IMRF is accepting nominating petitions for the 2022 Executive Trustee election.

Petitions will be accepted through Wednesday, September 15, at 4:30 PM CST. Completed petitions may be scanned and emailed to IMRFTrusteeElection@imrf.org, mailed or hand delivered to IMRF's Oak Brook or Springfield offices, or faxed to 630-706-4656, ATTN: IMRF Trustee Petitions.

One Executive Trustee position

IMRF employers will elect one Executive Trustee to the Board of Trustees this fall to a five-year term that will run from January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2027.

Executive Trustee qualifications

To qualify for the position, a candidate for Executive Trustee must:

• Be employed by a participating governmental unit as chief executive officer, chief finance officer, or other officer, executive, or department head.
• Be an active and vested IMRF member (not including reciprocal service) as of December 31, 2022.
• Gain the nomination of at least three IMRF employers, each of whom must submit a nominating petition to IMRF.

For more information

More information about the 2022 Executive Trustee election, including nominating procedures, qualifications, sample petitions, and a biographical questionnaire, can be found here.

On Friday, August 19, 2022, at the IMRF Board of Trustees meeting, the following occurred:

• Discussed next steps in creating IMRF's comprehensive 2023-2025 Strategic Plan, which are the Strategic Objectives and Key Strategies.
• Learned about activities undertaken during the second quarter in support of the 2020-2022 Strategic Plan.
• Approved the participation of five new employers: City of Nauvoo, Greater Egypt Planning and Development Commission, Illinois Police Pension Investment Fund, Pleasant Township, and Village of Danvers.

Read the complete report in the August 2022 Board Meeting Highlights.

The next regularly scheduled Board meeting will be held Friday, November 18 at 9 AM. See the full 2022 IMRF Board of Trustees meeting calendar here.

Some employers believe IMRF members are required to take a refund of their IMRF contributions when they separate from employment and terminate IMRF participation. This is not true. IMRF members are not required to withdraw their contributions when they leave their IMRF employer.

In many cases it is in a member's best financial interest to leave their IMRF contributions on deposit with IMRF. A member who takes a refund of his or her IMRF contributions will lose all service credit and forfeits the right to any future IMRF pension and death benefit. Members who are vested for an IMRF pension or who may work for another IMRF employer or reciprocal system in the future should think carefully and consider all options before requesting a refund.

Becoming an inactive member

Leaving contributions on deposit with IMRF will change the member's status to inactive. Inactive members continue to receive an annual personal statement of benefits from IMRF, available in Member Access. There is no charge or penalty to leave contributions with IMRF; however, members will not receive any interest on their contributions if they eventually take a refund.

For more information

Employers can read more about what members should consider before taking a refund here.