Staff

Genette Bacon-Cordova

Portfolio Officer for Financial Reporting and Accounting
Genette Bacon-Cordova serves as the Portfolio Officer for Financial Reporting and Accounting. Genette works closely with the Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer to perform and manage the operations-related accounting requirements of ISBI, including maintaining the general ledger system, reviewing accounts payable, preparing the quarterly budget, processing payroll, and other accounting functions.

Genette obtained her Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas. Outside of work, Genette enjoys watching movies, listening to music, attending concerts, and walking along Chicago’s lakefront.

Mary Cahill

Business Operations and Government Affairs Analyst
Mary Cahill serves as the Business Operations and Government Affairs Analyst at ISBI. In her role, Mary works as a liaison between ISBI and the Illinois General Assembly and monitors pieces of legislation that may impact ISBI’s operations. Additionally, Mary provides operational support to the legal, investment, and operations teams at ISBI.

Mary previously worked as a legislative staffer for the Illinois House of Representatives and is a former Illinois Legislative Staff Intern Program (ILSIP) participant. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Theology from Boston College in 2017. She spends as much of her time as she can at Wrigley Field and exploring Chicago’s neighborhoods.

Michelle Choi

Assistant Investment Officer
Michelle Choi serves as Assistant Investment Officer at ISBI. In this role, Michelle provides investment and operational support to the ED/CIO and broader ISBI Staff, including reporting and manager due diligence. Michelle is a generalist on the investment team and provides support across all asset classes. Michelle graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. Outside of the office, she enjoys hiking, photography, and cooking for her friends and family.

Jennifer Koelle

Investment Officer – Public Markets
Jennifer Koelle serves as Investment Officer – Public Markets at the Illinois State Board of Investment. In her role, Jennifer provides oversight for ISBI’s public market investments, helps to monitor and assess risk for ISBI’s investment program, and assists in developing and implementing ISBI’s overall investment policy. Additionally, Jennifer helps provide centralized oversight of the State’s Deferred Compensation Plan.

Prior to joining ISBI in 2020, Jennifer spent 15 years at Mercer in the Manager Research Group as a senior asset class specialist where she helped coordinate research of global and emerging markets equity strategies, undertook direct investment manager coverage, and was a voting member of the US equity ratings review committee. Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics, with Minors in Mathematics and International Relations, from the University of Pennsylvania and is a Level II candidate in the CFA program.

Samantha McHugh

Associate General Counsel and Investment Compliance Officer
Sam McHugh serves as the Associate General Counsel and Investment Compliance Officer at ISBI. In her role, Sam supports the General Counsel and advises ISBI Staff and Trustees on a wide variety of legal matters, as well as overseeing ISBI’s compliance efforts.

Sam previously worked in commercial litigation at a Chicago law firm. During law school, she participated in internships at FINRA and the Securities and Exchange Commission in their respective enforcement departments. Sam earned her J.D. cum laude from Chicago-Kent College of Law. She received her Bachelor of Arts in International Relations from Boston University in 2015. In her free time, Sam enjoys hiking, watching movies, and cooking.

Daniel Sekera

Investment Officer II
Daniel Sekera serves as Investment Officer II at the Illinois State Board of Investment. As a generalist on the investment team, Daniel’s responsibilities include providing oversight for ISBI’s investments across all asset classes, reviewing and implementing ISBI’s investment policy, and overseeing the State’s Deferred Compensation Plan.

Prior to joining ISBI, Daniel worked as an investment consultant in Chicago, most recently with Mercer. During his consulting career, he partnered with the investment committees of corporate and public retirement programs, not-for-profit endowments & foundations, and family offices. Daniel holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Outside of work, Daniel enjoys live music, water skiing in the summer, and spending time with family and friends.

Polly Smith

Private Secretary
Polly Smith serves as the Private Secretary, working closely with the Executive Director & Chief Investment Officer (ED/CIO). In this role, Polly ensures a smooth operation at ISBI. Polly assists with schedules, monitors phone call notifications and ISBI emails, oversees the distribution of supplies and packages to office personnel, and enjoys meeting and greeting visitors to the ISBI office.

Atul Talwar

Chief Information Officer
Atul Talwar is the Chief Information Officer at ISBI. Atul’s primary function is to oversee ISBI’s evolving technology needs ranging from security and infrastructure implementation to website development and troubleshooting. Atul also serves as ISBI’s primary IT liaison with third parties including the State’s Department of Innovation and Technology and external vendors. In his spare time Atul enjoys traveling, hiking, good food, and flying airplanes.