Claims Panel Committee Meeting Minutes

Meeting: August 28, 2025 | Posted: November 10, 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 Thursday, August 28, 2025, at 8:30 a.m.

The following Claims Panel Committee members were present: Ms. Carolyn Clifford, Hearing Officer; Ms. Suzanne Mayer, SURS Executive Director; Mr. Herb Pitman, Trustee (via video conference).

Others present: Ms. Bianca Green, SURS General Counsel; Ms. Jennifer Bartell, SURS Director of Benefits Processing;  Ms. Karen Nyi (via video conference) and Ms. Annette Ackerman, SURS Executive Assistants; Ms. Ann Parkinson, Area Wide Reporting; Ms. Juanita Ashford, Claimant; Ms. Annette Huss, University of Illinois (via video conference); Ms. Heather Kimmons, SURS Senior Associate General Counsel; Mr. Nathan Dillon, SURS Assistant Manager of Defined Contribution Processing; and Ms. Stephanie DeCicco, Claimant (via video conference).

Initial Claims Panel Committee roll call attendance was taken with Hearing Officer Carolyn Clifford and Executive Director Suzanne Mayer, both present.

Trustee Participation Via Electronic Means

Hearing Officer Carolyn Clifford made the following motion:

• That Trustee Pitman be allowed to participate remotely in the Claims Panel Committee Meeting of August 28, 2025, via video or audio conference as allowed by 5 ILCS 120/7(a) because he is prevented from physically attending this meeting due to 1) personal illness or disability, 2) employment purposes or the business of SURS, 3) a family or other emergency, or 4) unexpected childcare obligations.

Suzanne Mayer seconded the motion which passed via the following roll call vote:

Ms. Clifford – aye
Ms. Mayer – aye

Roll call attendance for trustees participating via electronic means was taken: Trustee Pitman, present.

Approval of Minutes

Ms. Clifford presented the open session minutes from the Claims Panel Committee Meeting of May 5, 2025. Ms. Mayer made the following motion:

• That the open session minutes from the May 5, 2025, Claims Panel Committee Meeting be approved as presented.

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

Ms. Clifford – aye
Ms. Mayer – aye
Trustee Pitman – aye

Ms. Clifford presented the closed minutes from the Claims Panel Committee Meeting of May 5, 2025, for approval. Ms. Mayer made the following motion:

• That the closed session minutes from the May 5, 2025, Claims Panel Committee Meeting be approved as presented and remain closed.

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

Ms. Clifford – aye
Ms. Mayer – aye
Trustee Pitman – aye

Presentation of Claim – Juanita Ashford
Case Number 2024-17

The administrative appeal of Juanita Ashford was called for a hearing before the Claims Panel Committee. Ms. Carolyn Clifford served as the Assigned Hearing Officer. SURS staff were represented by SURS General Counsel, Ms. Bianca Green.

Ms. Clifford admitted 908 pages of written documents into evidence. Ms. Green provided a verbal summary of issues to be addressed by the Claims Panel Committee. The court reporter, Ms. Ann Parkinson, swore in Ms. Juanita Ashford and Ms. Annette Huss. Ms. Ashford presented her case and asked Ms. Huss to provide testimony on her behalf. Ms. Green cross examined Ms. Ashford and then explained the factual and legal basis for the SURS staff decision. Ms. Green called Ms. Jennifer Bartell, Director of Benefits Processing, to testify on behalf of SURS.

Following the completion of all testimony, Hearing Officer Clifford closed the evidentiary proofs.

Claims Panel Deliberations

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

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

Return to Open Session

Upon completion of the closed session deliberations, the Claims Panel Committee returned to open session at approximately 10:19 a.m.

Ms. Clifford made the following motion for the Juanita Ashford Claim:

• Motion to continue the matter to the next Claims Panel meeting on November 4, 2025, for further deliberations and the following additional directions to SURS: first, to provide a supplemental brief on the possible applicability of Section 15-186.1 of the Illinois Pension Code, which is SURS mistake in benefits statute; and second, to stay the continuance of any additional applicable interest as of today until this matter is resolved.

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

Ms. Clifford – aye
Ms. Mayer – aye
Trustee Pitman – aye

Presentation of Claim – Stephanie DeCicco
Case Number 2025-04

The administrative appeal of Stephanie DeCicco was called for a hearing before the Claims Panel Committee. Ms. Carolyn Clifford served as the Assigned Hearing Officer. SURS staff were represented by Senior Associate General Counsel, Ms. Heather Kimmons.

Ms. Clifford admitted 220 pages of written documents into evidence. Ms. Kimmons provided a verbal summary of issues to be addressed by the Claims Panel Committee. Court reporter, Ms. Ann Parkinson, swore in Ms. DeCicco who then presented her case. Ms. Kimmons presented the case on behalf of SURS and called Mr. Nathan Dillon, the SURS Assistant Manager of Defined Contribution Processing, to testify on behalf of SURS staff.

At the conclusion of Mr. Dillon’s testimony, Ms. Clifford recommended that two additional documents be admitted as exhibits into the written record in this case: the SURS RSP Member Guide and the SURS Retirement Eligible Application with Instructions. Ms. DeCicco had no objection, and Ms. Clifford admitted the additional documents into the Administrative Record beginning on page 221.

At the conclusion of the claim presentation, Hearing Officer Clifford closed the evidentiary proofs.

Claims Panel Deliberations

Hearing Officer Clifford asked for a motion to move into closed session, pursuant to Section 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. Pitman seconded the motion, and it passed via the following roll call vote:

Ms. Clifford – aye
Ms. Mayer – aye
Trustee Pitman – aye

Return to Open Session

Upon completion of the closed session deliberations, the Claims Panel Committee returned to open session at approximately 12:18 p.m.

Ms. Mayer made the following motion for the Stephanie DeCicco Claim:

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

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

Ms. Clifford – aye
Ms. Mayer – aye
Trustee Pitman – aye

Public Comment

There was no public comment.

Adjournment

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

Ms. Clifford – aye
Ms. Mayer – aye
Trustee Pitman – aye

The meeting adjourned at 12:19 p.m.

Ms. Carolyn Clifford

Hearing Officer