HARRISBURG, PA – The Pennsylvania Public School Employees’ Retirement System (PSERS) Board of Trustees held a public meeting on Friday, Dec. 12, during which it announced the election of a new trustee representing active certified members and recognized the service of two outgoing trustees.
Active Certified Special Election
Adam Serfass, an agricultural education teacher at Conrad Weiser High School, ran unopposed in the active certified special election and was elected by acclamation. Serfass will replace Dr. Pamela R. Brown, an instructional support teacher in the Oxford Area School District.
Brown announced her retirement from the board in June. Her term was from Jan. 1, 2024, to Dec. 31, 2026.
Serfass will serve the remainder of Brown’s term through Dec. 31, 2026, and will serve a three-year term for the seat effective Jan. 1, 2027, through Dec. 31, 2029.
“We are pleased to welcome Adam to the board and appreciate his willingness to serve,” said PSERS Board Chair Richard Vague. “We value the knowledge and experience he brings from his career in education and are grateful for his commitment to our members and retirees.”
Vice Chair Susan C. Lemmo added, “Adam’s professional expertise and leadership in the education community will be an asset to our board. His perspective will support our continued efforts to advocate for members and advance PSERS’ mission.”
Board Recognizes Outgoing Trustees
During the meeting, the board also recognized state Rep. Torren Ecker, who was appointed by the Speaker of the House, and Brown for their service. Their final meeting as trustees was on Dec. 12.
“Rep. Ecker and Dr. Brown each provided important perspectives and steady leadership during their time on the board,” said Vague. “We appreciate the work they did in their respective committees that further strengthened the system and ensured the plan’s continued success. On behalf of the board, I thank them for their service.”
Ecker, who represents the 193rd Legislative District in Adams and Cumberland counties, was first appointed in November 2022. He was recently elected to serve as a judge of the Court of Common Pleas in the 51st Judicial District, resulting in his vacancy on the board. The Speaker of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives will appoint a new representative to replace Ecker at a later date.
In other business, the board finalized the selection of Uri Monson as PSERS’ next executive director.
###
About the Pennsylvania Public School Employees' Retirement System
PSERS, founded in 1917, began operations in 1919 to oversee a statewide defined benefit pension plan for public school employees. PSERS' role expanded upon the passage of Act 5 of 2017 to include oversight of two new benefit options consisting of defined benefit and defined contribution (DC) components and a stand-alone DC plan. As of June 30, 2025, PSERS had a total net position of about $83.7 billion and a membership of about 262,000 active, 255,000 annuitants and beneficiaries, and 26,000 vested inactive members.
About the Board of Trustees
The 15-member Board of Trustees is an independent administrative board of the Commonwealth. The Board stands in a fiduciary relationship to PSERS’ members regarding investments and disbursements of the system’s funds. The Board’s other functions outlined in the Public School Employees’ Retirement Code include certifying contribution rates, authorizing the system’s actuarial valuation and independent audit, publishing an annual financial statement, and overseeing the operational activities performed by the system’s executive director and chief investment officer.