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Barbara A. Baurer , Chief Operating Officer, Country Financial, Bloomington, IL

Barbara Baurer of El Paso, Illinois, has served as chief operating officer for COUNTRY Financial since September 1999. She is a member of the Boards of Directors for alliances COUNTRY has made with the following insurers: Cotton States Insurance Company, Alpharetta, GA; Holyoke Mutual Insurance Company of Salem, Mass., and Middlesex Mutual Assurance Company of Middletown, Conn. Baurer also serves as president for Cotton States , Holyoke, and Middlesex. Since joining COUNTRY in 1977, Baurer has served in various positions, including vice president and general manager of the Property and Casualty companies. Prior to that, she served as vice president of Information Services (IS), director of IS Application Development, associate director of Life and Health Systems and administrator of Data Administration and systems analyst. She joined the COUNTRY Management Committee in 1989. Baurer earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics and a master's of business administration from Eastern Illinois University, Charleston. She also furthered her education, earning three insurance designations: the Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) and the Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU). She is a member of the Board of Trustees of the American Institute for CPCU and the Insurance Institute of America. Baurer serves on the board for the Griffith Insurance Education Foundation.  She also serves on the board of the local United Way.  Baurer has also been named as one of the National Diversity Council's Most Powerful and Influential Women in Illinois for both 2010 and 2011.

Andrew Brown, Chief Financial Officer, Chegg, Inc., Santa Clara, CA

Andrew Brown currently serves as Chief Financial Officer for Chegg, Inc., located in Santa Clara, California.  Prior to this position, he was Chief Financial Officer for Palm Inc., Pillar Data Systems Inc., and Legato Systems Inc.  He received his Bachelor's degree in Accounting from Eastern Illinois University. 

Brian holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from Eastern Illinois University and a Masters in Business Administration from Illinois State University. In addition, he holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. Brian joined David Vaughan Investments in September of 1993, where he is a principal of the firm, directs the investment management and research function as its Chief Investment Officer, and oversees the firm’s Florida division. Prior to joining DVI, Brian worked for Caterpillar Inc., where he held positions in Corporate Treasury, managing short-term foreign currency exposures and overseeing the management of Caterpillar’s pension assets. He also worked for Caterpillar Investment Management Ltd., where he helped create the Preferred Group family of mutual funds and also managed a small cap equity and U.S. government securities portfolio.

Brian and his wife Beckie, also an EIU alum, reside in Metamora with two teenage children. When not busy at DVI and supporting the Metamora Athletic Boosters, Brian enjoys hunting, fishing, cooking, and following his children’s many activities.

Dick Dodson, President, ADM Investors Services, Inc., Chicago, IL

Mr. Dodson began with ADM Investors Services in 1975 as controller and has worked with ADM for over thirty years. Mr. Dodson has served in various capacities including Chief Financial Officer, Senior Vice President, and currently as President. He graduated from Eastern in 1966 with a degree in management and an MBA in 1970. .

Kelly Downs, PHR, Senior Vice President, Retail Services, First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust, Mattoon, IL

Kelly Downs has served First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust in various capacities during the course of her career.  Before attaining her current position of Senior Vice President of Retail Services, she served as Director of Human Resources and worked in Commercial Loan Operations.  She received her Bachelor's degree in Political Science from Eastern Illinois University and is a graduate of the American Bankers Association Human Resources School as well as the Illinois Bankers Association Human Resources School.

Kelly holds certification as a Professional in Human Resources (PHR), a professional designation of the Society for Human Resource Management.  She and her husband Dan and their family reside in Charleston.

