John Murante appears to be on his way out after five years as state treasurer for Nebraska.

The Nebraska Public Employees Retirement Systems Board voted Monday to name the 41-year-old Republican as the next director for the state retirement agency. The choice won support from all but one board member, who abstained from voting.

Murante will replace Randy Gerke, who has announced plans to retire this year. Gerke has worked for the Public Employees Retirement Systems for nearly 20 years and has been director for six.

The board was negotiating Murante's salary and start date Monday afternoon. As treasurer, his salary is set by state law at $85,000 a year. Gerke is paid more than $185,000. Gerke said he has offered to stay on the job into September to help the new director get started.

Murante's selection must be approved by Gov. Jim Pillen and by the Nebraska Legislature. Pillen also would have to appoint a replacement state treasurer.

Earlier this year, lawmakers balked at approving the board's previous choice for retirement systems director. The choice, Jason Hayes, is a lobbyist for the Nebraska State Education Association. He initially won approval with 29 votes.

But a week later, the Legislature voted to reconsider that approval. Those advocating for reconsideration questioned Hayes' qualifications for the job and argued that they did not have enough time to examine his credentials. On reconsideration, his confirmation failed.

Hayes, who previously worked as legal counsel for the retirement agency and chief deputy for the State Treasurer’s Office, was one of the three candidates interviewed by the board Monday.

State law requires that retirement systems directors have supervisory or management experience and have training, knowledge or experience of administering qualified public employee retirement plans.

The state retirement systems agency administers "defined benefit," or pension, plans for school employees, judges and State Patrol employees across the state. The agency also oversees cash balance and defined contribution plans for state and county employees and a deferred compensation plan that is optional for state employees, judges and State Patrol employees.

Murante has spent most of his career in state government. He was elected state treasurer in 2018 and was reelected last year. The State Constitution limits treasurers to two consecutive terms. Before being elected treasurer, he served six years as a state senator.

Murante previously worked as a legislative aide. He has a bachelor's degree from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and is also the CEO of Big Fred's Pizza.

State Sen. Danielle Conrad of Lincoln, who is a member of the Legislature's Nebraska Retirement Systems Committee, said she hopes to have discussions with Murante and other interested parties about how well he meets the legal requirements for the position.

She also wants to talk about his selection fits with the agency's mission. She said she wants to be sure that he can put aside partisan politics and thinking to focus on the best interests of plan participants.

Murante is the past national chairman of the State Financial Officers Foundation, a conservative group linked to a push for state policies restricting or punishing companies that reduce their support for fossil fuel businesses.

Murante told Omaha World-Herald last year that companies supporting “Environmental, Social and Governance," or ESG, practices have a “devastating” impact on Nebraskans and the state’s economy. ESG is a set of criteria used by companies to make environmentally smart investments.

Photos: Last day of the 108th Nebraska Legislature