The Kern County Employees’ Retirement Association (KCERA) 2023–2026 Strategic Plan lays out how KCERA will serve its members and stakeholders in the coming years. The plan is centered on five strategic goals:

• Member & Stakeholder Communication: Ensuring clear, timely information for all members and stakeholders, using multiple formats so everyone has equal access to KCERA news and resources.
• Member Service: Improving how members receive retirement services, such as faster benefit processing and personalized support, to make interactions smoother and more helpful.
• Technology: Using modern technology to make KCERA’s work more efficient and secure, for example through online tools, secure data systems, and updated processes.
• Governance: Strengthening policies, training, and oversight to ensure decisions are responsible and transparent, so the pension fund is managed wisely and fairly.
• Investments: Managing the retirement fund’s investments prudently, seeking good returns and diversification (including private markets) to keep the pension plan financially healthy for the long term.

Together, these goals help KCERA focus on clearer communication, faster service, modern technology, strong oversight, and prudent investment management.

KCERA has already made progress on several initiatives from the plan. 

• Communications Manager: Hired a Communications Manager to strengthen member education and outreach.
• HR Report: Presented KCERA’s first annual Human Resources report to improve transparency on staffing and HR policies.
• Alameda Decision: Completed implementation of the Alameda Decision (a key pension reform ruling), ensuring all required changes are in place.
• SRBR Program: Revamped the Service Retirement Benefit Recipient (SRBR) program to simplify benefits.

The full KCERA Strategic Plan (2023–2026) is available for members and stakeholders who want more detail about our goals and initiatives. It explains the objectives behind each of the five strategic goals and how KCERA will implement them.