SamCERA’s Board of Retirement has nine members and two alternates.

The Board includes the San Mateo County Treasurer, four appointees of the Board of Supervisors, four elected members chosen by the differing active and retiree SamCERA membership groups, and two elected alternates.

Sandie Arnott

Ex Officio per the 1937 Act, First Member
Katherine O’Malley

Elected by the General Members, Second Member
Laurel Finnegan

Elected by the General Members, Third Member
Elaine Orr

Appointed by the Board of Supervisors, Fourth Member
Kimathi Marangu

Appointed by the Board of Supervisors, Fifth Member
Rachel Perkel

Appointed by the Board of Supervisors, Sixth Member
Robert Raw

Elected by the Safety Members, Seventh Member
Alma Salas

Elected by the Retired Members, Eighth Member
Kurt Hoefer

Appointed by the Board of Supervisors, Ninth Member
Nicole McKay

Elected by the Retired Members, Retiree Alternate
April DeCarsky

Elected by the Safety Members, Safety Alternate

Sandie Arnott is the San Mateo County Treasurer/Tax Collector and is a member of the Retirement Board by virtue of her office. She first began serving in this office in January 2011, but served as Assistant County Treasurer for many years during which she was also active on the Retirement Board. Her current term as Treasurer/Tax Collector will expire on December 31, 2026.

Katherine O’Malley has been with the Assessor-County Clerk-Recorder & Elections Department since 2012, and she is currently a Principal Appraiser in the Assessor’s Division. She was first elected to the Board of Retirement in 2018 and is now serving her third term on the Board. Her current term will expire on June 30, 2027.

Laurel Finnegan was hired by the Parks & Recreation Department in January 2007, and at present is a Park Ranger Supervisor. She is currently serving on both the County’s Deferred Compensation Committee and her first term on the SamCERA Board. Her term will expire on June 30, 2028.

Elaine Orr is a CFA with experience as a retirement system trustee and board member. She was previously Director, Investments with Silicon Valley Community Foundation and has held various roles at BlackRock advising and building investment solutions for pensions, foundations and endowments. She was initially appointed to the Board in 2021, and her current term will expire on June 30, 2027. Elaine is currently serving as Board Secretary.

Kimathi currently serves as the Global Head of Prepaid for Visa, Inc. and his financial career includes working for Morgan Stanley, J.P. Morgan, Apple, and Cartera Commerce. He has served on volunteer boards of the American Red Cross, the Stanford Business School Funds and others. In addition, Kimathi holds a Bachelor’s degree from Vassar College and an MBA from Stanford Business School. Kimathi is serving his first term on the Board, which will expire on June 30, 2025.

Rachel Perkel has over 30 years of experience in wealth management, impacting investing, and asset management, including roles at Fidelity Investments, Charles Schwab, and Toniic. As the leader of Wells Fargo Private Bank business in Silicon Valley, Rachel oversaw over $3 billion in client assets. Rachel is committed to community service, having served on the Board of LifeMoves and led local philanthropic efforts at Wells Fargo. Rachel is serving her first term on the Board, which will expire on June 30, 2027.

Robert Raw is a Sergeant who was hired by the Sheriff’s Department in 2012. He was first elected to the Board of Retirement in 2018 and is currently serving his third term on the Board. His current term will expire on June 30, 2027.

Alma Salas was a Probation Services Manager with the San Mateo County Probation Department before her retirement in May 2013. Alma first joined the Board in May of 2001 and served as Board Chair during the 2004-05 fiscal year. She was elected in 2013 to serve as the Retiree Alternate and was reelected in 2016 and 2019. She was elected to serve as Eighth Member on the Board in June 2022, and her current term will expire on June 30, 2025. Alma is currently serving as Vice-Chair.

Kurt Hoefer is a partner at Summitry, LLC. As an investment adviser and investment banker, he has provided strategic and financial advice to institutions and individuals. He was first appointed by the Board of Supervisors in September 2016, and he was reappointed in 2019 and 2022. His current term will expire on June 30, 2025.

Nicole was elected to the Retiree Alternate seat in June 2022. In this role, she substitutes in the absence of the Eighth Member. Prior to her retirement, Nicole worked for San Mateo County and the San Mateo Superior Court for more than 29 years, retiring as the Employee Relations Manager for San Mateo County’s Human Resources Department. Her current term will expire on June 30, 2025.

April DeCarsky is a Deputy Probation Officer III with the Probation Department. She is currently serving her first full term on the Board of Retirement which will expire on June 30, 2027. She was first elected to serve a partial term as Safety Alternate in 2023. The Safety Alternate board member substitutes in the absence of the Second, Third, or Seventh member. Additionally, if the Eighth member and Retiree alternate are absent, they substitute for the Eighth member.

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