Council of Institutional Investors taps Ash Williams as new chairman

Ashbel Williams, executive director and chief investment officer of the $209.7 billion Florida State Board of Administration, Tallahassee, was named chairman of the Council of Institutional Investors on Wednesday.

Mr. Williams was elected by CII's public pension fund members to succeed Theresa Whitmarsh, executive director of the $128.8 billion Washington State Investment Board, Olympia.

CII members also elected Mary Francis, corporate secretary and chief governance officer at Chevron Corp., as a new co-chair, and Scott Zdrazil, senior investment officer, corporate governance at the $17.8 billion Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association, as the new treasurer.

Other new board members for 2018-2019 are Jerry Albright, CIO of the $146 billion Texas Teacher Retirement System, Austin; Ron Baker, interim executive director of the $43 billion Colorado Public Employees' Retirement Association, Denver; Renaye Manley, deputy director, strategic initiatives department at the Service Employees International Union; Thomas McIntyre, international representative at the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers; Hope Mehlman, chief governance officer and assistant corporate secretary at Regions Financial Corp.; and Jennifer Peet, corporate governance director for the Oregon State Treasury and the $78.9 billion Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund, Salem.

The full list of board members is available on CII's website.