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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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.
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New Mexico Educational Retirement Board Pension Solvency Analysis
New Mexico's Educational Retirement Board has $7.9 billion in unfunded pension liabilities.
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Louisiana State Employees’ Retirement System (LASERS) Pension Solvency Analysis
The Louisiana State Employees' Retirement System has only 64 percent of the assets needed to fully fund the pension system.
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Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana Pension Solvency Analysis
The latest, official numbers reveal that the Teachers’ Retirement System of Louisiana now has over $10 billion in unfunded pension liabilities.
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Teacher Retirement System of Texas Solvency Analysis
Investment returns failing to meet unrealistic expectations have been the largest contributor to the public pension plan's unfunded liabilities, adding over $30 billion in debt since 2001.
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Arizona Public Safety Personnel Retirement System Solvency Analysis
Recent reforms to the public safety personnel public pension system are showing significant savings and increased retirement security for employees.
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Examining How Much Money That Pension Debt Takes Away From Michigan’s Classrooms Each Year
In 2018, Detroit Public Schools spent $2,202 per student on MPSERS debt, which equals nearly 27 percent of the district's per pupil foundation grant from the state.
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North Carolina Teachers & State Employees Retirement System Solvency Analysis
Investment performance falling short of return assumptions has been the largest contributor to the public pension plan's growing debt, adding $7.6 billion in unfunded liabilities since 2008.
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Evaluating the Actuarial Soundness of Texas’ Largest Public Pension Plans
Reforms would move the state towards more sustainable and responsible retirement systems that better protect Texas' teachers, public employees and taxpayers.
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Oregon Supreme Court Ruling Has Major Implications for Retirement Security and Hybrid Plan Design
The court's ruling has far-reaching implications for hybrid retirement systems like Oregon’s.
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New Mexico Public Employees Retirement Association Solvency Analysis
PERA administrators and stakeholders are likely to face persistent challenges made more pronounced by ongoing market and revenue volatility.
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Michigan Enacts Comprehensive Tolling Study
The law could provide a long-term solution to funding and modernizing Michigan’s highways, which are in poor condition
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The Potential Risks and Rewards of CalPERS’ New Investment Policy
The nation's largest public pension plan is seeking better returns by investing in more private equity and allowing strategic borrowing.