SPTRFA Staff

Phill Tencick – Executive Director/CIO Christine MacDonald – Deputy Director/CFO Cynthia Foster, Nancy Langer, Rachel Pastick, Janet Williams, Tamera Zielinski


Saint Paul Teachers’ Retirement Fund Association is looking for a senior accounting or finance professional to be its next Controller.  SPTRFA offers meaningful and rewarding career opportunities!

To view the complete job summary for the open position, click here. Direct inquires to, ptencick at sptrfa.org, in the subject line please include, “SPTRFA seeks new Controller.”


Phill Tencick

Executive Director/CIO Contact Info: 651-642-2550
Mr. Tencick previously served as the Retirement Director and CIO for the Spokane Employee Retirement System from 2015 to 2023. Prior to that, he held leadership roles for the Army and Air Force Exchange Service in pension, treasury, and finance. Mr. Tencick has a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Washington University in St. Louis, a Master of Business Administration degree from Southern Methodist University and holds a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation.  Phill enjoys trail running, soccer, mountain biking, camping, and snowboarding.

Christine MacDonald

Deputy Director/CFO Contact Info: 651-642-2550
Ms. MacDonald serves as the Deputy Director of the St. Paul Teachers’ Retirement Fund Association. She joined SPTRFA in 2003 after a ten year career with the Minnesota Office of the State Auditor (OSA), where she was the Director of Public Pension Oversight. In that role she had significant public pension plan responsibilities. During her tenure at OSA she was also responsible for auditing and financial/legal oversight for cities, counties, and tax increment financing districts in Minnesota. With her experience in public pension regulation, she is involved in all aspects of SPTRFA management, including statutory and regulatory interpretation covering investment and administrative requirements. She also works closely with all other Minnesota public retirement funds to ensure appropriate coordination and continuity. Ms. MacDonald is a graduate of the University of Minnesota’s Carlson School of Management, where she earned a B.S.B. in Accounting with High Distinction, finishing in the top 3% of her class.

Cynthia Foster

Fund Accountant Contact Info: 651-642-2550 Cynthia joined SPTRFA in September 2021. She comes to SPTRFA with 20+ years of tax and accounting experience.  Her responsibilities include accounting for Operations and Investments along with Federal and State reporting requirements, and financial Reports.

Nancy Langer

Member Service Leader Contact Info: 651-642-2550
Nancy began her career with SPTRFA in 1978.  With her experience and leadership skills she manages the day to day of the member benefits team and is responsible for the monthly annuitant and refund processing.  She also handles benefit estimate requests, repayment of refunds, leave of absence statements, required minimum distributions (RMD) statements and payee 1099-R’s.

Rachel Pastick

Communications, IT, and Member Services Contact Info: 651-642-2550 Rachel has a background in graphic and interactive communication design, and joined SPTRFA in 2012. She brings a passion for the strategies involved in communication and education. She enjoys meeting with members, learning from and working with them, and investigating and implementing new technologies. She has gained a deep knowledge of MN pension systems while working for SPTRFA, and applies that experience in content delivery. She manages print and digital communications, assists with webcasts, and oversees IT and legislative campaign design.  On her weekends Rachel enjoys reading, volunteering at the Good Acre and spending time hiking or backcountry camping.

Janet Williams

Chief Operating Officer Contact Info: 651-642-2550 Janet is the Chief Operating Officer of the St. Paul Teachers’ Retirement Fund Association.  She joined the team in 2011, relocating to her birthplace after years of living in Alaska and New Mexico and teaching abroad.   Janet’s experience in aviation management, municipal government operations, and the financial services industry provided a strong base for her work with SPTRFA.  Her primary focus is on member services operations, strategic planning, and training and development.  Outside of work, Janet enjoys traveling and exploring the wide-open spaces.

Tamera Zielinski

Administrative Assistant
Tamera joined SPTRFA in October 2001. Her responsibilities include regular administrative duties. She schedules counseling appointments at the SPTRFA office and is usually the first person answering and directing member phone calls.