Governor Abbott Appoints Three to State Pension Review Board
Governor Greg Abbott has appointed Christopher Gonzales and reappointed Stephanie Leibe and Christopher Zook to the State Pension Review Board for terms set to expire on January 31, 2027. The board reviews all Texas public retirement systems, both state and local, for actuarial soundness and compliance with state law.
Christopher Gonzales of Cypress is Global Director Pensions and Investments for LyondellBasell Industries. He previously served as the Executive Director and Chief Investment Officer for the Houston Firefighters’ Relief and Retirement Fund. He is a member of WTW Client Investment Advisory Group and a former member of the Institutional Limited Partner Association. Additionally, he is a former board member of the Dennis Holder Scholarship Fund and former treasurer of Doin’ What Matters. Gonzales received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Houston Baptist University and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Houston – Sugar Land.
Stephanie Leibe of Austin is a partner at Norton Rose Fulbright. Her practice focuses primarily on public finance matters, including bond counsel and underwriter’s counsel for state agencies and local political subdivisions, investment banking firms and banks located throughout the state of Texas. Previously, she served as an assistant attorney general and chief of the public finance division in the Texas Attorney General’s Office. She is chairman of the State Pension Review Board, and is a member of the State Bar of Texas, National Association of Bond Lawyers, and the Austin Bar Association. Additionally, she is a board member of the Dripping Springs Education Foundation. Leibe received a Bachelor of Arts from Southeastern Louisiana University and a Juris Doctor degree from Loyola University School of Law.
Christopher Zook of Houston is founder, chairman, and chief investment officer of CAZ Investments, and has more than 30 years of financial management experience. He recently served two terms as a member of the Greater Houston Partnership’s Executive Committee and is a past President of the “C” Club of Houston. Additionally, he is a past president of The Children’s Fund as well as past president of the Board of Trustees of Avondale House, a home for autistic children. He is a board member of Guidestone Financial, Elizabeth Ruth’s Home, and a member of the Second Baptist Church finance committee. Zook received a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Financial Management from Texas Tech University.
These appointments are subject to Senate confirmation.