Keith Brainard

As NASRA research director, Keith collects, prepares and distributes to NASRA members news, studies and reports pertinent to public retirement system administration and policy. Mr. Brainard is co-author of The Governmental Plans Answer Book, now in its fifth edition, and he created the Public Fund Survey, predecessor to the Public Plans Database, an online compendium of public pension data developed and maintained through a collaboration of the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, MissionSquare Research Institute, GFOA, and NASRA. Mr. Brainard also created the State & Local Pension Exchange, predecessor to the Public Fund Survey and recipient of the Award for Excellence in Government Finance from the Government Finance Officers Association. Keith has discussed public pension issues before Congress, state legislative committees, public pension boards of trustees, and on multiple media outlets. Keith serves as vice-chairman of the Texas Pension Review Board and he previously served two terms as an elected member of the Georgetown, Texas, city council. Mr. Brainard also worked as manager of budget and planning for the Arizona State Retirement System and as a fiscal analyst for the Texas and Arizona legislatures. He holds a B.A. and an M.P.A. from the University of Texas at Austin.