Money Management Letter, an investment industry trade publication, has nominated OP&F for Plan of the Year as a part of its annual Public Pension Fund Awards. OP&F is one of three plans nominated for the award in the mid�size plan category. The award winner will be announced in April.

Nomination material from Money Management Letter cited OP&F as one of only a few plans nationwide to implement an innovative investment strategy known as portable alpha. OP&F�s portable alpha strategy is designed to boost returns over and above those of the stock market by combining the returns of an ordinary stock index with the returns of unrelated strategies that strive to make money no matter whether stocks are up or down.

Following research by staff and OP&F�s investment consultant, the OP&F Board of Trustees voted last fall to move forward with the strategy beginning in 2005. Other plans nominated with OP&F are the Michigan Municipal Employees Retirement System, and the San Diego County Employees Retirement Association.