All personnel and the director of the bureau are authorized to be members of the Employees' Retirement System of Georgia, as established by Chapter 2 of Title 47. All rights, credits, and funds in the retirement system which are possessed by any personnel of the bureau, including the director, at the time of employment in the bureau are continued; and it is the intention of the General Assembly that such personnel and the director shall not lose any rights, credits, or funds to which they were entitled prior to being employed with the bureau.