Dr. Ben Littlepage named chair of Kentucky Teachers' Retirement System Board of Trustees
By Jillian Smith | Jul 30, 2026
MURRAY, Ky. — Dr. Ben Littlepage, professor in the Department of Educational Studies, Leadership and Counseling at Murray State University, has been elected chair of the Board of Trustees for the Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Kentucky (TRS), placing him at the helm of one of the nation's strongest public pension systems serving Kentucky's public educators.
As chair, Littlepage will lead the 11-member Board of Trustees, which provides governance and strategic oversight for the retirement system. The board includes seven trustees elected by TRS membership, two gubernatorial appointees with investment expertise, the Kentucky State Treasurer and the Kentucky Commissioner of Education.
TRS serves 138,246 active and retired members, including 77,024 active members—among them 2,842 university employees—and 61,222 retirees as of June 30, 2025. The system manages more than $32 billion in assets and distributes approximately $2.7 billion annually in retirement and health care benefits to Kentucky teachers and other public education professionals.
“It is an honor to be entrusted with this responsibility by my fellow trustees,” Littlepage said. “TRS exists to keep the promises made to Kentucky's educators, and that mission is deeply personal to me. My mother dedicated her career to teaching in Kentucky, and I have seen firsthand the difference a strong retirement system makes for those with a lifetime of service. As chair, I look forward to working alongside my fellow trustees to preserve the financial strength of TRS and ensure we continue protecting the retirement security of both today's retirees and future generations of Kentucky educators.”
Littlepage will work closely with fellow trustees, the TRS Executive Secretary and system staff to provide strategic leadership, maintain the long-term financial strength of the retirement system and ensure responsible stewardship of the retirement and health care benefits earned by Kentucky's public educators.
Littlepage has served on the TRS Board of Trustees since 2022 and has been an advocate for sound governance, long-term fiscal responsibility, and the protection of the retirement security of Kentucky educators. His election as chair reflects the confidence of his fellow trustees and comes at a time when TRS continues to rank among the nation's strongest public pension systems, providing retirement security for educators across the Commonwealth.