Claims Panel Committee Meeting Minutes

May 5, 2025 | SURS Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes

The meeting of the Claims Panel Committee of the Board of Trustees of the State Universities Retirement System (SURS) convened on Monday, May 5, 2025, at 11:00 a.m.

The following Claims Panel Committee members were present: Mr. Dan Gaumer, Hearing Officer; Ms. Suzanne Mayer, SURS Executive Director.

Others present: Ms. Bianca Green, General Counsel; Ms. Heather Kimmons, Senior Associate General Counsel; Mr. Albert Lee, Senior Associate General Counsel; Ms. Jennifer Bartell, Director of Benefits Processing; Ms. Lisa Fink, Communications Manager; Ms. Karen Nyi (via video conference) and Ms. Annette Ackerman, Executive Assistants; Ms. Ann Parkinson, Area Wide Reporting; Mr. Mark Prince, Attorney for Claimant (via video conference); and Mr. Dan Glinert (via video conference).

Initial Claims Panel Committee roll call attendance was taken with Hearing Officer Dan Gaumer and Executive Director Suzanne Mayer, both present; Trustee Herbert Pitman, absent.

Approval of Minutes

Mr. Gaumer presented the open session minutes from the Claims Panel Committee Meeting of February 10, 2025.

Ms. Mayer made the following motion:

That the open session minutes from the February 10, 2025, Claims Panel Committee Meeting be approved as presented.

Mrs. Gaumer seconded the motion which passed via the roll call vote referenced below:

Mr. Gaumer – aye
Ms. Mayer – aye
Trustee Pitman – absent

Continuation of Claim – Kevin Finney
Case Number 2024-10

The administrative appeal of Kevin Finney was called for hearing. Mr. Dan Gaumer served as the Assigned Hearing Officer. SURS staff was represented by Senior Associate General Counsel, Mr. Albert Lee. Mr. Mark Prince, attorney for the Claimant, requested a continuance of the hearing on behalf of his client. After discussion between Mr. Prince, Mr. Lee, and Hearing Officer Gaumer, the request was granted by Hearing Officer Gaumer to continue the hearing to the August 2025 Claims Panel hearing date.

Ms. Bianca Green then requested that the Claims Panel Committee meeting be recessed and reconvene closer to 12:00 p.m. because the meeting due to the continuation of the Finney matter, the public meeting was running one hour ahead of schedule compared to the original notice provided to the public. Hearing Officer Gaumer granted the request.

The meeting was recessed and then reconvened at 11:45 a.m.

Presentation of Claim – Gary Lannom
Case Number 2024-05

The administrative appeal of Mr. Gary Lannom was called for a hearing before the Claims Panel Committee. Mr. Dan Gaumer served as the Assigned Hearing Officer. SURS staff was represented by Senior Associate General Counsel, Mr. Albert Lee. Mr. Gaumer noted that Mr. Lannom opted to waive his right to attend the meeting. Mr. Gaumer admitted 113 pages of written documents into evidence. Mr. Lee provided a verbal summary of issues to be addressed by the Claims Panel Committee and proceeded to present SURS’ response to the claim. He called witness, Ms. Jennifer Bartell, Director of Benefits Processing, to testify on behalf of SURS. At the conclusion of the testimony, Hearing Officer Dan Gaumer closed the evidentiary proofs.

Claims Panel Deliberations

Hearing Officer Gaumer asked for a motion to move into closed session, pursuant to §2(c)(4) of the Illinois Open Meetings Act, to consider the evidence and testimony presented in open session. Ms. Mayer made the motion to move into closed session, Mr. Gaumer seconded the motion, which passed via the following roll call vote:

Mr. Gaumer – aye
Ms. Mayer – aye
Trustee Pitman – absent

Return to Open Session

Upon completion of the closed session deliberations, the Claims Panel Committee returned to open session at approximately 12:15 p.m.

Ms. Mayer then made the following motion for the Gary Lannom Claim:

• Motion to affirm the staff decision, finding that Gary Lannom has not proven by a preponderance of the evidence that he is entitled to the relief sought, and that a written decision of factual findings and conclusions will be drafted by the Hearing Officer and signed by members of the Claims Panel voting in favor of the motion.

Mr. Gaumer seconded the motion, which passed via the following roll call vote:

Mr. Gaumer – aye
Ms. Mayer – aye
Trustee Pitman – absent

Continuation of Claim – Mahmood Ghassemi
Case Number 2023-12

The continued administrative appeal of Dr. Mahmood Ghassemi was called before the Claims Panel Committee. Mr. Dan Gaumer served as the Assigned Hearing Officer. SURS staff was represented by Senior Associate General Counsel, Mr. Albert Lee. Mr. Gaumer confirmed that testimony and other evidence in the case was given during the February 10, 2025, hearing but that Claimant had asked for additional time to file written closing arguments. Mr. Gaumer admitted the written closing arguments and other additional post hearing records that were marked as pages 660–1050 into evidence. Hearing Officer Dan Gaumer closed the evidentiary proofs.

Claims Panel Deliberations

Hearing Officer Gaumer asked for a motion to move into closed session, pursuant to §2(c)(4) of the Illinois Open Meetings Act, to consider the evidence and testimony presented in open session. Ms. Mayer made the motion to move into closed session. Mr. Gaumer seconded the motion, which passed via the following roll call vote:

Mr. Gaumer – aye
Ms. Mayer – aye
Trustee Pitman – absent

Return to Open Session

Upon completion of the closed session deliberations, the Claims Panel returned to open session, at approximately 12:40 p.m.
Mr. Gaumer then made the following motion for the Mahmood Ghassemi Claim:

• Motion to affirm the staff decision, finding that Mahmood Ghassemi has not proven by a preponderance of the evidence that he is entitled to the relief sought and that a written decision of factual findings and conclusions will be drafted by the Hearing Officer and signed by members of the Claims Panel voting in favor of the motion.

Ms. Mayer seconded the motion, which passed via the following roll call vote:

Mr. Gaumer – aye
Ms. Mayer – aye
Trustee Pitman – absent

Public Comment

There was no public comment.

Adjournment

There was no further business for the Claims Panel Committee and no public comment. Mr. Gaumer moved that the meeting be adjourned. The motion was seconded by Ms. Mayer, and it passed via the following roll call vote:

Mr. Gaumer – aye
Ms. Mayer – aye
Trustee Pitman – absent

Meeting adjourned at 12:45 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Mr. Dan Gaumer

Hearing Officer