H. Michael Finkle, Senior Vice President, Raymond James and Associates, Inc., Danville, IL

 
Mike is a 1962 graduate of EIU and is married to the former Judi Politte whom he met at Eastern. They have two grown children and reside in Danville, Illinois where he is a Senior VP with Raymond James and Associates and the senior partner of Finkle, Lewis and Kittell Wealth Advisors. He was inducted into the broker Hall of Fame in 1992 by Research magazine and in 1993 received the Outstanding Broker Award from Registered Representative magazine. H completed the Investment Institutes Preferred Portfolio Management Program in 1992 and is a graduate of the Wharton School Senior Account Executive Program at the University of Pennsylvania . Finkle is also a graduate of the American College Estate Planning for Professionals program. He has served on numerous community boards of directors and has been board chair of the local school district and medical center boards. He is also a member of the Presidents Council at the University of Illinois and received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the EIU College of Business and Applied Sciences in 1986. In 2007, Finkle was named to the Advisory Board of the Lumpkin School of Business at Eastern Illinois University.  He is currently a member of the EIU Foundation Board of Directors.

Jim Hinze, Senior Business Development Manager, Constellation NewEnergy

Jim is a proud graduate of Eastern Illinois University with the following degrees: Bachelor of Science in Business (Marketing), Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, and a Master of Science in Education (Student Personnel Work).  He joined Constellation NewEnergy in March of 2003, and he is responsible for developing business opportunities with large commercial and industrial customers. Jim specializes in the Ameren Market for both Electric and Natural Gas issues. He helps a diverse customer base manage their energy risk, ranging from school districts and hospitals to various-sized commercial and industrial entities Jim has been in the top 10% of sales for the last 4 years and was a President's Club winner in 2010. Prior to joining Constellation, Jim worked for eight years with other energy companies on the deregulated side of the industry.

Tom Hunse, President & CEO, Parkitt and Whaite, Inc.

Tom was born and raised in the Chicago suburb of Bellwood, IL. Tom attended Eastern Illinois where he graduated in March 1971 with a B.S. in Marketing. While attending EIU, he worked in the university data center. He was a member of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity. Upon graduation, Tom moved to Madison, WI, where he was employed in progressively responsible data management roles. First working for Ohio Medical Products as a programmer and analyst, and then serving as Data Processing Manager for The Wisconsin Cheeseman, Inc. He moved to Minneapolis, MN in 1977 and there took his first sales assignment with Cummins-Allison Corp. During his second year, he was promoted to regional manager. In 1979 Tom was subsequently recruited to join EDS in Dallas, TX, where he held the position of regional manager/manufacturing and distribution systems. He has remained in Dallas ever since. While in Dallas, Tom has enjoyed a successful career in technology and investing. He was named Computer Retailer of the Year in 1984 appearing on the cover of the number one industry magazine with Steve Jobs of Apple Computer fame, where Tom’s computer dealership, Compco Computer Center, was recognized for selling more Macintoshes the day of the Mac’s debut than any other distributor in the U.S.

From 1996 to 2008, Tom was a partner in a very successful Plano, TX based hedge fund, and, beginning in 2005 he was also a partner in a China-centric Fund, located in Plano, TX. When Tom announced his retirement in December 2007, the first fund had enjoyed a remarkable 34.66% compound annual returns net of fees and had grown 3,007% since its inception. At the end of 2007, the China fund was up 78% since its September 1995 inception. Tom drew upon all of his business and life experience in his roles as partner in both funds.  After retiring from being a partner in both funds, Tom now serves as President and CEO of Parkitt and Whaite, Inc., alternative investment specialists. 

During his time living in Dallas, Tom has served on the Mayor’s Economic Development Council that attracts new businesses to the area. Tom and his wife Denise moved to Addison (a Dallas suburb) in 2003. Since moving to Addison, both Tom & Denise have been very involved in the town’s activities and initiatives. Tom is an avid aviator and flies his Cirrus SR-20 out of Addison Airport.

P. David Kuhl, Chairman, President, and CEO, Freestar Bank, Pontiac, IL

Dave Kuhl currently serves as Chairman, President and CEO of Freestar Bank headquartered in Pontiac, Illinois. He has held this position since April 2009.   Prior to that, he served as Chairman of the Board of Freestar Bank from September 2007 to April 2009.  Before joining Freestar, Dave’s banking career was associated with the Busey Organization, where he held numerous positions with Busey Bank headquartered in Urbana, Illinois.

