Business Advisory Board
The Eastern Illinois University School of Business Advisory Board serves in an advisory role to the Chair of the School of Business and as advocates of the School. The objectives of the Business Advisory Board are to:
- Provide an interface between the School and business community
- Provide advice and support to the Chair on a variety of issues related to the management and offerings of the School
- Promote positive public relations for the School.
Member Biographies
Jeff Bloemker, Mayor of Effingham, IL
Jeff Bloemker has held senior management positions with several successful Central Illinois businesses. He has had the good fortune of working closely with some of the most dynamic entrepreneurial minds in Downstate Illinois, including stints at Mid America Motorworks, Agracel, and Eaglesoft. As well, he spent time in the public sector, serving at Heartland Human Services and the Illinois Department of Corrections. In recent times, he made a pivot to commercial banking with Bank of Hillsboro and is currently at Northwest Bank & Trust in Davenport, IA in their economic development division. Bloemker has also been heavily involved in civic functions, serving as the Mayor of Effingham from 2015 to 2019.
Charity Bohnhoff, Vice President of Marketing, Heartland Dental, Effingham, IL
Charity joined Heartland Dental in December 2008. She brings more than 10 years of marketing experience to her role. A graduate of Millikin University with a BA in Marketing and Eastern Illinois University with a Master's in Business Administration, she works closely with supported office marketing and marketing support teams.
Charity began her career as a Regional Marketing Representative, advancing to the Market Analyst and Director of Marketing positions before taking on the role of Vice President of Marketing.
Deval Clearwater, Vice President, Parterships & International Markets, Itasca, IL
Deval has over 25 years' experience in the field of education with a focused attention on educational assessments. During her tenure at Riverside and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, she was responsible for numerous functional departments including product marketing, product management, strategic marketing, business strategy, and contract operations, to name a few. Most recently, she was the head of product mangement responsible for managing the product lifecycles of Riverside's entire portfolio of products. In Deval's current roles, she manages key strategic corporate partnerships and International Markets. In her role with the international markets, Deval works across a network of partners and is charged with expanding the reach of their products globally to help elevate potential.
Deval is an Eastern Illinois University alum and is currently serving as a Business Advisory Board member with the Lumpkin College of Business. In this role, she serves with business leaders in an advisory role to the Chair of the School of Business.
During her free time, Deval enjoys spending time with her family, especially her children and assorted collection of pets that include a dog, a cat, an African Grey parrot, and the family fish.
David Doedtman, President & CEO, Washington Savings Bank, Effingham, IL
Dave has served as President and CEO of Washington Savings Bank since January 2014. He joined the bank in 2009 as Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining Washington Savings Bank, David spent seventeen years in various corporate accounting and finance rolls. He graduated from Eastern Illinois University in 1990 with a B.A. in English and from Indiana University in 1992 with an M.B.A. He also graduated with honors from the Graduate School of Banking at Colorado and is a registered Certified Public Accountant in the State of Illinois.
Dave and his wife, Ann, live in Effingham, IL with their three boys. He serves on the Illinois Banker’s Association Finance and Investment Committee, is Chief Counselor for the Columbian Squires youth organization, is actively involved in coaching youth sports and volunteers with other organizations in support of the local schools.
In his free time Dave enjoys fitness, golfing and spending time with his family.
Randal S. Flesch, Brand Eastern District Manager, Marathon Petroleum Corporation, Columbus, OH
Randal has over 26 years of experience with Marathon Petroleum Corporation. He has held a variety of financial and operational positions with experience in finance, accounting, marketing, logistics and business development with increasing levels of responsibility throughout his career. In his current capacity as Brand Eastern District Manager he has leadership responsibilities for marketing operations in U.S. Midwest.
Originally heralded from Oconee, IL, Randal is a 1984 graduate of Pana High School and a 1988 graduate from EIU with a B.S. in Accounting degree. He has resided in Findlay, OH (twice), Canton, MI and currently Columbus, OH. He is involved in various community and volunteer work including serving as a board member of Marathon Tri-State Giving Committee and the KY Petroleum Marketers Association (KPMA). He has volunteered at various United Way agencies and the Ronald McDonald House of Central Ohio. Randal has been married 26 years to wife, Sandi and they have two sons.
