Highlights

CRISTAL RODRIGUEZ APPOINTED TO GENERAL COUNSEL

2024 PHOTO COMPETITION IS OPEN - SUBMIT YOUR PHOTOS BY MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2

THANKS FOR COMING TO THE OPEN HOUSE!

CRISTAL RODRIGUEZ APPOINTED TO SBCERS GENERAL COUNSEL

SBCERS is proud to announce the appointment of Cristal Rodriguez as its new General Counsel, effective July 1, 2024. In this role, Counsel Rodriguez will oversee all legal aspects of the System's operations, providing strategic guidance and ensuring compliance with state retirement law.

Counsel Rodriguez brings a wealth of experience to SBCERS, with a distinguished career spanning over 20 years at the County of Santa Barbara. Most recently, she served as Deputy General Counsel at SBCERS.

"This is the result of many years of hard work that started with her going to law school several years back," said CEO Greg Levin. "It has been a lot of fun to watch her grow from Disability Retirement Manager to being an integral part of the SBCERS leadership cabinet, taking on complex, high-profile projects along the way.”

Cristal earned her Juris Doctorate from the Colleges of Law in Santa Barbara, CA and is a member of the California State Bar. Cristal also serves on the Board of the Legal Aid Foundation and volunteers for various community non-profits, including Court-Appointed Special Advocates of Santa Barbara and County Animal Services.

Of the appointment, Cristal said "As a child, I had always been fascinated with all things legal – even coming home to watch The People’s Court as a third grader after school – but never had the confidence, belief in myself, or support to even considering going to law school right out of college. I viewed that as something for other people from different backgrounds, different upbringings, who were smarter and had more money than my family. On my first day at SBCERS, I was handed two 4-inch binders full of medical evidence and directed to prepare and observe a hearing the next day. The thought of going to law school never crossed my mind that day, much less that I would one day be appointed to General Counsel. That journey is a reflection of the support and growth mentality that SBCERS cultivates, for which I am grateful.

May we all continue to learn, to cultivate our goals, to motivate and support each other, and to get at least 1% better every day."

Big congratulations to Cristal!

2024 PHOTO COMPETITION IS OPEN - SUBMIT YOUR PHOTOS BY MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 2

SBCERS invites you to participate in the 3rd Annual Photo Competition! Winning entries will be printed and hung throughout the SBCERS Lobby and meeting spaces.

We hope our gallery reflects the varied perspectives and passions of our membership, be it the natural beauty you discover on a walk through your neighborhood, the thrilling sites and scenes you discover in your travels, and everything in between! 

Suggested themes include, but are not limited to:

• Architecture
• Landscape
• Events
• Abstracts
• Black and White

Important dates and details:

• Multiple submissions are allowed.
• JPEG and PNG files only. File size limit is 16 MB.
• Monday September 2, 2024: Deadline for submissions.
• Monday, September 9, 2024: Winning entries announced via email notice to each winning entrant, and announced to www.sbcers.org.
• October 2024: Winning entries will be printed to wrapped canvas (sizes may vary from 16” x 20” to 18” x 24”) and hung within the SBCERS gallery at Robin Hill Road. Photos will be unveiled at the SBCERS Open Enrollment Fair.

THANK YOU FOR COMING TO THE OPEN HOUSE!

Thank you for attending the SBCERS 2nd Annual Open House!

Our members donated over 450 lbs to the Food Bank of Santa Barbara County!