In June of 2011, he was named the Illinois Banker of the Year by the Illinois Bankers Association, the highest honor the IBA can bestow on an Illinois Banker. Dave has also been very active in the Illinois Bankers Association having served on their Board for six years. He served as Chairman of the Illinois Bankers Association in 2007-2008, and he currently serves as a member of their Strategic Planning Committee. He also is a member of the American Bankers Association’s Government Relations Administrative Council.

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. 

Thomas Maskey, Jr., Senior Vice President, Retail, The Peterson Companies, Fairfax, VA

Born in Springfield, Illinois, Mr. Maskey graduated from Eastern Illinois University with a Bachelors of Science in Business in 1975 and a Masters Degree in Business Administration in 1976. After graduation Mr. Maskey was employed by Jewel Companies of Chicago and from 1978 to 1984 directed the real estate effort for Jewel's downstate Illinois , Eisner Food Stores division. In 1984, Mr. Maskey moved to Indianapolis and began working for Melvin Simon and Associates, the nation's largest shopping center developer. Mr. Maskey became the Director of Peripheral Property and secured over $20,000,000 in land sales while holding that position for 18 months. As Vice President, he became active in shopping center development in 1986 and helped to develop over 6,000,000 square feet for Simon. Mr. Maskey joined The Peterson Companies of Fairfax Va. , in 1993 and has directed the development and re-development of over 8,000,000 square feet of retail space. In his role as Senior Vice President of Retail, he oversees all the retail development and leasing of the company's shopping center portfolio. That portfolio includes award winning projects in Gaithersburg , Maryland (The Washingtonian Center), Fairfax Corner in Fairfax VA. and the redevelopment of "Downtown Silver Spring", Maryland . Mr. Maskey is also a founder and part owner of two retail chains that operate in the Central Illinois market. Maskey acts as the real estate V. P. for the company. The company operates fifteen 2 nd Cinema stores and four Friar Tuck Beverage stores. Mr. Maskey is a member of the Urban Land Institute and The International Council of Shopping Centers and has been a speaker for both organizations at numerous meetings.

Carl Mito, Managing Director, Oppenheimer & Company, Chicago, IL

Mr. Carl Mito graduated from the EIU School of Business with an undergraduate degree in Finance. He currently serves on the EIU Steering Committee for the Capital Campaign and the Board of the Cancer Wellness Center in Chicago, Illinois. Mr. Mito has previously served on the School of Business Advisory Board from 2002 to 2008.

Michael Morrisey is in his second decade working in the auto racing industry. Morrisey is the Vice President of Finance and Controller for Green Savoree Racing Promotions (GSRP). GSRP promotes the Honda Grand Prix of St. Petersburg and the Honda Indy Toronto. Both street races are part of the IZOD Indy Racing League IndyCar Series. Morrisey oversees the finances for both events.

Morrisey joined Team Green as an accountant in 1996. He served in that role until being named Controller and Director of Finance with Andretti Green Racing (AGR). In 2007, Morrisey was elevated to Vice President of Finance. In November of 2009, GSRP was formed when AGR split its promotions companies and race team.

Prior to joining AGR, Morrisey spent time as an accountant for the Illinois State Police Drug Task Force. Morrisey graduated from Eastern Illinois University with a degree in accounting in 1992. He and his wife, Kris, live in Westfield, Indiana, with their two daughters, Anna and Lily.

Mark Oakley, ChFC, CLU, Systems Vice President, State Farm, Bloomington, IL

Mark Oakley joined State Farm in 1984 as a programmer/analyst in the Systems Department. He was promoted to superintendent in 1994, function director in 1997, and assistant vice president in 2000. Oakley was promoted to executive assistant to the Chairman’s Council in August, 2004 and later in the same year, joined the Great Lakes Zone as Vice President – Operations. He returned to Corporate Headquarters as Vice President – Systems and assumed his current position in June, 2007.

Oakley received a Bachelor’s degree in Computational Mathematics from Eastern Illinois University. He earned both the Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC) and the Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) designations.

Sundeep Oberoi, President, OberTech, Naperville, IL

After graduating with an MBA degree from Eastern Illinois University in 1990, Sundeep spent seven years as a benefits and information technology consultant for an actuarial and benefits consulting firm.  During this time, he successfully completed his CPA certification and finished his LLM (Masters of Law) in Taxation from DePaul University College of Law.  Sundeep started OberTech in 1998 to provide software development and consulting services.  OberTech has offices in Naperville, Illinois, and Pune, India.

