# City of New Haven Employees' Retirement Fund City of New Haven Employees' Retirement Fund is a Public Pension Fund based in New Haven, United States. ## Overview - **Organization type:** Public Pension Fund - **Headquarters:** New Haven, United States - **Region:** North America - **Address:** New Haven, CT, United States - **Founded:** 1938 - **Assets under management:** Undisclosed - **Website:** newhavenct.gov - **LinkedIn:** https://www.newhavenct.gov ## Regulatory record - **Reports private funds:** No ## About The City of New Haven Employees' Retirement Fund serves municipal workers of this Connecticut city. A five-member board governs the fund: Mayor Justin Elicker and City Controller Kristy Sampieri hold ex-officio seats, while Cathy Graves and Susan Whetstone round out the mayoral appointees. Pension Administrator Leanna Ambersley handles day-to-day administration. Publicly available data on the fund's portfolio and deployment strategy is thin. The board submits annual estimated appropriations to the Mayor's office, but asset allocation, manager selection, and historical performance are not routinely published. Without a disclosed investment policy statement, it is unclear whether the fund uses external consultants, invests in alternatives, or pursues a passive cap-weighted strategy. Other municipal Connecticut pensions of similar vintage have historically leaned toward fixed income and public equities. The fund operates exclusively from New Haven City Hall. No affiliated foundations, co-investment vehicles, or advisory committees are named in public records. Team size appears limited to the board and a single administrator. No recent hires or departures have been announced. Its defining structural feature is the ex-officio model — the city's chief executive and financial controller hold automatic board seats. This embeds the fund in municipal politics and may influence rebalancing discipline, fee sensitivity, and tolerance for illiquid assets. Succession risk is tied to electoral cycles, and the fund's narrow governance bench concentrates decision-making in a small group of political appointees. ## People - Justin Elicker — Mayor; Ex-Officio Board Member - Kristy Sampieri — City Controller; Board Member - Leanna Ambersley — Pension Administrator - Cathy Graves — Board Member - Susan Whetstone — Board Member ## Questions ### Who runs investment decisions at the City of New Haven Employees' Retirement Fund? A five-member board — including Mayor Justin Elicker and City Controller Kristy Sampieri as ex-officio members, plus two mayoral appointees — oversees the fund. Day-to-day administration is handled by Pension Administrator Leanna Ambersley. Whether an outside investment consultant or internal investment committee advises on manager selection is not publicly disclosed. ### How is the fund's board structured, and what does that mean for governance? The board is hybrid: two seats are tied to office (mayor and controller), and two are political appointments. This ex-officio structure means investment oversight is bundled with the city's executive operations. Governance continuity depends on electoral outcomes, and the fund has not published a board charter or committee structure covering areas like audit, proxy voting, or ESG. ### Does the City of New Haven Employees' Retirement Fund make direct investments or commit to outside funds? There is no public evidence that the fund makes direct co-investments, operates in-house managed accounts, or invests in private markets directly. Most small municipal pensions in Connecticut use external managers through fund-of-fund structures or separate accounts, but the New Haven fund has not confirmed its approach. ### What is the fund's relationship to the City of New Haven? The fund is a department-level entity within city government. Its board operates under the Mayor's authority, and its administrator is a city employee. This tight integration means the pension fund's liquidity needs, contribution schedules, and risk appetite can be influenced by broader city budget negotiations. ### Who is the pension administrator, and what is their role? Leanna Ambersley serves as Pension Administrator. Her responsibilities include processing benefits, managing retiree payroll, and supporting board meetings. The administrator does not function as a chief investment officer — strategic asset-allocation decisions rest with the board. ### Are there any affiliated charitable or co-investment vehicles associated with this fund? None are disclosed. Unlike some large public plans that spin out philanthropic trusts or aligned investment platforms, the New Haven fund shows no separate foundation, real-asset arm, or club-deal structure linked to its balance sheet. ## Related profiles - [City of Naples Retirement Plan](https://altss.com/profile/city-of-naples-retirement-plan) - [City of Norwalk Municipal Employees' Pension Board](https://altss.com/profile/city-of-norwalk-municipal-employees-pension-board) --- Last updated: 2026-06-03T20:00:00.000Z Canonical page: https://altss.com/profile/city-of-new-haven-employees-retirement-fund Maintained by Altss — https://altss.com — methodology: https://altss.com/methodology