Wisconsin Coalition of Annuitants
VIRTUAL CONFERENCE
Wednesday, May 13, 2026 | 9:30am - 12:00pm
AND
Thursday, May 14, 2026 | 9:30am - 12:00pm
Please join us for this FREE 2-day event where we will be hearing from:
| John Voelker | Secretary, Wisconsin Employee Trust Funds |
| Katie Gaertner | University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin School of Business |
| Edwin Denson | Executive Director/Chief Investment Officer, State of Wisconsin Investment Board |
| Jeff Kersten | Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection |
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| 9:30 | Welcome - Diane Wilcenski, WCOA President |
| 9:35 |
The WRS Blueprint: Building And Maintaining A Reliable Retirement System
John Voelker, Secretary of Employee Trust Funds Question & Answer Session with John Voelker |
| 10:40 |
Understanding AI: What It Is, What It Isn't, and What to Do with It
Katie Gaertner, UW Business School Question & Answer Session with Katie Gaertner |
| 11:45 | Closing Remarks - Diane Wilcenski, WCOA President |
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| 9:30 | Welcome - Diane Wilcenski, WCOA President |
| 9:35 |
2026 Outlook
Edwin Denson, State of Wisconsin Investment Board Question & Answer Session with Edwin Denson |
| 10:45 |
Common Scams & Fraud Targeting Seniors
Jeff Kersten, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection Question & Answer Session with Jeff Kersten |
| 11:45 | Blair Testin Award |
| 12:00 | Closing Remarks - Diane Wilcenski, WCOA President |
Call Bob at 608.233.3778
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Before joining SWIB, Edwin was managing director, strategic tilting, at Canada Pension Plan Investment Board (CPPIB). Prior to joining CPPIB in 2013, Edwin spent 13 years in asset allocation, currency, and risk management as a portfolio manager at William Blair & Company, managing member at Singer Partners LLC, and managing director and head of asset allocation at UBS Global Asset Management. Earlier in his career, Edwin was an economist at Lehman Brothers, Primark Decision Economics, and Putnam Investments. Edwin holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Cornell University and a PhD in economics from Northwestern University. |
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He served as ETF Deputy Secretary since 2014. Prior to that, John worked for 11 years leading the Wisconsin Court System as the director of state courts. He also served as executive assistant to the Chief Justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court. He has been in the WRS for more than 33 years and appreciates the importance sustainable benefit programs have on the economic and physical health of its members, employers, and communities across the state. A native of Menasha, Wisconsin, John has 33 years of public service experience. He received a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh. He also possesses a Certificate of Achievement in Public Plan Policy from the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans. |
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Before academia, she worked in the policy and finance industries as an analyst, machine learning engineer, and cloud data strategy lead. She holds a B.S. in Statistics from BYU and an M.S. in Data Science from Northwestern University. She consults and speaks with organizations across industries, with a focus on demystifying AI for people at every level of technical background. Her mission is helping people understand what AI is, how it works, and how to engage with it confidently. |
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As the Agency Liaison, he travels around the state to educate the public, businesses and law enforcement on privacy protection, data security, identity theft, and other areas of consumer protection. Jeff will discuss the details of common scams that target seniors, the warning signs of a scam, and what to do if you or someone you know falls victim to a scam or fraud. Helpful factsheets from The Bureau of Consumer Protection will be available. Jeff has over 12 years of experience as a police officer and is a prior Consumer Protection Investigator for the Bureau of Consumer Protection. |
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AFSCME Retirees Chapter 32 AFSCME Retirees SubChapter 52 Association of Career Employees Bay Lakes United Educators Beloit Area Retired Educators Association Central Wisconsin Center Retirees DILHR Retirees DNR Retirees Dodge County Area Retired Educators Assoc. DOT Retirees Epsilon Sigma Phi Kettle Moraine Retired Educators Office of the Commissioner of Insurance Retirees Retired Professional Fire Fighters of WI State Attorneys Association |
State Engineering Association SWIB Retirees UW Eau Claire Emeriti Faculty UW Milwaukee Retiree’s Association UW-Madison Retirement Association Wauwatosa Employees Retirement Club West Allis Retirees WFT/AFT WI Professional Police Association Wisconsin Education Association Council Retired Wisconsin Retired Corrections Personnel Wisconsin Retired Educators Association Wisconsin Retired School District Administrators Wisconsin State Attorneys Association |
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