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 12:00 p.m.

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

Others present: 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. Janet Cummings, Area Wide Reporting; Mr. Nathan Dillon, Assistant Manager of Defined Contribution Processing; Mr. Patrick Sullivan of the law firm Featherstun, Gaumer, Stocks, Flynn & Eck LLP; Ms. Indigo Rivera, Claimant and Mr. Stephen Fieweger, Attorney for Claimant (via video conference); Ms. Denise Henley, Claimant and Ms. Barbara Bell, Attorney for Claimant (via video conference) and Ms. Sandra Estep, Claimant and Mr. John Miller, friend of Claimant (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 Participation Via Electronic Means

Ms. 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 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.

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

Mr. Gaumer – aye
Ms. Mayer – aye

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

Approval of Minutes

Mr. Gaumer 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:

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

Mr. Gaumer 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:

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

Presentation of Claim – Kevin Finney
Case Number 2024-18

The administrative appeal of Indigo Rivera was called for hearing before the Claims Panel Committee. Mr. Dan Gaumer served as the Assigned Hearing Officer. SURS staff were represented by Senior Associate General Counsel, Mr. Albert Lee. Mr. Gaumer admitted 171 pages of written documents into evidence. Mr. Albert Lee introduced additional records that were received from Mr. Fieweger on October 31, 2025: a two-page letter from Dr. Chriss Mulumba written on behalf of Ms. Rivera. Mr. Gaumer admitted the additional two pages, page 172 and 173, into the written record. Mr. Lee provided a verbal summary of issues to be addressed by the Claims Panel Committee. Mr. Fieweger presented the case on behalf of Ms. Rivera. Mr. Lee cross-examined Ms. Rivera and then he presented evidence and testimony on behalf of SURS. He called Ms. Jennifer Bartell, Director of Benefits Processing, to testify on behalf of SURS staff.

At the conclusion of the claim presentation, 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, Trustee 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 1:09 p.m.

Mr. Gaumer made the following motion for the Indigo Rivera Claim: 

• Motion to remand the case back to staff with direction to Ms. Rivera and Mr. Fieweger to get all the medical records needed to support the ongoing disability benefits for Ms. Rivera submitted to SURS within the next 60 days

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

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

Presentation of Claim – Denise Henley
Case Number 2024-19

The administrative appeal of Denise Henley was called for hearing before the Claims Panel Committee. Mr. Dan Gaumer served as the Assigned Hearing Officer. SURS staff were represented by Senior Associate General Counsel, Ms. Heather Kimmons. Mr. Gaumer admitted 373 pages of written documents into evidence. Ms. Bell presented the case on behalf of Ms. Henley. Ms. Kimmons cross-examined Ms. Henley and then presented evidence and testimony on behalf of SURS. Ms. Kimmons called Ms. Jennifer Bartell, Director of Benefits Processing, to testify on behalf of SURS staff.

At the conclusion of the claim presentation, 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, Trustee 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 3:05 p.m.

Ms. Mayer made the following motion for the Denise Henley Claim:

• Motion to affirm the staff decision, finding that Denise Henley 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 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:

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

Presentation of Claim – Sandra Estep
Case Number 2024-20

The administrative appeal of Sandra Estep was called for hearing before the Claims Panel Committee. Mr. Dan Gaumer served as the Assigned Hearing Officer. SURS staff were represented by Senior Associate General Counsel, Mr. Albert Lee. Mr. Gaumer admitted 163 pages of written documents into evidence. Ms. Estep and Mr. Miller presented the case on behalf of Ms. Estep. Mr. Lee cross-examined Ms. Estep and then presented evidence and testimony on behalf of SURS. Mr. Lee called Mr. Nathan Dillon, Assistant Manager of Defined Contribution Processing, to testify on behalf of SURS staff.

At the conclusion of the claim presentation, 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, Trustee 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 4:40 p.m.

Ms. Mayer made the following motion for the Sandra Estep Claim: 

• Motion to reverse the staff decision, finding that Sandra Estep has proven by a preponderance of the evidence that she is entitled to the relief sought. 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:

Mr. Gaumer – 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:

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

Meeting adjourned at 4:45 p.m.