Teachers' Retirement System Honors Four Trustees for Distinguished Service and Leadership

SPRINGFIELD, IL - The Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois (TRS) Board of Trustees recognized four trustees for their dedicated service to the System and Illinois public educators during its June Board meeting. Honored for their contributions were Board President Matthew Hunt, Trustee Maureen Mena, Trustee Maria "Mia" Jazo-Harris and Trustee Kader Sakkaria.

The recognition comes as the terms of the four trustees approach their conclusion in July. Each has played an important role in helping guide the System's governance, oversight and strategic direction while advancing TRS's mission of delivering retirement security to Illinois educators.

"Our Board of Trustees serves a vital role in protecting the retirement security of more than 462,000 members and beneficiaries," said TRS Executive Director and Chief Investment Officer Stan Rupnik, "Trustees Hunt, Mena, Jazo-Harris and Sakkaria each brought unique expertise, thoughtful leadership and an unwavering commitment to public service. Their contributions have strengthened TRS as an institution and helped position the System for continued success in serving educators across Illinois."

Board President Matthew Hunt Recognized for Transformational Leadership

Among those recognized was Board President Matthew Hunt, whose seven years of service on the TRS Board of Trustees have been marked by exceptional leadership and lasting institutional impact.

Since joining the Board in 2019, Hunt has played a central role in strengthening the governance, effectiveness and long-term strategic direction of TRS. As Board President, he provided steady leadership during a period of significant organizational transformation, helping guide initiatives that enhanced governance practices, strengthened organizational capabilities and reinforced the Board's fiduciary responsibilities to members and beneficiaries.

Throughout his tenure, Hunt consistently championed the principles of fiduciary stewardship, accountability and operational excellence. His leadership helped foster a governance culture grounded in transparency, disciplined decision-making and a relentless focus on serving the long-term interests of Illinois educators.

Hunt's influence extended across nearly every facet of Board governance. He served as Chair of the Investment Committee, helping oversee one of the nation's largest public pension investment portfolios, while also providing leadership to the Deferred Compensation Plan Committee and supporting the work of the Audit, Legislative, Claims Hearing, and Rules & Personnel Committees.

Beyond committee leadership, Hunt was widely recognized for his ability to bring people together around a shared purpose. He helped strengthen collaboration among trustees representing diverse constituencies, fostered a productive partnership between Board members and staff, and championed the continued professionalization and institutionalization of TRS. His commitment to developing internal expertise, empowering employees and building organizational resilience has left a lasting legacy that will continue to benefit the System for years to come.

Trustee Maureen Mena Honored for Financial Expertise and Governance Leadership

Trustee Maureen Mena was recognized for her years of dedicated service on the Board of Trustees. Throughout her tenure, Mena brought extensive experience in financial planning and wealth management to the Board's deliberations, providing valuable insight into long-term financial security, risk management and fiduciary oversight.

As Chair of the Claims Hearing Committee and Vice Chair of the Audit Committee, Mena demonstrated thoughtful leadership, fairness and diligence in matters affecting TRS members. Mena was also recognized for her professionalism, collaborative spirit and genuine commitment to the educators and retirees served by TRS.

Trustee Maria "Mia" Jazo-Harris Recognized for Advocacy, Strategic Planning and Organizational Leadership

Trustee Maria "Mia" Jazo-Harris was honored for her service and contributions to Board governance since 2021. Drawing upon her extensive background in public affairs and communications, Jazo-Harris consistently emphasized transparency, stakeholder engagement and effective communication.

As a member of the Audit Committee, Claims Hearing Committee and Rules & Personnel Committee, she provided thoughtful oversight and helped advance the effective governance of the System. She also played a meaningful role in the development of the TRS Strategic Plan, helping shape its language, vision and strategic direction.

Jazo-Harris was further recognized for her advocacy on behalf of employees and organizational culture, including her strong support for leadership development initiatives and programs designed to strengthen the future workforce of TRS.

Trustee Kader Sakkaria Honored for Innovation and Technology Leadership

Trustee Kader Sakkaria was recognized for bringing a valuable technology and innovation perspective to the Board during his tenure. A nationally recognized technology leader and the first Illinois Chief Artificial Intelligence Officer, Sakkaria contributed expertise in enterprise transformation, data strategy, emerging technologies and organizational modernization.

While his service on the Board was brief, Sakkaria's insights helped strengthen Board discussions surrounding enterprise risk, governance practices, operational effectiveness and opportunities to responsibly leverage innovation in service to members.

"Serving alongside these trustees has been one of the great privileges of my time on the Board," said Board President Matthew Hunt. "Each has brought unique talents, valuable perspectives, and a deep commitment to our fiduciary responsibilities. Their service has strengthened our governance, supported our members and helped position TRS for continued success in the years ahead."

The Board expressed its appreciation to all four trustees for their service, leadership and commitment to protecting the retirement security of Illinois educators and wished each continued success in their future endeavors.

Board of Trustees Meeting Investment Actions

The TRS Board of Trustees met at its regularly scheduled June meeting and discussed the following investment actions within the TRS portfolio:

Within the System's $13.5 billion Private Equity Portfolio:

• The commitment of €40 million Investindustrial Lower Mid-Market IV SCSp. Investindustrial currently manages $64.7 million in TRS assets.
• The commitment of $15 million to Fleet Data Centers I, L.P, managed by Tract Capital. Tract is a new direct relationship to TRS.
• The commitment of $5 million to Chingona Ventures III, L.P. Chingona Ventures is a new diverse relationship to TRS.
• The commitment of $60 million to OceanSound Partners Fund III, L.P. OceanSound currently manages $62.1 million in TRS assets as a diverse manager.
• The commitment of $30 million to Francisco Partners Agility IV, L.P. and $110 million to Francisco Partners VIII, L.P. Francisco Partners currently manages $102.5 million in TRS assets.
• The commitment of 1,950 million Japanese Yen to Bain Capital Japan Middle Market Fund II, L.P. Bain currently manages $60.0 million in TRS assets.

Within the System's $31.9 billion Public Equity Portfolio:

• The commitment of $400 million to Connor Clark & Lund. CC&L is a new relationship for TRS.
• The commitment of $400 million to Northern Trust Global Equity. Northern Trust currently manages $2.5 billion in TRS assets.

Within the System's $13.4 billion Real Assets Portfolio:

• An additional commitment of $180 million to KKR Diversified Core Infrastructure Fund, L.P. KKR currently manages $420.08 million in TRS assets.
• The commitment of $25 million to Arc Capital Partners Fund II, L.P. Arc Capital is a new diverse relationship to TRS.
• The commitment of $25 million to Kayne Anderson Real Estate Partners VII, L.P. Kayne Anderson is a new relationship to TRS.

Within the $21.5 billion Income Portfolio:

• An additional commitment of $250 million to SLR 1818, L.P. SLR currently manages $417.3 million in TRS assets.
• An additional commitment of $50 million to JPM Global Transport Income Fund, L.P. JP Morgan currently manages $461.5 million in TRS assets.

The commitment of $35 million to Caro Real Estate Credit Fund, L.P. Caro is a new diverse relationship to TRS.

About Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois

The Teachers' Retirement System of the State of Illinois is the 35th 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 462,000 members and had assets of $84.7 billion as of April 30, 2026.