The Group Benefits Advisory Committee (GBAC) advises the ERS Board of Trustees on the planning and development of employee and retiree benefits under the Texas Employees Group Benefits Program (GBP). The Committee provides the Board with input from ERS participants, benefit experts and professionals to ensure that state benefits provide value to participants and employers, and remain competitive at a reasonable cost to members, retirees and their dependents.

The Board-appointed Committee comprises no more than 11 members who represent a cross section of GBP-participating entities and stakeholder groups, including state agencies, institutions of higher education, retirees and benefits professionals. The Committee meets at least twice each year and provides reports and feedback to the ERS Board.

Notice of Open Seats

ERS is accepting applications for GBAC appointments in the following categories:

• Large state agency (employing more than 800 GBP enrollees in the previous year)
• Mid-sized state agency (100 to 799 GBP enrollees)
• Small state agency (fewer than 100 GBP enrollees)
• Two-year institution of higher education
• Insurance or benefit design consultant or professional

Eligible employees, retirees or health benefit professionals should review the GBAC Governance Charter to fully understand Committee membership requirements, operations and expectations. Eligible individuals interested in serving a three-year term on the Committee should complete and submit the application linked below to GBACadmin@ers.texas.gov. 

Please note that GBAC members are not paid; however, members are eligible for reimbursement of travel-related expenses incurred during their participation with the GBAC. 

Click here to access the application form.

Governance Charter

The ERS Board of Trustees adopted the GBAC Governance Charter on August 23, 2017. 

Members

• Large state agency representatives:
  • ​Charlene Trentham, Department of Criminal Justice
    Term expires December 31, 2019
  • Harsh Zadoo, Health and Human Services Commission
    Term expires December 31, 2020
• Mid-sized state agency representatives:
  • ​Megan LaVoie, Office of Court Administration
    Term expires December 31, 2020
• Small state agency representative:
  • Dawn Heitman, State Soil and Water Conservation Board
    Term expires December 31, 2019
• Four-year institution of higher education representative:
  • Janet Bezner, Texas State University
    Term expires December 31, 2021
• Two-year institution of higher education representative:
  • Missy Kittner, McLennan Community College
    Term expires December 31, 2019
• Retiree representatives:
  • James Dobbins, Garland
    Term expires December 31, 2020
  • Gary White, Austin
    Term expires December 31, 2021
• Health-related institution representative:
  • Cynthia Jumper, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center
    Term expires December 31, 2020
• Insurance or benefit design consultant representative:
  • Tom Lussier, The Lussier Group
    Term expires December 31, 2019