December 22, 2023 – The Ventura County Employees’ Retirement Association (VCERA) Board of Retirement has appointed Amy Herron as VCERA’s new Retirement Administrator, effective January 8, 2024. She will replace Rick Santos, who has held the position on an interim basis since August 2023, when the previous administrator retired.

Ms. Herron’s appointment as VCERA’s chief executive was announced at the Board of Retirement’s meeting on December 18, 2023. The Board conducted a nationwide recruitment and interviewed multiple candidates this fall before making its hiring decision.

Ms. Herron has served as VCERA’s Chief Operations Officer since January 2023. Prior to this, she was the Chief Deputy over Payroll & Accounts Payable at the County of Ventura Auditor-Controller for about six years. She also held various positions with the County of Santa Barbara Auditor-Controller for 20 years, finishing the latter half of her tenure there as the Financial Systems Division Chief. Amy is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Certified Public Finance Officer (CPFO) and Project Management Professional (PMP). She holds a bachelor’s degree from UC Santa Barbara (UCSB) in business economics with an emphasis in accounting.

Mike Sedell, Chair of the Board of Retirement, stated: “On behalf of the Board, I am pleased to congratulate Ms. Herron on her appointment as the new Retirement Administrator. She possesses outstanding leadership skills, institutional knowledge, technical know-how and a vision for VCERA’s future. We wish her every success in the years ahead. Furthermore, the Board is grateful to Mr. Santos for serving as the Interim Administrator, effectively bridging that leadership gap as we searched for a permanent administrator. His work and diplomacy over the past five months have been invaluable.”

“I am honored to be entrusted by the Board with this important responsibility,” Ms. Herron said. “VCERA will continue to have my full focus as it grows and matures as an organization, and as we make progress with the implementation of the Alameda Decision. With the support of a great staff, I will work to deliver the best possible services and promised benefits to our 20,000 members and beneficiaries.”

(Click here to view the press release.)