Position: Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director
Andrew Roth was named Chief Executive Officer/Executive Director in May 2024. In this capacity, he is responsible for PERA operations, as well as the execution of PERA’s strategy implementation.
Prior to joining PERA, Mr. Roth was the Deputy Director for the Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), the sixth-largest pension fund in the U.S. with assets under management of over $185 billion and over 2 million members. As Deputy Director, he oversaw Finance, Health Care, Benefit Services, Information Security, Business Administration, Organizational Excellence (HR), and Information Technology.
Prior to joining TRS, Mr. Roth served as the Benefits and Services Executive Officer (BSEO) at the California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS) and the Director of Retirement Readiness at CalSTRS. He also served as the Director of Education and Outreach for the California state securities regulator, a Public Information Officer for the California Department of Social Services, and as an auditor for the California Bureau of State Audits.
Mr. Roth currently serves as a Co-Chair of the Board of Directors for the Council of Institutional Investors (CII), and serves on the CII Policies Committee.
He holds a BA in History and a master’s degree in public administration, both from the University of Washington.
Position: Deputy Executive Director
Sarah Wager was named Deputy Executive Director in January 2025. Previously, she was named Chief Audit Executive in 2024 and Director of Internal Audit for Colorado PERA in 2019. She has over 30 years of experience in audit and executive leadership. Ms. Wager began her career at the Colorado Office of the State Auditor where she conducted performance, financial, and IT audits of state agencies over a 20-year period.
Prior to joining Colorado PERA, Ms. Wager served in an executive leadership role at the Colorado Department of Human Services, serving in an executive officer position overseeing programs that provided supportive services as well as 24-hour care facilities for at risk adults. She also served as the Director of the Office of Administrative Services, overseeing accounting, IT, human resources, and property management. Prior to coming to PERA, Ms. Wager served as the Deputy Executive Director of Operations for the Department, overseeing operations for the organization.
As the Deputy Executive Director at PERA, she oversees PERA’s shared services and the benefits line of business.
Ms. Wager earned her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Colorado Denver and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Position: Chief Investment Officer
Amy C. McGarrity is Chief Investment Officer at Colorado PERA and is responsible for managing an investment portfolio of $75.1 billion for the Combined Investment Fund (mostly defined benefit assets) and $7.6 billion for the Capital Appreciation Plans (defined contribution assets) in accordance with the Board of Trustees’ policies and state statutes.
Ms. McGarrity became CIO in March 2017 and oversees portfolio and risk management for global equities, fixed income, real estate, private equity, and alternatives. Ms. McGarrity recommends investment policy to the Board of Trustees and contributes to organizational strategic planning. She also oversees relationships with the custodial bank and investment consultants and represents PERA to legislative bodies and other external entities.
Ms. McGarrity served as Chief Investment Officer/Chief Operating Officer from May 2022 until August 2026 and was the Interim Executive Director from June 2023 to May 2024. She was appointed Deputy Chief Investment Officer in 2013, after serving as a Senior Investment Officer at PERA beginning in 2010. Ms. McGarrity has also held investment positions at William Blair Investment Management, Buck Consultants, Prima Capital Holding, William M. Mercer Investment Consulting, and Caxton Associates.
Ms. McGarrity holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Wyoming, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Rider University. She is the co-chair of the Investor Advisory Group for the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, serves as a member of the Security and Exchange Commission’s Investor Advisory Committee, the Healthy Markets Association Board, and the University of Wyoming Foundation’s Board of Directors. She has earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and serves on the CFA Institute Inclusion Steering Committee.
Position: Chief Information Security Officer
Jesse Bertoli was named PERA’s Chief Information Security Officer in 2025. As Chief Information Security Officer he is responsible for developing, implementing, and maintaining a comprehensive security strategy to protect PERA’s digital assets, mitigate risks, and ensure compliance with industry regulations and best practices. He oversees security operations, threat intelligence, incident response, governance, and employee awareness programs. Mr. Bertoli is also responsible for managing enterprise security programs, implementing best-in-class security technologies, and fostering a culture of security across the organization.
Mr. Bertoli brings extensive experience in risk management, incident response planning, and security governance to the position. He is a Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and most recently served as the CISO at Pinnacol Assurance. He earned his undergraduate degree from Colorado State University and a Master of Business Administration from Regis University.
Position: Chief Technology Officer
Ryan Ericson was named PERA’s Chief Technology Officer in 2024. As Chief Technology Officer he is responsible for providing the technology vision, strategy, and roadmap to enable PERA’s operations and align technology with organizational goals. In addition, Mr. Ericson is responsible for the strategic direction, leadership, and oversight of all information technology and application software, data integrity and availability, networking, telecommunications, and infrastructure, including the multi-year Pension Administration System modernization project.
