SPRING LUNCHEON
APRIL 29, 2025 | CHICAGO
Gies College of Business Alumni Association
Dear Alumni and Friends,
On behalf of the faculty, students, and staff of Gies College of Business, I welcome you to our annual Spring Luncheon.
I am excited to attend this Spring Luncheon – my first as the 11th dean of the College. Thinking back to my installation ceremony in September, I remember the joy and excitement I felt as I looked out at the crowd of people who had come to wish me well. I was extremely grateful for their support and enthusiasm.
Since coming on as dean, I have traveled across the country, meeting with alumni and friends and talking about the strong future ahead for Gies Business. I met many fascinating people on those trips. But what struck me most was everyone’s strong support for me in this new role and for our College’s focus on education and impact.
I clearly remember stepping into a classroom my first time as a teacher. I had a strong feeling that this is what I wanted to do with my life – to make an impact on individuals’ lives and set them up for success. That feeling invigorated me then, and it stays that way now as dean of Gies Business.
On our campus, we have a lot to celebrate. Steven S. Wymer Hall is nearing completion and will be open for classes this coming fall semester. We were recently ranked #5 among public universities by Poets&Quants, and we were #3 in academic experience in that same ranking. We have never been that high in that category, and we are very proud that we were able to achieve that.
In all our efforts, the continued support of our alumni is key. We want you to share the Gies Business story with your colleagues and friends. Share your pride in our College. Our alumni are the best ambassadors we have for what we are trying to accomplish. We are tremendously grateful for you, and with you, we will continue on our trajectory.
Best wishes,
W. Brooke Elliott
Josef and Margot Lakonishok Professor of Business and Dean Gies College of Business
Registration & Networking
Luncheon Welcome Luncheon
Dean’s Remarks
Awards Presentation
Keynote Remarks
Concluding Remarks
Printing Sponsor:
Gies Business GiesBusiness.illinois.edu
Alumni engagement GiesBusiness.illinois.edu/alumni
Give to the College GiesBusiness.illinois.edu/support-gies/giving
University of Illinois uiaa.org Alumni Association
P: 217.244.6669 BusinessAlumni@illinois.edu 430 Wohlers Hall, 1206 South Sixth Street
Spring Luncheon 2025 Host
Tim Sinclair
Voice artist. Public address. Author.
Tim Sinclair is the public address voice of the Chicago Bears, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Fire, and Illinois Fighting Illini. His voice is synonymous with big-time sporting events, including five NBA All-Star weekends, the Big Ten Football Championship, and NBA2K. He was also recently featured in a State Farm commercial with Jake and Benny the Bull. In addition, Tim is the host of the Gies College of Business podcast called “The Gies Download.”
Keynote Speaker
Josh Whitman ’01, ’08
Director of Athletics, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Josh Whitman became the university’s 14th permanent director of athletics in 2016. He now has the thirdlongest tenure among current Big Ten athletic directors. He has led an impressive effort to establish Fighting Illini Athletics among the nation’s elite in both the competitive arena and the classroom.
Whitman is a prominent voice in college athletics. He is currently serving a four-year term as the Big Ten representative to the NCAA Division I Council. In April 2024, he was elected chair of the Council, making him a voting member of the NCAA Division I Board of Directors and an ex officio member of the NCAA Board of Governors, the highest governing body of the NCAA.
Whitman, a former Academic All-American at Illinois, emphasizes strong academic performance by Fighting Illini student-athletes in the classroom. In each year of his tenure, student-athletes have posted a combined GPA of above 3.12.
During his football career for Illinois from 1997-2000, he caught 52 career passes and scored seven touchdowns. He was a two-time First Team Academic All-American and earned Honorable Mention All-Big Ten honors his senior season.
Whitman received his bachelor’s degree in finance, with Bronze Tablet honors, from Gies Business in 2001. In 2008, he graduated summa cum laude from the Illinois College of Law. From 2005-2008, he worked for DIA and former Illini athletics director Ron Guenther.
Whitman and his wife, Hope, have two children. They are involved in several community organizations, including United Way, Champaign County Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) for Children, Courage Connection, Coaches vs. Cancer, and the Tom Jones Challenger League. Whitman was recognized as a Paul Harris Fellow by the Champaign Rotary and was named the 2023 Distinguished Citizen by the Prairieland Council of the Boy Scouts of America. He and Hope are members of the I FUND’s Loyalty Circle and made a significant gift to the Smith Football Center to honor football alumni inside the facility.
