Gov. Gavin Newsom Appoints Michael Detoy to the CalPERS Board of Administration

February 14, 2025

Communications & Stakeholder Relations
Office of Public Affairs
(916) 795-3991 - newsroom@calpers.ca.gov

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Gov. Gavin Newsom has appointed Michael Detoy as the local government elected official on the CalPERS Board of Administration. 

Detoy hails from Southern California where he has served as a councilmember and mayor of the City of Hermosa Beach since 2019. In addition, he is a fire captain with the City of Riverside where he has served since 2011.

“We congratulate Michael on his appointment, and we welcome the perspective he brings on behalf of our local government partners,” said CalPERS Chief Executive Officer Marcie Frost. “His dedication to public service, both as a city leader in Hermosa Beach and as a firefighter, will serve him well in our vital mission to provide retirement security and quality health care to CalPERS members and their families.”

Detoy, whose tenure on the board begins immediately, earned a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Santa Clara University and a Master of Public Administration from California Baptist University. He has also served as a trustee on the California Firefighters Benefits Trust and is a fiduciary trustee of the International Association of Fire Fighters Retiree Medical Trust.

“My life has been devoted to public service and I am honored for this opportunity,” Detoy said. “I see public service as a basic responsibility, a way of giving back to society, and I look forward to making a difference in the lives of more than 2.2 million CalPERS members.”

Detoy will replace Lisa Middleton, a former member of the Palm Springs City Council, who was appointed to the board in May of 2019.

“I want to thank Lisa Middleton for her service to CalPERS, our members, employers and board,” Frost added. “Lisa has been part of the CalPERS family for almost six years, working tirelessly to ensure our employer partners are well-represented in every decision CalPERS makes. As the first transgender person elected to a non-judicial office in California, Lisa represents the very best of CalPERS and has been a trusted partner to her fellow board members and the executive team. We wish her the very best in the next chapter of her life and career.”

The 13-member CalPERS Board of Administration sets policy and oversees the administration of retirement and health benefits on behalf of California public employers, and their active and retired employees. The board also oversees administration of the pension fund’s investments. Under the California Constitution, the CalPERS Board has exclusive authority to administer the CalPERS pension fund.

The next board meeting will take place on Feb. 18-19.

About CalPERS

For more than nine decades, CalPERS has built retirement and health security for state, school, and public agency members who invest their lifework in public service. Our pension fund serves more than 2 million members in the CalPERS retirement system, making us the largest defined-benefit public pension in the nation. We also administer health benefits for more than 1.5 million members and their families, making CalPERS the nation’s largest purchaser of public employee health services behind the U.S. government.