CEU Program - Module Four Bios / Slide Decks
Tallahassee Legislative Report

Fred Nesbitt, PhD
FPPTA Education Committee

Frederick H. Nesbitt is the former Executive Director and Legislative Counsel for the National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems (NCPERS) retiring in 2006.  Now living in Florida, Fred has agreed to work with the FPPTA as an industry speaker. Prior to joining NCPERS, Mr. Nesbitt served for12 years as Director of Governmental Affairs and Political Action for the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF).  Previously, he served for nine years as Special Assistant to the President of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC).

He has been a lobbyist on Capitol Hill for over 25 years, lobbying on pensions, taxes and employee benefits for both federal employees, and state and local government employees.

Mr. Nesbitt comes from an academic background; he was a professor of political science and labor relations at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and St. Francis College (PA).  He earned his bachelor’s degree at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and his master’s and doctorate from West Virginia University. He is the co-editor of Labor and American Politics.

Dwight Mattingly
FPPTA Board of Directors

For the first 14 years of his working career after finishing college in South Florida, Dwight taught middle and high school history for14 years in private church schools.  He also supplemented his income and family by doing construction work in the summers and at times on weekends.  In 1996 after a back injury, Dwight took a job with Palm Beach County public transit, Palm Tran, as a Bus Operator after a friend told him that there was an excellent pension benefit with the job.  Soon after being hired he became involved in the labor union and in 1999 was elected as Financial Secretary/Treasurer for a 3 year period.  During that time he became involved in understanding and attending all of the Board of Trustee meetings of the Pension Board.  After 3 years he was elected to the position of President/Business Agent of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1577.  As President/Business Agent, he also became a Trustee of the Plan.  After assuming this position, he successfully completed the CPPT with the FPPTA.  He was  subsequently elected Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Palm Tran/ATU 1577 Pension Plan and has held that position for the past 7 years.  Dwight also serves a Vice Chairman of the Florida Amalgamated Transit Union State Legislative Conference Board and during the past 3 Florida Legislative sessions has spent most of the sessions in Tallahassee lobbying to protect worker’s rights and protecting public pension plans in the state.  He was asked to testify before several Committees and Senate Caucuses regarding public pension defined benefit plans.  He has worked closely with many other groups in this effort. This year, during the 2012 Annual FPPTA Convention, Dwight was elected as a Director of the Board of Directors for the FPPTA.  He also serves on the FPPTA Education and By Laws Committees.

Chris Spencer
FPPTA Board of Directors

Christopher  Spencer is retired from FDNY and Marco Island Fire Rescue. Mr. Spencer is currently the Training Captain for North Collier Fire Rescue and has served as a North Collier Pension Board trustee since 2004. He is CPPT Certified and serves as a director for the FPPTA. Mr. Spencer chairs the Raymond  T. Edmondson Scholarship committee, bylaws committee and has attended the FPPTA Wall Street Program. Mr. Spencer received his college degree from Columbia Southern University and attended Harvard University for the Labor and Work Life Program. Mr. Spencer is married to Deborah and is the father of three sons, Christian,  Charles, and Michael.
FPPTA New Initiative—Building a Grass Roots Communication Network

Fred Nesbitt, PhD
FPPTA Education Committee

Frederick H. Nesbitt is the former Executive Director and Legislative Counsel for the National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems (NCPERS) retiring in 2006.  Now living in Florida, Fred has agreed to work with the FPPTA as an industry speaker. Prior to joining NCPERS, Mr. Nesbitt served for12 years as Director of Governmental Affairs and Political Action for the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF).  Previously, he served for nine years as Special Assistant to the President of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC).

He has been a lobbyist on Capitol Hill for over 25 years, lobbying on pensions, taxes and employee benefits for both federal employees, and state and local government employees.

Mr. Nesbitt comes from an academic background; he was a professor of political science and labor relations at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and St. Francis College (PA).  He earned his bachelor’s degree at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and his master’s and doctorate from West Virginia University. He is the co-editor of Labor and American Politics.

Dwight Mattingly
FPPTA Board of Directors

For the first 14 years of his working career after finishing college in South Florida, Dwight taught middle and high school history for14 years in private church schools.  He also supplemented his income and family by doing construction work in the summers and at times on weekends.  In 1996 after a back injury, Dwight took a job with Palm Beach County public transit, Palm Tran, as a Bus Operator after a friend told him that there was an excellent pension benefit with the job.  Soon after being hired he became involved in the labor union and in 1999 was elected as Financial Secretary/Treasurer for a 3 year period.  During that time he became involved in understanding and attending all of the Board of Trustee meetings of the Pension Board.  After 3 years he was elected to the position of President/Business Agent of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1577.  As President/Business Agent, he also became a Trustee of the Plan.  After assuming this position, he successfully completed the CPPT with the FPPTA.  He was  subsequently elected Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Palm Tran/ATU 1577 Pension Plan and has held that position for the past 7 years.  Dwight also serves a Vice Chairman of the Florida Amalgamated Transit Union State Legislative Conference Board and during the past 3 Florida Legislative sessions has spent most of the sessions in Tallahassee lobbying to protect worker’s rights and protecting public pension plans in the state.  He was asked to testify before several Committees and Senate Caucuses regarding public pension defined benefit plans.  He has worked closely with many other groups in this effort. This year, during the 2012 Annual FPPTA Convention, Dwight was elected as a Director of the Board of Directors for the FPPTA.  He also serves on the FPPTA Education and By Laws Committees.