Troy Frerichs, Director, Investments-Wealth Management, COUNTRY Financial, Bloomington, IL
Troy joined COUNTRY Financial in 2007 as an Investment Officer at COUNTRY Trust Bank. He was promoted to his current position in 2013. In his role, Troy leads the Wealth Management team that manages and administers investment portfolios for COUNTRY Financial clients. Troy also serves as the Healthcare equity analyst for the firms stock selection committee. Prior to joining COUNTRY Financial, Troy held roles as a financial analyst at Anheuser-Busch Companies, Inc. and associate equity analyst at A.G. Edwards and Sons, Inc., both in St. Louis, MO. Troy received his B.S. in Finance in 1999 from Eastern Illinois University. He also holds a Master’s of Science in Finance (MSF) from Saint Louis University. He has earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Neal Hemenover, Chief Information Officer, North America, Transdev, Chicago, IL
As Chief Information Officer, Neal is responsible for the technological direction of the company and contributes in all areas of business management and growth strategies through leadership for all operating divisions in North America. This includes management of all traditional IT responsibilities including data centers, technical service centers, help desks, communication networks (voice and data), application development, and oversight of all IT projects in North America. Neal works as a member of the innovation department in Transdev to identify business issues and find solutions that can transform the transportation business.
Addition to the traditional CIO duties Neal is in charge of, he has taken on a lead role of Autonomous Vehicle work in North America. Neal is helping drive the North America AV roadmap that includes the integration of AV’s into the services that Transdev provides. Neal also works closely with the Transdev Global team to execute on the global AV roadmap.
Steven Jamnik, Senior Vice President, Busey Bank, Joliet, IL
Brandon Kuhl, Sr. Enterprise Sales Manager, Oracle, Boulder, CO
Brandon brings energy, passion, and commitment to everything he does from his laser focus on his customer's success to knocking his quota out of the park. With over 15 years in the enterprise software Data space, Brandon has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry including Toyota, Nestle, Hulu, Clorox and Best Buy. He takes pride in inspiring them to see the power of data and the impact it can have on their business.
Brandon graduated from Eastern Illinois University in 1996 with a Bachelors degree in Hotel/Restaurant Management. While at Eastern, Brandon lived the full college life by being a member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity as well as a member of the EIU Men's Tennis Team. Outside of work, Brandon is currently the Chaper Advisor for Pi Kappa Alpha at the University of Colorado and enjoys playing tennis, snowboarding, trail running, mountain biking and anything that has to do with the outdoors. Brandon shares a zest for life in Boulder, Colorado with his wife, two kids, and black lab who is the ONLY one that can actually keep up with him.
Diane Lantz-Rickard, Global Brand Manager, Caterpillar, Inc., Peoria, IL
Diane joined Caterpillar directly following graduation has had a long and varied career at Caterpillar. During her 29 year tenure she has spent time in Information Technology, Logistics, Auditing, Strategy Consulting, and Marketing. Diane was part of the team that developed and deployed Business Risk Management processes across all Caterpillar business units. She joined the Caterpillar Strategic Consulting team in 2002 and assisted business units and dealer organizations in developing product and business strategies to achieve Caterpillar's Vision 2020 strategic goals. She led the development and execution of Caterpillar's CONEXPO-CON/AGG 2011 program, and was then responsible for launching Caterpillar’s first brand marketing campaign and aligning the enterprise and dealers around a common tagline. In her current role of Global Brand Identity Manager, she is responsible for leading the team that manages and protects the brand. Her team is responsible for the Caterpillar Brand Advocate program which currently includes over 15,000 members. Diane is married to Doug Rickard and lives in Metamora, Illinois. Together they have 5 children and one rescued puppy.
Mandy Lewis, Executive Vice President, First Mid Bank & Trust, Mattoon, IL
Richard Lumpkin, Chairman, Consolidated Communications, Mattoon, IL
Mr. Lumpkin earned his undergraduate degree at Yale University and his MBA from Harvard Business School. He has a lifelong involvement with the telephone industry in central Illinois. He was also the first chair of the Dean's Advisory Board. The local chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma inducted him as an Honorary Member in 1994, and in 1995, he received the Beta Gamma Sigma Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Mr. Lumpkin is a strong supporter of EIU and the Charleston community.
