Aleena Oberthur

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Aleena Oberthur
Aleena Oberthur
Aleena Oberthur
Project Director
Public Sector Retirement Systems
The Pew Charitable Trusts

PROFILE

Aleena Oberthur directs research for the public sector retirement systems project. This work includes 50-state research on a range of topics related to state pension and retiree funding, plan design, and investment and governance policies. Before joining the pensions project, Oberthur worked for Pew’s election initiatives team, supporting the development of the Elections Performance Index. Previously, she worked at a series of nonprofit groups, including NARAL Pro-Choice California. Oberthur holds a bachelor’s degree in women and gender studies from Macalester College and a master’s in public policy from Duke University.

OUR WORK

Article

December 17, 2024

State Policymakers Take Steps to Prioritize Effective Pension Funding

Several state legislatures took steps in 2024 to enhance funding for public pension systems by adopting strategies to increase annual employer contributions to their retirement systems, manage how...

Article

September 5, 2024

Water System Upgrades Could Require More Than $1 Trillion Over Next 20 Years

Water quality projects needed to meet goals of the Clean Water Act will cost an estimated $630.1 billion nationwide over the next 20 years, according to the most recent Clean Watersheds Needs Survey...

Article

July 29, 2024

Alaska Lawmakers Debate Changes to Public Workers' Pension Plan Design

In their 2024 session, Alaska lawmakers debated pension policies for state employees and public school teachers in an effort to boost worker recruitment and retention. The measure under consideration...

Article

June 3, 2024

How Pandemic Recovery Funds Are Helping States Upgrade Critical Water Infrastructure

The United States’ water utilities have been underfunded for decades, leaving state and local governments with significant capital needs in the years ahead to repair and replace aging drinking water...

Article

May 7, 2024

How Do Women in the Public Sector Assess Their Retirement Security?

The public sector has long been seen as a reliable provider of retirement security. But a recent survey suggests that some younger workers—especially women—have significant concerns about their future...

Article

March 25, 2024

How to Ensure Transparency in Public Employee Pension Fund Governance

For the trustees of state and local public pension funds, who invest and manage more than $5 trillion in assets nationwide, transparent investment reporting serves as the cornerstone for making informed...