A four-month nationwide search has led to the appointment of the State Universities Retirement System.
Bryan Lewis will soon direct the $17 billion pension fund. Lewis currently manages and does the investment strategy for the state of North Carolina's retirement systems.
His resume also includes time at CitiGroup and Merrill Lynch, as well as other companies.
"SURS" has about 227,000 members.
Lewis will take over the pension system for Illinois' public university annuitants early next month, when William Mabe retires.
Though there's no problem with paying out benefits now, Illinois' pension systems are troubled. Returns took a hit during the recession, and for years lawmakers bailed on the state's share. Illinois' fiscal forecasting agency last month reported that SURS is only 45 percent funded.
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