Leonard Gilroy is Vice President of Government Reform at Reason Foundation and Senior Managing Director of Reason's Pension Integrity Project.
Under Gilroy's leadership, the Pension Integrity Project at Reason Foundation assists policymakers and other stakeholders in designing, analyzing and implementing public sector pension reforms. The project aims to promote solvent, sustainable retirement systems that provide retirement security for government workers while reducing taxpayer and pension system exposure to financial risk and reducing long-term costs for employers/taxpayers and employees. The project team provides education, reform policy options, and actuarial analysis for policymakers and stakeholders to help them design reform proposals that are practical and viable.
Gilroy and the Pension Integrity Project have provided technical assistance to several successful pension reform efforts in recent years in Michigan, Colorado, Arizona, South Carolina and other states aimed at tackling persistent pension solvency challenges.
In his role as vice president, Gilroy also leads Reason's government reform efforts, with over 18 years of experience researching fiscal management, government operations, infrastructure public-private partnerships, government contracting, and urban policy topics. He also regularly consults with federal, state and local officials on ways to improve government performance and efficiency.
Gilroy has a diversified background in policy research and implementation, with particular emphasis on competition, government efficiency, transparency, accountability, and government performance. Gilroy has testified before Congress on several occasions and has testified on pension reform before the Arizona, Florida, Michigan, and Texas legislatures. Gilroy works closely with state and local elected officials across the country in efforts to design and implement market-based policy approaches, improve government performance, enhance accountability in government programs, and reduce government spending.
Gilroy's articles have been featured in such leading publications as The Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, New York Post, The Weekly Standard, Washington Times, Houston Chronicle, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Arizona Republic, San Francisco Examiner, San Diego Union-Tribune, Philadelphia Inquirer, Sacramento Bee, and The Salt Lake Tribune. He has also appeared on CNN, Fox News Channel, Fox Business, CNBC, National Public Radio and other media outlets.
Prior to joining Reason, Gilroy was a senior planner at a Louisiana-based urban planning consulting firm. He also worked as a research assistant at the Virginia Center for Coal and Energy Research at Virginia Tech. Gilroy earned a B.A. and M.A. in Urban and Regional Planning from Virginia Tech.
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How Would Senate Bill 321 Effect Texas’ Public Employee Recruitment and Retention
Only 14 percent of Texas new hires under 35 today are expected to serve a full career and receive an unreduced retirement benefit.
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Texas Considers Much Needed Reforms to Employees Retirement System
As Texas lawmakers consider the public pension reforms in Senate Bill 321, pension plan administrators warn that ERS is going to run out of money.
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Analysis of South Carolina Senate Bill 176
Senate Bill 176 would provide new hires a secure and attractive retirement plan that better protects the state's taxpayers.
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Analysis of Texas Senate Bill 321
Senate Bill 321 could save the state as much as $15 billion in long term costs and ensure that new employees' retirement benefits are fully funded.
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Testimony: Texas Pension Reform Effort Would Improve Retirement Security, Lower Costs
Legislation in Texas could save the state $15 billion in pension costs over 30 years.
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How to Make Positive Changes to the South Carolina Retirement System
This series of one-pagers aims to explain how a state can transition to a new retirement plan design, the benefits of expanding retirement plan choice for South Carolina's workers, and more.
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Testimony: How to De-Risk and Accurately Price Florida’s Pension Plan
Senate Bill 84 may result in long-term cost savings for the state, but if enacted, the Florida Retirement System will still be vulnerable to realistic market stresses.
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Texas Bill Threatens Houston’s Financial Wellbeing
Legislation to grant mandatory arbitration privileges to the Houston Fire Department could have severe negative impacts on Houston's finances.
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California’s Pension Debt Takes Money From Classrooms and Students
The rising cost of pension debt crowds out the education budget, diverting funds away from classrooms.
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Montana Public Employee Retirement System (MPERS) Pension Solvency Analysis
The Montana Public Employee Retirement System public pension plan is only 74 percent funded.
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North Dakota Public Employees Retirement System Pension Solvency Analysis
The public pension plan has only 68 percent of the assets needed to fully fund the system in the long-term.
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Contribution Increases Could Help New Mexico’s Teacher Pension Plan, But More Changes Are Necessary
Recently proposed changes would improve the pension plan's funded status, but still fall far short of helping the plan reach full funding.
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Defined Contribution Plans: Best Practices in Design and Utilization
If properly designed, defined contribution plans can meet the employee retirement needs of today’s evolving and dynamic public sector workforce.
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Public Pension Funds Should Avoid Social Investing Strategies
Basing investment strategies on environmental, social, and governance factors would likely violate public pension fiduciary duties.