Wendy Perrow, Vice President of Marketing & Alliance Management, Alba Therapeutics Corporation, Baltimore, MD

With extensive marketing experience, Wendy Perrow joined Alba Therapeutics in January 2008 as Vice President of Marketing and Alliance Management.  Prior to joining Alba, she held senior executive marketing positions with private and public pharmaceutical companies.  From 2004 to 2007, Wendy was Vice President of Marketing for Sigma-Tau Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a company focused on creating novel therapies for the unmet needs of patients with rare diseases.  From 1989 to 2003, she was at Merck and Co., Inc. in the areas of global marketing and U.S. marketing in the arease of Anti-Hypertensives, Vaccines, Cholesterol, and GI.  At Merck, she held various positions in marketing promotion, international business research analysis, training, and sales.  Wendy began her career in a division of Johnson & Johnson.  A skilled marketer, she has led U.S. and global initiatives for leading products that have significantly increased brand awareness and has launched medicines for unmet medical needs. Wendy holds a bachelor's degree from Eastern Illinois University and a Masters of Business Administration degree in finance and marketing from Duke University - The Fuqua School of Business.

Teri Radosevich, Vice President of Community Relations & Public Affairs, Avnet, Inc., Phoenix, AZ

Teri joined Avnet, Inc. as community relations director in May 2000. In July 2007, she was promoted to vice president of community relations and public affairs. In her role, she is responsible for community outreach, government affairs and local community branding of Avnet, Inc., a $15.8 billion value-added distributor of electronic components, computer products and services. Prior to joining Avnet, Teri served as corporate communications manager for VistaCare, a national hospice provider. She also worked for six years as advertising and community relations manager at Motorola. Among her accomplishments, she spearheaded a partnership between Motorola and the City of Phoenix Police Department to create the award-winning “Wake Up!” campaign. Addressing youth violence in Phoenix, Ariz., “Wake Up!” is still going strong after more than a decade. As a testament to its positive impact, several municipalities nationwide have adopted the “Wake Up!” model. Additionally, Teri spent 10 years in the utility industry in public relations and marketing positions.
Most recently, she was named the 2007 Community Relations Person of the Year by PR News magazine. She also received a 2007 PR News Corporate Social Responsibility Award and a 2006 PR News Nonprofit PR Award. She presently serves on the Arizona Technology Council’s public policy committee and participates on Ariz. Governor Janet Napolitano’s Council on Innovation and Technology. Radosevich is a founding and active member of the Deborah G. Carsten Fund, which helps struggling women reach success and independence. Teri is highly sought after by Phoenix area nonprofit organization leaders for mentoring.  She coaches them on using non-traditional and strategic approaches to achieve success. No doubt, Teri’s work is her passion. She has spent much of her adult life focused on children’s and women’s issues. She earned an MBA from Western International University and a B.S. in Energy Management from Eastern Illinois University. She also received a Community Relations Certification from The Center for Corporate Community Relations at Boston College.

William Rowland, Chairman & CEO, First Mid-Illinois Bancshares, Inc., Mattoon, IL

William is a 1975 graduate of St. Ambrose University in Davenport, Iowa with a B.A. degree and a Certified Public Accountant. He has been with First Mid-Illinois Bancshares, Inc. since 1989 where he first served as Chief Financial Officer for 10 years before taking his current position as Chairman and Chief Executive Officer in 1999. During the years 1975-1989, he was employed with KPMG in Davenport, Iowa. William is currently a member of the Board of Coles Together in Coles County Illinois and is a member of the Board of Directors of the Mattoon YMCA. In the past he has served as president of the Board of CCAR in Charleston, Illinois and as president of Lakeland College Foundation in Mattoon, Illinois.

