North Dakota’s State Investment Board (SIB) has appointed Jodi A. Smith, executive director of the $24B North Dakota Retirement and Investment Office.
Smith has been serving as the interim executive director for the past five months, overseeing RIO’s operations, including the coordination of all SIB activities and the administration of the Teachers’ Fund for Retirement (TFFR).
“Over the past five months, [Smith] has demonstrated her strengths as a respected communicator and collaborative leader with a deep commitment to sound governance and public service,” said Dr. Rob Lech, SIB’s vice-chair and TFFR board president Dr. Rob Lech, in a press release. “We’re confident that the [RIO] will thrive under her leadership.”
She brings to the role more than two decades of leadership experience in finance, operations, and strategic planning across public and non-profit sectors. She has also managed multi-billion-dollar budgets and investment portfolios and implemented fiscal controls and technology systems that improved efficiency, transparency, and stakeholder outcomes.
Prior to joining RIO, Smith served as the director of lands and compliance at the Metro Flood Diversion Authority for three years, and as the State of North Dakota’s Land Commissioner for four years. Prior to that role, she was vice-president of the Sanford Health Foundation and foundation director at Trinity Health.
SIB’s investment portfolio, includes the assets of the North Dakota Legacy Fund and 28 government pension and insurance client funds. TFFR serves over 25,000 participants, including approximately 11,800 active members employed by public schools and state institutions.