Chris Spencer
FPPTA Board of Directors

Christopher  Spencer is retired from FDNY and Marco Island Fire Rescue. Mr. Spencer is currently the Training Captain for North Collier Fire Rescue and has served as a North Collier Pension Board trustee since 2004. He is CPPT Certified and serves as a director for the FPPTA. Mr. Spencer chairs the Raymond  T. Edmondson Scholarship committee, bylaws committee and has attended the FPPTA Wall Street Program. Mr. Spencer received his college degree from Columbia Southern University and attended Harvard University for the Labor and Work Life Program. Mr. Spencer is married to Deborah and is the father of three sons, Christian,  Charles, and Michael.

Tom Lussier
The Lussier Group

Tom Lussier is President of The Lussier Group, a governmental affairs consulting firm based in Massachusetts. Tom and his team initiated the creation of the Public Sector HealthCare Roundtable in 2005 and he continues to serve as its Administrator. In addition to his work on behalf of the Roundtable, The Lussier Group offers a full range of government-related consulting services and legislative representation primarily focused on public employee pension and health benefits.  The firm is actively engaged in the management of national coalitions – including the Coalition to Preserve Retirement Security and the Roundtable.

Tom previously served as Executive Director and CEO of the Massachusetts Teachers’ Retirement System (MTRS).  For nearly 19 years, he was responsible for the administration of retirement benefits for approximately 110,000 active and retired teachers and school administrators of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Tom served as President of the National Council on Teacher Retirement (NCTR) and represented NCTR on the Public Pension Coordinating Council (PPCC).  He served as Chairman of the Coalition to Preserve Retirement Security (CPRS) from 1999 to 2003, a national organization committed to the preservation of independent state, school and local government retirement systems, which provide solid, comprehensive benefits for their members. Mr. Lussier testified before the Subcommittee on Social Security of the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means, and has successfully urged Congress not to impose mandatory universal Social Security coverage.

He has been an instructor with the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans’ Certificate of Achievement in Public Plan Policy (CAPPP™) in Employee Pensions and is a former member of the Foundation’s Public Employee Committee.

Previously, he served as the First Deputy Commissioner of the Massachusetts Division of Public Employee Retirement Administration and was elected to four terms in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. He has the distinction of being the youngest person elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives; he was first elected in 1977 at the age of nineteen.  In 1976, Mr. Lussier was elected to the City Council in Pittsfield, MA.

Mr. Lussier is a past President of the National Preretirement Education Association, a former member of the Massachusetts Retirement Law Commission, and a former Trustee of the Methuen Contributory Retirement System in Methuen, MA.

Federal Legislative—Public Pension Update

Fred Nesbitt, PhD
FPPTA Education Committee

Frederick H. Nesbitt is the former Executive Director and Legislative Counsel for the National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems (NCPERS) retiring in 2006.  Now living in Florida, Fred has agreed to work with the FPPTA as an industry speaker. Prior to joining NCPERS, Mr. Nesbitt served for12 years as Director of Governmental Affairs and Political Action for the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF).  Previously, he served for nine years as Special Assistant to the President of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC).

He has been a lobbyist on Capitol Hill for over 25 years, lobbying on pensions, taxes and employee benefits for both federal employees, and state and local government employees.

Mr. Nesbitt comes from an academic background; he was a professor of political science and labor relations at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and St. Francis College (PA).  He earned his bachelor’s degree at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and his master’s and doctorate from West Virginia University. He is the co-editor of Labor and American Politics.

Tom Lussier
The Lussier Group

Tom Lussier is President of The Lussier Group, a governmental affairs consulting firm based in Massachusetts. Tom and his team initiated the creation of the Public Sector HealthCare Roundtable in 2005 and he continues to serve as its Administrator. In addition to his work on behalf of the Roundtable, The Lussier Group offers a full range of government-related consulting services and legislative representation primarily focused on public employee pension and health benefits.  The firm is actively engaged in the management of national coalitions – including the Coalition to Preserve Retirement Security and the Roundtable.

Tom previously served as Executive Director and CEO of the Massachusetts Teachers’ Retirement System (MTRS).  For nearly 19 years, he was responsible for the administration of retirement benefits for approximately 110,000 active and retired teachers and school administrators of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Tom served as President of the National Council on Teacher Retirement (NCTR) and represented NCTR on the Public Pension Coordinating Council (PPCC).  He served as Chairman of the Coalition to Preserve Retirement Security (CPRS) from 1999 to 2003, a national organization committed to the preservation of independent state, school and local government retirement systems, which provide solid, comprehensive benefits for their members. Mr. Lussier testified before the Subcommittee on Social Security of the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means, and has successfully urged Congress not to impose mandatory universal Social Security coverage.

He has been an instructor with the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans’ Certificate of Achievement in Public Plan Policy (CAPPP™) in Employee Pensions and is a former member of the Foundation’s Public Employee Committee.

Previously, he served as the First Deputy Commissioner of the Massachusetts Division of Public Employee Retirement Administration and was elected to four terms in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. He has the distinction of being the youngest person elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives; he was first elected in 1977 at the age of nineteen.  In 1976, Mr. Lussier was elected to the City Council in Pittsfield, MA.

Mr. Lussier is a past President of the National Preretirement Education Association, a former member of the Massachusetts Retirement Law Commission, and a former Trustee of the Methuen Contributory Retirement System in Methuen, MA.