Ex-CT Treasurer Named To Hartford's Pension Board

City of Hartford

HARTFORD, CT — Hartford Mayor Arunan Arulampalam has announced the appointment of former state treasurer and Hartford City Council President Shawn Wooden to the city's pension commission.

The commission oversees the Municipal Employees’ Retirement Fund (MERF).

“Shawn Wooden has been a national leader on pensions and debt management throughout his career and we are fortunate he was willing to lend his expertise to serve our city,” said Arulampalam.

“During his time spent in government, Shawn has been a thoughtful steward of the pension system, and I trust that he will guide our commission to ensure that we invest responsibly to secure our city’s finances and the retirements of all of those who have served this community."

Wooden is currently a partner and the chief public pension strategist at Apollo Global Management. He was Connecticut treasurer for Gov. Ned Lamont from 2019-23.

As state treasurer, he served as the sole trustee of the $45 billion Connecticut Retirement Plans and Trust Funds, administered a $26 billion debt management program, managed more than $259 billion in annual cash transactions, and held seats on 25 quasi-governmental authorities, boards and commissions.

Wooden holds a certificate in public treasury management, investments and pensions from the National Institute of Public Finance.

He graduated from Trinity College with a bachelor's degree in history and received his J.D. from New York University School of Law.

“I am grateful to Mayor Arulampalam for his trust in this appointment and this offer to give back to the city that I love,” said Wooden.

“I am humbled to lead this Commission and look forward to working collaboratively with my colleagues in safeguarding the city’s finances and securing the pensions of workers who have served this city. I look forward to leveraging my experience on a local, state, and national level to help guide our pension system and contribute to our city’s fiscal stability.”

The Hartford City Council was to confirm Wooden’s nomination this week.