For Immediate Release: February 24, 2021
Contact: Marty Karlon, Director of Communications & Legislative Affairs, (603) 410-3594; public_relations@nhrs.org
CONCORD, NH – The Board of Trustees of the New Hampshire Retirement System (NHRS, the retirement system) has named Jan Goodwin to lead the retirement system as Executive Director, effective April 1, 2021.
Goodwin is joining NHRS after leading the New Mexico Educational Retirement Board (NMERB) since 2008. She replaces George Lagos, who is retiring March 1.
As Executive Director, Goodwin will oversee the day-to-day operations of the retirement system. “I’m very pleased that the Trustees selected me for this position and I’m looking forward to working together with the Board to serve all the members and stakeholders in the retirement system,” she said.
At NMERB, a defined benefit plan for public school districts, state colleges and universities, and educational state agencies with 61,000 active members and $14 billion in assets, Goodwin focused on issues of sustainability, accountability and transparency. She is a graduate of Wesleyan University (B.A.), New York University Stern School of Business (M.B.A.) and the University of New Mexico (M.H.A.). Goodwin is also a C.P.A. and the president-elect of the National Council on Teacher Retirement. Prior to leading NMERB, she served as cabinet secretary of the New Mexico Taxation & Revenue Department.
Goodwin grew up in Albany, NY, and her parents worked in education. Her mother was an academic librarian at SUNY Albany and other institutions, and her father was a special education teacher. She is married and has two grown sons.
Goodwin was hired after a six-month national search conducted by the Personnel, Performance, and Compensation Committee of the Board of Trustees with the assistance of EFL Associates, a nationally recognized executive search firm.
“After carefully reviewing a strong pool of applicants, and upon the unanimous support of the search committee, the Board focused on Jan as its top choice,” said NHRS Board Chair Tim Lesko. “We are all very pleased to have been able to attract a candidate of Jan’s caliber and look forward to working with her to build on the progress NHRS has made over the past decade.”
NHRS Deputy Executive Director Tim Crutchfield will serve as Interim Executive Director, effective March 1.
About NHRS
NHRS provides retirement, disability, and death benefits to its eligible members and their beneficiaries. The State of New Hampshire and more than 460 local government employers participate in NHRS for their employees, teachers, firefighters, and police officers. NHRS has more than 48,000 active members and 39,000 benefit recipients. NHRS administers a defined benefit plan qualified as a tax-exempt entity under sections 401(a) and 501(a) of the Internal Revenue Code.
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