Leonard Gilroy
Vice President of Government Reform, Reason Foundation
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.
-
The case for Connecticut’s fiscal guardrails
The “fiscal guardrails” have saved Connecticut more than $170 million and could save $7 billion over the next 25 years.
-
Nonprofit announces new partnership with Ohio to tackle opioid addiction with ibogaine
A promising new partnership announced in Ohio this week will explore the use of the psychedelic compound ibogaine to treat opioid use disorder.
-
A policy framework for personal psychedelics licenses
Psychedelic licenses for consumers have advantages over the current approach in two U.S. states that rely on professionals to dispense and facilitate services.
-
Alternative approaches to psychedelics legalization and regulation after California Gov. Newsom’s veto
California is still in a strong position to pioneer the best regulatory system for psychedelics in the world.
-
North Dakota enacts landmark public pension reforms
The new pension reform will help solve NDPERS' unfunded liabilities and unsustainable financial trajectory like an oil spill—by both capping the spill and cleaning up what’s already spilled.
-
Colorado’s opportunity to determine its own mental health rules
Under Proposition 122, the Natural Medicine Health Act, Colorado would create America’s second state-regulated framework for allowing certified mental health professionals to administer psychedelics.
-
Webinar: ESG trends and impacts on public pensions
How environmental, social, governance (ESG) strategies and trends are impacting public pension systems and taxpayers.
-
How to maximize Arizona’s water investment
Arizona has set aside millions for water conservation and augmentation projects, but the state needs private partners to deliver this needed infrastructure.
-
Alaska avoids attempt to roll back 2005 pension reform
Instead of unraveling pension progress, policymakers should seek to bolster the policies that brought resiliency and reliability.
-
Alaska pension bill would bring major financial risk and unfunded liability growth
House Bill 55 would commit Alaska to unpredictable long-term costs for public safety workers' pensions so it is crucial to consider the costs over decades, not just a few years.
-
Testimony: Recommendations for the FRS Investment Plan
Adjustments to Florida's public defined contribution retirement plan could better serve employees and taxpayers.
-
Leasing city airport could help Phoenix pay down pension debt
Sky Harbor airport could generate between $1.5 billion to $2.9 billion in net proceeds to the city.
-
Three reasons why public pensions still need reform
Despite realizing excellent investment returns in 2021, public pension plans are still in need of reforms to prevent future debt and ensure they can pay out promised benefits.
-
The Teacher Retirement System of Texas Is in Need of Serious Reform
After prudent reforms to the Employee Retirement System, the Texas legislature is considering bills that ignore the need to reform the Teacher Retirement System.
-
These States Are Leading the Way on Pension Reform
State and local leaders seeking to make lasting improvements to government finances should look to Texas, Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Michigan.
-
Landmark Texas Pension Reform Law Tackles Funding Issues, Secures Employees’ Retirement Benefits
Senate Bill 321, the new Texas pension reform law, addresses persistent structural underfunding and will pay down over $14 billion in unfunded liabilities.
-
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.
-
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.