Our Trustees

John Lawler '88

Chair of the Board of Trustees

John Lawler is vice chair at Ford Motor Company and has overall responsibility of finance functions including Accounting, Financial Planning and Analysis, Treasury, Tax, Investor Relations, Economics and Audit as well as the Ford Credit business. Lawler began his 32-year career with Ford on the company’s Finance team and has worked in North America, Europe and Asia. He has held pivotal roles such as Chief Executive Officer, Ford Autonomous Vehicles LLC and Mobility Partnerships, Vice President Corporate Strategy, Corporate Controller, Chairman and CEO of Ford China, as well as CFO for Ford Asia Pacific and Africa. Lawler earned an MBA from the University of Iowa in 1990.

Julie K. Rademaker '83

Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees

Partner, Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg LLP. Rademaker received her juris doctorate from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law. Her practice encompasses a broad range of commercial real estate matters, including development, leasing, financings, property sales and acquisitions, and joint ventures. She has substantial experience in real estate development, including build-to-suit transactions and design and construction-related contracts. Rademaker has significant experience in negotiating and documenting commercial office, industrial, and retail leases. She also has worked extensively in the area of commercial real estate financing, including secured loans, work-outs, and restructurings. Rademaker recently was named one of the Top 100 Leading Women Real Estate-Related Lawyers by Leading Lawyers Network. Rademaker and husband James G. Crowell ’84 are members of the President's Circle.

Susan A. Blew '75

Chair of the Committee on Governance

Retired, Senior Executive and Technology Consultant, San Francisco, California.  Blew has served in a variety of senior leadership roles in technology and human resources including as the Chief of Staff for Technology at Visa, Inc., as an Executive Vice President and CTO at Wells Fargo running the technology infrastructure with a staff of over one thousand in 28 states, and as Vice President responsible for the $2+ billion project portfolio at Kaiser Permanente.  Her specialties include project, change, and process management, as well as leadership development. She has served on the Knox College board of trustees for over 18 years as both an Alumni Trustee and a General Trustee.  She is an ultra-marathon open water swimmer and has been the treasurer of the iconic South End Rowing Club in San Francisco for the past four years. In 2018 Blew received a Knox Service Award for her exemplary service and dedication to students and the College.

Don Harmon '88

Chair of the Honorary Degree Subcommittee

Illinois State Senator from the 39th Legislative District and Senate President. Harmon is in his fifth Senate term and was appointed president pro tempore in 2011, offering him a key role in shaping policy and moving legislation through the Illinois Senate. Harmon has previously served as an alumni trustee and often works with philanthropists in Chicago who support educational efforts.

Helen Lin '94

Chair of the Investment Advisory Committee

Helen is working on a startup venture in the CRM analytics space. Helen is an experienced product management and business development executive. Most recently, she was the Chief Product Officer at ComplySci, where she was responsible for innovation and the strategic direction of the ComplySci platform.  Prior to joining ComplySci, Helen was a Vice President at Goldman Sachs, where she commercialized the firm’s technology and developed a retail digital investment platform.  Helen started her career at the Boston Consulting Group and worked extensively in the Fintech space over the years with companies such as IHS Markit, S&P Capital IQ, and Charles Schwab.  Helen earned her MBA from Harvard Business School and BA in Economics from Knox College.

Robert Long '75

Chair of the Committee on College Finances

Founder and Co-Chair, Littler Mendelson's Business Restructuring Practice Group. Long works with corporate clients and private equity firms to guide them in structuring corporate transactions to minimize risk and maximize the value and success of those transactions from a labor, employment, and employee benefits perspective. He received his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1979 and worked at a Chicago law firm for more than 24 years before joining Littler Mendelson in 2003.

