Executive Salaries
by Steve Harry   

 

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Here are the total earnings for each of MERS' executive officers for the last 3 years:
  2004 2005 2006  
Anne Wagner, Chief Executive Officer 184,002 178,790 184,589  
Mike Moquin, Chief General Counsel 153,464 152,064 157,014  
Tama Allen, Chief Technology Officer 111,829 110,808 114,005  
Jeb Burns, Chief Investments Officer 111,266 110,808 #134,900  
Kathy House, Chief Client Services Officer 108,297      
Luke Huelskamp, Chief Financial Officer 96,559 110,849 114,005  
Carrie Lombardo, Chief Insurance Officer* 96,559 110,849 114,005  
William SaintAmour, Chief Administrative Officer* 43,604 97,422 108,770  
Kathy House, Chief Marketing Officer   101,628 114,005  
Debra Peake, Chief Pension Services Officer   88,758 105,428  
*Hired in 2004
# Additional $75,000 budgeted as incentive pay for entire department to use, including CIO

The above salaries were provided by MERS in response to Freedom of Information requests. MERS also gave me the budgeted salaries for these 4 years:
  2004 2005 2006 2007
Anne Wagner, Chief Executive Officer 145,000 174,400 179,632 179,929

Mike Moquin, Chief General Counsel

 140,000 152,600 157,178 157,437
Tama Allen, Chief Technology Officer 102,000 111,180 114,515 114,705
Jeb Burns, Chief Investments Officer 95,000 111,180 136,250 108,150
William SaintAmour, Chief Administrative Officer 95,000 97,000 104,523  
William SaintAmour, Chief Research Officer       114,705
Caryn Mateer, Chief Adminstrative Officer       114,705
Luke Huelskamp, Chief Financial Officer 92,000

111,180

114,515

114,705
Kathy House, Chief Client Services Officer 92,000      
Kathy House, Chief Marketing Officer   111,180 114,515  
Lynda Blackshaw, Chief Marketing Officer      

114,705
Debra Peake, Chief Pension Services Officer   85,783 103,355 114,705
Carrie Lombardo, Chief Insurance Officer     114,515 114,705
         
         
At its November 10, 2004  meeting, the MERS Board approved a 10% merit bonus for 2004 for CEO Anne Wagner (see OPEN SESSION on page 5 of the meeting minutes). That would increase the amount budgeted to $159,500. The Board also approved  "an additional $5,000 for the purchase of a life insurance policy in recognition of her leadership and improvements that have been made to the system." These might explain why her 2005 earnings were less than her 2004 earnings.

For purposes of  comparison, I've listed below the salaries of the 7 highest paid state employees. The figures are from a 4/15/06 story in the Lansing State Journal.

 
James Epolito, Michigan Economic Development Corp. Director 200,000
Jennifer Granholm, Governor 177,000
Sandy Ring, Michigan Economic Development Corp. Business Development Director 154,500
Kimberlydawn Wisdom, State Surgeon General 153,927
Shobhana Joshi, Community Health Department psychiatrist 153,927
George Pramstaller, Corrections Department doctor 153,927

 
The following salary figures are from a Lansing State Journal story that appeared in December 2004. That article said that although Michigan is "only the nation's eighth-largest state,...its department directors are among the highest paid in the country." It also said that the Governor gives back 5% of her $177,000 salary.
 
  Jennifer Granholm, Governor $177,000
  Jay Rising, Treasurer $174,200
  Teresa Takai, Information Technology Director $146,000
  Marianne Udow, FIA Director $130,050
  Mary Lannoye, Budget Director $135,300
  Mike Cox, Attorney General $124,900
  Terri Lynn Land, Secretary of State $124,900
 
  State Superintendent of Schools $168,300
  Supreme Court justices $164,610
  Environmental Quality Director $140,500
  Transportation Director $140,400
  State lawmakers $79,650