TMRS Taps Gavia as Executive Director

TMRS, PLANSPONSOR’s Public DB Plan Sponsor of the Year, has announced that David Gavia has been named as Executive Director of the system. Gavia, a native of San Antonio, Texas, had been the Acting Executive Director of TMRS since the departure of former Executive Director Eric Henry in August 2009. 

After a comprehensive national search, the Board of Trustees is convinced that David Gavia is the individual best suited to lead TMRS into this new decade as we continue our mission of providing a secure retirement to tens of thousands of dedicated municipal employees while maintaining strict fiscal responsibility to the 839 city governments who have entrusted us with this important mission,” said Ben Gorzell, Chair of the TMRS Board of Trustees. The Board announced its choice for the new Executive Director of TMRS on March 12, 2010.

As Executive Director at TMRS, Gavia will implement the Board’s policies and manage the future direction of TMRS, a public retirement system with more than 139,000 members in more than 830 cities. TMRS pays benefits to more than 34,000 retired Texans and administers a trust fund of over $15.9 billion (as of year-end 2009).

Gavia joined TMRS as General Counsel in 2001. He previously worked as Assistant General Counsel in the Benefits / Tax area for the Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERS).

He received his Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from Trinity University in San Antonio and his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Texas at Austin. In addition to being an attorney, he is also a Certified Public Accountant.

He is a member of the National Association of Public Pension Plan Attorneys, the Texas Association of Public Pension Attorneys, the State Bar of Texas, and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. He has represented TMRS before various regulatory agencies, served as a key member of the TMRS team that recommends statutory changes to the TMRS Act, and most recently helped move HB 360 through the Texas Legislature during the 81st Session, according to the announcement.