Distinguished Alumnus Award Recipient
Doniel Sutton ’96, ’97
Chief People Officer, Pinterest
Doniel is a values-driven human resources executive with more than 25 years of strategic and global human resources leadership experience at Fortune 100 and Fortune 500 companies, including PayPal, Prudential, Bank of America, and Honeywell. Her career has been hallmarked by partnering with business executives to scale organizations, transform culture, implement new business models, and execute world-class people strategies.
Currently, Doniel serves as Chief People Officer for Pinterest, a Silicon Valley-based social media and image sharing platform that serves over a half-billion users globally. In this role, she leads all human resource functions, including talent management and development, total rewards, recruiting, HR technology, people operations, and inclusion and diversity.
Prior to Pinterest, Doniel served as Chief People Officer for Alteryx, an industry-leading provider of data and analytics automation software. Doniel’s data-driven, collaborative, and product management approach, combined with a customer-first mindset, has enabled her to strategically scale HR functions and build innovative, value-added employee experiences.
Doniel is a highly regarded and sought-after strategic HR thought leader with multiple features and accolades under her belt, including media coverage in Bloomberg, NY Times, CNBC, Profile Magazine, and more. Among her many career achievements includes being recognized by Black Enterprise in 2017 as one of the 300 Most Powerful Executives in Corporate America and being awarded the 2018 American Business Award’s Bronze “Stevie” HR Executive of the Year. Most recently, Doniel was named as one of the Top 50 Women Leaders in SaaS in 2021 by The Software Report.
Doniel attended the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, earning a Bachelor of Science in Finance (1996) and MBA in Human Resources Management (1997).
In addition to her corporate work, Doniel serves as Independent Director for Ross Stores, Inc, Independent Director for Morningstar, Inc, Member of Executive Leadership Council (ELC), and Member of Gies Dean’s Business Council.
Appreciation Award Recipient
Jean Regan ’76
President, CEO & Chairman of the Board, Tranzact Technologies Inc.
Jean Regan directs the operational and financial activities of TranzAct, including Information Technology, Customer Service, Operations and Human Resources departments. As such, she leads strategic initiatives, oversees new product development, and handles the financial aspects of the corporation.
TranzAct provides an array of logistic services to shippers, including Freight Audit & Payment, Managed Services (TMS), Transportation Sourcing Activities, Brokerage Services, Parcel Activities and Consulting. TranzAct is WBENC certified (Women’s Business Enterprise National Council.)
Named a 2024 Chicago Titan for her exceptional leadership, vision, and passion, Jean has served on numerous boards of directors and industry advisory committees, including Northwestern University Transportation Center Business Advisory Committee and the Gies College of Business Dean’s Business Council.
Jean currently sits on the board of a major U.S. insurance company and serves as the Audit Committee Chair. She is also a current member of Vistage and has been a member of the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD), the National Association of Female Executives, and the National Association of Professional Women, which recognized her as the 2012/2013 VIP Woman of the Year. She is a member of the AICPA and the Illinois CPA Society, and she is licensed by the State of Illinois as a Certified Public Accountant. Jean is also a founding member of and served on the Board of Directors for L3.
Prior to joining TranzAct, Jean was the Executive Vice President for a privately held lumber and hardware operation, overseeing operations, finances, and accounting. For the nine years prior, she was a senior manager at the big four public accounting firm KPMG. She has a bachelor’s degree in accountancy with high honors from the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana and a master of management degree with a minor in finance from Northwestern University.
Shaping potentials
Shaping Potentials
Deloitte is dedicated to helping advance the mission of education to achieve lasting results.
Deloitte is dedicated to advancing the mission of education to achieve lasting results.
We are proud to support the University of Illinois Gies College of Business Alumni Association. www.deloitte.com
We are proud to support the University of Illinois Gies College of Business Alumni Association. Copyright ©
Excellence–in–Teaching Award Graduate Teaching
Elizabeth Luckman
Clinical Associate Professor of Business Administration
Elizabeth Luckman received her bachelor’s degree in classical civilization and English literature from Wellesley College in 2003, an MBA from The Ohio State University in 2013, and a PhD in Organizational Behavior from Washington University at St. Louis in 2018. She joined Gies College of Business in 2019, and her work focuses on cultivating ethical and effective leaders. She is a Disruption and Innovation Scholar at Gies, serves as the Director of Leadership Programs at the National Center for Professional and Research Ethics in the College of Engineering, and is the founder of Golden Mean Growth, a leadership coaching practice. She received the Dean’s Impact Award from Gies College of Business in 2021, the BADM Teaching Award from the Department of Business Administration in 2021, and regularly appears on the List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students.
