Claims Panel Committee Meeting Minutes

Meeting: February 10, 2026 | Posted: May 12, 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, February 10, 2026, at 10:06 a.m.

The following Claims Panel Committee members were present: Mr. Daniel Gaumer, 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 (via video conference); Mr. Albert Lee, 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. Denise Shelton, Medical MSR (via video conference); Ms. Janet Cummings, Area Wide Reporting; Ms. Indigo Rivera, Claimant (via video conference); Ms. Laura Davis, Claimant (via video conference); Mr. James Baker, Claimant attorney (via video conference); Patrick Sullivan of the law firm Featherstun, Gaumer, Stocks, Flynn & Eck, LLP.

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 February 10, 2026, 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.

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 November 4, 2025. Ms. Mayer made the following motion:

• That the open session minutes from November 4, 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 November 4, 2025, for approval. Ms. Mayer made the following motion:

• That the closed session minutes from November 4, 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 – Indigo Rivera
Case Number 2024-18

The administrative appeal of Indigo Rivera was called for a hearing before the Claims Panel Committee. Mr. Dan Gaumer served as the Assigned Hearing Officer. SURS staff was represented by SURS Senior Associate General Counsel, Mr. Albert Lee.

Mr. Gaumer admitted 250 pages of written documents into evidence. Mr. Lee provided a verbal summary of current issues to be addressed by the Claims Panel Committee, and he noted that SURS has received the additional medical records that could be sufficient to approve the pending disability claim. SURS did not object to the admission of the new medical documents to the record and is expected to be able to pay disability benefits to Ms. Rivera.

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

Ms. Mayer made the following motion for the Indigo Rivera Claim:

• Motion to remand the matter back to staff for approval of the disability claim based upon receipt of the new medical records.

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 – Laura Davis
Case Number 2023-13

The administrative appeal of Laura Davis was called for a hearing before the Claims Panel Committee. Mr. Dan Gaumer served as the Assigned Hearing Officer. SURS staff was represented by SURS Senior Associate General Counsel, Mr. Albert Lee.

Mr. Gaumer admitted 243 pages of written documents into evidence. The Court Reporter, Ms. Janet Cummings, swore in Ms. Laura Davis and Ms. Jennifer Bartell. Mr. Lee provided a verbal summary of current issues to be addressed by the Claims Panel Committee.

Mr. James Baker presented the case on behalf of Laura Davis and he called Ms. Davis to testify as a witness. Mr. Lee then explained the factual and legal basis for the SURS staff decision. Mr. Lee called Ms. Jennifer Bartell, the SURS Director of Benefits Processing, to testify as his witness on behalf of SURS.

Following the completion of all testimony, Hearing Officer 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 12:26 p.m.

Ms. Mayer made the following motion for the Laura Davis Claim:

• Motion to affirm the staff decision, finding that Laura Davis 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.

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

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

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 12:30 p.m.

Mr. Dan Gaumer

Hearing Officer