Claims Panel Committee Meeting Minutes

Meeting: November 4, 2025 | Posted: February 11, 2026 | 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 Tuesday, November 4, 2025, at 8:40 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. Heather Kimmons, SURS Senior Associate General Counsel; Ms. Jennifer Bartell, SURS Director of Benefits Processing; Ms. Lisa Fink, Communications Manager (via video conference); Ms. Karen Nyi (via video conference) and Ms. Annette Ackerman, SURS Executive Assistants; Ms. Janet Cummings, Area Wide Reporting; Mr. Ahsan Shahid and Mr. Aslam Shahid, Claimants (via video conference); Ms. Juanita Ashford, Claimant; Ms. Kristin Rankin and Mr. Kevin Kribs, Claimants (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

Ms. Suzanne Mayer made the following motion:

• That Trustee Pitman be allowed to participate remotely in the Claims Panel Committee Meeting of November 4, 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. 

Ms. Clifford 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 August 28, 2025. Ms. Mayer made the following motion:

• That the open session minutes from August 28, 2025, Claims Panel Committee Meeting be approved as presented.

Trustee 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 August 28, 2025, for approval. Ms. Mayer made the following motion:

• That the closed session minutes from August 28, 2025, Claims Panel Committee Meeting be approved as presented and remain closed.

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

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

Presentation of Claim – Ahsan Shahid/Dardai Shahid (Deceased)
Case Number 2025-02

The administrative appeal of Ahsan Shahid/Dardai Shahid (Deceased) 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 Senior Associate General Counsel, Ms. Heather Kimmons.

Ms. Clifford admitted 108 pages of written documents into evidence. The court reporter, Ms. Janet Cummings, swore in Mr. Ahsan Shahid and Mr. Aslam Shahid. Mr. Ahsan Shahid presented his case. Ms. Kimmons then explained the factual and legal basis for the SURS staff decision. Ms. Kimmons 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 Committee 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 Shahid Claim. Ms. Mayer made the motion to move into closed session Trustee 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 9:07 a.m.

Ms. Mayer made the following motion for the Ahsan Shahid/Dardai Shahid (Deceased) Claim:

• Motion to affirm the staff decision, finding that Ahsan Shahid 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 Committee, voting in favor of the motion.

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

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

Presentation of Claim – Kristin Rankin
Case Number 2025-01

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

Ms. Clifford admitted 529 pages of written documents into evidence. Ms. Kristin Rankin and Mr. Kevin Kribs presented her case. Ms. Green cross-examined the claimant. Upon the conclusion of the cross-examination, Ms. Green then presented the case on behalf of SURS and called Ms. Jennifer Bartell, Director of Benefits Processing, to testify on behalf of SURS staff.

At the conclusion of Ms. Bartell’s testimony and the conclusion of the claim presentation, Hearing Officer Clifford closed the evidentiary proofs.

Claims Panel Committee 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. Trustee Pitman made the motion to move into closed session; Ms. Mayer 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 10:26 a.m.

Given the similar nature of the issues to be addressed, the Claims Panel Committee chose to defer its full deliberations and final decision on the Rankin Claim until after the presentation of the Juanita Ashford Claim.

Continuation of Claim – Juanita Ashford
Case Number 2024-17

The administrative appeal of Juanita Ashford was called for a continued hearing from the initial Claims Panel Committee Hearing held on August 28, 2025. Ms. Carolyn Clifford served as the Assigned Hearing Officer for both hearings. SURS staff were represented by General Counsel, Ms. Bianca Green.

Ms. Clifford admitted pages 909 through 1,077 into evidence which were additional records in the matter including the transcript from the initial Hearing held on August 28, 2025, and the Supplemental Response to Statement of Claim, prepared by SURS General Counsel, Ms. Bianca Green, at the request of the Claims Panel Committee. The Supplemental Response to Statement of Claim was requested by the Claims Panel Committee to address the possible applicability of the SURS Mistake in Benefit Statute. Ms. Green provided a verbal summary of the Supplemental Response to Statement of Claim, regarding the applicability of said statute to Ms. Ashford’s Claim.  

Claims Panel Committee 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 Kristen Rankin and Juanita Ashford Claims. Ms. Mayer made the motion to move into closed session Trustee 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 11:00 a.m.

Ms. Mayer made the following motion for the Kristin Rankin Claim:

• Motion to reverse the staff decision, finding that Kristin Rankin has proven by a preponderance of the evidence that she is entitled to the relief sought, specifically that the claimant is not required to pay the overpayment of disability benefits for $7,860.59 and that no overpayment is due for the period of time in dispute in accordance with Section 15-186.1 of the Illinois Pension Code (the Mistake in Benefits Statute), 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 Committee, voting in favor of the motion.

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

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

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

• Motion to reverse the staff decision, finding that Juanita Ashford has proven by a preponderance of the evidence that she is entitled to the relief sought, specifically that the Claimant is not require to repay the overpayment of disability benefit of $23,913.51 in accordance with Section 15-186.1 of the Illinois Pension Code (the Mistake in Benefits Statute), 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 Committee, voting in favor of the motion.

Trustee 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 Trustee Pitman, and it passed via the following roll call vote:

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

Meeting adjourned at 11:07 a.m.