Excellence–in–Teaching Award Undergraduate Teaching
Mitch Fisher
Senior Instructor of Accountancy
Mitch Fisher received his bachelor’s degree with high honors in accountancy from the University of Illinois in 1991. He received an MBA in 1995 from the University of Michigan, and a master’s in economics from the University of Illinois in 2000. He joined Gies College of Business in 2017 where he is now a senior instructor of accountancy. His name regularly appears on the List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent by Their Students. In 2022 he received a Dean’s Impact Award from Gies College of Business and the Head’s Award for Excellence in Accountancy Education from the Department of Accountancy.
Excellence–in–Teaching Award Teaching Assistant
Isaac Yamoah PhD Student in Accountancy
Isaac Yamoah received his bachelor’s degree in accounting and information systems from New Mexico Highlands University in 2011 and his MBA from Webster University in 2015. He went on to spend almost a decade in the audit industry. Since joining Gies, he has received several awards and recognitions for his scholarship excellence, including an AICPA Foundation Doctoral Fellowship in 2021; the Outstanding Emerging Scholar Award, American Accounting Association/ Accounting, Behavior, and Organizations Section in 2023; the Alan J. and Joyce D. Baltz Fellowship in 2024, and a Deloitte Doctoral Fellowship in 2025.
We are a proud supporter of
University of Illinois 2025
Spring Luncheon
Alternative Investing Since 1971
gcmgrosvenor.com
Why Gies Business?
Gies Business shapes purposeful leaders through lifechanging access to education, research, and innovation.
Increasing access to include more learners
• Total learning population: 3,000+ undergrads; 950+ residential grad students; 5,000+ online grad students.
• 9 academies and centers for additional learning and programming.
• Stackable online graduate certificates allow professionals to gain new skills at different stages in their careers.
Innovating for the future
• 150+ published research articles, papers, and conference presentations by Gies Business faculty each year since 2015.
Raising the bar of excellence
• 96% of undergrad students secure a job or go to graduate school within six months of graduation.
• #5 best public undergraduate business school by Poets&Quants.
• #14 best undergraduate business program by U.S. News & World Report.
• Top 3 accounting program by U.S. News & World Report (undergrad and grad).
• 179 Gies Business faculty members rated “excellent” or “outstanding” by their students in Fall 2022.
• 2022 MBA Program of the Year by Poets&Quants.
• #1 Biggest Business School Innovation of the Decade by Poets&Quants.
• 100% of undergrad students complete an action learning course before they graduate.
• Disruption Lab, iVenture, Magelli Office of Experiential Learning, and Illinois MakerLab foster creative problem-solving and innovative thinking.
Gies College of Business Distinguished Alumnus Award
Established in 1984, this award recognizes graduates of Gies College of Business for outstanding career achievement. Recipients hold a degree from Gies College of Business at Illinois. The title and company listed with each honoree were accurate at the time the award was presented.
1984
Kenneth W. Perry ’53, Professor of Accountancy, Illinois
1985 Jerome S. Gore ’41, Chairman Emeritus, Hartmarx Corporation
1986 Arthur R. Wyatt ’49, ’50, ’53, Principal, Arthur Andersen
1987 Gerald E. Schultz ’63, President & COO, Bell & Howell
1988 Neil G. Bluhm ’59, President, JMB Realty Corporation
1988 Judd D. Malkin ’59, Chairman, JMB Realty Corporation
1989 Charles A. Bowsher ’53, U.S. Comptroller General
1990 Richard H. Frank ’65, President, The Walt Disney Studios
1991 Samuel K. Skinner ’60, Secretary, Department of Transportation
1993 Richard L. Wellek ’60, President & CEO, Varlen Corporation
1994 William G. Karnes ’33, Chairman of the Board, Beatrice, Retired
1995 Sybil C. Mobley ’64, Dean of School of Business, Florida A&M
1996 Lester H. McKeever, Jr. ’55, Managing Partner, Washington, Pittman and McKeever
1997 John Brogan ’36, Chairman, Ryan Insurance Group, Retired
1998 Stanley C. Golder ’51, General Partner, Golder, Thoma, Cressey, Rauner, Inc., Retired
1999
2000
2001
Leonard C. Hoeft ’47, Chairman of the Board, Wm. H. Ziegler Co., Inc., Retired
Thomas A. Murphy ’38, Chairman of the Board & CEO, General Motors Corporation, Retired
