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U.S. Equity

Dallas Hospital Seeks Equity Manager

August 11, 2008 - The Parkland Health & Hospital System has launched a search for a manager to oversee the plan's approximately $25 million large-cap growth domestic equity portfolio. The fund oversees the pension system for the Dallas County Hospital District.

Haverhill R.S. Hires for Small-Cap

August 4, 2008 - The Haverhill Retirement System has selected Putnam Investments to manage an $8.5 million small-cap growth mandate, confirmed Kathleen Gallant, administrator at the $174.9 million fund. Gallant referred all questions regarding the hire to Gus Aristizabal, the plan's consultant with Wainwright Investment Counsel, who assisted with the search. He did not return calls by press time, however.

Fresno Funds Consider New Allocations

August 4, 2008 - The joint board of the City of Fresno Retirement Systems (CFRS)-which consists of officials overseeing the $1.07 billion Employees' Retirement System and the $1.19 billion Fire & Police Retirement System-recently considered recommendations that would drastically alter the asset allocation and manager roster for the plans. According to the agenda for its meeting last week, CFRS' investment committee brought recommendations before the board that would reduce the plan's domestic equities allocation by 10%, dropping it down to 30% of the plan's assets, while increasing CFRS' international equities allocation by 8% and its emerging markets allocation by 2%, bringing them up to 25% and 5%, respectively.

Stanislaus Eyes Three For Value Mandate

July 28, 2008 - The Stanislaus County Employees' Retirement Association (StanCERA) interviewed Bivium Capital Management, Capital Prospects and Legato Capital Management as potential managers for its small-cap value emerging manager-of-managers program last week. Tom Watson, administrator of the California plan, could not be reached by press time for additional details.

SamCERA Preps Equity Searches

July 28, 2008 - The San Mateo County Employees' Retirement Association (SamCERA) is gearing up to kick off four large-cap enhanced index manager searches, said David Bailey, CEO at the $2.2 billion plan. Bailey said that the board 'is seeking greater diversification in the large-cap space.' The plan has no intentions of replacing any of its current managers, he added.

Fayette County Looks At Large-Cap

July 7, 2008 - The hunt is on for a large-cap value manager to oversee $7 million at the Fayette County Pension System. The U.S. equity portfolio will be benchmarked against the Russell 1000 Value index.

Bursting with Energy

July 7, 2008 - MFC Global Investment Management's Roger Hamilton sure is bullish on energy stocks. The senior VP and portfolio manager of John Hancock's large-cap equity and balanced funds cites Southwest Energy Company as its best performing stock. MFC is a wholly owned subsidiary of John Hancock Financial Services.

Bayou Cop Fund Interviews Finalists

June 30, 2008 - The board of the Louisiana Municipal Police Employees' Retirement System (LAMPERS) interviewed finalists in its searches for international small-cap equity, international emerging markets, and domestic large-cap value equity managers, according to the agenda from its June 18-19 meeting. American Century Investment Management, Batterymarch Financial Management, Dimensional Fund Advisors (DFA) and Mondrian Investment Partners were considered for the international small-cap search.

Abbott Picked By Baltimore Employee Plan

June 30, 2008 - Private equity manager Abbott Capital Management has been hired by the $1.4 billion Baltimore Employees' Retirement System. The firm will receive a $40 million commitment to be invested in the Abbott Capital Private Equity Fund VI. An agenda for a June 18 City of Baltimore board of estimates meeting states that the plan has previously invested in two funds with the manager.

Norwood RS Hunts For Equity Manager

June 30, 2008 - The Town of Norwood Contributory Retirement System is looking to hire a large-cap growth domestic equity manager to oversee roughly $10 million. Debra Lorenzo, administrator at the Massachusetts plan, referred all questions regarding the search to Susan Rawley, the plan's consultant with Mercer.

Large-Cap on The Way for Watertown R.S.

June 23, 2008 - The Watertown Retirement System has placed $16 million up for grabs to be managed in a large-cap core equity strategy. Barbara Sheehan, administrator of the Massachusetts fund, referred all questions to Carol Tam, the plan's consultant with Segal Advisors who explained that the board is 'looking for an active large-cap manager to potentially replace its existing passive manager.'

LACERA Kicks Off Smid-Cap Search

June 23, 2008 - The Los Angeles County Employees' Retirement Association (LACERA) is looking to make new hires in the active domestic smid-cap core equity arena, said Lisa Mazzocco, CIO with the $42 billion plan. She added that the search comes as a result of recent manager terminations at the plan, but declined to name those firms. However, earlier in the month the board considered terminating Mazama Capital Management from a U.S. equity mandate (See IMW, 6/2/08). According to published reports, the firm has been removed from the account.

Florida City Launches Equity Search

June 23, 2008 - The $15.5 million Cooper City Police Officers' Pension Fund has issued an RFP for a $1.5 million small-cap core equity mandate. Joan Wall, administrator of the Florida plan, referred all questions regarding the search to the plan's consultant, David Lee with Dahab Associates. Lee could not be reached by press time, however.

Weymouth R.S. Issues RFP Trifecta

June 16, 2008 - The Weymouth Retirement System is searching for three managers to oversee equity portfolios, said plan administrator Marsha Silva. Weymouth issued RFPs for a large-cap growth manager to oversee approximately $12 million, an international core manager to oversee roughly $10 million and a smid-cap core manager to oversee approximately $6 million.

Northumberland Makes Large-Cap Selection

June 9, 2008 - Fred Alger Management has been hired by the Northumberland County Employees' Pension Plan to oversee a $9 million large-cap growth domestic equity mandate, confirmed Frank Burnette, the plan's consultant with Morrison Fiduciary Advisors. Mellon Equity was the other finalist in the search (See IMW, 3/17/08 and 6/2/08).