SHELLEY JOHNSON

Since 2007, Shelley Johnson has served as LASERS’ lead actuary, playing a critical role in protecting the long-term financial stability of the retirement system and ensuring promised benefits remain secure for future retirees.

Johnson’s work involves determining the present value of future retirement benefits and evaluating the financial health of the System — highly technical responsibilities that directly impact LASERS members, employers, and taxpayers alike.

As lead actuary, Johnson develops actuarial assumptions, makes recommendations to the Board of Trustees, and determines funding requirements for the System. She also prepares the Annual Valuation Report, which serves as a key indicator of LASERS’ financial condition.

In addition, Johnson provides guidance on the projected cost and impact of proposed legislation affecting retirement benefits and frequently testifies before the Louisiana Legislature on behalf of the Board regarding those costs.

Johnson believes education and transparency are essential parts of her role.

“I believe educating the Board, staff, and legislators regarding the actuarial impact of their decisions is especially important,” Johnson said. “All are stakeholders with a goal of providing secure retirement benefits to LASERS members while balancing the cost to taxpayers. The more all stakeholders understand about the impacts of their decisions, the better the policy decisions that are made.”

During Johnson’s tenure, LASERS has implemented significant changes aimed at improving the long-term sustainability of the System.

“The Legislature and Board of Trustees have both taken their responsibility very seriously to shore up the System,” she said. “Legislators have focused on paying down the debt and made difficult decisions regarding cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs), while still adopting a reasonable balance. The Board has been diligent in approving more conservative actuarial assumptions, which increase the probability of future gains, decrease the probability of future losses, improve the likelihood of future COLAs, and strengthen the stability of the System.”

From an actuarial perspective, Johnson sees a promising future for LASERS.

“Over the next 20 years, LASERS may be nearly 100 percent funded,” Johnson explained. “Of course, there are unknowns, such as what the investment market will do. However, using reasonable assumptions, the impact from legislation combined with Board changes has placed the System in a much stronger position to fully fund the debt.”

Johnson’s actuarial expertise and leadership continue to play an essential role in LASERS’ financial strength and long-term planning. Her guidance has helped position the System for greater stability while protecting the retirement security of current and future members.