PERA Board Elects New Chair, Vice Chair
2024-11-18T14:18:40
DENVER—The Colorado PERA Board of Trustees elected a new Chair and Vice Chair at its November 15 meeting.
Current Vice Chair Taylor McLemore was elected Chair, and the Hon. Rebecca R. Freyre was elected Vice Chair. Outgoing Chair Marcus Pennell served the limit of two terms as Chair and was ineligible for reelection.
McLemore was appointed to the PERA Board by Gov. Jared Polis in 2021. He is CEO and General Partner at Future State, a venture capital firm investing in the future of work and learning. He is also co-chair of the Disabled American Veterans National Veterans Entrepreneurship Council.
Prior to his election as Chair, McLemore served as Chair of the Board’s Ad Hoc Executive Director Search Committee and Vice Chair of the Governance and Executive Committees.
Freyre, first appointed to the PERA Board of Trustees in 2019, is a Judge with the Colorado Court of Appeals. She served as a deputy public defender for 25 years and began her legal career in 1990.
Freyre has been Chair of the Board’s Investment Committee since 2021.
McLemore and Freyre will serve two-year terms as Chair and Vice Chair, respectively, beginning in January.
In addition to electing new officers, the Board appointed Dr. Louis Fletcher to fill a School Division seat vacated by Trustee Scott Smith in September. Fletcher had the second-highest number of votes in the 2024 election for that seat, and will serve until the next election in 2025.
Colorado PERA provides retirement and other benefits to nearly 700,000 current and former teachers, State Troopers, corrections officers, snowplow drivers, and other public employees who provide valuable service to all of Colorado. PERA is a vital and stable contributor to Colorado’s economy, distributing $4.56 billion in 2023 to more than 114,000 retirees who live in Colorado.
