2025 TRS Trustee Election Balloting Unnecessary
Member balloting this spring to elect two active teacher members and one annuitant member to four-year terms on the Teachers’ Retirement System Board of Trustees is unnecessary and has been canceled.
The state law governing trustee elections provides that if there are only as many qualified nominees as there are positions available, the balloting portion of the trustee election process shall not be conducted, and the Board shall declare the qualified nominees duly elected.
Only two candidates for the two open seats elected by active members filed the requisite 500 valid member signatures necessary to be nominated as eligible candidates for the open trustee positions, and only one candidate filed the requisite 500 valid annuitant signatures necessary to run for the one open seat elected by annuitants.
At the February 21, 2025, Board of Trustees meeting, the current Board declared the three nominees as elected for four-year terms on the board that begin on July 15, 2025. The Board canceled the balloting that would have taken place during April for the May 1 election.
The newly elected trustees are as follows:
Trustees Nominated by Active Members & Elected for 2025-2029 Term:
- Heather Becker of Rushville
- Sean Casey of Richmond
Trustee Nominated by Annuitants & Elected for 2025-2029 Term:
- Lorraine “Rainy” Kaplan of Schaumburg
The state law governing the election of TRS trustees can be found at 40 ILCS 5/16-165. The Board of Trustees is comprised of five elected trustees nominated by active members, two elected trustees nominated by annuitant members, seven trustees appointed by the governor, and the incumbent state superintendent of education as an ex-officio member.
The full Board of Trustees listing can be found here.