(512) 454-9567
OUR MISSION IS TO SAFEGUARD AND MANAGE THE FUND IN THE SOLE INTEREST OF THE PLAN PARTICIPANTS AND THEIR BENEFICIARIES.
Staff
Board of Trustees
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Chair
Steve Adler, a 36-year Austinite, was elected Mayor of Austin in December 2014, and reelected in December 2018 for his 2nd term. Prior to his public service, Mayor Adler was managing partner at a successful law firm specializing in eminent domain law. He has been deeply involved in civic nonprofits including Ballet Austin, the Texas Tribune, and the Anti-Defamation League.
Vice Chair
Doug Fowler retired in 2017 from the Austin Fire Department as an Assistant Chief with over 31 years of service. He then served as the Fire Chief for the City of South Padre Island. Currently, Chief Fowler is working for North Hays EMS as its District Administrator. Chief Fowler is a graduate from UT Arlington with a Masters Degree in Public Administration.
Treasurer
Belinda Weaver is the Treasurer for the City of Austin where she manages the City’s comprehensive cash, debt, and investment programs. Belinda has 12 years of public service with the City of Austin, all of which has concentrated in the City’s Treasury department.
Trustee
Jeremy Burke is a Captain in the Austin fire Department at Battalion 6 with over 18 years of service. He is an active member of Local 975 having served as VP, trustee and as treasurer. Jeremy was elected to his third 3 year term on the Board in January 2017.
Trustee
John Bass has been a firefighter for over 17 years, first with Round Rock, and is now assigned to Quint 3C with the Austin Fire Department. John is a University of Texas at Austin graduate, with a BBA Finance 1997, and was a former competitive rower and coach.
The role of the Austin Fire Fighter's Pension should be at a minimum, to preserve the assets of the fund and to maintain the standard of living for each retiree at the level at which one chose to retire.
About Us
Get to know your Pension Board and Staff.
The Pension Fund is administered by a 5 member Board of Trustees. The Administrative office has been established to assist the Pension Board in the day to day administration of the fund, and to help the members of the Austin Fire Fighter's Pension.
Executive Director
Anumeha Kumar joined the Austin Fire Fighters Relief & Retirement Fund (AFRRF) as Executive Director in March 2022. She oversees the day-to-day administration and operations of the Fund. From 2015 to February 2022, Anu served as the Executive Director of the Texas Pension Review Board (PRB), a state agency mandated to oversee the financial and actuarial health of Texas’ 100 defined benefit public retirement systems. During her tenure with the PRB, she provided strong executive direction and leadership to its seven-member board and staff to advance the agency’s core mission. Anu also successfully led the agency through four Texas Legislative sessions, which included working with key stakeholders such as the legislators and their staff, retirement systems, and plan sponsors. Anu has more than 12 years of public service experience and over the years has gained significant experience in the areas of public pension policy and finance. She earned a Master of Laws degree from the University of Texas, School of Law and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the Indian Law Society Law College, Pune, one of the premier law institutes in India.
Kendall Twomey is the Benefits Manager for the Fund. She oversees all retirement and benefits program administration services of the Pension Fund and manages the benefits services staff. She began working for the Fund in 2020. Previously, she was an elementary teacher for 8 years. Kendall is a Texas Christian University graduate, with a BS in Education.
Benefits Manager
John Perryman is the Chief Finance Officer for the Fund. He oversees all accounting, financial reporting, and budgeting activities of the Pension Fund. He has almost 20 years of public service experience in state government working in all aspects of fiscal and human resource management. John is a Texas State University graduate, with a BBA in Finance.
Chief Finance Officer
Debbie Hammond is the Benefits Specialist for the Fund. She assists with all retirement and benefits program administration services of the Pension Fund. Debbie has almost 14 years of public service experience in the state retirement system working in various capacities within the customer benefits division. Debbie is a Texas State University graduate with a BBA in Marketing.
Benefits Specialist
Board and Operations Specialist
Gina Gleason is the Board and Operations Specialist for the Fund. She coordinates board meetings, produces Fund publications, and assists with the daily operations of the Fund. Gina joined the Fund in 2022, with 10 years of previous public service experience as an educator in Austin Independent School District. Gina is a University of Minnesota Duluth graduate with a BFA in Art Education.
Accounting Specialist / Quality Assurance Analyst
Shira Herbert works within the Accounting Division while serving as an auditor and liaison to the Benefits Division. Shira began working for the Fund in 2022 with 22 years of financial and retirement experience. Shira is a Texas State University graduate with a BS in Family and Consumer Sciences.
