Katy Zamesnik has been elected to Place 7 on the COAERS Board of Trustees, receiving 353 votes in the recent special election. The Board certified the election results at its September 17, 2026 meeting, and Zamesnik was sworn in on September 22.

The special election was held to fill the remainder of the Place 7 term following the resignation of Ben Ellinor from the Board. Zamesnik will serve through the end of that term on December 31, 2027.

Zamesnik brings nearly 15 years of budgeting and finance experience with the City of Austin. She began her City career in 2011 as a budget analyst in Financial Services and has since worked closely with numerous City departments. She currently serves as Interim Director of the Austin Convention Center, where she oversees financing for the center’s $1.6 billion expansion. She holds a Master of Public Affairs from the University of Texas at Austin and a bachelor’s degree in economics from Florida State University.

COAERS thanks Ben Ellinor for his invaluable service to the members and the Board. We also thank all the candidates for their participation, the election committee for its commitment to this important process, and every member who cast a ballot.

The Board of Trustees oversees the administration of the retirement system and the investment of its assets on behalf of more than 20,000 members. To learn more about the Board and upcoming meetings, visit www.coaers.org/board-of-trustees.