Lt. Govern Healey’s attack on our public retirement law was the big buzz at the Massachusetts Association of Contributory Retirement Systems (MACRS) annual conference this June,chaired by MACRS President Tom Welch.

Healey’s comments on abolishing local retirement boards were the opening salvo of her campaign in hoping to succeed Mitt Romney as governor in this November’s election. And, unfortunately, a segment of the press echoed Healey’s position on pensions.

In response, speaker after speaker praised the success of our 106 retirement systems and the dedication of the boards who run these systems. Among the supporters were State Senator Steve Tolman and State Firefighters President Bob McCarthy.

For 600 delegates and guests, it was three days of non-stop workshops, meetings, guest speakers and networking, all part of an educational and legislative process, whereby retirement board trustees and staff continue their policy of providing our employees and retirees the best possible representation and service.

MACRS Legislative Chairman Ralph White, along with Shawn Duhamel and Coley Walsh, not only presented an in-depth analysis of all relevant bills at the State House but also reminded the members of Lt. Governor Healey’s intents.

“MACRS is bipartisan, but when a candidate makes criticism of our retirement plan a campaign centerpiece, we have a duty to speak out,” White said. “There were several Republicans among the attendees, but none disagreed either publicly or privately,” White noted.

John Murphy: Public Service Award

A highlight of the conference was the awarding of the annual Bill Lynch Memorial Public Service Award. This year, Tom Welch presented the award to John Murphy of the Plymouth Retirement Board.

Previously Murphy was an elected member of the Somerville Retirement Board for over 30 years.

He worked for Somerville’s building department and was also its emergency management director. When he moved to Plymouth after his retirement, the Plymouth Board of Selectmen, recognizing his experience, appointed him to the Plymouth Board of Retirement in 1998.

A World War II Navy veteran, Murphy saw considerable action in the Pacific and was later called to active duty during the Korean War. He and his close friend, Bob Drew of the Natick Retirement Board, were on neighboring ships that were both hit by Japanese aircraft near Midway Island.

In presenting the award, Welch praised Murphy’s forty-five years as a public retirement activist and his leadership within MACRS, including as the organization’s president in 1980-1981, and his ongoing duties as a member of the MACRS Executive Board and official planner for its conferences and other events.

“At age 81, John has never slowed down, said Welch. People don’t realize the amount of work involved in arranging our conferences. John works with the hotels, reserving rooms for 600 people, creating a daily schedule of events, scheduling guest speakers, planning meal menus and setting up booths for over 75 vendors. John is known far and wide as ‘Mr. MACRS’.