James Mason '75

Chair of the Committee on Admission and Advancement

Retired Colonel, US Army and later Parsons Corporation, Colorado Springs, CO. A native of Conway, Arkansas, Mason relocated to Colorado Springs after retiring at Heidelberg, Germany culminating a distinguished 30-year Army career. His military service was comprised of worldwide troop assignments with Infantry units, which encompassed both command and staff duties. After retirement from the US Army on 31 October 2005, Mason joined SPARTA Incorporated, later acquired by Parsons, as a Defense Contractor providing system engineering analyses and technical consulting in support of integrated ballistic missile defense system planning and testing. Mason volunteers throughout his community in various roles. Most significantly as Commissioner, Colorado Springs Law Enforcement Transparency and Advisory Commission; Member, Citizens Project Board of Directors; Member, Colorado Springs Urban Renewal Authority Board of Directors; Member, YMCA Metro Board of Directors; Trustee, KNOX College {Galesburg, IL}, Board of Trustees; and Past President and Director, Colorado Springs School District 11 Board of Education. In recognition of his community activism, Mason received the Leadership Pikes Peak’s Community Inspiration Leadership Award, in 2015. He holds a BA in Political Science from Knox College; an MS in Personnel Management from Troy University; a Master of Military Art and Science Degree from the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College; and Graduate, U.S. Army War College.

Anthony Tedeschi '83

Chair of the Committee on Audit and Risk

A senior-level physician executive with more than 25 years of operational and clinical healthcare experience, Anthony “Tony” Tedeschi retired in January, 2020 as CEO of Tenet Healthcare’s Detroit Market. Dr. Tedeschi’s background includes starting a clinical practice in a rural community, serving as interim co-CEO and hospital president for a large suburban integrated-delivery system, serving as interim COO of Chicago’s Cook County Health & Hospitals System, and leading organizational performance improvement as the COO and CMO of two urban, safety-net hospitals. He is an expert in orchestrating turnarounds, having led six financial/quality/strategic turnarounds in complex environments that were operational immersions and resulted in marked financial and cultural improvement that brought stability to each healthcare organization.  

Board-certified in family medicine, Dr. Tedeschi holds a medical degree from the University of Illinois College of Medicine and master’s degrees in business administration from Northwestern University and public health from the Medical College of Wisconsin. Dr. Tedeschi graduated with a BA from Knox College. While in Chicago, Dr. Tedeschi served as a clinical instructor at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.  

Dr. Tedeschi has been recognized with such awards as Modern Healthcare’s 50 Most Influential Clinical Executives, the American College of Healthcare Executives Chicago Metro Leadership Award, and Detroit Community Health Connection Thomas Van Coverden Leadership Award.

Megan Clair ’04

Alumni Trustee

Megan Clair is currently the senior manager, internal controls at Revlon. At Revlon, Clair focuses on internal control over financial reporting and second line activities across the North American organization. Prior to Revlon, she worked for five years as an internal audit consultant at the public accounting firm KPMG LLP, where she was promoted to manager. While at KPMG, Clair worked on Sarbanes-Oxley and internal control compliance in the industrial manufacturing, financial services, consumer products, and pharmaceutical industries. 

Clair has also worked in the industry in various finance and accounting roles, including internal controls, middle office, SEC compliance, and treasury. She majored in biology and music with College Honors at Knox and received her M.S. degree in Accounting from the University of Missouri-Kansas City Henry W. Bloch School of Management. 

Vela Lu '18

Alumni Trustee

Psychotherapist based in New York City. After graduating from Knox, Vela served as post-bacc fellow at the Office of International Student Services and a patient case manager intern at Knox County Health Center. After moving to New York City, Vela attended Teachers College, Columbia University and earned her masters in Psychological Counseling. While in graduate school, she continued to serve students at Barnard College and Columbia University School of Social Work by providing career counseling services and promoting mental health awareness on campus. Vela is currently working closely with families and children in need of counseling at a community center as well as her other clients in private practice.

April J. Morgan ’04

Vice Chair of the Committee on Audit and Risk

Chief of Staff to the Chairman of the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) Board. Morgan advises the Chairman and Board directors on policy issues that impact the daily operations of the agency, and coordinates with the CTA President and senior leadership on key initiatives such as finance, workforce development, procurement policy, DEI and intergovernmental relations. She also directs and oversees the daily operations of the Board Office and serves as a trustee to the CTA Pension Board, which manages a $1.9 billion employee retirement fund. Morgan believes strongly in civic engagement and giving back. She is a member of the Board of Directors for the Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana, in addition to serving in a number of leadership and volunteer roles for community organization promoting educational, professional and economic development. Morgan received her Juris Doctor from Northern Illinois University College of Law, where she was a member of the Law Review. She graduated with honors from Knox College where she received her B.A. in Political Science and Sociology.

