William Posner

William B. Posner, born in Brooklyn, New York relocated as a young child to Washington, DC with his parents, Aaron and Claire Posner, and older sister Elaine. Known by “Bill” to all friends, was married to Marcia L. Posner for 34 years prior to divorcing and had three children, Sheri Keller (Sean Keller), Carole Sepulvado (Lee Sepulvado), and Eric Posner (Tracy Glink). He was also blessed with four grandchildren (Shayna Keller, Sierra Keller, Hailey Sepulvado and Cory Sepulvado). Bill also had a loving niece, Janet Laufer (Craig Laufer), their children, Miriam (Eric), Rachel (Dana)) and Benjamin as well as nephew, David Goldstein (Tova Goldstein). Bill loved college basketball, with a life-long loyalty to the Maryland Terps - a passion that he passed down to family. He enjoyed traveling, having the opportunity to enjoy many experiences throughout the world.

After earning his B.S. business degree with a major in accounting from the University of Maryland in College Park, MD in 1961, Bill became an Internal Revenue Agent in the income tax area at the IRS. Soon after, with the Vietnam War heating up, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force (1962-1966) and was stationed in Washington, DC in financial management.

In 1966, he returned to the IRS and became a Tax Law Specialist in the Miscellaneous and Special Provisions Tax Division’s pension trust branch. While an airman, he had been a night student at American University Washington College of Law in Washington, DC, earning his J.D. in 1967.

In 1973, Bill worked in the pension trust branch, as a Tax Law Specialist and Project Leader, where he wrote revenue rulings and other official guidance. It was during this time that he had the opportunity to work on Capitol Hill in crafting the landmark legislation Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (“ERISA”). He, along with many other dedicated civil servants, spent many long hours on the bill's tax provisions, to help draft the intricate new landmark legislation. Everyone’s hard work paid off when ERISA passed the Senate, 85 to nothing, passed the House 407 to 2, and was signed into law at the White House by President Gerald Ford on Labor Day, 1974, with IRS Commissioner Alexander and Bill being among those attending.

Bill felt personally obligated to continue what he had helped to start, especially developing and drafting regulations to implement the new law’s provisions. He served as Assistant Branch Chief in the Employee Plans office of Employee Plans/Exempt Organizations. In 1979, he was chosen as Special Assistant for Employee Plan Matters to the Assistant Commissioner of Employee Plans/Exempt Organizations, where he coordinated the activities of the employee plans and the actuarial divisions. Bill left the IRS in 1993 to work at the Pension Benefits Guaranty Corporation (PBGC) as Deputy Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer. Bill’s work at the PBGC continued until his retirement in 1996. Following retirement, Bill took on a new challenge, as a consultant to the United States Agency for International Development, helping the government in Hungary understand what was involved in setting up a Western-style pension system.

Charitable donations can be made in his memory to the Anti-Defamation League or Doctors Without Borders (see link below).