For Immediate Release
Contact: Director of Public Relations Janelle Gurnsey
Lisle, Illinois — The Teachers’ Retirement System of the State of Illinois (TRS) is proud to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its Northern Office, a cornerstone of service and support to educators across the region since its establishment in November 1974. Originally located in Lombard, the office relocated to Lisle in 1987, where it continues to operate at 4200 Commerce Court. TRS is headquartered in Springfield, Illinois, and operates additional offices to better serve its statewide membership.
As TRS marks this milestone, the System is also looking to the future with continued growth and expansion. In 2023, TRS opened a new satellite office in Chicago to serve its membership of 456,000 members. This expansion reflects the organization’s commitment to meeting the evolving needs of its membership and supporting its $73.77 billion retirement plan.
“For 50 years, the Northern Office has been an essential hub for the System to deliver exceptional service to our members. This anniversary is a testament to our unwavering commitment to Illinois educators throughout Illinois,” said TRS Executive Director and Chief Investment Officer Stan Rupnik. “As we celebrate this milestone, we remain focused on service, innovation, and growth. These efforts ensure that we continue to meet the evolving needs of our members throughout the state while honoring the strong foundation we’ve built since our inception in 1939.”
The Northern Office continues to serve as a vital resource for TRS members. In fiscal year 2024 alone, the office facilitated 4,110 one-on-one appointments via in-person, teleconference, and videoconference formats. From July 1, 2017, through November 30, 2024, the Lisle office conducted a total of 25,107 individual counseling sessions, reflecting its pivotal role in providing personalized support.
Over the past five decades, the Northern Office has been instrumental in fulfilling the TRS mission of providing secure retirement benefits for Illinois educators. This 50th anniversary is not only a celebration of the past but also a recognition of the System’s ongoing evolution to meet the needs of a growing and diverse membership.
Members of the TRS Board of Trustees and staff gathered to celebrate this important milestone on Wednesday, December 11, at the Lisle office. Following the celebration, the Board convened for its regularly scheduled meeting December 12 and 13 in Naperville.
TRS recently issued two Requests for Proposals (RFP) for specialty asset class consultants in the Private Equity and Real Assets asset classes, awarding both contracts to StepStone Group LP.
The Trustees discussed the following investment actions within the TRS portfolio:
- Within the System’s $12.5 billion Private Equity Portfolio:
- The commitment of $180 million to Adams Street Partners of Chicago. Adams Street currently manages $94.1 million in TRS assets.
- The commitment of $100 million to Olympus Partners of Stamford, CT. Olympus is a new relationship for TRS.
- The commitment of €70 million to Thoma Bravo of Chicago. Thoma Bravo is a new relationship for TRS.
- Within the $12.5 billion Real Assets Portfolio:
- The commitment of $25 million to JLC Infrastructure of Chicago. JLC Infrastructure is a new relationship for TRS within the Emerging Manager Program.
- Within the $21.1 billion Global Income Portfolio:
- The commitment of $25 million to Copia Investment Management of Chicago. Copia is a new relationship for TRS within the Emerging Manager Program.
- Within the $1.5 billion Diversifying Strategies Portfolio:
- The commitment of $1.3 billion to BlackRock of New York. Blackrock is a new relationship for TRS.
About Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois
The Teachers’ Retirement System of the State of Illinois is the 38th largest pension system in the United States, and provides retirement, disability and survivor benefits to teachers, administrators and other public-school personnel employed outside of Chicago. The System serves over 456,000 members and had assets of $73.77 billion as of November 30, 2024.