Tomilola “Tomi” Olotu ’11

Alumni Trustee

Tomilola “Tomi” Olotu ’11, elected as the College’s new Alumni Trustee, currently serves as a corporate strategy associate at Cargill, the largest private company in America. Previously, she spent nearly a decade as a wealth management specialist in Lagos, Nigeria, assisting clients with financial planning. She holds a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Rochester’s Simon Business School, where she served as President of the Graduate Business Council and an admissions ambassador. As a student at Knox, she served as treasurer of the Class of 2011 and as a member of the Women of Influence and International Club.

Sara Jane Ahmed ’12

General Trustee

Sara Jane Ahmed ’12 serves as the managing director and finance advisor to the Climate Vulnerable Forum and V20 Finance Ministers, representing 68 climate-vulnerable countries. She founded the Financial Futures Center, focusing on climate prosperity analytics. Ahmed is on the task force on climate, development, and the IMF, as well as the board of the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA). Ahmed advises least developed countries in the Green Climate Fund. A former energy finance analyst and investment advisor, Ahmed holds a Master of Science degree in Finance from the University of Rochester, as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Knox College.

Jeff Bacidore ’92

General Trustee

Jeff Bacidore has over 25 years of experience in quantitative trading and investing across multiple asset classes. In addition to founding his own consulting firm, The Bacidore Group, Bacidore previously held senior positions at Goldman Sachs, Citadel, and Credit Suisse. He currently teaches undergraduate and graduate level courses at the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame. Bacidore’s work has been featured in leading business publications, including the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and The New York Times. He has also testified before the U.S. House of Representatives on market structure issues. His recent book Algorithmic Trading: A Practitioner's Guide is used widely among practitioners and academics alike.

Bacidore has a B.A. in economics from Knox College, and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in finance from Indiana University. While a junior at Knox College, he was named a University of Chicago Business Fellow and attended the University of Chicago's Booth Graduate School of Business prior to completing his undergraduate degree. Bacidore also received a Ford Foundation Fellowship for his research into equity market trading.

Barbara A. Baird '73

General Trustee

Horace White Professor of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Cornell University. Baird received her Ph.D. in chemistry from Cornell and, after a Damon Runyon postdoctoral fellowship at the National Institutes of Health, she was appointed as the first woman faculty member to receive tenure in Cornell University's chemistry department. Her research laboratory employs a broad range of biophysico-chemical methods to investigate the structure and molecular mechanisms of cell surface receptors that operate in immunological and other physiological responses. She has been honored for her work with the New York Academy's Harold Lamport Award for Biophysics and Physiology, and a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation Fellowship, and is a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences. She was awarded a Knox College Alumni Achievement Award in 1994.

Nyerere Billups, Sr. '99

Vice Chair of the Committee on Admission and Advancement

Senior Director, Portfolio Program Management Operations for AbbVie, Inc., North Chicago, IL. He is responsible for leading multiple strategic teams who ultimately advance business-critical R&D programs. From continuous improvement initiatives to peer coaching to serving as co-chair of the Black Business Network, Nyerere is active in driving the AbbVie culture forward. Outside of work, Nyerere mentors students across broad and diverse age groups and is involved in the Knox College Black Alumni Network (BAN). Nyerere is engaged in the fight for racial, social, and gender equity in all that he does. He follows the legacy of an alumni trustee returning as a general trustee.

Jennifer Quinn Broda ’94, P ‘17

General Trustee

Jennifer Quinn Broda has 30 years of experience in the insurance industry, the past 25 years of which have been as outside counsel. She is a trusted advisor to Bermuda Insurers, as well as domestic insurers and those in the London market. She concentrates her practice on complex insurance coverage matters, primarily involving professional liability lines such as directors and officers, errors and omissions, and employment practices. She frequently conducts audits on behalf of reinsurers, assists in the drafting of liability policies, as well as advises clients on bespoke endorsement language.

