New Member Among Pension Review Board Appointees

Governor Appoints Three to Pension Review Board

TEXPERS Staff Report

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott recently appointed three people to the Pension Review Board, the state agency charged with reviewing state and local public employee retirement systems for actuarial soundness and state law adherence.

Of the appointees, Christopher Gonzales is new to the Pension Review Board. The governor reappointed Stephanie Leibe and Christopher Zook to continue serving the Board. Their terms of all three board members expire on Jan. 31, 2027.

The announcement came from a news release issued by the Governor's Office on March 11. The appointments are subject to Senate confirmation.

Gonzalez, who resides in Cypress, has experience in private- and public-sector pensions. He works for LyondellBasell Industries, a chemical and refining company, as the global head of pensions and investments. Before his current position, he served as executive director and chief investment officer for the Houston Firefighters' Relief and Retirement Fund. According to his professional biography, provided by the Governor's Office, Gonzales is a Willis Towers Watson Client Investment Advisory Group member. Click the news release link above to read more about Gonzales.

Leibe, who the governor reappointed to the Pension Review Board, lives in Austin. She is the Board's current chairperson. Leibe is a partner at Norton Rose Fulbright, a global law firm. She specializes in public finance matters, including bond counsel and underwriter's counsel for state agencies and local political subdivisions, investment banking firms, and banks throughout Texas. Click here to read more about her professional experiences.

Houston is the home of Christopher Zook, the founder, chairman and chief investment officer at CAZ Investments, an investment firm. Before his appointment to the Pension Review Board, Zook served two terms as a Greater Houston Partnership's Executive Committee member. He has worked with the "C" Club of Houston, The Children's Fund, and Avondale House. Click here to read a previous post about Zook on TEXPERS' blog.