Updated:
Gwinnett County Public Employees Retirement System
The Gwinnett County Public Employees Retirement System was established on September 19, 2006, by resolution of the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners.
Gwinnett County Public Employees Retirement System
The Gwinnett County Public Employees Retirement System was established on September 19, 2006, by resolution of the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners. The system pools retirement assets for county employees participating in defined-benefit, defined-contribution, and 457 deferred-compensation plans. Governance rests with the Retirement Plans Management Committee, whose members are appointed by the County Board of Commissioners. Joe Heffron serves as chairman, with financial services director Russell Royal participating as an ex-officio member. The fund constructs its portfolio across public equities, fixed income, real assets, and private markets, allocating through external investment managers rather than internal teams. Public equity exposure typically includes domestic large-cap and international developed-market mandates. Fixed-income sleeves focus on investment-grade core and core-plus strategies. The real-asset program spans core real estate funds and infrastructure vehicles, while private-market commitments extend to buyout, growth equity, and private credit funds. The system has participated in securities litigation as a lead plaintiff, including a settled claim against Patterson Companies in the District of Minnesota. Total assets are not publicly disclosed, but comparable Georgia county retirement systems operate in the $500 million to $2 billion range. The board maintains membership in the Georgia Association of Public Pension Trustees, reflecting a commitment to trustee education and governance standards. The system follows a board-level investment-consultant model common among mid-sized municipal plans, delegating manager selection and monitoring to retained consulting firms while reserving allocation and policy decisions for the committee. Structurally, the plan functions as a traditional municipal defined-benefit system governed by Georgia county code, with benefit provisions and contribution rates set through the county's annual budget process. Unlike state-level peers, the system does not operate internal co-investment programs or direct-investment capabilities, relying entirely on commingled-fund structures for alternative-asset exposure.
General information
Firm type
Pension Fund
Year founded
2006
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Lawrenceville
Corporate office
Lawrenceville, GA, United States
Principals
Joe Heffron
Chairman, Retirement Plans Management Committee
Russell Royal
Acting Director of Financial Services, Ex-Officio Member
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who makes investment decisions for the Gwinnett County Public Employees Retirement System?
The Retirement Plans Management Committee holds fiduciary authority over investment policy and asset allocation. Day-to-day manager selection and monitoring are delegated to external investment consultants. The committee's membership is appointed by the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners, with the county's financial services director serving as an ex-officio member.
How does the system allocate its portfolio?
The fund invests across public equities, fixed income, real estate, and private markets through external managers. Asset-allocation targets are set by the board with consultant guidance and reviewed periodically. The system does not maintain an internal direct-investment team.
Does the Gwinnett plan co-invest directly in private companies?
No. The system accesses private equity, real estate, and private credit exclusively through commingled fund commitments. It lacks the internal staffing and governance infrastructure to evaluate or execute direct co-investments alongside general partners.
What retirement plans does the system cover?
The system administers three plan types for Gwinnett County employees: a defined-benefit pension plan, a defined-contribution plan, and a 457 deferred-compensation plan. All were consolidated under the 2006 county resolution that created the retirement system.
Is the system's asset size publicly reported?
The system does not prominently publish a current AUM figure. Public pension funds of comparable Georgia counties typically report assets in the $500 million to $2 billion range, but Gwinnett's precise total has not been verified from primary disclosures as of mid-2026.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
Need institutional-grade insight on pension funds?
Altss delivers:
Prefer a guided tour?
We’ll walk you through: