Gov. Tony Evers has appointed Tom Merfeld to the SWIB Board of Trustees. Merfeld is the retired chief risk officer and chief financial officer of CUNA Mutual Group in Madison. Prior to CUNA Mutual, he was the chief financial officer for a life reinsurance company in Kansas City. He was also an investment analyst for Franklin Savings Association and an assistant economist for the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. He is currently a board member of both SSM Health in St. Louis and Dominican Veritas Ministries, which sponsors nine Catholic schools nationwide.
Merfeld, who is a Chartered Financial Analyst charterholder and a Certified Public Accountant, earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Iowa; his MBA from Rockhurst University in Kansas City, Mo.; and his Ph.D. from Marquette University.
Gov. Evers has also reappointed Trustees Jeff DeAngelis, public member, and Kristi Palmer, local government member, to six-year terms.
DeAngelis is the former chief investment officer of the Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Company and former president of Mason Street Advisors. He was also a portfolio manager at Putnam Investments and Van Kampen Investments. Palmer is the Marathon County finance director. Prior to that, she was finance director in Door County and then Langlade County.
The SWIB Board of Trustees consists of nine members meeting specific membership requirements under state statutes. Trustees have a fiduciary responsibility to act solely in the best interest of the funds under management. They appoint the executive director and the internal audit director and are responsible for approving SWIB’s asset allocation, setting the annual budget and performance benchmarks, establishing and overseeing the compensation program, and monitoring performance. Visit www.swib.state.wi.us/board-of-trustees to learn more.