Broda has built longstanding relationships across the insurance industry and is a member of the Chicago Bar Association, the Professional Liability Underwriting Society (PLUS), and the Claims and Litigation Management Alliance (CLM). In addition to graduating from Knox College with a B.A. in philosophy, she earned her J.D. from Loyola University Chicago School of Law.

Michael Chubrich ‘67

General Trustee

Semi-retired, pro-bono lawyer, New Hampshire. Drafted after his first year of law school, Chubrich served in the US Marine Corps from 1968 to 1970. After completing school, he practiced law in New Hampshire and southern Maine from his Portsmouth, New Hampshire offices for 42 years, until he retired from general practice in 2017. He has taught income tax law at Franklin Pierce Law Center and at the University of New Hampshire, Whittemore Business School. He received degrees from Knox (history), the University of Chicago Law School (JD), and Boston University Law School (LLM, Graduate Tax Program). Chubrich lives in Portsmouth, New Hampshire and Naples, Florida.

Carol Bovard Craig '89

General Trustee

Founder/CEO, Craig Technologies, Cape Canaveral, Florida. Craig completed the 3-2 program at Knox and the University of Illinois graduating with degrees in computer science and engineering, then added an MS in electrical and computer engineering from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and is pursuing a Ph.D in Systems Engineering at Florida Tech in Melbourne, Florida. Craig worked for the Department of Defense and eventually became a Naval Flight Officer. In 1999, she started Craig Technologies, offering high-end custom engineering and technical support services. Today, she leads more than 400 employees in 20 different states.

Mark Draper '89

Vice Chair of the Honorary Degree Subcommittee

President, River City Electric Co. Draper received his BA in History from Knox and has spent his entire career in the electrical construction industry.   In 2012 he founded River City Electric, focusing primarily on heavy outdoor electrical construction.  RCE works mostly with state, county and municipal departments of transportation installing airport lighting, traffic signals, street lighting and traffic management systems.  He sits as a management trustee on the Electrician’s Fringe Benefit Fund managing employee fringe benefits including a self-insured health care plan.  In addition, he also is a board member for the Mankato branch of West Bank.   Mark is a proud father of two children with one of them currently attending Knox.

Arthur H. Kaz ’90

Vice Chair of the Investment Advisory Committee

Arthur H. Kaz is semi-retired from a 30-year career in consulting, leveraged finance, and alternative asset management. He currently provides consulting services to fund managers interested in quantitative, systematic strategies and is a frequent speaker at industry events. He is the founder of Greenbriar Asset Management, LP, a Chicago-based SEC-registered hedge fund, where he served as Chief Investment Officer and held discretionary trading authority on over $300 million of assets under management. His prior roles include Portfolio Manager at Pentwater Capital Management and Managing Director at New York-based Solus Alternative Asset Management, a multi-strategy fixed-income hedge fund. He developed his foundational expertise as a Director at Zolfo Cooper, a boutique debtor-side consulting firm specializing in large-scale complex corporate reorganizations. 

Kaz earned his BA in mathematics from Knox, and an MBA from The University of Chicago with dual concentrations in finance and policy. He has been a member of the Investment Subcommittee and Investment Advisory Committee at Knox since 2016.

Mark A. Kleine

General Trustee

Mark Kleine serves as the President of Kleine Companies, LLC, a real estate investment firm. He began his career with John Deere in 1980 and later purchased a John Deere dealership in Galesburg, Illinois, growing Kleine Equipment, Inc. into a $150M business with six locations and 150 employees before selling it in 2013. Kleine and his wife, Jeannette, reside in Galesburg and have four children and four grandchildren. Kleine has been active in several organizations in and around Galesburg and is a current board member of OSF Healthcare and CBI Bank holding company. The Kleines are active in many other civic and non-profit activities and are community supporters through the Kleine Family Fund.

