About the IMRF Board of Trustees

IMRF is governed by an eight-member Board of Trustees.

The IMRF Board of Trustees meets monthly for its full Board meeting. Some Board committees meet monthly, others meet as needed. Board members serve without compensation but are reimbursed for their expenses, including lost wages if they are not paid by their employers during absences while performing IMRF board duties.

The Board is also divided into committees to deal with different areas of business.

IMRF Board members serve five-year staggered terms:

• Four of the Board members are Executive Trustees and are elected by participating units of government,
• Three are Employee Trustees and are elected by participating IMRF members, and
• One is a non-voting Annuitant Trustee who is elected by IMRF annuitants.

Eligibility and nominating procedures vary based on the type of trustee:

Employee Trustees:

Any IMRF member who has eight years of IMRF service credit as of October 1 of the election year is eligible to be nominated.

Nominating petitions are available on the IMRF website on June 30 of the election year and explain the nominating procedures. If a member would like to nominate a candidate for employee trustee, the following steps would be taken:

Obtain a sample nominating petition from the IMRF website.

The petition must have at least 350 signatures of IMRF members who must have participated in IMRF during July of the election year. This includes members on seasonal leave.

Nominating petitions are accepted in the IMRF office between August 1 and September 15 of the election year

Executive trustees:

Nominating petitions are available on the IMRF website on June 30 of the election year and explain the nominating procedures.

Nominating petitions for executive trustee candidates can be submitted either by authorized agents or by governing bodies of IMRF employers. Regardless of who submits the nominating petitions, at least three petitions must be submitted.

If an authorized agent submits a nominating petition, his or her notice of appointment must be on file with IMRF, and the notice of appointment must indicate that the authorized agent has been delegated the power to make such nomination.

If a governing body files a petition, the petition must be adopted by the governing body and certified by the clerk or other proper official.

A nominee for executive trustee must be employed by an IMRF employer as a chief executive officer, chief finance officer, or other officer, executive or department head. The nominee must also participate in IMRF and have at least eight years of IMRF service credit as of December 1 of the election year.

Nominating petitions are accepted in the IMRF office between August 1 and, September 15, of the election year.

Annuitant Trustees:

To run for the office of Annuitant Trustee, a person must be receiving an IMRF annuity (pension) on July 1 of the year prior to the year the term begins (therefore, members who plan to retire by June 30 of the election year are eligible to run for this office).

Nominating petitions are available on the IMRF website on June 30 of the election year and explain the nominating procedures.

Candidates for the position of annuitant trustee must submit nominating petitions signed by at least 100 eligible IMRF annuitants. Persons receiving an IMRF annuity in July of the election year are eligible to sign a candidate’s petition.

Nominating petitions are accepted in the IMRF office between August 1 and September 15 of the election year.