Steve Selcke, Vice President of Government Relations, AT&T, Chicago, IL

Steve holds a master’s degree in business administration and a bachelor’s degree in Management with honors from Eastern Illinois University. He serves as AT&T Illinois Vice President of Government Relations; he has served in this role for AT&T and its predecessor companies (Ameritech, SBC) since February of 1994.  In his role with AT&T, Steve serves as the company’s point person in its dealings with Illinois state and local governmental bodies.  Immediately prior to joining Ameritech in 1994, Steve served as director of the Illinois Department of Insurance. Prior to joining the private sector, Steve had a seventeen year career in public service which in addition to his tenure as director of the Illinois Department of Insurance,  also included cabinet posts as director of the Department of Professional Regulation and assistant director of the Department of Commerce and Community Affairs.  He also served as director of Legislative Affairs for both Governor Jim Edgar and former Governor Jim Thompson as well as handling a variety of legislative responsibilities for the Capital Development Board and the Illinois House of Representatives. Steve is an active participant on the boards of the Illinois State Chamber of Commerce and the Illinois Taxpayers Federation of Illinois.  He also is active with the Illinois Manufactures Association and the Illinois Retail Merchants of Illinois. Steve and his wife Kathy have three sons and reside in the western suburbs of Chicago.

Bill Skeens, President & Founder, Prairie City Bakery, Vernon Hills, IL

Bill Skeens received his B.S. in Business/Marketing in 1977 from Eastern Illinois University. He started his first company called Skeens Enterprises while a student/RA in Thomas Hall at Eastern Illinois University. He bought and sold peanuts, popcorn, taffy apples and foosball tables to the residence halls and fraternities, along with providing concessions at movies/homecoming parades, etc.   Bill was also a founding member and first captain of the Eastern Illinois University Ice Hockey Team. While at Eastern, he was recognized as a member of the National Residence Hall Honorary.

After graduation, he started his career with Sara Lee Bakery and over the next 16 years worked in various sales and marketing jobs including, Director of Food Service Sales and Director of Merchandising and Field Sales Marketing. In 1983, while living in Houston, Texas he was awarded their National Sales Person of the Year.

In 1994, he left Sara Lee and founded Prairie City Bakery with the first product called “Muffin Tops”.  Prairie City Bakery currently sells cookies, danish, muffins, cinnamon rolls, brownies and more worldwide to the food service, convenience stores and drug chain markets.   They are the “Official Cookie of the Chicago Cubs,” and they sell their bakery goods in approximately 20,000 locations.   In December 2010, their "Down Home Cookies" were the Rachael Ray “Snack of the Day”. They have won many awards for their products including Best New Item of the Year on their Big Cinnamon Rolls and Big 'n Fudgy Brownies.   They were also named to the INC Magazine, INC 500/5000 for fastest growing companies in America in 2000, 2008, and 2009.   Bill and his TEAM have built Prairie City Bakery from a “bootstrapped start-up” to a company with over $20,000,000 in annual sales.

Bill has a passion for working with Entrepreneurial students that are interested in someday starting their own businesses.   He speaks regularly to Business/Entrepreneur students at University of Wisconsin-Madison, Augustana College and Eastern Illinois University on “Starting a Business and the Lessons Learned Along the Way.”

Everett Tackett, Senior Manager, Business Development, Raytheon Air Warfare Systems, Tucson, AZ

Everett Tackett is the Business Development manager supporting Raytheon Missile Systems' Air Warfare Systems Product Line and the Griffin® missile program. Tackett began his career at Raytheon Missile Systems in 2005 with the Communications and External Affairs Department where he led the Organizational Communications effort and supported the Land Combat Product Line, Business Continuity Planning and Information Technology.

Prior to his experience at Raytheon, Tackett worked as a member of marketing teams at ON Semiconductor, Motorola and Cisco Systems to launch products into highly competitive high-tech markets.

Tackett served for 11 years in the U.S. Army and commanded a Public Affairs Detachment at Fort Lewis, Wash.; a Special Forces Combat Dive Detachment at Fort Bragg, N.C.; and a Target Acquisition Detachment at Fort Campbell, Ky. Tackett started his Army career as a Field Artillery officer with a tour of duty on the DMZ in South Korea.

Tackett earned his master's degree in journalism from Marshall University in Huntington, W.V. and his bachelor's degree in English from Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Ill.