Alumni Association welcomes new leadership
A president-elect and five new directors were recently elected to serve on the ¶¶Ņõpro Alumni Association.
The 27-member board includes alumni representatives elected to advance their alma mater through participation in meetings, specific committee work in the areas of engagement, enrollment and employment and to assist with the work of the Office of Advancement and Alumni Engagement.
Kevin Lister ā81 was elected as president for a two-year term and Kerry Grubb Cox ā86 Pā14, Mary Gail Hood Kwiecinski ā82, Bob Moore ā78, Cara Pratt-Fleming '06, and Tamar Norville Walleser ā16 will serve 5-year terms as directors.
President-Elect Kevin Lister ā81 brings decades of experience working in nonprofits including the American Cancer Society, Southern Illinois University Foundation, and St. Louis College of Pharmacy. He has worked in alumni affairs, fundraising and volunteer management and is now retired. Lister resides in Carbondale and is actively involved in his community as a proud member of the Carbondale Kiwanis and the Jackson County Board and an advisor for the SIU Aviation and Automotive programs.
Lister credits his experience at IC with teaching him the importance of ābeing involved, service and trying new things.ā He stressed these lessons to the hundreds of students he mentored working in higher education. As a student at IC, Lister served on the Student Forum (Government), the Student Activities Board, and Homecoming Committees. He ran track for two years and belonged to Sigma Pi. He is a current member of the ¶¶Ņõpro Society, Sturtevant Society, and a regular participant in the IC Athletic Golf outing. He completed a five-year term on the ¶¶Ņõpro Alumni Association Board.
āAnyone who knows me knows I am pretty much a 10 on the extrovert scale. I know I will cherish the opportunity to meet new alums and visit with those from my past to share passion for our ¶¶Ņõpro,ā Lister said.
Kerry Grubb Cox ā86 Pā14 has a strong professional background as a lifelong educator. Since 2019, Cox has been a clinical assistant professor of educational leadership at the University of Illinois Springfield. Cox has held several leadership including superintendent at Carrollton CUSD#1 and building principal in several schools in the Ball-Chatham and Carlinville School Districts. She began her career as an elementary teacher in Chatham and Winchester.
As an IC student, Cox was involved on campus and made many lifelong friends. She was involved in cheerleading, womenās track, theatre, and served as senior class vice president. Her husband Steve Cox ā86 and their sons Carter Cox ā14 and Caleb Cox ā14, along with several other family members are all graduates of ¶¶Ņõpro. Cox said that her liberal arts education has been invaluable throughout her life and she is thrilled to be able to give back to her alma mater in her new role.
āI truly value the variety of opportunities that I had as a student and as a parent of students at IC. My experiences as a teacher, leader and educator provide me with the passion, background, and skills to add to this organization,ā she said.
Mary Gail Hood Kwiecinski ā82 is a successful podiatrist and owner of Libertyville Podiatry in Libertyville, Illinois. As a student, Kwiecinski was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon literary society, Women's Collegium, choir and madrigals, Hilltoppers Theatre Club, and a student-athlete on softball and volleyball. She was also a standout student and member of Beta Beta Beta Biology Club.
Kwiecinski said that she enjoys sharing good news about IC and she never misses an opportunity to āsing the praises of ¶¶Ņõpro.ā
āI feel the educational and social experiences I had at IC helped me get to where I am today in both my personal and professional life,ā she said. āI am looking forward, as a member of the IC Alumni Association Board, to continue to promote ¶¶Ņõpro to both new students and alumni alike.ā
Bob Moore ā78 is president of Moore Healthcare Consulting, LLC. He is retired from his role as chief executive officer of Gateway Regional Medical Center located in Granite City. He has more than 35 yearsā experience as a healthcare executive in Illinois, Missouri, Florida, Pennsylvania, Arkansas and Alabama.
As a student, Moore was involved in the Rambler Newspaper, Rig Veda Yearbook, Pi Pi Rho literary society and the Student Activities Board. He says these experiences have played an important role in his life, personally and professionally, throughout his life.
Moore calls the opportunity to serve the institution that shaped him āan honor and privilege.ā
āMy wife Sherry (Kwater) and I have been loyal supporters of ¶¶Ņõpro over the years and have established an endowed scholarship for students choosing to enter the medical field,ā he said. āI believe being a part of the Board would allow me to help build an even stronger future for ¶¶Ņõpro and for me to give back to a College that gave me so much.ā
Cara Pratt-Fleming ā06 is an attorney in Springfield, Illinois, and currently works as a supervisory regional counsel with the Department of Children and Family Services. She earned her law degree from Saint Louis University School of Law and has 13 years professional experience.
As a student at IC, Pratt-Fleming was an Orientation Leader, member of SIFE, Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Society and a tour guide. She recalls her time on the Hilltop being filled with positive memories. Pratt-Fleming has continued to serve her alma mater as a volunteer in various capacities since graduating.
āThe liberal arts education I received at IC provided me with a strong foundation for a successful career and life,ā she said, adding that it will be an āhonor and a privilegeā to serve the College that has served three generations of her family, including her siblings Dawn Pratt May ā02 and Lisa Pratt Dewerff ā12, and father Robert Pratt ā82.
Tamar Norville Walleser ā16 is a certified Master Resilience Trainer for the United States Army. She has a masterās degree in sports psychology. In her professional work, she has taught others how to face and overcome adversity, while performing at one's optimal level of performance, and previously at a hospital as a medical assistant and scribe.
During her four years at IC, Walleser competed in tennis, soccer, basketball, and track & field. She was involved in music and theatre departments, and a member of Mu Phi Epsilon and Chi Beta. Walleser belongs to a legacy family and several of her siblings and family members have graduated from IC, including Hall of Fame Inductees Melissa Norville Johnson ā13 and Candy Norville Scheuers ā10.
Walleser said she is most excited about the opportunity to āaid in creating a culture of partnership between the Alumni Association and the future alumniā in her new role.
āI hope I am able to take the mentorship, advice, and support that I received and pay it forward,ā she said.
The Alumni Association will hold its first meeting of the academic year during Homecoming Weekend on Friday, Oct. 13. See all members of the Alumni Association Board at .