Your Retirement Security: Adele is endorsed by OCEA, Iriss joins OCERS, & Chris Prevatt retires!
A union is strong when we leverage our greatest strength, our strength in numbers. This is also true when we are talking about the retirement security of County public workers. Your pension is administered and governed by a nine-person Board of Trustees. Two of these OCERS Trustees are directly elected by you and your co-workers. Currently, you are served by two tireless advocates for retirement security, Trustees Adele Lopez Tagaloa and Iriss Barriga. Adele and Iriss, along with the other Trustees, work to ensure all County public workers can retire with dignity.
Periodically we provide an update on the latest news about your retirement security!
CHRIS PREVATT RETIRES, LEAVING A LEGACY OF PUBLIC SERVICE AND RETIREMENT SECURITY
OCEA Second Vice President Chris Prevatt—a longtime OCEA Board member and OCERS Trustee—retired in January from his job as a Program Supervisor I with the Orange County Health Care Agency. Chris began his career with the County in 1997 and immediately joined OCEA and became an aggressive advocate for workers.
As his role at OCEA evolved, he served two terms on the OCEA Board of Directors, chaired multiple OCEA committees, and was a member of the OCEA Executive Committee in various roles including Treasurer, Secretary, First Vice President, and Second Vice President. As a long-standing delegate of the OC Labor Federation, he expanded his commitment to the betterment of working conditions to include workers throughout Orange County and across California.
Chris also participated in the HCA Labor Management Committee, where he was instrumental in advancing workplace change and establishing the annual Steve Ambriz Recognition Awards, and he served as an elected member of the Orange County Employees Retirement System Board of Trustees for 12 years, where he safeguarded County worker retirement security for many years.
“Chris is known for his integrity, knowledge, and tireless commitment to both OCEA and OCERS. Chris has never wavered in his support for OCEA members to ensure their workplace is safe and their retirement benefits remain strong, fair, and sustainable.” OCEA President Judy Bowling said. “I would like to express my personal gratitude to Chris. He has been an incredible mentor to me since I became President of OCEA in 2022.”
OCERS CEO Steve Delaney said Chris would be missed as a calming voice in contentious moments who could always be counted on to “suggest a way forward that met the demands and expectations of his nine fellow trustees.”
“What is the value of that kind of thoughtful approach? We can put a price tag on it here at OCERS. When Mr. Prevatt merged his talents with those of the team of OCERS Trustees, the retirement fund assets stood at $9 billion,” Delaney said. “The teamwork that Mr. Prevatt advocated and his influence with his fellow trustees helped guide us to a portfolio that today stands at approximately $25 billion!"
“While we obviously can’t attribute all of that to Mr. Prevatt, his well-reasoned collaborative approach played an important part in the Board deliberations and actions that led to our current positive financial health.”
In a ceremony at an Orange County Board of Supervisors meeting in December, Board Chair Don Wagner praised Chris for a “long and impactful career,” calling him a “champion of retirement security, not only for OCERS members, but for working families across our County."
“As a trustee on the OCERS Board of Retirement, Chris has shown clear vision and strong leadership, helping to guide policies and to safeguard the system’s financial health,” Wagner said. “His contributions have been instrumental to ensuring our retirement system remains secure and effective for the hardworking men and women of Orange County. Chris’ longstanding service embodies the very best qualities of public leadership: integrity, dedication, and advocacy.”
Chris, who has been involved in local politics and advocacy in Orange County for decades, has moved overseas. He credits his retirement benefit for allowing him the opportunity.
“I’m looking forward to retirement and what I’ve learned is the best decision I ever made was to get a job with the County and stick it out,” he said. “We’ve taken [OCERS] from being on somewhat shaky ground after the global financial crisis to being one of the largest county pension systems in the state. I want to thank the Board of Supervisors, my colleagues on the OCERS Board and all of OCEA for their support and encouragement in the work that I’ve been able to do.”
ADELE TAGALOA WRAPS YEAR AS OCERS CHAIR & EARNS OCEA ENDORSEMENT FOR NEXT OCERS ELECTION + IRISS BARRIGA JOINS THE BOARD
December also marked the conclusion of OCEA Board member and OCERS Trustee Adele Lopez Tagaloa’s tenure as Chair of the OCERS Board for 2024. Adele remains on the OCERS Board along with incoming trustee and OCEA Board member Iriss Barriga, who filled the seat vacated by Chris Prevatt in January.
“It was an honor to be Chair of the Board,” Adele said. “It meant representation for those who came before me, and those who come after me, like Iriss, and anyone else. It shows that this Board looks like our workforce.”
Iriss and Adele have already jumped into 2025 strong by attending the Legislative Conference & Policy Day hosted by the National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems in Washington, D.C. in January.
“The best part was having direct meetings with senators who are from our area. We met with Democrats and Republicans to discuss the OCERS system and public pensions, how they are great recruitment tools, and a good way to ensure talent in government,” Iriss said.
Adele will run for a third term on the OCERS Board this Spring. OCEA members should be on the lookout for election information by email in the coming months.
“My goal in being a Trustee for another term is to ensure our voices are heard,” Adele said. “That we use prudent and responsible investment strategies. That we practice good governance and succession planning. What we do now will affect us in 10 to 20 years. In this pension world, it’s all a long-term game.”
ARE YOUR BENEFICIARIES UP TO DATE?
When you became a member of OCERS, you were asked to designate a beneficiary who is entitled to receive certain benefits that may be payable upon your death. If it’s been some time since you checked your beneficiary designations, please log in to myOCERS to name, review or change your beneficiary or beneficiaries.
You can also update beneficiaries by downloading the form at this link and mailing it to OCERS. You can also request to have OCERS mail a form to you by calling 714-558-6200.
In Solidary,
OCEA
Publication Date: February 20, 2025
