Christopher Spencer was named executive director and Lamar Taylor the chief investment officer of the Florida State Board of Administration, Tallahassee.
The appointments by SBA trustees Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, CFO Jimmy Patronis and Attorney General Ashley Moody were made at their March 26 meeting, a video of the meeting showed. The appointments come nearly two-and-a-half years following the retirement of Ash Williams from a combined executive director/CIO position on Sept. 30, 2021. Both Spencer and Taylor replace Williams in their new roles.
Spencer has been director of the office of policy and budget in DeSantis’ executive office since July 2019 and has previously held roles in economic and insurance policy in both the public and private sectors, according to a March 22 news release from DeSantis’ office announcing Spencer's nomination.
Taylor has served in a combined interim role as executive director and CIO since September 2021. He was previously the organization's chief operating and financial officer.
The appointments by DeSantis and the trustees bring to a close an unusually lengthy leadership vacancy among U.S. asset owners. A search for a new leader only officially began in January 2023, and the job listing for the position, which initially lacked a detailed description, remained on the Florida Cabinet website for over a year.
The Florida State Board of Administration oversees $250.3 billion in state assets, including the $190.4 billion Florida Retirement System.
