Reporting summer salaries in the correct month ensures salaries are reported in the correct fiscal year. Summer school and drivers ed salaries, typically earned in June and July, must be reported in the fiscal year earned, not when paid. Salary earned in June should be reported in June. Salary earned in July should be reported in July. 

If a salary is reported in the wrong fiscal year, please contact RIO before you add it to your current monthly report. We will manually move the salary back to the correct fiscal year. If the contribution rates between the two years are different, we will also correct the over and under payment of contributions.

Beginning July 1, 2025, member contributions paid by the employer must be in full percentages (e.g., an employer may contribute 1% or 2% of the member contributions for employees). Employers will no longer be able to make partial contributions (e.g., an employer cannot contribute 1.5%). As long as contribution are in a full percentage increment, employers can continue to make member contributions for employees. 

Questions? Please contact RIO regarding the policy change. Again, the change is not effective until July 1, 2025, allowing employers time for contract modifications and budgeting concerns. 

TFFR's new pension administration system is getting close to the finish line. Over the last three months, RIO's staff has tested the first two phases of the system. In the coming weeks, we will begin testing the third phase, the "MyTFFR Business Partner" portion. 

What does this mean for TFFR-covered employers? The project schedule indicates the start of employer testing will be in mid-to-late August. While the timeline may be subject to change, rest assured that we will keep you informed about any adjustments to ensure you are in the loop about this crucial phase of development. Your software vendors, Software Unlimited, RDA Systems, and Tyler Technologies, are diligently working on interfaces to ensure compliance with the new system. Based on their feedback, these modifications will be ready for testing as planned. 

As the testing of the employer module progresses, RIO will communicate the next steps and what you can do to prepare the system for launch in fall of 2024.

A Member Action form must be completed when a TFFR participating employer:

• Hires a new teacher, administrator, or superintendent. These hires should also complete a Designation of Beneficiary form.
• An inactive TFFR member returns to covered employment.
• A TFFR member takes or returns from a leave of absence.

The form is due within 30 days after a member is first reported to TFFR. Employers will be assessed a $250 penalty for late reporting.

How to complete and submit a Member Action form:

1. Find the current form on RIO's website. (If you submit an outdated form, you may be asked to complete it a second time to ensure all required information is provided.)
2. Contact RIO to request a secure link to send the form and supporting documents.
3. A RIO staff member will send an email with a link to the State of North Dakota's Secure File Transfer System.
4. Scan the form and documents creating one PDF. (Only the sides of the form where you provided the member's information are needed.)
5. Upload the PDF to the File Transfer System and click submit. Once RIO receives the form and documents, it will be promptly processed.

Not sure if your new hire is a TFFR-covered employee, see NDCC § 15-39.1-04.

Tessa Varnson, Lakota Public Schools

A little bit about me . . . 

My name is Tessa Varnson. I have been the business manager/TFFR reporting personnel at Lakota Public School District for 22 years. 

I grew up on a farm south of Michigan, ND. I have been married for 26 years to Jon. We have two boys, Jaden and Cole, an 8-year-old granddaughter named Piper, and a 7-year-old German Shorthair called Ruger. 

What is your favorite (book, author, tv show, or movie)?

My favorite author would probably be John Grisham, favorite movie is “Tommy Boy,” and I cannot pick one TV show as I have lots of them. 

Where is your favorite place to vacation?

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

What is your favorite hobby?

I really love to color and draw.

What do you like best about your job?

I love the kids, my co-workers and I really enjoy working with numbers. 

What advice/tips would you offer other Business Managers?

Find a stress reliever, as you will need it and remember that tomorrow is a brand-new day. Lean on other business managers as much as possible because we all know how difficult and stressful this position can be. 

Janilyn Murtha, Executive Director 

Tell us about life before you joined the RIO team?

I’m originally from Michigan and have spent the last 25 years gradually moving further north and west. Prior to joining RIO, I spent several years practicing law, predominantly on behalf of government entities, in Wisconsin, Minnesota and finally North Dakota. I’ve been a city attorney, an assistant city attorney, assistant county attorney, assistant attorney general, worked in a private law firm, and owned my own firm.  For most of my law career I’ve been a prosecutor and civil litigator, having taken over 700 cases to trial.

Throughout my career I have reaffirmed my dedication to public service by routinely providing instruction to variety of audiences (i.e., government boards, law enforcement professionals, human resource professionals, and other attorneys) on legal topics. Speaking before or leading training has been and continues to be one of the things I enjoy most in my career; second only to having the opportunity to learn about new trends and topics myself.

I moved to North Dakota when my husband, an attorney who is originally from Dickinson, convinced me that the state was the best place to live, work and raise a family. We have been blessed with raising our children here and proudly call North Dakota home.

What is your educational background?

I earned my Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Management from Albion College in Albion, MI; my Juris Doctor from Marquette University Law School in Milwaukee, WI; and later, because I love learning, my Master of Public Administration and Policy from American University in Washington, DC. I have been a member of the bar (i.e., licensed to practice law) in six jurisdictions including the states of Wisconsin, Minnesota and North Dakota, the U.S. District Court, the Eastern District of Wisconsin and District of Minnesota, and the United States Supreme Court. I also earned a Senior Certified Professional designation from the Society of Human Resource Management.

Why did you choose to work for RIO?

I have conviction in the mission of government and am dedicated to a career in support of public service. In my professional life, I seek out opportunities to serve my community to the best of my ability. I became familiar with RIO during my time working for North Dakota’s Office of Attorney General when I spent several years providing general counsel services to the agency. When the opportunity arose to join RIO in an executive leadership role, I observed an alignment of interests. RIO’s mission to provide prudent and transparent investment services for our client funds and support North Dakota public school educators with responsible benefit administration allows me to contribute to the state of North Dakota in a meaningful way every day. RIO’s organizational values of integrity, accountability and service align with my own personal values. Finally, RIO’s vision to be recognized as a trusted and innovative provider of investment and pension services provides a goal that I’m honored to pursue with the RIO team. 

What aspects of your job do you find the most challenging?

The multi-agency financial literacy campaign announced by the Governor’s Office this past spring highlights the challenges of communicating any type of financial information to a large audience in a meaningful way. RIO joined with other agencies in this initiative recognizing that like any specialized industry, the investment and retirement security industries involve working with large amounts of data with its own technical terminology and analysis. Distilling this data into a form that can be easily digested by a large audience can be challenging. One of my primary responsibilities as executive director is to speak on behalf of our boards, programs and the RIO team to the legislature, stakeholder groups and the public about the agency’s work. Effective communication is essential to meet our fiduciary responsibilities and support program success; it is therefore something we continue to improve upon on almost a daily basis.

What do you enjoy doing in your free time away from work?

Outside of work, I enjoy running, reading and traveling, but most of all spending time with my family. I’ve run twelve marathons and many half marathons, and all that training helps me keep up with my children.