Featured Speakers at the April 27, 2007 Illinois Public Pensions Institute

The 2006 Year in Review Rick Mattoon, Senior Economist and Economic Advisor in the economic research department of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Mattoon's primary research focuses on issues that face the Midwest regional economy. His analysis of electricity restructuring and energy issues, higher education policy, regional economic development and state and local government finance has appeared in numerous publications. Mattoon also serves as an adjunct associate professor at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

The Nature of Disabling Injuries David Weiss, MD, The Medical Insurance Consulting Group, Inc.  Dealing with confounding disability claims?  Gain a better understanding of how disabilities affect public safety employees and how Pension Boards can address claims.

Update on Public Pension Legislation David A. Richardson, Finance Director and Treasurer, Village of Streamwood and IGFOA Legislative Committee Chair.  Mr. Richardson has been in his current position since 1984.  From 1977 to 1984, he served as a manager for a Wheaton based CPA firm specializing in providing audit services to local governments.  Join us for the latest news from the Illinois 95th General Assembly Legislation on proposals pertaining to Downstate Police and Firefighter Pension Funds.

Websites for Public Pension Plans, Daniel Ryan, Administrator, UFCW Unions and Employer Midwest Health Benefits and Pension Funds, Trustee for the Skokie Police Pension Fund and Past President IGFOA shares the merits of a well-designed website for Downstate Police and Firefighter Pension Funds.  Prior to switching careers to Taft-Hartley benefit administration, Mr. Ryan was the Chief Financial Officer of the municipal government in Skokie, Illinois.  He has served as a police pension trustee and as a founding trustee of two multi-government cooperatives - one providing group health coverage and the other providing excess liability coverage.

IMRF Update, Richard J. DeCleene, Chief Financial Officer, Illinois Municipal Retirement Fund.  In a February 2007 Crain’s Chicago Business article, Laurence Msall, president of the Civic Federation noted, “The IMRF is the model of fiscal responsibility that all policymakers in Illinois should be following.” Learn about IMRF’s recent accomplishments and initiatives.  Mr. DeCleene’s duties include setting policy for IMRF through recommendations to the Board of Trustees and participation on the Senior Management Committee, advising Executive Director, Board of Trustees and other management personnel on financial and actuarial matters and selecting, monitoring performance, and overseeing relationships with the master trustee, actuary, bank and external auditors. 

GASB Update, Calene Zabinski, Zabinski Consulting Services, Inc. and IGFOA Technical Accounting Review Committee (TARC) member.  What’s GASB have in store for pension fund accounting and reporting? TARC recently reviewed the exposure draft for pension disclosures, an amendment of GASB statements No 25 & No 27.  GASB is proposing that financial reporting requirements for pensions would be more closely aligned with those for other post employment benefits (OPEB).  Learn about the committee’s recommendations to GASB and gather information about other GASB initiatives.