Sylvester J. Schieber has a Ph.D. in economics from the University of Notre Dame. He has spent much of his career consulting with private and public sector organizations on retirement and health issues. He has also done extensive research and writing on policy issues related to these matters. He was appointed to the 1994 Social Security Advisory Council by the Clinton Administration. He served on the U.S. Social Security Advisory Board from 1998-2009. He was appointed Chairman by President George W. Bush and served in that position his last three years on the board. His book, The Predictable Surprise: The Unravelling of the U.S. Retirement System, published in 2012, was awarded the 2012 TIAA-CREF Paul A. Samuelson Award for outstanding scholarly writing on lifelong financial security.

Vicki and Syl Schieber’s daughter, Shannon, was murdered in 1998. When Philadelphia’s district attorney publicly announced her intention to pursue the death penalty for the assailant when he was captured, Vicki and Syl waged a successful campaign against pursuing capital punishment in the case. Since that experience, they have worked in public forums across the United States for the elimination of the death penalty in this country. They have also published book chapters and magazine articles calling for its abolition.