Georgia Association of Public Pension Trustees

What Georgia Association of Public Pension Trustees does

The Georgia Association of Public Plan Trustees® (GAPPT) is a Georgia-based nonprofit organization founded in 2009 and headquartered in Atlanta, dedicated to delivering fiduciary education to trustees and staff of public retirement systems in compliance with Georgia's OCGA § 47-1-17 continuing-education requirements (8 hours for new trustees in the first year, 12 hours every two years thereafter). GAPPT holds 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status (IRS determination letter, July 28, 2012) and is led by a two-person staff team — Executive Director Sue Reynolds and Associate Director Annie Hardie — supported by a Board of Directors and nine standing committees. Its membership collectively manages over $23 billion in public plan assets, anchoring the organization's claim as the first and only IACET Accredited Provider and NASBA National Registry of CPE Sponsors dedicated to public retirement plan trustee education.

GAPPT's product portfolio centers on a tiered professional designation ladder: the Certified Retirement Plan Fiduciary™ (CRPF™) established in 2014, the newly launched Defined Contribution Plan Fiduciary™ (DCPF™) in 2026 for 401(a), 457, and 403(b) plans, and the forthcoming Certified Advanced Fiduciary Designation™ (CAFD™) planned for 2027. Distribution runs through two flagship annual events — the multi-day Annual Conference (368 registrants in 2026; 399 in 2024) and the Trustee School (227 registrants in 2025, with up to 14 state-required education hours per attendee) — supplemented by the Braves Night networking event and the GAPPT|CLASSROOM online learning platform that offers recorded sessions with assessment-based certificates. Sponsorship revenue is driven by named bundled partners including Nuveen, Gallagher, Segal, Loomis Sayles, Mariner Wealth Advisors, and others.

The revenue model blends subscription-style annual membership dues (Plan Sponsor Individual $50, Organizational $225+ for first five members, Affiliate $800, Emeritus $35), per-seat event registration ($189–$850 across early-bird tiers), pay-per-session online education ($80 members, $120 non-members), and tiered event sponsorships ($1,500 Silver, $2,200 Gold, $3,000 Platinum, plus the $1,000 Braves Home Run Sponsorship). CRPF recertification fees add a recurring professional-designation revenue stream. The geographic footprint remains regional, with events rotating across Georgia venues (Jekyll Island, Savannah, Athens, Macon, Columbus, Braselton) and members drawn primarily from Georgia's public retirement ecosystem, though the May 2025 NASBA registration extends recognized CPE credit acceptance to all 55 U.S. State Boards of Accountancy.

Name

Georgia Association of Public Pension Trustees

Legal name

Georgia Association of Public Plan Trustees®

Website

https://gappt.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

GAPPT is a Georgia-based nonprofit founded in 2009 that delivers accredited fiduciary education, professional designations, and continuing-education programming to trustees and staff of public retirement systems, primarily in Georgia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Fiduciary Education & Training

akta.pro primary industry

Financial Services & Insurance (FINRA, CFP, IAR, Insurance CE) (EDAAALAJ)

Keywords

• Public pension trustee education
• Fiduciary training programs
• Retirement plan governance
• Continuing professional education
• Certified fiduciary designation

Headquarters

HQ city

Atlanta

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees from Plan Sponsor members (individual $50, organizational $225+), Affiliate members ($800), and Emeritus members ($35). Membership period runs April 1 to March 31.
2. Event Registration Fees: Registration fees for Annual Conference and Trustee School events. Includes discounted rates for members. Trustee School early bird: $189 Plan Sponsor, $750 Affiliate. Conference registration also at member-discounted rates.
3. Online Education Sessions: Individual online educational sessions available at $80 for members and $120 for non-members through the GAPPT|CLASSROOM platform.
4. Sponsorships: Event sponsorships including bundled sponsorships, Braves Event Home Run Sponsorship ($1,000), and Trustee School Platinum ($3,000), Gold ($2,200), and Silver ($1,500) tiers. Includes logo placement, advertising space, and recognition benefits.
5. Professional Designation Fees: CRPF recertification fees for maintaining Certified Retirement Plan Fiduciary designation, automatically included on renewal invoices for organizational Key Members.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

