Knox College President's Council


	Teresa L. Amott, President Prior to assuming her post at Knox College, President Amott spent six years as provost and dean of the faculty at Hobart and William Smith Colleges (HWS) in Geneva, New York. Educated in economics, President Amott holds a Ph.D. from Boston College and a B.A. from Smith College. Her research has focused on the labor market experiences of women and people of color.

	Denise Bailey, Executive Assistant to the President Bailey started at Knox in 1988. Prior to that, she managed the Knox College Credit Union from 1983-1988. The basic function of her position as executive assistant to the president and assistant secretary to the Board of Trustees is to assist the president in the overall operation of the office, coordinate special projects and events, and serve as staff liaison to the Board of Trustees.

	Tom Axtell, Vice President for Finance and Administrative Services Axtell has been at Knox since 1999 and began his career here as the vice president for finance. He serves as co-chair of the Institutional Planning Group (IPG). Prior to Knox, Axtell was the associate treasurer and director of financial planning at Wesleyan University. He received his B.A. in biology from Oberlin College and his M.B.A. and M.E.M. from Yale University.

	Lawrence Breitborde, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College, Professor of Anthropology & Sociology As Knox's chief academic officer, Breitborde has worked with faculty and academic departments on a major revision of our general education program and the establishment of six new academic programs. Prior to joining Knox in 1995, he was the William S. Godfrey Professor and Chair of Anthropology at Beloit College, where he also served as associate dean from 1985-1987. A cultural and linguistic anthropologist, Breitborde's principal research led to a number of publications and the book Speaking and Social Identity. He earned his B.A. degree in geography from Clark University and his M.A. and Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Rochester.

	Charles Clark, Senior Director for Institutional Research and Reporting Clark became Knox's first dedicated institutional researcher in 2008. He provides information and analytical support for data-driven decision making throughout the College. Before coming to Knox, he was the associate director of institutional research at the University of Toledo. Prior to that, Clark was a demographic statistician at the U.S. Census Bureau where he earned special recognition for his work on the American Community Survey and the 2000 Census teams. He is a graduate of Western Illinois University with B.A. and M.A. degrees in sociology and has completed advanced graduate study at Bowling Green State University in sociology, specializing in research methods and statistics.

	Steve Hall, Vice President and Chief Information Officer Hall joined Knox in 1993. As the Chief Information Officer, he leads a team that operates and advances Knox's information technology infrastructure to support the goals of the College. Before coming to Knox, Hall worked in the aerospace and defense industry for TRW Inc. as a software developer, project manager, spacecraft systems engineer, and consultant to the Department of Defense and other governmental agencies. He is a graduate of Bradley University with a B.S. in computer science and mathematics.

	Lori Schroeder Haslem, Associate Dean of the College, Professor of English A member of the Knox faculty since 1996, Haslem is an expert in Shakespeare and Renaissance literature and has written chapters for an anthology published by the Modern Language Association, a piece from Liverpool University Press, and articles in scholarly publications. She earned a B.A. at Purdue University, M.A. at the University of Illinois-Urbana, and a Ph.D. at the University of Denver. Haslem is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and winner of the 2001 Philip Green Wright - Lombard College Prize, a Knox College award for distinguished teaching. At Knox, she has served on a number of committees, including the Faculty Committee on Academic Standing and on the Broadcast, Internet, and Publications Board.

	Karrie Heartlein, Director of Government & Community Relations Heartlein is the director of government & community relations, where she coordinates efforts to enhance the partnership between the College and Galesburg and cultivates opportunities to work more effectively with local, state, and federal governments. Prior to taking this role, she served as the College's director of public relations for 12 years. Before coming to Knox, Heartlein was the director of firmwide communications for the accounting and consulting firm McGladrey & Pullen, LLP. Prior to that, she worked in communications for Caterpillar Inc. Heartlein graduated from Bradley University with B.A. and M.A. degrees in English.

	Beverly Holmes, Vice President for Advancement As the vice president for advancement, Holmes oversees fundraising and alumni relations. She came to Knox in 2001 as a special gifts officer. In 2004, Holmes was promoted to associate vice president and assumed management responsibilities for special gifts, alumni relations, and planned giving. She has held her present position since 2006. Before joining Knox, she was the director of communications for Lands' End, where she oversaw public relations and customer communications. Prior to that, Holmes worked in public relations and consumer affairs for Corning Glass Works and Frito-Lay. She graduated from Cornell University with a B.S. degree in consumer economics/journalism/nutrition.

	M. Sean Riedel, Associate Vice President and Chief Communication Officer As associate vice president and chief communications officer, Riedel oversees all College external and internal communications through electronic and print media in partnership with his co-associate vice president. Riedel joined Knox in 1997 in the systems area of IT where he established and maintained a variety of online communication vehicles, integrated external vendor solutions, and acted as primary project manager through significant redesign and system implementation efforts. He has degrees in music education from St. Ambrose University and Instruction Technology and Telecommunications from Western Illinois University.

	Megan Scott, Associate Vice President and Chief Communication Officer As associate vice president and chief communications officer, Scott oversees all College external and internal communications through electronic and print media in partnership with her co-associate vice president. She also serves as editor of Knox Magazine, the College's biannual publication for alumni and friends. Prior to assuming her current role, she served as the College's director of Advancement communications. Scott graduated from Knox College in 1996 with a major in English literature and attended the University of Denver Publishing Institute. Before returning to Knox in a professional capacity in 2004, she worked in academic publishing for eight years, last serving as marketing manager for the University of Iowa Press.

	Debra Southern, Dean of Students Southern came to Knox in 2000 and joined the Office of Student Development as assistant dean of students in 2001. Before coming to Knox she was the assistant dean of students and director of residence life at Cornell College. Southern earned a B.A. in political science at Illinois Wesleyan University, where she also worked as a residence hall director and summer conference coordinator. She received a M.A. in higher education administration at the University of Iowa.

	Paul Steenis, Vice President for Enrollment and Dean of Admission As vice president for enrollment and dean of admission, Steenis oversees enrollment for the College. He graduated from Knox College with a B.A. in philosophy and economics and business administration. Starting as an admission counselor shortly after his graduation, he has seen classes come and go and many changes that impact the application, admission, and financial aid process. Throughout the course of his 25+ years of service to the College, some things have remained the same: Knox continues to provide a world class education to a great group of students.