Department and Member News

Employees' WRS account balances are expected to grow this year, as ETF projects an increase in the effective rates for the Core and Variable Fund contributions due to strong preliminary investment returns last year.

This includes all 2024 Health Care Flexible Spending Account, Limited Purpose FSA, Dependent Day Care Account, Parking Account, and Transit Account claims.

Sec. John Voelker has appointed Diana Felsmann as ETF’s next Deputy Secretary, following the retirement of Shirley Eckes, and Peter Rank as ETF's new Chief Legal Counsel.

This new online application will allow employees to manage their ETF-administered insurance benefits easily and securely 24/7.

For public pensions, like the WRS, exposure to private equity investments is part of a well-diversified asset allocation.

An Ombudsperson acts as a neutral party who helps WRS members with insurance issues.

With the ETF Board's endorsement, ETF recently submitted its biennial budget request covering July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2027. Here are the request's highlights.

Most "words of the year" chosen by publications capture a negative mood in 2024. I prefer to approach things positively. Thankfully, the WRS gives us plenty of material.

Two questions I am typically asked: How did the Trust Funds perform? What can we expect this year? I realized that my yearly answers don't change much.

In April 2025, ETF will begin distributing employees’ January 1, 2025 WRS Annual Statement of Benefits, after 2024 account data reconciliation processes have been completed.