Luis Lugo
The Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association promoted Luis Lugo, its former deputy CEO and acting CEO, to be its permanent chief executive. He succeeds Santos Kreimann, who announced in January that he was stepping down for health reasons.
Lugo, who joined LACERA in 2021 as deputy CEO, had been acting CEO since March 2025, when Kreimann took a medical leave of absence.
“I have made the difficult decision to step aside to focus on my health and spend meaningful time with my loved ones,” Kreimann said in a January statement. “I am deeply proud of what this organization has accomplished, particularly during the challenges of COVID-19, and I am confident that LACERA is exceptionally well-positioned for the future.”
Before joining LACERA, Lugo was chief operating officer for the Minnesota Public Employees Retirement Association. Prior to that, he was vice president of operations at Minnesota-based language services company Intelligere. He was also an administrator at the Social Security Administration for more than 10 years.
“Luis has demonstrated exceptional leadership, clarity of vision, and an unwavering commitment to LACERA’s mission,” Board Chair James Harris said in a statement. “During a period of transition, he provided thoughtful stewardship. The board is confident that Luis is the right leader to guide LACERA forward on behalf of our members, retirees, and employers.”
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Tags: LACERA, Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association (LACERA), public pension funds