GAPPT is a Georgia-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit that delivers fiduciary education and professional designations to trustees, directors, and staff of public retirement systems. Its core offerings are the Certified Retirement Plan Fiduciary™ (CRPF™) and Defined Contribution Plan Fiduciary™ (DCPF™) credentialing programs, the GAPPT|CLASSROOM online learning platform, and two annual in-person programs — the Annual Conference and the Annual Trustee School — all aligned with the six fiduciary education areas mandated by Georgia Code OCGA § 47-1-17 and yielding GAPPT CECs, IACET CEUs, and NASBA CPE credits.

Product overview

The Georgia Association of Public Plan Trustees® is a nonprofit educational organization that offers a portfolio of professional designations and educational programs for public retirement system fiduciaries. Its core offerings include the GAPPT|CLASSROOM online learning platform, three professional designations (CRPF™, DCPF™, and CAFD™), and annual events (Conference and Trustee School). The organization awards three types of continuing education credentials: GAPPT CECs, IACET CEUs, and NASBA CPEs. Members can access education through in-person events or online sessions, with all programs designed to meet Georgia's state-mandated continuing education requirements for public retirement system trustees.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GAPPT|CLASSROOM: Online learning platform established to provide quality, comprehensive, and unbiased education for public retirement system fiduciaries on demand.
• Certified Retirement Plan Fiduciary™ (CRPF™)
• Defined Contribution Plan Fiduciary™ (DCPF™)
• Certified Advanced Fiduciary Designation™ (CAFD™)

Products and services

• GAPPT|CLASSROOM Online learning platform delivering quality, comprehensive, and unbiased fiduciary education on demand and at a reasonable cost through recorded educational sessions, assessment-based certificate issuance, and transcript tracking for GAPPT CECs, IACET CEUs, and NASBA CPE credits.
• Certified Retirement Plan Fiduciary™ (CRPF™) Two-year professional designation program tailored for public retirement plan trustees and staff, comprising Basic and Advanced courses delivered during the September Trustee School. Addresses the six required educational areas outlined in Georgia Code and provides a recognized credential for Georgia public-sector fiduciaries.
• Defined Contribution Plan Fiduciary™ (DCPF™) Professional designation program for professionals administering public-sector defined contribution plans, including 401(a), 457, and 403(b) plans. Offered as a standalone credential or as a complement to the CRPF™ designation during the September Trustee School.
• Annual GAPPT Conference Annual multi-day educational conference featuring continuing education sessions on fiduciary responsibility, board governance, investments, and plan administration, alongside networking events such as the Association Reception and Casino Night. Held at rotating Georgia venues.
• Annual GAPPT Trustee School Annual three-day educational event offering CRPF™ Basic and Advanced courses, the DCPF™ course, and Continuing Education sessions. Attendees can earn up to 14 state-required educational hours and includes networking receptions and examinations.
• GAPPT Night with the Atlanta Braves Annual member-exclusive networking event held at Truist Park, offering GAPPT members and one guest the opportunity to network while watching an Atlanta Braves game, including dinner, ballpark snacks, and complimentary adult beverages.
• GAPPT Continuing Education Credits (CECs) Education credits awarded by GAPPT for participation in its educational programs, with designees required to complete specific CEC requirements annually to maintain their certifications.
• IACET Continuing Education Units (CEUs) International continuing education units awarded by the International Accreditors for Continuing Education and Training for GAPPT learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Standard.
• NASBA CPE Credits Continuing professional education credits accepted by all 55 State Boards of Accountancy, awarded through GAPPT's registered sponsor status on the NASBA National Registry of CPE Sponsors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Members manage over $23 billion in plan assets
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered community partner and bundled sponsor.

