Suzanne Mayer

Suzanne Mayer was named executive director of SURS in December of 2021. Prior to being named executive director she served for 10 months as both interim executive director and chief benefits officer.

Mayer has been with the SURS since 2002 and served as a retirement counselor, counseling manager and director of outreach before becoming the chief benefits officer in 2018. As chief benefits officer she oversaw the Call Center, Retirement Counselors, Employer Services, Claims Processing, Benefits Support Services, Communications and the Retirement Savings Plan departments.

She is a graduate of Eastern Illinois University with a bachelor’s degree in business management and she holds a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Illinois Springfield.

Mayer is the first woman to lead SURS since Ruth Ellen Kunkel, the System’s original administrator who served from 1941 to 1952.

She has been a participating member of NPEA since 2011.

SURS serves over 245,000 members and 61 employers and oversees $28.1 billion in defined benefit and defined contribution plan assets. The System provides retirement, disability and survivor benefits to state university and community college faculty and staff.