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1
SENATE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois Senate wish to
3congratulate Executive Director Richard White on the occasion
4of successfully overseeing the transition of the Illinois
5Police Officers' Pension Investment Fund (IPOPIF); and
 
6    WHEREAS, Richard White has spent over 40 years in public
7service as a sworn law enforcement officer, serving and
8protecting citizens, businesses, and property with dignity and
9honor; and
 
10    WHEREAS, During his career, Richard White also served as a
11trustee for the Orange County Employees Retirement System
12(OCERS) in California for nine years, where he managed an
13administrative budget of 11 million dollars and a pension fund
14of 10 billion dollars; and
 
15    WHEREAS, Richard White then served as the president of the
16State Association of County Retirement Systems (SACRS),
17representing over half a million participants and
18beneficiaries throughout the State of California with the
19combined assets of 110 billion dollars; and
 
20    WHEREAS, After retiring from law enforcement, Richard
21White served as the administrator for the Mendocino County

 

 

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1Employees Retirement Association (MCERA) in California, where
2he managed a pension fund with a budget of $800,000 and $440
3million in assets; he retired from public service in
4California in 2014; and
 
5    WHEREAS, In June of 2020, Richard White returned to public
6service and was hired as the executive director of the
7Illinois Police Officers' Pension Investment Fund (IPOPIF) to
8oversee the development of the newly created consolidation of
9357 different pension funds; and
 
10    WHEREAS, Richard White prepared a strategic plan to bring
11the consolidated funds together, writing policies and
12procedures and developing requests for proposal (RFPs) for all
13facets of the pension fund, including investments, legal
14requirements, and administrative positions that would be
15needed; and
 
16    WHEREAS, Richard White spoke with various service
17providers and sought expertise to develop a team to bring the
18assets under management; he educated the IPOPIF Board of
19Directors on hiring staff and the development of the systems
20needed for this undertaking; he also located and created an
21office space for the future of the fund; and
 
22    WHEREAS, Richard White worked with other government

 

 

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1entities, speaking with legislators, union officials, and
2pension boards across the State in an effort to garner trust,
3faith, and the cooperation of all parties; and
 
4    WHEREAS, Richard White traveled across Illinois to meet
5with pension trustees, beneficiaries, and participants to give
6them full confidence in his abilities to oversee and manage
7this process, always taking the time to speak at union and
8pension conferences and to meet with leaders and local boards
9without hesitation while simultaneously creating this newly
10consolidated fund; and
 
11    WHEREAS, Richard White led the IPOPIF Board and his team
12through issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic and
13litigation, ensuring things would be completed and done
14correctly in the best interest of all parties; his dedication
15required working many late nights, weekends, and on holidays
16to meet the legislative deadline; and
 
17    WHEREAS, Richard White spearheaded the largest pension
18consolidation in the nation, working with 357 different
19pension funds and a net value of 9 billion dollars, an
20undertaking that had never been done to this size and scale;
21and
 
22    WHEREAS, Because of his experience, education, and

 

 

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1leadership, Richard White was able to lead this endeavor
2through the most challenging times while maintaining his
3patience and professionalism and never losing focus of the
4goals and objectives of the IPOPIF; therefore, be it
 
5    RESOLVED, BY THE SENATE OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL
6ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate
7Executive Director Richard White on successfully overseeing
8the transition of the Illinois Police Officers' Pension
9Investment Fund (IPOPIF), and we thank him for his hard work
10and dedication to this endeavor; and be it further
 
11    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
12presented to Richard White as a symbol of our esteem and
13respect.