Staff Report
Published Aug. 8, 2012
Gov. Nikki Haley appointed Arthur Bjontegard Jr., former president of S.C. National Bank, along with two other business professionals Tuesday to the recently formed S.C. Public Employee Benefit Authority.
Joining Bjontegard are Cynthia Hartley, a former human resources executive at Hartsville-based Sonoco, and Columbia attorney Steve Matthews.
“We’re grateful that three finance, human resources and employee benefits experts, who will be good stewards of our retirement system, have agreed to serve,” Haley said.
Established as a part of pension reform legislation signed last month into law, the 11-member authority will meet at least monthly and administer the state retirement systems and the employee insurance program.
Bjontegard previously headed S.C. National Bank’s pension, investment and bond departments. He also has served on the National Episcopal Church’s audit committee, the investment panel of the S.C. Retirement Systems and the investment committee of Palmetto Health System.
Hartley has more than 40 years of private-sector experience in human resources. She is retired from Sonoco, where she served as senior vice president for human resources. Hartley, who holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Chicago, also serves on the board of South Carolina Bank and Trust.
Matthews, a Yale Law School graduate, is a shareholder and past managing director of Haynsworth Sinkler Boyd. Based in the firm's Columbia office, he has served as a founder of the American College of Bond Counsel and served on the National Association of Bond Lawyers’ board.
The governor, along with the chairmen of the House Ways and Means Committee and the Senate Finance Committee, recently appointed Bill Blume as executive director of the S.C. Public Employee Benefit Authority. He will serve through the end of 2013. Beginning in 2014, the board will be responsible for choosing the executive director.
Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott and Frank Fusco, retired head of the state Budget and Control Board, were named last month to the authority’s panel.