• Georgia Foundation for Public Educationcommunity partnerStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 May 2024GAPPT donated $10,000 from annual conference proceeds to the Georgia Foundation for Public Education in celebration of its fifteenth anniversary. GFPE supports educational excellence for students in Georgia's public schools (1.7 million students). Board members participated in check presentation at City of Marietta Fire Department offices.
• BLB&G (Bottini & Bottini)bundled sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerBundled sponsor for GAPPT events. Logo displayed on future events page sponsor section.
• Nuveenbundled sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerBundled sponsor for GAPPT events. Logo displayed on future events page sponsor section.
• Saxena Whitebundled sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerBundled sponsor for GAPPT events. Logo displayed on future events page sponsor section.
• Wolf Popperbundled sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerBundled sponsor for GAPPT events. Logo displayed on future events page sponsor section.
• Ariel Investmentsbundled sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerBundled sponsor for GAPPT events. Logo displayed on future events page sponsor section.
• RGRD (Riley, Warnock & Lang P.C.)bundled sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerBundled sponsor for GAPPT events. Logo displayed on future events page sponsor section.
• Foster & Fosterbundled sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerBundled sponsor for GAPPT events and presenter at educational sessions. Logo displayed on future events page sponsor section.
• Sage Advisorybundled sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerBundled sponsor for GAPPT events. Logo displayed on future events page sponsor section.
• Scott & Scottbundled sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerBundled sponsor for GAPPT events. Logo displayed on future events page sponsor section.
• AmRetbundled sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerBundled sponsor for GAPPT events. Logo displayed on future events page sponsor section.
• BFA (Bovis, Foland & Arnowitz)bundled sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerBundled sponsor for GAPPT events. Logo displayed on future events page sponsor section.
• CavMac Consultingbundled sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerBundled sponsor for GAPPT events. Logo displayed on future events page sponsor section.
• Cohen Milsteinbundled sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerBundled sponsor for GAPPT events. Logo displayed on future events page sponsor section.
• Gallagherbundled sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerBundled sponsor for GAPPT events. Logo displayed on future events page sponsor section.
• Loomis Saylesbundled sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerBundled sponsor for GAPPT events. Logo displayed on future events page sponsor section.
• Mariner Wealth Advisorsbundled sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerBundled sponsor for GAPPT events. Logo displayed on future events page sponsor section.
• Segalbundled sponsorGTM or Marketing PartnerBundled sponsor for GAPPT events. Logo displayed on future events page sponsor section.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Peers

• International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP):

Direct peers

• National Institute of Pension Administrators (NIPA): NIPA provides retirement plan administrator education, certifications (including APA, ACIA, QKA, QPA), and conferences for plan administration professionals. It is comparable because it serves a closely adjacent professional audience (pension/retirement plan administrators) with similar CE/CPE-style credentials and annual conference programming, competing for the same service-provider marketing dollars.
• Public Pension Financial Forum (PPFF): PPFF is a professional organization for public pension financial officers, providing conferences and continuing education focused on financial management of public retirement systems. Comparable because its audience (public pension financial professionals) closely mirrors GAPPT's investment and actuarial education tracks, and it operates a similar conference-based CE model.
• National Association of Government Defined Contribution Administrators (NAGDCA): NAGDCA is the national association for public-sector defined contribution plan administrators. It is directly comparable because GAPPT's new DCPF designation (2026) targets the same 401(a)/457/403(b) plan professionals, and NAGDCA already runs the leading annual conference and education programs for this niche — a primary competitor for GAPPT's newest product line.
• National Council on Teacher Retirement (NCTR): NCTR represents state and local teacher retirement systems, providing trustee education, accreditation, and annual conferences for public pension fiduciaries. Comparable because NCTR's audience (state retirement system trustees) overlaps directly with GAPPT's Georgia public plan trustees, and both operate similar accreditation and continuing education models.
• National Association of State Retirement Administrators (NASRA): NASRA is the national association for state retirement system administrators, offering conferences and policy/education resources for public pension administrators. Comparable because it serves the same public retirement system administrator ecosystem that GAPPT serves, with similar conference-driven education models and overlapping member bases at the state plan level.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gapptorg

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Georgia Association of Public Pension Trustees