Gov. Steve Beshear on Friday will name former state Rep. Mike Cherry, D-Princeton, to the Kentucky Retirement Systems board of trustees. Cherry will fill a vacancy created by the resignation of Louisville lawyer Jennifer Elliott.

Cherry, 69, retired in December as a state lawmaker and chairman of the House State Government Committee. He co-chaired a task force in 2012 that proposed reforms to the state's ailing pension system, including a massive infusion of cash and the trimming of retirement benefits.

"I look forward to making a contribution. I hope I can hit the deck running," Cherry said Thursday.

The $11 billion KRS oversees retirement benefits for state and local government employees.

Beshear, who appoints three of the nine KRS trustees, said Cherry's "extensive experience on pension issues ... makes him a good choice to continue the board's work."