FROM: Barbara Hannah, Chief Counsel
SUBJECT: Benefits Appeal of Monica Morales
RECOMMENDATION:
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Adopt the Chief Executive Officer's determination to deny member Monica Morales' request to redeposit withdrawn contributions, because Member Monica Morales is not a current member of SBCERA, as required by Government Code section 31652.
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BACKGROUND:
On December 8, 2023, Member Monica Morales completed SBCERA form Your Options at Separation and requested to rollover her contributions to an IRA account. The rollover of the contributions was completed in January 2024 and Ms. Morales ceased to be a member of SBCERA effective as of the date of the rollover.
On February 11, 2025, Ms. Morales contacted SBCERA requesting to redeposit her withdrawn contributions in order to establish reciprocity between CalPERS and SBCERA. On March 7, 2025, Christina Cintron, Chief of Member Services, sent a letter to Ms. Morales and informed her that because she was no longer a member of SBCERA nor working for any of the SBCERA-participating employers, she was not able to redeposit her contributions.
On May 1, 2025, SBCERA received an Appeal of Denial letter to Christina Cintron from attorney Paul Woodard (counsel for Monica Morales) requesting reconsideration to allow Ms. Morales to redeposit her contributions based on the facts and information outlined in his letter.
On July 21, 2025, the CEO Determination Letter with the Memorandum of Findings of Fact and Conclusions of Law were mailed to attorney Paul Woodard, in response to member's request to redeposit withdrawn contributions. The CEO Determination letter informed member that, pursuant to Government Code section 31652, the request to redeposit withdrawn contributions was denied as Ms. Morales was no longer considered a member of SBCERA, having previously withdrawn her contributions.
On July 22, 2025, attorney Paul Woodard reached out to Barbara Hannah, Chief Counsel to request additional information regar...
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