North Dakota chief retirement officer delays retirement

Fay Kopp, deputy executive director and chief retirement officer of the North Dakota Retirement and Investment Office, Bismarck, is delaying her retirement.

David Hunter, executive director and chief investment officer of the NDRIO, said in an email Thursday that Ms. Kopp was initially set to retire March 31, but she will now stay until the end of April.

"Fay wanted to help support the (North Dakota Teachers' Fund for Retirement) program and her co-workers as RIO transitions to a fully functional, remote work enabled agency in response to escalating public health concerns related to the COVID-19 outbreak," Mr. Hunter said.

The North Dakota Retirement and Investment Office oversees the North Dakota State Investment Board and the North Dakota Teachers' Fund for Retirement, in addition to 16 other SIB client boards. The SIB provided investment oversight for $16.3 billion of assets as of Dec. 31.

On Tuesday, the $243.2 billion California State Teachers' Retirement System, West Sacramento, also confirmed that CEO Jack Ehnes is delaying his September retirement until June 30, 2021, in part to allow the pension fund to stay focused on its response to the coronavirus crisis.