Stephen Lam ’88

General Trustee

Stephen Lam became CEO of Tanvex BioPharma in September 2024, overseeing the integration with Bora Pharmaceuticals and launching Bora Biologics as a CDMO serving the global Biologics market. His responsibilities include overseeing Tanvex’s global operations as a contract manufacturing provider, alongside leading the company’s efforts to commercialize its biosimilar pipeline. 

Lam, whose background includes a proven record of driving operational success in biologics manufacturing, has over 35 years of industry experience at companies including Lonza, Amgen, and Patheon and most recently served as vice president and general manager of Single-Use Technology at Thermo Fisher Scientific. He graduated from Knox with a bachelor’s degree in chemistry in 1988.

Sonya Malunda

General Trustee

Sonya Malunda, president emerita of the Associated Colleges of the Midwest (ACM), serves as a senior advisor with the Peterson Rudgers Group, a women-owned consulting firm that focuses on strategy, leadership development, and strategic communications for colleges and universities. She is also the principal of her firm, Malunda Consulting, LLC. As the ACM’s eighth president (2017-2024), Malunda worked collaboratively with the 14 presidents and academic deans to launch a new strategic plan to propel the organization through a new era for higher education. Before joining ACM, Malunda spent nearly 20 years leading community and civic engagement initiatives at the University of Chicago.

Keith Maskus '76

General Trustee

Arts and Sciences Professor of Distinction in Economics, University of Colorado. Maskus received his master's degree and Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. He is an expert in international trade and finance and has been a lead economist at the World Bank. He has also been a research fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics and at the Kiel Institute for World Economics, and an adjunct professor in Australia, Germany and China.  

Donovan W. Pepper P'26

Vice Chair of the Committee on Governance

Donovan Pepper P'26 is the senior director of government relations and civic engagement for Walgreens, overseeing local and state government affairs in several regions including Texas, New Mexico, and New York City. He previously served as the national director of local government relations for Walgreens, and before that, served as director of government relations for the Illinois Restaurant Association. Pepper's career also includes roles with SBC (now AT&T), the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, and the Illinois House of Representatives. He has been honored by President Barack Obama and the Corporation for National Public Service and was inducted into the Samuel K. Gove Illinois Legislative Internship Hall of Fame. His son Dakota Pepper '26 is currently enrolled at Knox.

Susan C. Plomin '86

General Trustee

After graduation worked as an actuarial consultant for Mercer.  Plomin then turned her attentions to charitable endeavors.  Where she served on the boards of nonprofit organizations, including Christ Child Society of Detroit, Conner Prairie Alliance, and the Benvenuto Women’s Club of Milan.  Today she volunteers her talents to the Oakland County Lighthouse, Habitat for Humanity and the AARP Tax-aide Foundation.

James R. "Bud" Potter '63

General Trustee

Co-founder Londrigan Potter Randle P.C. Potter earned his juris doctorate from the University of Iowa and a master's in business administration from the University of Chicago. He serves as a trustee for the YMCA of Springfield, serves on the Board of Directors for the Prairie State Bank & Trust, is past president of The American Civil Liberties Union Springfield Chapter, and is a founding director and member of the Board of Directors for the Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Illinois Capital Region. Potter joined the Knox College Board of Trustees in 1979 as an alumni trustee and rejoined the Board in 1994 as a general trustee, moving to emeritus in 2018. He and wife Mary Jo Howe Potter '63 are members of the Ellen Browning Scripps Society and the Old Main Society.

Tino Schuler '87

General Trustee

Founder, Schuler Educational Consulting. Schuler guides young people and their families on the college selection journey and provides them with a host of financial, database, and management services. Schuler has more than 20 years of experience as a medical device marketing executive at Medtronic. He previously served as an alumni trustee before becoming a general trustee and has been a member of the Business Advisory Council and the K Club.

David A. Schulz '74

General Trustee

Floyd Abrams Clinical Lecturer, Senior Research Scholar and Director of the Media Freedom and Information Access Clinic at Yale Law School and Senior Counsel at Ballard Spahr, LLP. He defends the newsgathering activity and content of such news organizations as The New York Times, Associated Press, CBS, Hearst, Conde Nast, BuzzFeed, Gizmodo, and other media outlets. His Yale clinic provides pro bono legal services to defend the newsgathering rights of journalists and advocacy organizations. Schulz is ranked one of the top First Amendment Litigators in the country by Chambers USA. He earned his B.A. in mathematics and economics, M.A. in economics and J.D. at Yale University.

