Press Release
For Immediate Release
March 28, 2007
Contact:
Nancy Ketterhagen
ETF Communications Office
(608) 266-7471
Department Announces Board Election Results
MADISON, (Wis.) –- Department of Employee Trust Funds (ETF)
Secretary Eric Stanchfield is pleased to announce the results of
three retirement board elections recently conducted among Wisconsin
Retirement System (WRS) participant groups. They are as follows:
| Board Election |
Winner(s) |
| ETF Board - Annuitant Member |
Theron "Butch" Fisher (inc.) |
| ETF Board - Educational Support Personnel Member |
Kathleen Kreul (inc.) |
| Teachers Retirement Board - Teacher Members |
Steven A. Scheible and David L. Wltgen (inc.) |
ETF Board-Annuitant Member Election
Theron “Butch” Fisher was re-elected to serve on the
ETF Board. Fisher, the incumbent, was first appointed to the Board
in 2004. His 30-year career included employment at the University
of Wisconsin-La Crosse and La Crosse County. The Department mailed
more than 135,500 ballots to all retired WRS participants, who cast
45,748 ballots. Fisher received 9,116 votes. The other candidates
and their vote totals are as follows: Christine M. Williams, 7,476;
James P. Egan, 7,461; James A. Gruentzel, 6,781; Gary Tveten, 4,559;
Rose Bowen, 3,494; Robert Cavanaugh, 2,522; Robert C. Duero, 2,189;
Michael T. Lew, 2,150.
ETF Board-Educational Support Personnel Member
WRS educational support personnel re-elected Kathleen Kreul to
serve on the ETF Board. Kreul, the incumbent, was first elected
to the Board in 2003. An employee of Southwest Wisconsin Technical
College since 1977, she is a 19-year officer of the union representing
educational support personnel, and is currently secretary of AFT-Wisconsin.
The Department distributed nearly 41,500 ballots to all WRS covered
educational support personnel members, who cast 5,779 ballots. Kreul
received 4,133 votes. The other candidate, Steven Eichman, manager
of Purchasing and Transportation for the School District of Janesville,
received 1,646 votes.
Teachers Retirement Board-Teacher Members
Wisconsin school teachers elected Steven A. Scheible and David
L. Wiltgen to serve on the Teachers Retirement (TR) Board. Scheible
has taught history, economics, and geography for the past 32 years
in the Eau Claire Area School District. Wiltgen, a current TR Board
member, was first appointed to the Board in 2002. He is a teacher
at Eau Claire Memorial High School. The Department distributed more
than 69,000 ballots to all WRS covered elementary and secondary
school teachers (excluding the Milwaukee Public School District).
Teachers cast 6,750 ballots. The candidates and their vote totals
are as follows: Steven A. Scheible, 4,494; David L. Wiltgen, 3,949;
Philip R. Freye, 2,681; Len J. Herricks, 1,831.
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About the ETF Board
The 13-member ETF Board has legal and fiduciary responsibilities
relating to the administration of the WRS. The Board also retains
sole responsibility for the general direction and supervision of
the Department of Employee Trust Funds. Four of the 13 members of
this Board are directly elected. Wisconsin law dictates ETF Board
responsibilities, including:
- Ensuring the WRS complies with federal regulations as a tax
qualified retirement plan and guaranteeing that each benefit plan
is administered according to these rules.
- Appointing the ETF Secretary.
- Retaining the medical, legal, and actuarial assistance necessary
to run the System.
About the Teachers Retirement Board
The 13-member Teachers Retirement Board primarily plays an advisory
role in the administration of WRS benefits involving public school,
vocational, state and university teachers; acts on administrative
rules and authorizes or terminates teacher disability benefits and
hears disability benefit appeals. Nine of the 13 members are directly
elected.
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