HIRINGS

* Avon Pension Fund, Bristol, England, hired J.P. Morgan Alternative Asset Management to set up, implement and manage a roughly £187 million ($290 million) hedge fund-of-funds portfolio, said Matthew Clapton, investments officer at the £3.8 billion pension fund.

The allocation was funded from previous hedge fund holdings, Mr. Clapton said in an e-mail.

* California Public Employees' Retirement System, Sacramento, committed $500 million to buyout fund Blackstone Capital Partners VII, said agenda materials for the system's Aug. 17 investment committee meeting.

The commitment was made on May 15 under delegated authority that gives the $300.3 billion retirement system's private equity staff the ability to make investments without seeking approval of the investment committee.

* Cambridge (Mass.) Contributory Retirement System hired RhumbLine Advisers to run about $80 million in a passive large-cap value equity allocation for the $1.1 billion pension fund.

RhumbLine replaced MFS Investment Management, which was dropped because of underperformance, according to board meeting minutes. MFS spokesman James Aber declined to comment.

Investment consultant Segal Rogerscasey assisted.

* Chicago Metropolitan Water Reclamation District Retirement Fund hired Matarin Capital Management to run about $26 million, or 2% of the $1.3 billion pension fund's total assets, in active domestic small-cap core equity, said Susan Boutin, executive director.

Funding for Matarin, an emerging manager, came from domestic small-cap growth equity managers UBS Global Asset Management and Geneva Capital Management, which were terminated for "asset allocation and manager consolidation purposes," Ms. Boutin said in an e-mail. The terminations were not related to performance, she said.

* Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport Board rehired The Bogdahn Group as investment consultant for its six retirement plans, said Michael Phemister, vice president of treasury management, in an e-mail.

An RFP was issued in April because the consultant's contract was due to expire.

The board oversees two pension funds with a combined $530 million in assets, plus two 401(a) plans and two 457 (b) plans with a combined $130 million.

* Hawaii Employees' Retirement System, Honolulu, committed up to $40 million to Cabot Industrial Core Fund, said Vijoy Chattergy, chief investment officer for the $14.4 billion pension fund.

* Highland Council Pension Fund, Inverness, Scotland, hired Standard Life Investments to run a £55 million ($85 million) commercial real estate debt allocation, said...