Meet Trina Ruhland, Vice Chair of the PERA Board

The PERA Board of Trustees gained a new Chair and Vice Chair in June, when then-Chair Taylor McLemore announced he would be leaving the Board. The Hon. Rebecca R. Freyre assumed the role of Chair and Trina Ruhland was elected Vice Chair.  

Trina Ruhland joined the Board in 2022 and attended her first meeting as Vice Chair in September. We caught up with Ruhland to learn more about her and the experience she brings to the Board. 

Tell us a little about yourself and your background. 

My day job is as a deputy county attorney for Boulder County, which is a PERA member. I have a degree in mathematics from the University of Chicago, so I’ve always had a math-minded brain and a personal interest in finance, and I’ve always considered myself a fan of PERA. I first found out about PERA during my first job in law school with the Attorney General’s Office. I remember even then recognizing its value and thinking, “Wow, this is an amazing benefit.” I was excited to join Boulder County, and PERA benefits were a factor in my choosing to work there.  

How has your career informed your work as a Trustee? 

As an attorney for a local government, I have a direct view into the importance of good governance and public service as well as the impact a board can have on an organization and its stakeholders. I believe in the importance of good governance and careful long-term planning. I teach a class at the University of Colorado Law School every semester for law students interested in government service and am constantly reminded of the importance of government service for our community and society. 

What are you most looking forward to as you step into a leadership role on the Board? 

When it comes to PERA, the members are always at the forefront of my mind. I really look forward to having the opportunity to make sure every voice on the Board is heard, as well as supporting transparency for our members and other stakeholders.  

What makes for an effective Trustee, in your eyes? 

I think preparation is key to being a good Trustee. It’s important to have a foundational understanding of how pension funds work, and Trustees are expected to obtain a certain number of hours of education, both on the specifics of PERA and more generally about best practices among public plans like ours. I think effective Trustees are those who understand the Board’s role as an oversight board and understand the governance framework we have put in place. PERA is a long game—we’re not just making decisions for this year but for many years in the future—so we have to be very intentional with each of our decisions to keep the best interests of our members’ retirement security at the forefront.  

What’s something you wish more people knew about the Board? 

I want people to know how passionate the Board members are in making sure our members have secure retirements, and that their benefit is really our sole focus. Many of our trustees, myself included, are PERA members themselves. Each Trustee puts in a significant amount of time, work, and mental energy into the work of the Board, and I think that makes the organization stronger in ensuring our members have secure retirements. 

To learn more about the PERA Board, visit our Board and Leadership page.