FIREFIGHTERS’ Pension Investment Fund Transition Board
The transition board trustees will oversee the consolidation of local funds over the next year, when permanent board trustees will be elected. The fund boards consist of five members drawn from employees and retirees and four members representing employers.
The following members will serve on the FIREFIGHTERS’ Pension Investment Fund:
Kevin Bramwell will serve on the Firefighters’ Pension Investment Fund.* Bramwell is a 23-year first responder who currently serves as a firefighter in the Village of Bolingbrook and as president of the Bolingbrook Firefighters Pension Fund, the Bolingbrook Firefighters Retiree Healthcare Funding Trust and IAFF Local 3005. He previously worked as a paramedic in the Village of Forest Park and for Elmhurst-based Superior Air-Ground Ambulance Service. Bramwell is a member and former president of the Bolingbrook Rotary Club. Bramwell currently studies Fire Administration at Columbia Southern University.
Steve Chirico will serve on the Firefighters’ Pension Investment Fund.* Chirico was elected mayor of Naperville in 2015 after serving one term as alderman. Mayor Chirico has been active in the community and region for many years. This includes his term as a City Council member from 2011-2015, his work with 360 Youth and Family Services, Naperville Responds For Our Veterans, the Downtown Naperville Alliance (DNA), City of Naperville Advisory Cultural Commission, the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce Legislative Steering Committee and the DuPage Mayors & Managers Conference, which he served as president of for the 2019 fiscal year. After graduating from Naperville Central, Chirico went on to attend Northern Illinois University.
Brad Cole will serve on the Firefighters’ Pension Investment Fund.* Cole has served as executive director of the Illinois Municipal League since 2014. Most recently, Cole was Senior Vice President of Pepsi MidAmerica. Prior to entering the private sector, he worked as Downstate Director for U.S. Senator Mark Kirk, served as Mayor of the City of Carbondale for two four-year terms, which followed one four-year term on the city council, and was Deputy Chief of Staff to Governor George Ryan. He is Chairman Emeritus of Sister Cities International, having served two years as chairman of its global board of directors. Separate from the League, Cole serves as Managing Director of the IML Risk Management Association. Cole is a graduate of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale with a bachelor’s degree in a double major of political science and biological sciences, and a master’s degree in legal studies from the SIU School of Law.
Russ Hunt will serve on the Firefighters’ Pension Investment Fund.* Hunt currently serves as Battalion Chief for the Bolingbrook Fire Department. Hunt previously served as vice president of the Associated Firefighters of Illinois from 2006 to 2018, president of Bolingbrook Local 3005 from 1985 to 2001 and president of the Bolingbrook firefighters pension fund from 1987 to 2002.
Matthew Kink will serve on the Firefighters’ Pension Investment Fund.* Kink currently works as a firefighter for the Springfield Fire Department, in addition to owning and working as a tax consultant at his namesake firm Matt Kink Tax Advisory Solutions. He is also an attorney at the Edwards Group LLC in Springfield. Previously, Kink worked at Levi, Ray and Shoup as senior counsel. He is a trustee of both the Springfield Firefighters Pension Fund and Foreign Fire Insurance Fund. Kink earned his Bachelor of Science in finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and both his Master of Business Administration and Juris Doctor from Creighton University.
Patrick Nichting will serve on the Firefighters’ Pension Investment Fund.* Nichting has served as City Treasurer for the City of Peoria and tax collector for the Township of the City of Peoria since 2009. Previously, Nichting was a Peoria City Councilman and Chief Economic Officer for the Panco Food Service Equipment Corporation. He has served as a trustee on both the firefighter and police pension funds in the City of Peoria. Nichting is the Co-Chairman of the Central Illinois Federal Weed and Seed Committee. He earned his bachelor’s degree and Master of Business Administration from Bradley University.
George Schick will serve on the Firefighters’ Pension Investment Fund.* Trustee Schick currently serves as a Lieutenant for the Orland Fire Protection District, which he has worked for since 1995. He also serves as President of the Orland Firefighters’ Pension Fund. For eight years prior, Mr. Schick worked as an engineer and EMT for the North Palos Fire Protection District. He earned his bachelor’s degree in management from Benedictine University.
Chuck Sullivan will serve on the Firefighters’ Pension Investment Fund.* Sullivan currently serves as Fire Captain at the City of Champaign Fire Department. He was appointed as the President of the AFFI in January of 2020 and has previously served as the Central District Legislative Representative since 2008. Sullivan has served in various Executive Board offices within his own Champaign Local 1260 and was also the AFFI 2nd District Political Education Committee Coordinator from 2004 to 2008. He was hired by CFD in 1995 and is a Captain. Sullivan joined the Air Force in 1987 and was honorably discharged in 1991. He earned his undergraduate degree from Eastern Illinois University.
