On May 20, 2015, President Barack Obama announced the nomination of W. Thomas Reeder Jr. to lead the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, which protects the pensions of American workers whose employers go out of business or terminate their pension plan.
The son of Tom and Marilyn Reeder, Reeder was born in Fort Bliss, Texas, and attended the University of Texas, earning B.A., B.S.Ed, and MBA degrees and finishing in 1987 with a J.D. from the university’s law school.
He began his career in the private sector as an associate at Akin, Gump, Strauss, Hauer and Feld. In 1992, he moved over to Paul, Hastings, Janofsky and Walker, first as an associate and as a partner beginning in 1997, working on benefit law.
He took those talents to the Department of the Treasury’s Office of Tax Policy in February 2000. He started as an attorney advisor and progressed through associate benefits tax counsel, deputy benefits tax counsel and eventually the office’s benefits tax counsel.
Reeder moved to the Senate Finance Committee as senior benefits counsel for the Democratic staff May 2009. He returned to the Treasury Department in March 2013 as senior benefits counsel for the Internal Revenue Service.
Reeder enjoys randonneuring, ultra-long-distance bicycle rides. He is married to Ruth Fenzi Reeder. His older brother, Joe, served as undersecretary of the Army during President Bill Clinton’s first term.
-Steve Straehley
To Learn More:
Official Biography (pdf)