Brian May, Director Global Energy Procurement, CBRE, Naperville, IL
Brian is a risk management leader specializing in enterprise risk management, commodity risk, risk analytics and risk enabling business processes in the energy and public utilities industries. He has over twenty years of industry experience as a leader and advisor in all segments of the energy value chain, including retail energy and risk management, wholesale energy commodity trading and midstream asset optimization and public utility supply, finance and corporate risk management. Brian has developed and led several strategic risk management initiatives including an Enterprise Risk Management program, in which policy and strategy were developed, risks quantified, systems deployed and reporting and monitoring tools designed with results communicated to Executives and Board committees. He has also conducted complex risk assessments and designed corporate risk processes and metrics to better align with strategic planning and capital allocation.
DeAnn McClain, Executive Vice President of Operations, Heartland Dental, Effingham, IL
DeAnn McClain is the Executive Vice President of Operations at Heartland Dental, the largest dental support organization in the U.S. Heartland Dental offers non-clinical administrative services to over 625 supported dental offices in 28 states. To this position, she brings more than 18 years of combined financial and operational experience in the dental support industry.
Ms. McClain first joined Heartland Dental in June of 1996, becoming part of the accounting team. She later advanced to Accounts Receivable Manager, then Director of Client Services, where she worked directly with the client administrator and insurance & receivables leaders to support doctors, team members and field administrators directly with all facets of office operation. In addition, she spearheaded Heartland Dental’s transition team. Serving a very important role within the organization, this team helps integrate newly supported offices into Heartland Dental and its operational, field and Home Office support teams. This ensures new offices receive the high level of support they need right from the start. She was also instrumental in developing and implementing Heartland Dental’s internal measuring systems, known as MAPS. These systems are vital to helping supported offices determine their strengths, weaknesses and opportunities to advance themselves.
Chris Nichols, Vice President - Strategy & Integration, Murfreesboro, TN
Blake Pierce, Vice President of Finance, Rural King, Mattoon, IL
Blake Pierce is a Mattoon native who started with Rural King in 2012 as a Corporate Financial Analyst after completing his Bachelors in Finance and MBA at Eastern Illinois University. Since that time, he has helped the company triple in revenue and double its number of locations to the national retailer they have become today. He advanced to the role of Vice President of Finance, overseeing a multitude of internal processes and projects that leveraged efficiencies and improved profitability. Recently, Blake transitioned to the newly created role of Director of Real Estate & Procurement, where he is responsible for all aspects of the company real estate division and new store selection; along with negotiating other large capital expenditures.
As an entrepreneurial hobbyist, Blake enjoys assisting small businesses or side projects in his free time, most notably serving as the Director of Finance for MeaningFull Books, LLC (learn more at meaningfullbooks.com). Locally, he serves on the board for the county economic development entity, Cole’s Together, and on the Robust Economy committee for Mattoon-in-Motion. Blake also donates a significant amount of his time serving as a Regional Advisor and elected International Officer of his college Fraternity, Sigma Chi.
Patrick J. Quilty, Retired, Engaged in Business Consulting, Bonita Springs, FL
Pat Quilty is a 1979 Eastern Illinois University graduate in the School of Business. He also earned his MBA at DePaul University in 1989. Pat most recently was VP of Sales for the Regal Beloit Company and retired in 2019. Previously, he spent 35 years at Honeywell, Intl in Executive Leadership roles such as Vice President and General Manager, based both in the US and Europe, Global VP of Sales and many Director level roles throughout the US. He has participated on several Board of Directors, and was Chairman of the Board for Air Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute (AHRI) and the Endura Federal Financial Credit Union. Pat resides in Bonita Springs, FL and Wayzata, MN.
Timothy J. Streid, C.P.A., C.L.U., President, Wealth Designs and Macro Wealth Management, Peoria, IL
Timothy J. Streid is president of Wealth Designs and Macro Wealth Management. Mr. Streid has been actively involved in the financial services industry for more than 25 years. In 1994, he founded his own financial services company, Wealth Designs, where he uses his expertise in wealth building to assist a wide range of clients in achieving financial success. Subsequently in 2007, Mr. Streid completed the requirements to become a registered investment advisor and co-founded the firm Macro Wealth Management as well.
Mr. Streid specializes in working with individuals to accumulate, preserve and enjoy their wealth using a verifiable process that focuses on financial strategies and not individual products. In the client process, customized strategies are developed according to a client’s personal wants and desires, utilizing an economic model and a disciplined academic approach to passive money management. Mr. Streid’s unique methodology provides his clients with peace-of-mind in the ever changing financial world.
