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City of Marietta (Ga.) Employees Pension Plan
The City of Marietta Employees Pension Plan functions as a municipal defined-benefit retirement system, chartered under Georgia law to serve the career...
City of Marietta (Ga.) Employees Pension Plan
The City of Marietta Employees Pension Plan functions as a municipal defined-benefit retirement system, chartered under Georgia law to serve the career public-safety personnel and general employees of the Cobb County seat. The plan's governing board blends city administrative leadership — City Manager William F. Bruton, Jr. and Finance Director Patina Brown — with appointed council oversight from Joseph R. Goldstein and Cheryl Richardson, plus elected plan-representative seats held by Chairman Bobby Moss (fire) and Davy Godfrey (HR/Risk). The board maintains its professional affiliation through the Georgia Association of Public Pension Trustees, sponsoring trustee certification to meet state continuing-education requirements. The plan's investment posture follows the municipal public-fund template: a board-approved asset allocation across domestic and international equities, fixed income, and alternative sleeves accessed primarily through commingled vehicles and separate-account mandates. Reported portfolio disclosures are not centrally published, consistent with many Georgia municipal plans that file through the Department of Audits and Accounts rather than maintaining investor-facing transparency pages. The pension committee operates under the city's Finance/Investments and Personnel/Insurance subcommittee structure, linking investment oversight directly to municipal budgeting and workforce policy. The fire and general-employee representative seats — held by Chairman Moss and Director Brown — give the board a labor-management composition that is common in Georgia municipal plans post-GASB 67/68 reporting reforms. Structurally, the plan's defining characteristic is its deep integration with city government — investment decisions route through the same council-committee framework that oversees public-safety staffing and municipal bond issuance. This governance model, common among mid-sized Georgia cities, creates a distinct accountability chain: pension fiduciaries answer to both plan participants and the broader city electorate through the council-appointed board seats.
General information
Firm type
Pension Fund
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Marietta
Corporate office
Marietta, GA, United States
Principals
William F. Bruton, Jr.
City Manager and Pension Approval Authority
Joseph R. Goldstein
City Council Member and Vice Chair of Finance/Investments Committee
Cheryl Richardson
City Council Member and Chair of Personnel/Insurance Committee
Bobby Moss
Chairman of the Pension Board and Fire Representative
Patina Brown
Finance Director and General Employee Representative
Davy Godfrey
Pension Board Secretary and Director of Human Resources & Risk Management
Frequently asked questions
Who governs investment decisions for the Marietta Employees Pension Plan?
A Pension Board composed of city officials and plan representatives oversees all investment decisions. City Manager William F. Bruton, Jr. serves as the plan's approval authority, while Finance Director Patina Brown holds the general-employee board seat. City Council members Joseph R. Goldstein and Cheryl Richardson provide elected oversight through their respective committee chairs. The board includes labor-representative seats held by fire personnel and human resources leadership.
How does the plan's governance compare to larger Georgia systems like TRS or ERS?
Unlike Georgia's statewide Teachers Retirement System (TRS) or Employees' Retirement System (ERS) — which employ dedicated investment staffs managing tens of billions — Marietta operates a single-city plan governed by a local board that blends city administration and participant representation. Investment policy is set at the municipal level, and the plan does not participate in the state-run investment pool. This local governance gives the board discretion over asset allocation and manager hiring within the constraints of Georgia Code Title 47.
What role does the Georgia Association of Public Pension Trustees play for this plan?
The Marietta Pension Board maintains active membership in the Georgia Association of Public Pension Trustees (GAPPT) and sponsors trustee certification for its board members. GAPPT provides fiduciary education, legislative updates, and continuing-education credits required under Georgia law for public pension trustees. Membership signals a commitment to governance standards beyond the regulatory minimum, though it does not confer any shared investment platform or pooled asset vehicle.
How are pension board members selected?
Board composition follows the Georgia municipal pension statutory template. The City Manager holds the plan's approval-authority seat ex officio. City Council appoints oversight members — currently Joseph R. Goldstein (Finance/Investments Vice Chair) and Cheryl Richardson (Personnel/Insurance Chair). The fire representative and general-employee representative are elected or appointed from within their respective participant groups. The Director of Human Resources and Risk Management rounds out the board as secretary.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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