Janice Vyn Sharry '73

General Trustee

Partner, Haynes & Boone LLP, Dallas, Texas. Sharry received her J.D. from Southern Methodist University and is a leading corporate securities and mergers and acquisitions lawyer. Over the course of her career, Sharry has served as a trusted advisor to numerous corporations and private equity firms, navigating complex multi-national transactions and capital raises. Her experience in the energy, aviation, healthcare, and food industries includes work on many transactions having a value in excess of $1 billion and others that involve crisis situations. Jan has served as a host for alumni events in the Dallas area.

Charles E. Shirley

General Trustee

Charles Shirley is East Region Tax Leader for PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Private practice where he has served clients with intense passion and competence for over 30 years. Shirley is a trusted business advisor to clients in a broad range of industries including retail, distribution, manufacturing, technology, logistics, real estate, and service companies. He advises all forms of taxpayers including: C corporations, S corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, individuals, trusts, estates, and foundations. He is frequently called on by his clients around the globe for his expertise on international and state matters. His client list is solely composed of private clients with revenues ranging from $50 million to $4 billion.  

Shirley received his bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Connecticut and his master’s degree in taxation from the University of Hartford. He also participated in the Kellogg School of Business/PricewaterhouseCooper’s Family Enterprise Advanced Education Program.

Dan Spaulding '99

General Trustee

Chief People Officer, Zillow Group, Seattle, Washington. Spaulding received a MS in human resources and industrial relations from the University of Illinois. Before joining Zillow, Spaulding was Vice President of Human Resources for U.S. stores and retail operations at Starbucks, overseeing 140,000 employees across the country. Prior to that, he worked at Life Technologies and Dell, Inc., which included an expatriate assignment in China.

Juliana Tioanda, '95

General Trustee

Senior business leader at Microsoft (Xbox). Tioanda is currently residing in Bellevue, Washington, with her husband Aaron Khoo '96. Tioanda majored in modern languages while at Knox and received her MBA from American University. Her career spans multiple industries—technology, consulting, financial services, education, real estate, and video gaming development. She credits Knox for key foundational life and career skills—critical thinking, respecting diverse perspectives, inclusive approach, putting people and community first. A background in languages honed her skills of bridging, and connecting diverse groups of stakeholders toward a common understanding or goal. She volunteers with Alumni Engagement and the Bastian Family Center for Career Success.

Frederick "Rick" Veague '79

General Trustee

Rick Veague is Chief Technology Officer with IFS North America, a leading developer and provider of enterprise scale business applications globally.  Rick works with leading IFS customers and prospects with a focus on enterprise asset management, field service and complex manufacturing solutions, leveraging leading edge technology to drive transformative business outcomes. Rick joined IFS in 1999, and has held various pre- and post-sales positions, and is based in Itasca, IL.  He holds a degree in Computer Science and Mathematics from Knox College.

Scott L. Westerman ‘84

Vice Chair of the Committee on College Finances

Retired Executive Vice President and General Manager, Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits North Central Sub-Region, based in Saint Louis, Missouri. Prior to his role at Souther Glazer's Wine and Spirits, Westerman held sales and management positions in the wine and spirits industry in Ohio, Texas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois and California. He graduated from Knox with a bachelor’s in economics and business administration. He has returned to campus to serve as a judge for the Business Intensive Seminar and the Fullbridge Program. 

Susan Haerr Zucker '78

General Trustee

Retired, Vice President and General Counsel, City Real Estate Incorporated, Chicago, Illinois. Zucker received her J.D. from Washington University. She has been an active volunteer for Knox, serving on the Alumni Council and Knox Fund Steering Committee, as well as hosting both Advancement and Admission events in the Chicago area. Prior to joining the Board as a general trustee, Zucker served as an alumni trustee, where she chaired the Board's facilities subcommittee.