Catherine E. Walker, Assistant Chief Executive Officer

Ms. Walker has been serving ACERA since 1996 and began her tenure as Chief Financial Officer, until she was appointed to the position of Assistant Chief Executive Officer in 2005.

Ms. Walker has been the staff liaison for various Board of Retirement Committees.  She is focused on matters that would impact the success of ACERA and its Board of Retirement, and has been instrumental in ensuring that appropriate policies are developed and implemented.  She improved and raised the standard of financial reporting by migrating to a modernized data management system, resulting in producing accurate and reliable financial statements, budgets and the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report (CAFR).  She also works closely with the department heads and senior managers of ACERA’s Participating Employer Organizations.

The following are Ms. Walker’s other notable accomplishments during her tenure with ACERA:

• Received Certificate of Achievement of Excellence in Financial Reporting from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) for eleven consecutive years

• Earned Certificate of Achievement for the Popular Annual Financial Report from GFOA beginning with the first year of submission

• Implemented and rolled out ACERA’s What’s-up Quarterly Newsletter in 2005

• Initiated the Internal Audit function in 2007

• Oversaw the implementation of the following projects:

- Strategic Communications Plan

- Disaster Recovery Plan.

- Migration to Electronic Data Management System

• In 2006, received Certificate of Achievement in Plan Policy from the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP)

• In 2002, appointed to the GFOA Committee on Retirement and Benefit Administration

• In 2002, received Certificate of Completion in Investment Training from Callan Colle

• In 2000, awarded Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) Certificate of Recognition for early implementation of GASB 34, new requirements for the annual financial reports of state and local governments.

• In 1998, completed Pension Funds & Money Management Program from Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.

• In 1998, received Certificate of Certified Pension Professional from The Institute of Chartered Pension Professional

Prior to joining ACERA, Ms. Walker worked for several CPA firms including Willams Adley & Company LLP, where she managed the audit of the Oakland Police & Fire Retirement, and Oakland Municipal Employee Retirement System.  She also worked for KPMG where she earned a highly esteemed Quality Service Award for her work in the audit of large public and private companies.

Ms. Walker is an active member of the State Association of County Retirement Systems (SACRS), American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), Government Finance Officers Association, and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Ms. Walker is a six year appointee on the GFOA Board Standing Committee on Retirement and Benefits Administration (CORBA); a three year appointee on the SACRS Education Committee, and an appointee on the Governmental Accounting Standard Board (GASB) Task Force.

Ms. Walker earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting with Distinction from California State University Sonoma, and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Catherine and her husband, Gary, have 4 children, and three are college graduates.  Her youngest son has also earned his MBA, and is completing his law degree at University of Southern California.

- Last Modified: 07 / 10 / 2008