By John Gregory/Illinois Radio Network

SPRINGFIELD – A new state treasurer means new priorities for the office, and a new travel schedule.
 
State Treasurer Mike Frerichs lives in Champaign, and he’ll keep living there in his new position, but he plans on working primarily out of his office in the Illinois Capitol. That doesn’t mean he won’t be visiting other parts of the state.  
 
“We’ll divide our time,” Frerichs said. “We’re going to make Springfield our primary place of business, but we also have employees up in Chicago and a lot of constituents up there, so it’ll be juggling.”

Dan Rutherford, the immediate past treasurer, lived in Chenoa. His predecessor, Alexi Giannoulias, was from Chicago, and his predecessor, Judy Baar Topinka, was from Riverside, in the Chicago suburbs.
 
Rutherford and Giannoulias also pushed certain programs within the treasurer’s office, and Frerichs will be no different, saying he’ll be focusing resources of administering the new Secure Choice retirement plan, which was put in place by lawmakers late last year and signed into law last week.