible for nomination.
Melissa Peterson nominated the School Administrators of Iowa. The nomination was seconded by Len Cockman and approved by unanimous roll call vote of the full BAC membership.
- Ayes: Lowell Dauenbaugh, Matt Carver, Susanna Cave, Len Cockman, Todd Copley, Steve Hoffman, Connie Keunnen, Brian McDonough, Erin Mullenix, Melissa Peterson and Adam Steen
- Nays: None
- Abstain: None
- MOTION PASSED
Sue Cave nominated AFSCME, with Melissa Peterson seconding the nomination. Following a roll call vote of the full BAC membership, the nomination did not receive sufficient support and therefore failed.
- Ayes: Todd Copley and Melissa Peterson
- Nays: Lowell Dauenbaugh, Matt Carver, Susanna Cave, Len Cockman, Steve Hoffman, Connie Keunnen, Brian McDonough and Erin Mullenix
- Abstain: Adam Steen
Steve Hoffman nominated the Iowa State Sheriffs and Deputies Association. The nomination was seconded by Len Cockman and approved by unanimous roll call vote of the full BAC membership.
- Ayes: Lowell Dauenbaugh, Matt Carver, Susanna Cave, Len Cockman, Todd Copley, Steve Hoffman, Connie Keunnen, Brian McDonough, Erin Mullenix, Melissa Peterson and Adam Steen
- Nays: None
- Abstain: None
- MOTION PASSED
Melissa Peterson reintroduced the nomination of AFSCME, which was seconded by Todd Copley. The nomination was approved following a roll call vote of the full BAC membership.
- Ayes: Lowell Dauenbaugh, Matt Carver, Susanna Cave, Todd Copley, Connie Keunnen, Erin Mullenix, Melissa Peterson and Adam Steen
- Nays: None
- Abstain: Len Cockman, Steve Hoffman and Brian McDonough
- MOTION PASSED
Approval of Meeting Minutes
Matt Carver moved to approve the minutes from the February 24, 2025, BAC meeting. The motion was seconded by Brian McDonough and was unanimously approved by voice vote.
CEM Performance Measurement Presentation - Christopher Doll
Christopher Doll of CEM Benchmarking presented IPERS’ Pension Administration Benchmarking results for FY2024.
CEO Report - Greg Samorajski
Greg Samorajski announced the appointments of Brent Mathisen and Sara Meinders to the IPERS Investment Board and noted the reappointment of Kris Rowley. Greg also reported that security enhancements to the IPERS building lobby are in progress, with completion targeted for late June.
2025 Legislative Session - Shawna Lode
Shawna Lode provided a legislative update on several bills IPERS is monitoring this session:
- SF162: Proposes amending Chapter 97B to remove Section 53A, which requires IPERS to send first-class mail notices to members who terminate public employment.
- HF969: Broadens the definition of cancer in Chapter 411. Chapter 97B references this definition for the purposes of determining disability benefits for Special Service members. The bill also introduces a contribution rate offset to cover employer medical costs.
- HF1023: Amends Chapter 97B to align benefits for protection occupation members with those provided to sheriffs and deputy sheriffs.
Staff Reports
Benefits Update
Steve Herbert reported there has been an increase in member calls to IPERS following the decision to default document delivery to digital. Members must actively change their delivery preference if they wish to continue to receive documents via U.S. Mail. Steve next reported IPERS is preparing to transition its call center operations to Amazon Connect to enhance service capabilities.
Investment Update
Sriram Lakshminarayanan reported IPERS’ Trust Fund balance at $44.68 billion and provided a general update on current investment market conditions.
Appeals Update
Elizabeth Hennessey reviewed the Appeal Status report as of April 2025.
Other Business
None
Public Comments
None
Future Meeting Dates
The next scheduled BAC meeting will be held on Monday, August 25, 2025. With no further business before the committee, Matt Carver moved to adjourn the meeting. The motion was seconded by Len Cockman and carried unanimously by voice vote. Meeting adjourned at 2:30 p.m.