General Trustees of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois
The General Trustees, whose duties are to nominate and elect the Laureates, are also responsible for electing from their own ranks the working board of directors of the Academy known as the Board of Regents.
Joy Boruff
Office HolderGeneral Trustee
Home City and StateMoline, IL
Brief BiographyBoruff was among the first group of women to be employed in WOC-TV’s newsroom in 1976. The next year, she became the first female host of a call-in radio public affairs show on WOC-AM. Now she is executive director of the Moline Foundation.
Caralynn Nowinski Collens, M.D.
Office HolderGeneral Trustee
TitleCEO, Dimension Inx
Home City and StateChicago, IL
Robert A. Easter, PhD
Office HolderGeneral Trustee
TitlePresident Emeritus, Dean Emeritus College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, Professor Emeritus, Department of Animal Sciences University of Illinois
Brief BiographyGeneral Trustee, Development and Endowment Chair President Emeritus, Dean Emeritus College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences, Professor Emeritus, Department of Animal Sciences University of Illinois.
J'Tia Hart, PhD
Office HolderGeneral Trustee
TitleProgram Lead, Security Sciences Division
Home City and StateChicago, IL
Brief BiographyDr. Hart is a nuclear engineer currently serving as the Program Lead in the Security Sciences Division at Argonne National Laboratory where she directs analysis covering international affairs, nuclear energy and safety, energy security and cybersecurity to inform executive cabinet decisions.
Roger D. Herrin, MD
Office HolderGeneral Trustee
TitleSIU Board of Trustees Member
Home City and StateHarrisburg, IL
Brief BiographyCommunity leader, business person, and doctor. Attended University of Illinois College of Medicine and Illinois College of Podiatric Medicine with a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine Degree and received the highest and last Dr. L. R. McCain Award for outstanding proficiency in surgical anatomy and surgery; past president of the American College of Foot Surgeons.
Larry R. Jones, MD
Office HolderGeneral Trustee
Home City and StateHarrisburg, IL
Brief BiographyRetired family physician and medical educator. Founder of Primary Care Group and the Bridge Free Medical Clinic in Harrisburg. 2002 Distinguished Alumnus award, SIU School of Medicine. 2012 Family Physician of the Year, State of Illinois. Mentor of the Year, 2012 and 2015, SIU School of Medicine.
Julie A. Kellner
Office HolderGeneral Trustee
TitleTrustee
Home City and StateSpringfield, IL
Brief BiographyShe was the Executive Director of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois 2010-2021. She is involved in several community efforts, including the University of Illinois at Springfield and the United Way of Central Illinois. Graduate of University of Illinois at Springfield.
Howard A. Learner
Office HolderGeneral Trustee
TitlePresident and Executive Director, Environmental Law & Policy Center
Home City and StateChicago, IL
Brief BiographyAdjunct Professor at the University of Michigan Law School and Northwestern University School of Law, teaching advanced seminars on energy law and climate change policy, environmental constitutionalism, and sustainable development law.
Shirley R. Madigan
Office HolderGeneral Trustee
TitleChairman, Illinois Arts Council
Home City and StateChicago, IL
Brief BiographyChairman of Illinois Arts Council Agency; Life Trustee at Loyola University of Chicago; Advisory Board Member at After School Matters, Inc; Trustee at Erikson Institute.
Jessica Malkin
Office HolderGeneral Trustee
TitleExecutive Vice President, Cresset Capital
Home City and StateChicago, IL
Brief BiographyFounder of Chicago Ideas, overseeing the creation of the annual program and the development of the organization’s long-term strategy.
Claire Manning
Office HolderGeneral Trustee
TitlePartner, Brown Hay & Stephens
Brief BiographyFocuses her practice primarily in the fields of environment, energy, agriculture, natural resources, administrative and regulatory law, having had key legal roles in government prior to entering private practice, including Chairman of the Illinois Pollution Control Board, 1993-2000. Original member of the Illinois Public Labor Board, 1984-1993.
Lucyna Migala
Office HolderGeneral Trustee
TitleArtistic Director & General Manager, The Lira Ensemble
Home City and StateChicago, IL
Brief BiographyNational board member of the Polish Women’s Alliance of America; officer of the Polish Arts Club of Chicago; co-founder and vice president of the Chicago Chapter of the Kosciusko Foundation; founding member of the Ethnic and Folk Arts Panel of the Illinois Arts Council.
