The PERA Board is making progress in its search for PERA’s next Executive Director. It formed an ad hoc executive search committee to oversee the process. The committee selected Hudepohl & Associates, a Florida-based firm with expertise in executive searches for public pension plans like PERA, to conduct a nationwide search.

The former Executive Director’s position has been vacant since June 1. Chief Investment Officer/Chief Operating Officer Amy C. McGarrity is serving as Interim Executive Director.

On Tuesday, the committee met to discuss its search timeline and objectives. The committee expects to meet again in early-to-mid October, and the entire process is expected to take several months to complete.

Taylor McLemore, chair of the ad hoc committee, said the committee will consider a wide variety of candidates, both internal and external, to find PERA’s next leader.

“Our mandate is to find the best person for the job,” McLemore said. “This is a significant organization that’s critical to our members, to our employees, and to this state, so we need to find the person who is going to take PERA forward on its mission and make it successful for all of our members and the employees they’re leading.”

Meetings of the ad hoc committee are open to the public and are streamed live on copera.org. PERA members and others are invited to listen in to those meetings, and each includes time for public comment.

For more information, visit copera.org.