Krupal Swami, Founder and CEO, Team SWAMI, Bloomington, Illinois
Krupal founded Team Swami so she and her team can provide quality consulting services for clients. Her well-rounded background in strategy, vendor management and technology provide immediate value to client engagements.
Most recently, she had both Technical and Architecture responsibilities associated with the Mainframe for State Farm Insurance Companies. She was responsible for all aspects of mainframe infrastructure. Over her career, she led infrastructure and application development teams, a workforce team responsible for strategy and IT expansion into Phoenix, Dallas and Atlanta. She also has extensive experience with large vendor contracts and led the Technology Labor Vendor Management office.
An Illinois native, Krupal received two bachelor's degrees from Eastern Illinois University (Business Education and Administrative Information Systems with a French minor) and joint MBAs from UCLA Anderson's School of Management and the National University of Singapore's Business School. She holds Chartered Financial Consultant and Chartered Life Underwriter designations through the American College. She is also PMP certified through the Project Management Institute and CSQA and CSTE certified through the Quality Assurance Institute.
In addition to her Chair responsibilities for Lumpkin's Business Advisory Board, she also actively engages with several non-profit organizations and participates on the following boards:
Lumpkin Executive Advisors to the Dean Board
Advocate BroMenn Philanthropy Board
Ronald L.G. Tsoumas, Vice-President Finance and Chief Financial Officer, Methode Electronics, Inc., Chicago, IL
In March 2018, Ron was appointed Chief Financial Officer, responsible for all of Methode's global finance and corporate development functions.
Prior to his recent appointment, since 2007, Ron was the Chief Accounting Officer, Controller and Treasurer at Methode Electronics, Inc., a publicly traded (NYSE: MEI) Chicago-based global manufacturer of engineered sub-system devices serving the automotive, aerospace, construction, communications, consumer, networking and transportation industries. Methode has manufacturing, design and testing facilities in Belgium, Canada, China, Egypt, Germany, India, Italy, Lebanon, Malta, Mexico, Singapore, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States.
In his prior role, Ron was responsible for Methode's US GAAP and Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, global treasury, foreign exchange, taxation, tax planning, transfer pricing, insurance and risk management, information technology and other finance-related areas. Ron was heavily engaged with the relationship management with Methode's independent auditors and the financial reporting process. In addition, Ron was involved with acquisitions, due-diligence, purchase accounting, independent valuations, investor road-shows and other various finance-related matters, especially at the Methode's international locations.
Ron, an EIU graduate who majored in accounting and finance, is a Certified Public Accountant and is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Ron, his wife (also an EIU graduate) and two daughters live in Arlington Heights, Illinois.
Thomas Whitworth, Manager, Global Business Development KAC, Peoria, IL
Troy Williams, National Sales Manager, Constellation Energy Group - Chicago, IL
Mr. Williams has been helping customers understand competitive energy markets and develop strategic energy plans since 1995. His scope of expertise includes delivering strategic electricity, natural gas, load response and renewable energy solutions to small, medium, large, commercial and industrial companies. He has been involved in approximately 1.5 billion dollars’ worth of energy transactions over the course of his career.
Mr. Williams joined Constellation in 2000 and has been serving as a leader for their sales and marketing efforts since that time. During his tenure at Constellation, the company has quadrupled the amount of electricity load served and has become the largest competitive electricity supplier in the United States. The company has also become the leader in natural gas and load response programs in markets throughout the country.
Mr. Williams develops long-term, strategic, enterprise-wide relationships that help leading brands and businesses more intelligently buy, manage, use energy and meet sustainability goals. Mr. Williams and the National Sales team structure help implement large multi-account, multi-region Load Response programs for Fortune 500 listed companies. They are widely considered experts in electricity, load response and natural gas programs in every major market in the U.S.
Mr. Williams earned his B.A. in Sociology from Eastern Illinois University in 1994. He also holds a Black Belt in Karate and has studied Jiu-Jitsu, Tai Kwon Do, Muay Thai and Judo. He is active with the United Way and Goodwill organizations in the Chicagoland area. Troy is a seven time Presidents Club award winner for sales excellence and continues to receive numerous recognitions from customers and trade associations.