Michael Krasny ’75, Founder & Chairman, CDW Computer Centers
2002 Conrad Hewitt ’58, Superintendent of Banks, State of California, Former
2003 Brigadier General Wilma L. Vaught ’52, USAF, Retired
2004 Avy H. Stein ’77, Co-Chairman & Co-CEO, Willis & Stein Partners
2005 Albert Wohlers ’39, Founder, Albert H. Wohlers & Co., Retired
2006 Michael Tokarz ’73, Chairman, MVC Capital
2007 John D. Zeglis ’69, Chairman & CEO, AT&T Wireless Service, Retired
2008 Douglas C. Mills ’62, Chairman of the Board, First Busey Corporation
2009 Melvin L. Katten ’58, Founding Partner & Senior Counsel, Katten Muchin Rosenman LLP
2010 Jill Smart ’81, Chief Human Resources Officer, Accenture
Distinguished Alumnus Award
2011 Thomas D. Vogelsinger ’73, ’74, Partner, Ernst & Young, Retired
2012 Howard S. Engle ’72, Partner, Deloitte
2013 Larry Field ’61, CEO, Field Holdings, Inc.
2014 Stephen Van Arsdell ’72, ’73, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Deloitte, Retired
2015 John Ruth ’59, President and Founder, Century Group 100
2016 Chris Perry ’77, ’82 Partner, CIVC Partners
2017 Karen Golz ’76, Global Vice Chair, Ernst & Young Global Limited
2018 Stephanie Cohen ’99, Chief Strategy Officer, Goldman Sachs
2019 Kelly Loeffler ’92, Chief Executive Officer, Bakkt
2020 Alan D. Feldman ’74, ’76, Chairman, President & CEO, Midas, Inc., Retired
2021 James R. Elsesser, ’66, ’67, CEO, Interstate Bakeries, and CFO, Ralston Purina, Retired
2022 Virginia Wilson, ’76, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, TIAA, Retired
2023 Steven M. Taslitz, ’81, Chairman and Co-Founder, Sterling Partners
2024 Quintin Anderson ’94, Co-Founder & Chief Operating Officer, Granite River Labs
Investing in the future of business education and the next generation of purposeful leaders at Gies College of Business.
Gies College of Business Appreciation Award
Established in 1979, this award is presented to friends of the College and its alumni association, recognizing outstanding service to the organization. Recipients need not be graduates of the College to earn this recognition but are always Illini at heart.
1979
William F. Murray ’34
1979 Lawrence W. Nortrup ’49
1980 G. Preston Kendall ’31
1981 Russell V. Puzey ’33
1982 Lawrence W. Nortrup ’49
1983 Donald C. Miller ’42, ’43, ’48 PhD
1984 Lawrence W. Gougler ’41
1985 Vernon K. Zimmerman ’49, ’50, ’54 PhD
1986 T. Emerson Cammack
1987 Henry D. Strunk ’58
1988 Thomas D. Leddy ’63
1989 J. William Paquette
1990 William D. Engelbrecht ’66, ’72
1991 John D. Hogan
1992 David G. Siebert ’89 MBA
1993 John H. Judd ’71, ’84 MBA
1994 David J. Downey ’63, ’66 JD
1995 Albert H. Wohlers ’39
1996 Arthur R. Wyatt ’49, ’50, ’53 PhD
1997 Wilma J. Smelcer ’73 MBA
1998 Willard Bunn III
1999 Larry L. Austermiller ’63, ’65 MS
2000 Howard Thomas
2001 Frederick L. Neumann
2002 James Elsesser, Jr. ’66, ’67 MS
2003
Howard S. Engle ’72
2004 Jeffrey H. Margolis ’84
2005 Mary Kay Haben ’77, ’79 MBA
2006 Norma J. Lauder ’71
2007 James C. Cook ’71
2008 Avijit Ghosh
2009 Neel T. Kashkari ’95, ’98 MS
2010 Jerry Colangelo ’62
2011 Jon Corzine ’69
2012 Timothy J. Reierson ’81
2013 Charles Finn ’55
2014 Stephen V. King ’84
2015 Larry DeBrock
2016 Tony DiTommaso ’74 ’76 MS
2017 Steve Miller ’87
2018 Steven E. Shebik ’78
2019 Susan Lambert Fish ’79 ’80 MAS
2020 Edie Stotler ’68 LAS
2021 Cary D. McMillan ’80
2022 Cedric D. Thurman ’87
2023 Anthony J. Petullo ’61
2024 Julie Scott ’85
