The Knox College Board of Trustees officially welcomed five alumni to its ranks on July 1, 2019: James “Bud” Potter '63, David S. Mitchell '83, Julie K Rademaker '83, Valerie J. Blevins '86, and Amy Ragnini Olson '91. Potter, Mitchell, Rademaker, and Blevins will serve as general trustees, Olson as alumni trustee.

James R. “Bud” Potter '63 received his bachelor's degree in economics and business administration. He was a member of Beta Theta Pi and a letter winner in football. Potter earned his juris doctorate from the University of Iowa and a master's in business administration from the University of Chicago.

Potter co-founded Londrigan Potter Randle P.C. in 1970. He gives back to the Central Illinois region 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.

David S. Mitchell '83 received his bachelor's in economics at Knox and received a master's in business administration in finance from the J.L. Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. A member of Tau Kappa Epsilon, Mitchell endowed a scholarship for close friend and TKE brother David Marino '82 and is a Lincoln-Douglas Society member with gifts focused on the Knox Fund and scholarships and financial aid.

Mitchell is fund manager at William Blair & Company, LLC.  He has held roles in equity analysis at firms and banks, has been an equity trader and money market portfolio manager, and is a member of the CFA Institute and the CFA Society of Chicago.

Julie K. Rademaker '83 received her bachelor's in political science from Knox, graduating magna cum laude and a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She received her juris doctorate from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law and was a member of the Northwestern University Law Review.

Rademaker is a partner at Barack Ferrazzano Kirschbaum & Nagelberg LLP. Her practice encompasses a broad range of commercial real estate matters, including development, leasing, financings, property sales and acquisitions, and joint ventures. In 2019, Rademaker was once again 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 Knox College President's Circle.

Valerie Blevins '86 received her bachelor's degree in economics at Knox and earned her J.D. from the University of Nebraska. She was most recently chair of the Alumni Council and is the Kansas City Knox Club Representative. At Knox, she was a member of Pi Beta Phi, a letterwinner in basketball, and a member of the inaugural Senior Challenge Committee.

Blevins is an attorney at Shook, Hardy & Bacon LLP. She serves the trial firm's health, science, and technology clients. Blevins started her career at Shook as a paralegal before earning her J.D. from the University of Nebraska College of Law. She has extensive experience preparing clients for trial in complex product liability matters. Blevins currently serves on Shook's Volunteer Committee and Junior Women's Management Council Leadership Committee.

Amy Ragnini Olson '91 earned a bachelor's degree from Knox in economics. A member of the swim team and a member of the first Knox women's soccer team to compete in the NCAA Midwest Conference, Olson is a supporter of the Prats Field renovation project, and member of the K Club Engagement Council and K Club fundraising initiatives.

Executive Vice President of Marketing and Sales at BankFinancial, NA, Olson has spent 31 years in the banking industry, holding producer and leadership roles in global, regional, and community financial institutions in the Chicagoland market. She is a graduate of The Consumer Bank Association's Graduate School of Retail Bank Management and was NASD licensed for 23 years.