Lois Wankum, Senior Executive Assistant

Lois Wankum is the Senior Executive Assistant for the Missouri Department of Transportation and Highway Patrol Employees’ Retirement System (MPERS) and reports directly to the Executive Director. She provides a variety of secretarial and administrative duties for the Executive Director’s office. She works with executive staff on special projects and reports and supervises the duties of the Senior Administrative Assistant. Lois also assists in greeting members and visitors to MPERS. Lois joined MPERS in 1998.

As the secretary to the MPERS Board of Trustees, Lois schedules and issues notices for all board and committee meetings, prepares agendas, assists with preparing meeting material for the trustees, prepares meeting minutes, maintains the board planning calendar, and retains records of the board. She also coordinates the board elections.

Lois serves as the de facto office manager, overseeing routine maintenance of the building and grounds, soliciting bids for various building and professional services, including insurance coverage. She assists with the preparation of the budget and monitors the budget throughout the year. She prepares payroll deductions and supporting forms for MPERS’ employees and assists in processing staff payroll.

Lois assists with MPERS’ human resources needs by scheduling interviews for potential new employees and ensures background checks are completed. She participates with orientating new employees and ensures existing staff is aware of any employee benefit changes.

Lois’s 33-year career in state government began in 1986, as a Clerk Typist in Office of Administration (OA), Division of Purchasing. Immediately prior to joining MPERS, Lois was employed at MoDOT and was promoted to numerous positions within the agency. She held positions in the Fiscal Services Division, the Risk Management Office and the Chief Counsel’s Office.