786-2024

As Mayor, I request Council confirmation of the following appointment to the Fire and Police Disability and Retirement Board of Trustees. 

The Fire and Police Disability and Retirement (FPDR) Fund and Plan were originally created and established for the benefit of the sworn employees of Portland Fire & Rescue and the Bureau of Police of the City of Portland. The FPDR Board of Trustees (Board) supervises and controls the Fund and Plan and oversees the administration of the City of Portland Charter Chapter Five, which defines the FPDR Plan. The Board comprises five trustees: The Mayor or the Mayor’s design, two citizen trustees, a Fire Trustee, and a Police Trustee.

Presently, the Board has a vacant Citizen Trustee position.

Appoint Catherine MacLeod as Citizen Trustee

Biography:

Catherine MacLeod was appointed as an FPDR Citizen Trustee on January 1, 2017. To fill the vacant Mayor’s Designee position on the FPDR Board, the mayor appointed Catherine as his designee effective October 27, 2023, leaving the second Citizen Trustee position vacant. Catherine wishes to step down as the Mayor’s Designee and immediately fill the vacant Citizen Trustee. 

Catherine MacLeod has extensive public pension actuary experience and an excellent understanding of the FPDR pension plan. Catherine has focused on post-employment benefits for public sector clients since 2008. She is an engaged trustee who reviews all board materials and asks detailed and direct questions. In addition, she is willing to question Milliman, FPDR’s actuarial firm, and the FPDR staff when additional information is needed. Catherine also provides excellent input on FPDR issues and is eager to help the FPDR finance staff when they need an opinion on actuarial or finance issues.  

Statement of interest:

It has been my pleasure and privilege over the past seven years to work alongside my co-trustees on behalf of the police and fire members and their dependents to support the FPD&R program. I look forward to serving an additional term so that we can continue to support this very important benefit program. 

Appoint Patrick Hughes as the Mayor’s Designee

Biography:

Patrick Hughes currently resides in West Linn Oregon. His current employment position is that of Risk Manager for the City of Portland. He has held senior-level risk management positions for nearly 20 years in various public sector organizations: Risk Manager for the Eugene School District, Chief Risk Officer for Oregon State University, and now Risk Manager again for the city. Such positions allowed him the opportunity to practice and implement significant enterprise-level risk programs, manage extensive organization-wide insurance programs, work collaboratively with multiple commercial insurance brokerage firms and actuaries, and supervise the financial health of significant internal insurance funds. He has further accepted and serves on several board-level positions during my years of public sector employment: the PACE/SDAO (Special Districts of Oregon) board and the PURMIT (Public Universities Risk Management and Insurance Trust Board, where he served as Chairman and then Vice-Chairman. 

Patrick Hughes holds an undergraduate degree and a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the University of Oregon, and obtained a Masters of Public Administration from American Public University. 

While he arrived and have lived in Oregon since 1976, prior to such arrival he lived in Tokyo, Japan for nearly 4 years, and he and his wife still maintain as a serious passion that of travel – we have covered most of Asia, and significant parts of Europe. His additional interests are of education and mentoring – he has taught multiple university classes in Business Law and Ethics, and he and his wife still maintain a strong cadre of university students and young professionals we mentor and advise on many aspects of their new careers. 

Statement of interest:

I am writing to express my strong interest in joining the Fire and Police Disability and Retirement (FPDR) Board. With my extensive relevant experience in Risk Management and Insurance, I do believe my skills and experience would allow me to positively contribute to the Board’s strategic direction and furtherance of service to its members. 

My professional background holding titles of Risk Manager and Chief Risk Officer have given me the opportunity to implement large strategic plans, enterprise-level programs in risk management, management of significant organization insurance programs (including domestic and foreign carriers), to include financial oversight of internal risk pools, exposure and collaborative relationships with multiple national insurance brokerage firms. I have accepted and served on several insurance boards and acted as Chair and then Vice-Chair for one. 

I would be committed to the Board’s mission of delivering peace of mind to FPDR’s members and their survivors, and the priorities of member service, technology improvements, communications, partnership, operations and team. I am honored to be considered, and if approved, I look forward to the opportunity to contribute to the Board for the overall success of FPDR members. 

I recommend Catherine MacLeod be appointed as Citizen Trustee to complete the remaining term expiring December 31, 2025, and Patrick Hughes be appointed the Mayor’s Designee on the FPDR Board of Trustees.

Respectfully submitted,

Ted Wheeler

Mayor