Published on the Texas Association of Public Employee Retirement Systems (TEXPERS) blog on March 26 2020, this article by Allen Jones offers a timely “crisis survival guide” for public-pension systems navigating remote operations during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. It outlines best practices for pension fund administrators in transitioning staff to home offices, maintaining communication, prioritizing health and technology investments, and ensuring uninterrupted service to members amid unprecedented disruption.

The TEXPERS 2019 Legislative Agenda was written, edited, and produced under the direction of Allen Jones as an educational resource distributed to members of the Texas Legislature. The publication outlines the Texas Association of Public Employee Retirement Systems’ policy priorities and recommendations supporting secure retirement benefits for municipal employees, police officers, and firefighters across the state. Jones oversaw content development, design, and production to ensure clear communication of complex pension issues, emphasizing the value of defined benefit plans, local control, and responsible fund management in safeguarding retirement security for Texas public servants.

Published by the TEXPERS Pension Observer, this in-depth article by Allen Jones examines the potential of dedicated funding sources as a tool to strengthen public employee retirement systems. It opens with insights from the El Paso Firemen and Policemen’s Pension Fund, which once explored using a share of the city’s border tax as a steady revenue stream, and expands to national and international examples of asset monetization and earmarked revenues supporting pension sustainability. The story features commentary from experts, including Anumeha Kumar of the Texas Pension Review Board, Jill Eicher of the Bipartisan Policy Center, and Michael Kahn of the National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems. The piece provides policy context and practical considerations for trustees and lawmakers seeking innovative ways to reduce unfunded liabilities while preserving defined-benefit retirement plans.