Our Team
The Wespath Investment Management Team exhibits considerable breadth of expertise and depth. Our leadership team averages more than 20 years in experience, which brings strength of capability and service to our institutional clients.
Dave Zellner
Chief Investment Officer
Dave has been with the General Board since 1997 and is responsible for the entire Investments Division, comprised of Investment Management, Institutional Services, and Corporate Relations. Former employers include Shell Oil Company where he managed equity portfolios for Shell’s retirement plans and Investment Research Company (an investment management firm) where he was a portfolio manager and responsible for managing the firm’s investment operations. As CIO, Dave is responsible for executing and administering the General Board’s investment program as directed by its Investment Strategy Statement and Statement of Administrative Investment Policy. Dave earned his B.S. degree in Finance from Louisiana State University and his MBA from the University of Houston.
Mary Fran Callahan, CTP
Managing Director,
Investment Management
Mary Fran joined the General Board in September 2008, after spending 25 years in the financial services sector, managing investments, and investment and treasury operations. Mary Fran is responsible for Investment Management, which includes managing the investment teams for each sector (Equities, Fixed Income, Positive Social Purpose Lending), executing liquidity and allocation management, and providing support for strategic initiatives. She spent most of her career at Zurich Financial Services and St. Paul Federal Bank. Mary Fran received a B.A. degree in English from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from Loyola University of Chicago. She has obtained the Series 7 and Series 63 investment licenses, has passed the Series 65 exam, and has earned the Certified Treasury Professional® (CTP) designation.
Derek Casteel, CFA
Managing Director,
Institutional Investment Services
Derek joined the General Board in January 2011. He is primarily responsible for leading the Wespath client service and marketing efforts. Specifically, he focuses on promoting the organization’s "manager of managers" fund offerings, the internally managed Positive Social Purpose lending program (i.e., market-rate community development investment portfolios), and advocacy efforts. He most recently served as Institutional Marketing Director for Community Capital Management, where he marketed the firm’s fixed income strategies to mission-based (foundation and endowment) and values-based (religious) institutional investors. Prior to that, he was employed as an analyst dedicated to fixed income manager research for the Chicago-based investment consulting firm Stratford Advisory Group. Derek is a graduate of Florida State University and a CFA Charterholder.
Vidette Bullock Mixon
Director, Corporate Relations
Vidette joined the General Board in May 1981. She oversees Corporate Relations, the research and monitoring of corporate policies and practices to ensure adherence to the General Board’s socially responsible investment program. Vidette received a Bachelor of Science degree from Nebraska Wesleyan University and pursued graduate studies at University of Nebraska Medical School. She serves on the Board of Directors of
Ceres, a nonprofit organization that works with companies to address sustainability challenges. She also serves on the Board of Directors of
The United Methodist Foundation of the Northern Illinois Conference, where she is a member of its investment committee.
Brian Boyer, CFA
Director, Equities
Brian joined the General Board in September 2003. As the Director of Equities in Investment Management, he is responsible for overseeing the strategic direction and staff of the public equities and alternative investments programs, including the asset classes of private equity and private real estate. Previously, he spent 15 years with First Analysis Corporation, a Chicago-based investment firm. At First Analysis, he was a senior vice president with responsibility for developing public equity research coverage and making venture capital investments in various technology sectors including telecommunications products and services. He received B.A. and B.E. degrees from Dartmouth College and an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He is also a CFA Charterholder.
Stephen Kroah, CFA
Director, Fixed Income
Stephen joined the General Board in January 2011. As the Director of Fixed Income in Investment Management, he is responsible for overseeing the strategic direction and staff of the fixed income investments program. Previously, he spent much of his career as a principal at Lotsoff Capital a Chicago-based investment firm. Stephen also spent four years in the United States Marine Corps. He received a B.S. in International Business from Northeastern University and an MBA from the Tepper School of Business at Carnegie Mellon University. He is also a CFA Charterholder.
Michael Lohmeier
Director, Positive Social
Purpose Lending Program
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Mike is responsible for executing the Positive Social Purpose Lending Program in Investment Management. Mike previously administered the program at the General Board from 2002 through 2005 and returned to the General Board in January of 2009 after spending three and a half years at the Illinois Housing Development Authority and Fannie Mae in multi-family financing. Previously, he was in the commercial banking sector in credit policy, fair lending oversight, and Community Reinvestment Act compliance. He received a B.A. degree in Economics and Political Science from Northwestern University and an MPP from The Harris School of Public Policy Studies at the University of Chicago.
Sach Diwan
Manager,
Institutional Investment Services
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Sach joined the General Board’s Wespath division in 2011. As manager of the Institutional Investment Services department, he is responsible for fulfilling requests from clients, responding to RFPs from prospective investors and maintaining performance exhibits. Previously, Sach served as a senior project manager in the General Board’s Information and Project Services (IPS) department beginning in 2004. Prior to that, he was the director of internet product development at the Health Care Information Management Systems Society (HIMSS). Sach received a B.S. degree in Public Administration from Virginia Tech, an M.H.S.A. in Health Services Administration from George Washington University, and an M.S. in Computer Science from The University of Chicago.
Anita Green
Manager, Socially Responsible Investing
Anita Green joined the General Board in December 2008 as the Manager of Socially Responsible Investing. She is responsible for strategic development and implementation of the General Board’s corporate engagement program. In this role she regularly communicates with corporate management about policies and practices related to environment, social, and governance issues. Previously, Anita worked for 16 years at a retail mutual fund company, where she was the Vice President of Social Research. In this capacity she managed the social research, proxy voting and shareholder advocacy programs. While there she was the 2004 winner of the "SRI Service Award" and in 2000 received the "Making a Difference" award. From 1999-2005, she served on the board of directors of the Social Investment Forum, a non-profit trade association dedicated to promoting the practice of socially responsible investing. Anita received a B.A. degree in Communications from Truman State University, a MA in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix, and has held the Series 6 and 63 licenses.
Mark Hines
Manager, Public Equities
Mark joined the General Board in March 2010. As Manager of Public Equities in Investment Management, he is responsible for executing and administering the public equities investment program. Previously, he worked in various investment management and analyst roles including associate portfolio manager on the active growth equities team at Northern Trust, and financial services analyst at Accenture. Mark received a B.S. in Finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and an MBA from the University of Chicago.
Frank Holsteen
Manager, Fixed Income
Frank joined the General Board in March 2012. As Manager of Fixed Income in Investment Management, he is responsible for executing and administering the fixed income investment program. Previously, he was managing director at Barrington Strategic Wealth Management Group, where he contributed his fixed income background to risk control and return enhancement strategies. Prior to that, he worked for 14 years as a fixed income portfolio manager and trader at Chicago Asset Management Company. Frank received a B.A. in Economics from Lake Forest College and has held the Series 65 and 66 licenses.
Sylvia Poniecki
Manager, Positive Social
Purpose Lending Program
Sylvia joined the General Board in September 2011, and is responsible for transaction due diligence, monitoring and overall support of the Positive Social Purpose Lending Program. Previously, she worked at the Illinois Housing Development Authority in positions of increasing responsibility, most recently overseeing the state’s Low Income Housing Tax Credit and Illinois Affordable Housing Tax Credit programs. In addition, she has managed a wide range of complex housing projects and programs including: TCAP, Section 1602, HOME Multifamily Rental Programs, Illinois Affordable Housing Trust Fund, taxable first mortgage financing and tax exempt bond financing. Sylvia received a B.A. degree in Computing and Web Design from DePaul University.