Press Release

For Immediate Release
April 1, 2008

Contact:

Matt Stohr, Director
ETF Communications Office
(608) 266-3641

Department Announces Election of Board Officers
(Wigdahl, Mishler and Gale elected as Chairs)

MADISON, (Wis.) – David Stella, Secretary of the Department of Employee Trust Funds (ETF), announced that the three governing boards of the Wisconsin Retirement System (WRS) recently elected officers for 2008. There are over 540,000 participants and 1,400 employers in the WRS. The program covers state and local government employees and retirees. Secretary Stella said that he looks forward to working with the leadership of each board. “Each officer plays an important role in managing their respective Board’s governance functions,” said Stella. “I’m confident each will do an exemplary job in their leadership capacities.”

Elected Officers, Employee Trust Funds Board

Marilyn Wigdahl, of La Crosse, was re-elected as Chair. Wigdahl, a retired financial specialist from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, also serves on the Wisconsin Retirement Board.

Wayne Koessl, of Kenosha, was re-elected Vice-Chair. Koessl is a local government affairs representative for WISPARK, LLC, a subsidiary of Wisconsin Energy Corp. He is also a member of the Wisconsin Retirement Board.

Robert Niendorf, of Omro, was re-elected Secretary. Niendorf is a retired University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh finance professor.

The Employee Trust Funds Board is a 13-member board. This board appoints the ETF Secretary and generally oversees administration of pension benefits under the WRS.

Elected Officers, Teachers Retirement Board

Lon Mishler, of De Pere, was elected Chair of the Teachers Retirement Board. Mishler, a retired finance instructor from the Northeast Wisconsin Technical College, previously served as Vice-Chair.

Dennis Panicucci, of Hartford, was elected Vice-Chair. Panicucci is a retired teacher from the Hartford School District.

Robin Starck, of Sheboygan, was elected Secretary. Starck is a Sheboygan Area School District teacher.

The Teachers Retirement Board is a 13-member board that serves in an advisory capacity to the ETF Board on retirement and other benefit matters involving public school, vocational, state and university teachers and hears disability benefit appeals involving teachers. It appoints four members to the ETF Board.

Elected Officers, Wisconsin Retirement Board

Rick Gale, of West Allis, was elected Chair of the Wisconsin Retirement Board. Gale is State President of the Professional Fire Fighters of Wisconsin, Inc. He also serves on the Employee Trust Funds Board.

Wayne Koessl, of Kenosha, was re-elected Vice-Chair. Koessl also serves as Vice-Chair of the Employee Trust Funds Board.

Mary Von Ruden, of Sparta, was elected Secretary. Von Ruden is an employee of Monroe County.

The Wisconsin Retirement Board is a 9-member board. It advises the ETF Board on matters relating to retirement for participants other than teachers and hears appeals of disability rulings for participants other than teachers. It also appoints four members to the ETF Board.