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Village of Arlington Heights Firefighters' Pension Fund
The Village of Arlington Heights Firefighters' Pension Fund was established under Illinois state law to provide retirement, disability, and survivor benefits...
Village of Arlington Heights Firefighters' Pension Fund
The Village of Arlington Heights Firefighters' Pension Fund was established under Illinois state law to provide retirement, disability, and survivor benefits to the municipality's career firefighters. It operates as a single-employer public pension plan, governed by a five-member Board of Trustees. The board includes two active firefighter representatives elected by the membership, two mayoral appointees, and one ex-officio member drawn from the Village's finance leadership. The sponsoring municipality, Arlington Heights, is the largest incorporated community in Cook County outside Chicago, with a population of roughly 77,000. Illinois consolidated the investment management of downstate and suburban police and firefighter pension funds in 2020, transferring statutory authority to the Illinois Firefighters' Pension Investment Fund (FPIF). The Arlington Heights plan, like more than 640 other Article 3 and Article 4 funds, saw its investable assets pooled into a statewide trust governed by a nine-member board. Asset allocation is determined at the FPIF level: as of the most recent public reporting, the consolidated portfolio includes large-cap domestic and international equities, core and core-plus fixed income, real estate, and cash equivalents. The fund does not make direct investments or manager selections independently. The plan's operational footprint is small — day-to-day administration is handled by Village staff, with the Finance Director serving as Treasurer. Board President Adam Sielig is an active-duty firefighter and Drill Captain within the Arlington Heights Fire Department, affiliated with the Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois. The secretary and the remaining trustees bring a mix of active fire service and municipal finance oversight but no dedicated investment staff. Structurally, the plan's distinct feature is its lack of investment autonomy. Unlike large state systems that build internal CIO offices or hire dedicated consultants, this fund is a beneficiary-entity under a consolidated state-managed pool. The governance burden is almost entirely administrative — benefit disbursement, actuarial compliance, and a statutory role in FPIF board election processes — rather than allocative. For allocators mapping Illinois municipal pensions, this plan sits squarely in the FPIF aggregation layer rather than as an independent source of demand for direct fund commitments.
General information
Firm type
Pension Fund
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Arlington Heights
Corporate office
Arlington Heights, IL, United States
Principals
Adam Sielig
President of the Board of Trustees
Peter Ahlman
Secretary of the Board of Trustees
Melissa Gallagher
Treasurer of the Board of Trustees and Village Director of Finance
Lance Harris
Trustee
Kyle Kaczanowski
Trustee
Frequently asked questions
Who makes investment decisions for the Arlington Heights Firefighters' Pension Fund?
The fund does not make its own investment decisions. Under Illinois law, investment authority for suburban and downstate firefighter pension funds was consolidated into the Illinois Firefighters' Pension Investment Fund (FPIF) effective 2020. The local board retains fiduciary authority over benefit administration, member services, and actuarial matters, but asset allocation and manager selection are handled centrally by the FPIF board and its staff.
How does the FPIF consolidation affect an individual plan like Arlington Heights?
Since consolidation, the plan's investable assets were transferred into a statewide co-mingled trust. The FPIF sets a unified asset allocation across all participating funds — targeting diversification across equities, fixed income, real estate, and cash. Individual plans no longer independently hire investment managers, conduct searches, or commit to funds. The local board's role is limited to electing representatives to the FPIF board and overseeing non-investment fiduciary duties.
Does the fund have any exposure to alternative assets like private equity or hedge funds?
The FPIF consolidated portfolio is constructed primarily through traditional asset classes. As of its initial allocation, the trust holds large-cap equities, international equities, core and core-plus fixed income, real estate, and cash equivalents. There is no public indication of an active alternatives program, though the FPIF's statutory mandate does not categorically exclude them as the pool matures.
Who serves on the Board of Trustees?
The board has five members: two active firefighter trustees elected by plan participants, two trustees appointed by the Village Mayor, and one ex-officio member — the Village Director of Finance — who serves as Treasurer. As of the most recent public record, Adam Sielig serves as President, Peter Ahlman as Secretary, and Melissa Gallagher as Treasurer. Lance Harris and Kyle Kaczanowski round out the board as trustees.
Is the Arlington Heights Firefighters' Pension Fund fully funded?
Illinois municipal firefighter pension funds have historically struggled with underfunding tied to statutory contribution formulas and actuarial assumptions. The Arlington Heights plan's specific funded ratio is not publicly reported in a consolidated, citation-ready form. The State of Illinois publishes biennial reports on the aggregate health of downstate public safety pension funds, which show systemic funding gaps, but individual plan-level data requires FOIA or direct municipal CAFR review.
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