Shelby County Tennessee Retirement System

Shelby County Tennessee Retirement System

The Shelby County Tennessee Retirement System was established to manage retirement benefits for Shelby County Government employees. Lee Harris serves as board chairman while Jesse Turner Jr. handles investment management and Audrey Tipton directs administration and finance. The system maintains a balanced allocation across asset classes. Public equity holdings total $620 million split between domestic and international portfolios. Fixed income stands at $234 million. Hedge fund exposure reaches $194 million. Real assets, including two core open-end real estate funds, total $311 million. Private equity commitments include positions in Notion Capital, SSM Partners, Hastings Equity Partners, Pharos Capital Group, and Congruent Investment Partners. Geographic reach covers the United States and Europe through funds such as Harbert European Real Estate Fund III. The system employs Wilshire Advisors as investment consultant and Cavanaugh Macdonald Consulting as actuary. It maintains membership in NCPERS. In February 2026 the Retirement Board reviewed an international equity search and private market investments. Additional service providers include Watkins Uiberall as external auditor and BNY Mellon as custodian. The system operates as a public pension with direct oversight from Shelby County Government. Investment decisions flow through the Retirement Board rather than an external CIO structure. This governance ties asset allocation directly to fiduciary duties under county sponsorship.