The Montana Board of Investments is searching for a new executive director to lead the management of roughly $18 billion in pension funds, state insurance reserves, and other government assets. The four finalists for the job are being interviewed this week.
The investment board’s current Executive Director David Ewer is retiring this September, after taking on the position in 2011.
Before coming to the board, Ewer served as the state budget director under Governor Brian Schweitzer.
The current state Budget Director Dan Villa is among the finalists to replace him.
The job would mean a serious pay bump for Villa. While he currently makes around $120,000 a year, the current Montana Board of Investments executive director makes more than $218,000 a year.
The other finalists for the job include Mark Barry, a current vice president at the Montana State Fund, Andra Purkalitis, a Partner and Head of Americas sector for a Chicago based financial consulting firm. And Eric Henry the CEO and Chief Investment Officer of Hershey Trust Company, in Pennsylvania.
The Montana Board of Investments is expected to make their final selection the last week of July, according to staff at the board. The full board is expected consider the finalist in early August.