Delmer R. Mitchell
Office HolderGeneral Trustee
TitlePartner, Schmiedeskamp, Robertson, Neu & Mitchell, LLP
Home City and StateQuincy, IL
Brief BiographyA highly respected attorney and community leader in the Quincy area.
Lucy Moog
Office HolderGeneral Trustee
Title43rd Ward Democratic Committeeman
Home City and StateChicago, IL
Brief BiographyBorn in Chicago’s North Side. After college, she had a staff job in Washington, D.C., working for Congressman Alcee Hastings. She later returned to Chicago, where she resides with her husband.
Harold Oakley
Office HolderGeneral Trustee
TitleChairman, Schmiedeskamp Robertson Neu & Mitchell LLP
Home City and StateQuincy, IL
Brief BiographyHe focuses his practice on corporate and other business law (including transactional health care law), mergers and acquisitions. Extensively involved in the community, particularly in organizations committed to the social, educational, and cultural betterment of society.
Maria del Socorro Pesqueira
Office HolderGeneral Trustee
TitlePresident, Healthy Communities Foundation
Brief BiographyCareer has centered on working with and lifting voices in marginalized communities. She serves on numerous boards and commissions including the Forest Preserves of Cook County Board and the Census 2020 Advisory Panel.
Joseph A. Power, Jr.
Office HolderGeneral Trustee
TitlePartner, Power Rogers & Smith, PC
Home City and StateChicago, IL
Brief BiographyFounding partner of law firm Power, Rogers & Smith, P.C.; past president of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association and Public Justice; fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and the International Academy of Trial Lawyers; member of the Inner Circle of Advocates.
Darryl Rodgers
Office HolderGeneral Trustee
TitleExecutive Director, Finanacial Advisor & Assistant Market Head
Home City and StateOak Park, IL
Brief BiographyVice President and Financial Advisor in the Chicago office of Bernstein. He works with high-net-worth families and individuals, charitable groups and small businesses and, together with their other professional advisors and Bernstein’s portfolio and wealth management specialists, helps clients make investment decisions optimized to meet their goals.
Shirley W. Ryan
Office HolderGeneral Trustee
TitleCivic Leader
Home City and StateWinnetka, IL
Brief BiographyPresident and Treasurer of Shirley Ryan, Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Foundation, concentrating in Education, Arts, Roman Catholic concerns and youth services. Served on boards, founded programs, or sponsored developments for numerous organizations and institutions including the Lyric Opera, the Art Institute, Northwestern University, WTTW Public Media, among others.
Linda Schielke
Office HolderGeneral Trustee
TitleNext Generation Leadership Co-chair
Home City and StateBatavia, IL
Brief BiographyA recognized educator and educational leader in Illinois for over three decades. Linda gives presentations and provides leadership to several not-for-profit organizations focused on the preservation of historic figures and their achievements. Linda currently serves as Batavia’s First Lady. (Her husband, Jeff Schielke, has held the role of Batavia Mayor for almost 40 years.)
Marc S. Schulman
Office HolderGeneral Trustee
TitlePresident, Eli's Cheesecake
Home City and StateChicago, IL
Brief BiographyPartners with schools and organizations such as Wilbur Wright College, the Chicago High School for Agricultural Sciences, Vaughn Occupational High School, among others.
Smita Shah, PE, LEED, AP BD&C
Office HolderGeneral Trustee
TitlePresident and CEO, SPAAN Tech
Home City and StateChicago, IL
Mark Slaby
Office HolderGeneral Trustee
Home City and StateClarendon Hills, IL
Brief BiographyExecutive and Business Owner. Affiliated with Juno Payments – Global Ecommerce and Mobile Software Enterprise Payment Solutions. Global software payment solutions for: ecommerce, mobile, and merchant services.
Scott C. Sullivan
Office HolderGeneral Trustee
TitleHistoric Illinoisans Chair, Partner, Williams McCarthy LLP
Home City and StateRockford, IL
Dana Withers
Office HolderGeneral Trustee
TitlePresident, Withers Broadcasting
Home City and StateMt. Vernon, IL
Brief BiographyFounder and President of Dana Communications. Trustee for the National Association of Broadcasters Political Action Committee.