Mr. Ericson joined PERA in 2011 as a Senior Software Developer and most recently served as Director of Application Development. Prior to joining PERA, he was a Senior Lead Programmer/Analyst with Citi, where he led a team dedicated to developing software for Risk and Commercial Operations. Earlier in his career, he gained experience in financial services technology and software consulting focused on IT modernization, software development, and delivering productivity tools.
Mr. Ericson earned a Master of Business Administration from the University of Denver Daniels College of Business and holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Information Systems & Management Science from Metropolitan State College of Denver.
Position: Chief Human Resources Officer
Rebecca Harren was named PERA’s Chief Human Resources Officer in 2026. Ms. Harren brings more than 25 years of human resources experience, leading enterprise HR functions at the senior leadership level within highly regulated public pension and financial services organizations. In this position, Ms. Harren will provide strategic leadership for all human resources functions and will develop and execute the vision, strategy, and roadmap needed to strengthen PERA as a learning organization and support modernization efforts to meet the evolving needs of stakeholders. As Chief Human Resources Officer, Ms. Harren is responsible for overseeing enterprise-wide people management operations, workforce planning, organizational development, and compliance with local, state, and federal employment laws.
Ms. Harren joined PERA in 2019 as Director of Human Resources. Prior to joining PERA, she was Senior Vice President of Human Resources at Guaranty Bank & Trust where she was a member of the Executive Leadership Team and partnered with the CEO, Board of Directors, and senior leaders on workforce strategy, organizational design, total rewards, succession, and enterprise people risk across retail banking, trust, lending, and wealth and investment management within a complex, highly regulated financial services environment.
Ms. Harren holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from New Mexico State University and a Master of Arts in Psychology from the University of Northern Colorado. She is recognized as a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) from the HR Certification Institute (HRCI) and is an SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).
Position: Chief Administrative Officer
Jeremy Hill was named Chief Administrative Officer in 2022. In this capacity, he has oversight of the operational services of Colorado PERA. These include Change Management, Information Security, Communications, Data Operations, Human Resources, Project Management, and Property Management.
Prior to joining PERA, Mr. Hill served as Deputy Executive Director of Administrative Solutions for the Colorado Department of Human Services (CDHS). There, he oversaw administrative functions in support of over 5,000 employees including Human Resources, Information Technology, Facilities Management, Performance Management, Legal Services, Communications, Leadership and Organizational Development, and other services. Before joining CDHS, Mr. Hill served as Assistant Attorney General at the Colorado Department of Law representing the State of Colorado in a multitude of areas involving litigation and transactional legal work. He also worked as an attorney in private practice and held various technical roles with two telecommunications companies.
Mr. Hill earned his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from The Ohio State University.
Position: Chief Benefits Officer
Patrick Lane joined PERA as the Chief Benefits Officer in 2020. In this capacity, he has strategic oversight and management of retirement, disability and survivor payments; member account services; benefit counseling; retiree health insurance; and customer service programs of the $76.8 billion Association. PERA serves as the pension fund for nearly 700,000 current and retired Colorado public servants.
Mr. Lane has spent much of his career in the development of public sector benefits administration, retirement education, and customer service programs. PERA is the third public retirement system where he has served. Before coming to PERA, he developed the first Distance Education Program, customer service center, call center, and online content at Indiana Public Retirement System in Indianapolis, then went on to oversee communications and defined benefit administration for the Oklahoma Public Retirement System in Oklahoma City.
Mr. Lane is a graduate of the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs with a degree in Public Affairs.
Position: Chief Financial Officer
Cheryl Pattelli was named PERA’s Chief Financial Officer in 2025. In this position, Ms. Pattelli will have a pivotal role in overseeing and managing PERA’s financial health, ensuring compliance with regulations, and supporting mission-driven goals of the organization. As Chief Financial Officer, Ms. Pattelli is responsible for budgeting, accounting, financial reporting, establishing internal controls over the organization’s financial activities, and ensuring compliance with all relevant laws, rules, and regulations.
Ms. Pattelli brings nearly 25 years of experience as a CFO, demonstrating extensive leadership in the areas of financial management, budgeting, accounting, system migration, and financial strategy in both public and private sector organizations. Most recently, Ms. Pattelli served as Chief Financial Officer for Weld County Government and the City of Boulder. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from University of Illinois and a Master of Business Administration in Finance from DePaul University and is a Certified Public Accountant.
