A distant view shows a mountainous landscape with sloping peaks, green trees in the foreground, and a cloudy sky above.

Four seats on the Colorado PERA Board of Trustees are up for election this year, and candidacy packets are now available to those interested in running.



The Board of Trustees plays a vital role in PERA’s operations, overseeing the administration of all benefits and programs at PERA. The Board comprises 16 Trustees, and PERA members and retirees directly elect 12 of them. The governor appoints three (with approval by the Senate), and the State Treasurer serves as an ex officio member. Elected Board members serve without pay, but are reimbursed for necessary expenses.



The four seats up for election this year are:



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>School Division – currently held by JB Phillips</li>



<li>Local Government Division – currently held by Trina Ruhland</li>



<li>Judicial Division – currently held by Hon. Rebecca R. Freyre</li>



<li>Retiree – currently held by Timothy M. O’Brien</li>
</ul>



Any person interested in running for an open seat in their division can request a candidacy packet between now and Feb. 28. In this election, the retiree seat is open only to retirees from the State, Local Government, and Judicial divisions. Candidates must then gather the required signatures from members in their divisions and submit by March 1.



In early May, every PERA member whose division has an open seat will receive a ballot in the mail. If only a single candidate runs in a division, no election is held if approved by the Board, and no ballots will be mailed.



The Board will announce election results in June.



Visit <a href="https://www.copera.org/about/board-and-leadership" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">copera.org/board-of-trustees</a> for more information.

A view of empty chairs in the Colorado PERA Board Room.|||PERA Board Duties|PERA Board of Trustees

Candidacy Open for Four PERA Board Seats in 2023