Trustees seek Hopkins’ successor

They OK teacher retirement system job description

The Arkansas Teacher Retirement System’s board of trustees Wednesday approved a job description for the system’s executive director post to be advertised until Oct. 18.

Executive Director George Hopkins said he intends to retire by Dec. 31.

The trustees also decided to meet starting at 9 a.m. Oct. 25 to decide which candidates who meet the job’s minimum qualifications will be interviewed between Oct. 29-Nov. 2.

The Teacher Retirement System is state government’s largest retirement system with more than $17 billion in investments and more than 100,000 working and retired members.

Hopkins, who has been executive director since December 2008, announced his retirement Monday.

During their teleconference late Wednesday afternoon, the trustees approved the proposed job description with a few tweaks.

Board chairman Jeff Stubblefield of Charleston told the trustees that the job description he proposed was based on the one used when Hopkins was hired.

The successful candidate will be required to have at least five years of executive experience reporting directly to a corporate or public board, and should have an advanced degree in business administration, educational administration or related field, according to the job description. Demonstrated leadership qualities, highly effective communication skills and a customer service orientation are key requisites, based on the job description.

Hopkins is an attorney and a former Democratic state senator from Malvern. His salary is $180,108 a year, according to the Arkansas

Transparency website.

In addition, a minimum of three years’ experience working with retirement systems and investments, and a knowledge of pensions are highly desirable, according to the description. The salary will be in line with qualifications and experience, according to the job description.

The trustees added language to spell out that the executive director is the board’s chief communicator and needs to be willing to travel to school hall meetings with working and retired members

throughout the state.

Stubblefield said he proposed advertising the opening until Oct. 18 based on the two-week posting for the job in 2008 when Hopkins was hired over the late Sen. Jim Argue, D-Little Rock.

But the two-week advertising period prompted trustee and state Auditor Andrea Lea to question whether some trustees already had someone in mind.

“To me, I want to make sure that we can get the best we can get,” said Lea.

A few trustees said the post could be re-advertised if good candidates don’t apply initially.

Stubblefield said Hopkins

is willing to work until trustees fill the job by Dec. 31.

He said he doesn’t want the trustees to tip their hand by appointing an interim director and-or have an interim director leave the system if that person doesn’t get the permanent job.

Afterward, Stubblefield said he doesn’t have anyone in mind for the job, although some candidates have been suggested to him. He said he hasn’t talked to any candidates.

A system deputy director, Rett Hatcher, who is a former legislative affairs director for Gov. Asa Hutchinson, said he hasn’t decided whether to apply.

The system’s other deputy

director, Rod Graves, said he hasn’t decided whether to apply either, but at this point he wasn’t intending to.

Asked if he is going to pitch someone to the trustees, Hutchinson said in an interview, “I haven’t had a chance to call the chairman yet.” He said he wouldn’t hesitate to recommend anyone if “I have somebody that is appropriate for it.”

Asked about Hatcher, the governor said, “He would be good, but I haven’t zeroed in on anyone.”

Two of the 15 trustees are Hutchinson appointees. They are Education Commissioner Johnny Key and state Bank Commissioner Candace Franks.