State Universities Retirement System (SURS) Vice-Chairperson Collin Van Meter, on behalf of SURS elected board members, today announced the appointment of Antonio Vasquez as an active-member trustee to the SURS Board of Trustees.
Vasquez was selected by a majority vote of the other five elected trustees following the death of elected Trustee Scott Weisbenner on Sept. 29. Vasquez will serve until the next trustee election in May 2024.
Vasquez is a returning trustee. He began as an appointed board member in June 2008 before winning his first six-year term as an elected active SURS member in 2009. He was elected to a second term in 2015 and served through July 15, 2021. He previously served as chairperson of the Investment and Administration Committees and as board treasurer and vice chairperson. During his tenure he also served on the Audit & Risk Committee, Board Governance Committee, Legal & Legislative Committee and the Claims Panel.
Vasquez is a professor of economics at Wilbur Wright College.
“We are fortunate to have Mr. Vasquez return to the SURS Board of Trustees,” said Van Meter. “His background in economics, his work with diverse communities and his experience as a long-standing board member are invaluable. We look forward to working with him again.”
The Illinois Pension Code [40 ILCS 5/15-159(e)] directs the elected members of the board to fill any unexpired term of a fellow elected trustee by a majority vote. SURS received numerous applications from active members interested in serving on the board. Elected trustees reviewed all applications and interviewed several qualified candidates before selecting Vasquez.
“We were pleased to receive applications from several active members,” said Executive Director Suzanne Mayer. “I encourage all who applied to consider running for a term on the board in 2024. Information and applications will be available in the fall of 2023.”
The SURS Board of Trustees consists of 11 trustees including four elected active members, two elected annuitants, and five members appointed by the governor, of which one is the appointed chair of the Illinois Board of Higher Education. Trustees serve six-year terms.