Manatt’s Richard S. Costigan, III, a senior director of State & Government Affairs based in the firm’s Sacramento, CA office, has been chosen by the California State Personnel Board (CSPB) as its representative to the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) Board of Administration. Costigan will take his place on the board on January 1, 2011.
CalPERS is the largest public pension fund in the U.S., with more than $220 billion in assets. The retirement system administers pension plans for more than 1.6 billion active and retired California state, public school, and local government agencies on behalf of more than 3,000 public employers and health benefits for more than 1.3 million enrollees.
"Richard is an excellent choice," said George David Kieffer, Manatt partner and member of the firm's Executive Committee. "He will be a valuable asset to this important organization, particularly during this critical time in California’s fiscal history."
"Richard has a demonstrated ability to bring people together to get things done, given his substantial expertise in public and private sector policy issues," added Tom R. McMorrow, chair of Manatt’s California State Government Practice Group. "Richard brings CalPERS another respected voice for fidelity to its mission through fiscal responsibility."
Costigan was appointed to the CSPB by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2007. Prior to joining Manatt, Costigan served for three years as deputy chief of staff and legislative affairs secretary to Governor Schwarzenegger, where he was involved in all aspects of administration policy and legislative affairs. His responsibilities included being the liaison between the governor, the legislature, and the state's many agencies and departments on policy development and implementation. Before joining the Schwarzenegger administration, he was vice president of Government Relations for the California Chamber of Commerce.