Fundamentals Newsletter

Four Trustees Elected to the IMRF Board

This fall, IMRF conducted elections for one Executive Trustee, one Annuitant Trustee, and two Employee Trustees. The IMRF Board of Trustees certified the election results at their meeting on December 18, 2020.

Each of the four elected Trustees will serve a

5-year term, January 1, 2021 - December 31, 2025.

Employee Trustees

Tracie M. Mitchell has been elected Employee Trustee. She is an Emergency Communications Specialist for the Central IL Regional Dispatch Center. For more information about Trustee Mitchell, click here.

Peter J. Stefan has been elected Employee Trustee. He is Finance Director for DeKalb County. For more information about Trustee Stefan, click here.

Executive Trustee

Gwen Henry has been re-elected Executive Trustee. She has served on the IMRF Board since 2009 and is the DuPage County Treasurer. For more information about Trustee Henry, click here.

Annuitant Trustee

Louis W. Kosiba has been elected Annuitant Trustee. He was formerly Executive Director for the Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund (IMRF). For more information about Trustee Kosiba, click here.

2021 Board Officers

Also at the December meeting, the IMRF Board of Trustees elected the following new Board officers for 2021:

President - Gwen Henry

Vice President - Natalie Copper

Secretary - Sue Stanish

Executive Trustee Gwen Henry has served on the Board since 2009. She is currently the DuPage County Treasurer.

Employee Trustee Natalie Copper has served on the Board since 2010 and is a School-age Child Care Site Coordinator for Dawes School in Evanston School District 65.

Executive Trustee Sue Stanish has served on the Board since 2014 and is Director of Finance for the Naperville Park District.

Your IMRF disability benefits are important for multiple reasons. As an IMRF member, if you become disabled, your IMRF disability benefits will not only provide for monthly payments equal to 50% of your monthly salary, but will also protect your pension and your death benefits.

IMRF disability benefits are very valuable, because while receiving disability payments:

Your service credit is protected—you continue to earn service credit toward your future pension and you avoid any gaps in service that could affect your future benefits.

Your pension is protected—your retirement benefit will be calculated using your original salary, not the reduced disability amount.

Your family is protected—your death benefits will still include one year's salary, and death benefit options are the same as if you were still working.

For more information about your IMRF disability benefits, click here.

Glass Half Full Workshop Webinar Dates for 2021

Your Glass is Half Full: Understanding Your IMRF Benefits

An IMRF Field Representative will explain how your pension is funded, your benefits as an IMRF member, and the importance of having more than one savings vehicle as you prepare for your eventual retirement.

Webinar dates for first quarter 2021:

Thursday, January 21, 5 pm - 6 pm (central time)

Thursday, February 11, 12 pm - 1 pm (central time)

Tuesday, March 9, 5 pm - 6 pm (central time)

For more information, or to register for a Your Glass is Half Full Workshop webinar, click here.

Member Access - Did You Know?

You Can Get a Disability Estimate and Apply for Disability in Member Access

When you log into your Member Access account, you will see your MY IMRF page. In the Benefits section in the center of the page, there will be a Disability Amount listed. This is an estimate of the monthly disability payment you will receive, if you become disabled. For more information on your disability benefit, you can click View Benefits at the bottom of the Benefits section and then click More Disability Benefits.

To apply for disability, click on the My Account tab at the top of the page and choose Secure Online Forms in the right column. From the list of Secure Online Forms, choose Apply for IMRF Disability Benefits.

If you do not have a Member Access account, please click here to create one. You can still use the Registration Key from the Member Statement you received in February or March. It is a 16-digit code toward the end of the Member Statement.

To learn more about all Member Access has to offer and how to conduct your important IMRF business using Member Access, click here.

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