Position: Chief Operations Officer
Sam Paris is the Oregon Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) Chief Operations Officer (COO) and has been
with the agency since 2004. As COO, Paris oversees day-to-day operations in member communications, employer
reporting, data services, eligibility, applications and form intake and review, benefit calculations, deferred
compensation, and the PERS Health Insurance Plan. In his role, Paris provides direction to the four sections and
two programs within the division: Member Services, Data Services, Benefit Preparation, Calculations, the Oregon
Savings Growth Program, and the PERS Health Insurance Plan.
Paris has served PERS members and agency staff in his current role since July 2019. In this time, he has guided
the division through momentous organizational change including the move to a remote and hybrid work environment
and the start of the PERS Modernization Program.
Paris has previously held four leadership and management roles at PERS, including Assistant Chief Operations
Officer, Employer Relations Manager, Account Reconciliation Team Manager, and Retirement Services Section
Supervisor.
Paris is a native of Portland, Oregon. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration with a
specialization in finance from Oregon State University.