Alumni Association 2024–25 Board of Directors
Randy Abeles ’77
Hassen Al-Shawaf ’05, ’06
Mark Bernstein ’85
Tess Boland ’98
John Cochrane ’82
Steven Cohen ’82
David Engle ’97, ’99
Barry Federici ’99, ’00
Karen Fletcher ’88
Dan Frandsen ’99
Tim French ’04, ’06
David Gilmartin ’84
Jake Goldstein ’99
James Goss ’72
Andrew Grieve ’96
Tony Griglione ’09, ’10
Daniel Kardatzke ’96
Denise Kenny ’86
Sara Klein ’96
Rom Kosla ’18
Joanne Ladden ’03
Alan Lev ’82
David Light ’08
Mike Lombardo ’02
Kevin McDonnel ’80
Paul O’Connor ’81
Victor Palomino ’03
Frank Pellicori ’00
Jackie Price Osafo ’18
Joan Rockey ’93
Ed Rogowski ’86
Eric Ruzalski ’13
Julie Scott ’85
Ally Sehy ’05
Elizabeth Sloan ’03, ’04
Jeff Solak ’16
Warren Stippich ’90
Dean Stork ’83
Susan Tjarksen ’82
Jandy Tomy ’95
Mary Weber ’08
Everett Westmeyer ’79
Ex-officio
W. Brooke Elliott Dean
Rebecca Pagels Associate Dean for Advancement
Christine Beyers Director of Alumni Engagement
Lauren Curtiss Senior Assistant Director of Alumni Engagement
Spring Luncheon Co-Chairs
Karen Fletcher ’88
Jandy Tomy ’95
Elizabeth Sloan ’03, ’04
GBAA Program Co-Chairs
Dan Frandsen ’99
Denise Kenny ’86
Joanne Ladden ’03
Alumni Association Presidents
1957–60 Walter Leck ’34
1960–61 Francis Bachman ’38
1961–62 George Catlett ’39
1962–63 Robert Humphrey ’40
1963–64 James Felt ’42
1964–68 Rexford Bruno ’40
1968–69 George Nelson ’41
1969–70 Kenneth Means ’40
1970–71 George Handtman, Jr. ’42
1971–72 Robert Hayes ’54
1972–73 Russell Puzey ’33
1973–74 Lawrence Nortrup ’49
1974–75 Joseph Antonello, Jr. ’43
1975–76 William Anderson ’49
1976–77 Selwin Price ’53
1977–78 John Lannon ’61
1978–79 William Ieuter ’60
1979–80 Wilma Smelcer ’73
1980–81 Henry Strunk ’58
1981–82 Carl Faust ’61
1982–83 Thomas Leddy ’63
1983–84 Gresham Brebach ’63
1984–85 John Ruth ’59
1985–86 James Cook ’71
1986–87 Richard Akin ’69
1987–89 Terry Hendrickson ’72
1989–91 Ron Hamelberg ’58
1991–93 Lester McKeever, Jr. ’55
1993–95 John Roszinsky ’60
1995–98 Howard Engle ’72
1999–00 John Lassiter, Jr. ’59
2000–01 Patrick Rea ’63, ’64
2001–03 Bruce Boruszak ’79
2003–05 David Gilmartin ’84
2005–07 Everett Westmeyer ’79
2007–09 Paul O’Connor ’81
2009–11 James Goss ’72
2011–13 Denise Maple ’90
2013–15 Steven Cohen ’82
2015–17 Julie Scott ’85
2017–19 Dana Armagno ’89
2019–21 Joan Rockey ’93
2021–23 Warren Stippich ’90
2023– Andrew Grieve ’96
Thank You!
We would like to take this opportunity to thank the following companies and organizations for helping to make the 2025 Spring Luncheon possible:
Silver Sponsors
CTS Impact
Deloitte LLP
GCM Grosvenor
Grant Thornton LLP
KPMG LLP
Lincoln International
Printing Sponsor
William Blair
Floral Sponsor
Ernst and Young LLP
Gies Branded
Item Sponsor
Protiviti
Event Sponsor Private Reception Sponsor
University of Illinois Athletics
Audio Visual Sponsors
J.P. Morgan Private Bank
Table of 10
Akerman LLP
Altair Advisers
American Commercial Bank & Trust
Angkor Strategic Advisors
Bain & Company
Belgravia Group
BMO Bank, N.A.
BRUNSWICK
Cedric D. Thurman & Michelle Speller-Thurman
CIBC
Croke Fairchild Duarte & Beres
Crowe LLP
Ed and Sue Rogowski Family
Ellie Mental Health
FHLBank Chicago
Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Jandy Tomy
Mesirow
Metropolitan Capital Bank & Trust
Northern Trust
Pi Kappa Alpha
PNC
Prairie Capital
University of Illinois Foundation
Vivaldi Capital Mangement
Hinsdale Golf Club | September 8, 2025
HOMECOMING WEEKEND
September 26 & 27, 2025