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Regional Alumni Chapters

Whether you've moved across the state or across the country, IWU Regional Alumni Chapters are here to help you stay connected! Join a Chapter to find, network, and socialize with other Titans.

Mission: To create positive connections with Illinois Wesleyan alumni, parents, and friends by engaging within local communities through volunteer-led efforts in partnership with the Office of Alumni Engagement and the Alumni Association. 

If you are interested in joining a Regional Alumni Chapter, or would like to start a chapter in your community, please fill out this quick Get Involved form.

Alison Mulikin headshot Arizona Facebook Group

Regional President: Alison (Braksick) Mullikin '10
Scottsdale, AZ.
Account Executive at Aon
IWU Major: Accounting
IWU Activities: Alpha Gamma Delta, Accounting Society, Ambassador's Club, Student Senate, The Argus
What advice would you give to fellow alumni? Pay it forward - think of those that made an impact on you during your years at IWU and give back; even the smallest thing can make a difference.
Why are you an active alum? To stay connected to and involved with the University - I take pride in my Alma Mater!

Guy Gebhardt headshot Atlanta Facebook Group

Regional President: Guy Gebhardt '69
Marietta, GA.
Retired from the United States Department of Justice
IWU Major: Political Science
IWU Activities: Acacia Fraternity President & Rush Chairman, Senior Class Vice President, Freshman Class Treasurer, Interfraternity Council Social Chairman, Debate Team, Blue Key
What advice would you give to fellow alumni? I would advise fellow alumni to stay connected with their classmates. As graduates of a liberal arts college, we were fortunate to form friendships with others who had a wide range of majors, interests, and careers.
Why are you an active alum? I enjoy interacting with fellow IWU alumni.

Regional President: Christopher Kerz '72
Northern California Facebook Group

Steve Lomvardias headshot Southern California Facebook Group

Regional President: Steve Lomvardias '99
Los Angeles, CA
Chief Technology Officer and General Counsel at Oaza Media
IWU Major: Political Science
IWU Activities: The Argus
What advice would you give to fellow alumni? Be kind.
Why are you an active alum? To interact with other alums. 

Champaign Facebook Group

We are currently seeking a new Champaign Chair. If interested please email Kaylee Mathison at kkurtz@iwu.edu. 

Karolina Sodic headshot Chicago Facebook Group

Regional President: Karolina Sodic '13
Chicago, IL
Nurse Manager at Shirley Ryan AbilityLab
IWU Major: Nursing
IWU Activities: Club Volleyball, Titan Orientation Leader, Anatomy & Physiology Teacher’s Assistant
What advice would you give to fellow alumni? Find a mentor who will challenge you professionally and give you opportunities to excel.
Why are you an active alum? I really enjoyed my time at IWU, and I wanted to stay involved in its community and help plan events to bring alumni together.

 

Regional President: Kim Kempf '92
Glen Ellyn, IL
Senior Events Manager at Les Turner ALS Foundation
IWU Major: History
IWU Activities: WESN
What advice would you give to fellow alumni? Stay involved! Try to as much as you can to keep involved with IWU and its alumni. 
Why are you an active alum? I have always wanted to do more as an alumna but time constraints with my career prevented me. I was fortunate enough to have extra time in my schedule to do more with IWU at this point. 

Dallas Facebook Group

We are currently seeking a new Dallas Chair. If interested please email Kaylee Mathison at kkurtz@iwu.edu. 

Earl Franz headshot Denver Facebook Group

Regional President: Earl Franz '70 
Broomfield, CO
Retired Marketing Executive
IWU Major: Business Management
IWU Activities: Student Senate, Acacia
What advice would you give to fellow alumni? Remember the life lessons we learned at IWU.
Why are you an active alum? I enjoy giving back to the University I loved.

 

Chris Unger headshot

Regional President: Chris Unger '10
Denver, CO
Insurance Defense Litigation Attorney with American Family Insurance
IWU Major: International Studies
IWU Activities: Admissions Ambassador, Alpha Phi Omega
What advice would you give to fellow alumni? Network! With so many IWU alums all over the country, you never know who you will meet and where that connection will lead you. We all love talking about our time at IWU, so get out there and meet people.
Why are you an active alum? It is important for me to give back and to welcome alumni to the Denver area. I want to be able to connect alums in the area to grow our network and the IWU network.

McLean County Facebook Group

We are currently seeking a new McLean Co. Chair. If interested please email Kaylee Mathison at kkurtz@iwu.edu. 

Regional President: Kara (Rocheleau) Lazarus '95 Headshot of Kara Lazarus
Minneapolis, MN
Principal & Founder of Think Pink Idea Consulting
IWU Major: Mathematics and Economics
IWU Activities: Math Society, Economics Society, Alpha Phi Omega Service Fraternity, Soccer Team
What advice would you give to fellow alumni? Let's be there for each other and lift each other up. Think about ways that you can go above and beyond for fellow alumni and our Alma Mater. The rewards will come back to you tenfold.
Why are you an active alum? With living in Minneapolis, it can be more challenging to stay connected with IWU and this is a great way to do that. Plus the real bonus is I get to work with my college roommate and former business partner, Erica (Moore) Nowak!

 

Regional President: Erica (Moore) Nowak '96Headshot of Erica Nowak
Edina, MN
Director of Payer Contracting for Tactile Medical
IWU Major: Biology
IWU Activities: Chemistry Teacher's Assistant, Math Club, Soccer, Alpha Phi Omega Service Fraternity
What advice would you give to fellow alumni? Enjoy your memories from IWU and try to stay connected with them. The shared memories are the best.

Todd Kumler headshot New York City Facebook Group

Regional President: Todd Kumler '07
New York City, NY
Economics Consultant at Cornerstone Research
IWU Major: Economics and Mathematics
IWU Activities: Student Senate, College Democrats, Habitat for Humanity, Economics Society
What advice would you give to fellow alumni? You can be involved as an alum even if you live farther away from IWU.
Why are you an active alum? I wanted to network with fellow alumni and remain connected to the University and its current students.

Al Black headshot Peoria Facebook Group

Regional President: Al Black '79
Washington, IL
Retired From AT&T 
IWU Major: Business Administration
IWU Activities: Dodds Hall President, Interhall Council, Pre-Weekend Committee Chair for Homecoming ‘78. 
What advice would you give to fellow alumni? Volunteer! It is a great way to make new friends and affect positive change for others as well as yourself. It does not take as much time as you might think and can be very rewarding and fun, too! Organizations are always looking for volunteers, so it’s important that you choose one (or more!) you have a passion for helping. For example, my primary volunteer organizations are Illinois Wesleyan University, Heart of Illinois United Way, and Washington Helps Its People (WHIP) food pantry.  

Wes Dyke headshot Regional President: Wes Dyke '02
Raleigh, NC
Finance & Operations Analyst at Hope Community Church
IWU Major: Public Accounting
IWU Activities: Collegiate Choir
What advice would you give to fellow alumni? Always continue developing yourself and reaching higher. Pursue excellence in all you do! Use your unique gifts and talents to serve others. 
Why are you an active alum? It's a way to use my unique gifts, talents, and placement to serve others and give back!

Mandy Leifheit headshot Seattle Facebook Group

Regional President: Mandy Leifheit '96
Seattle, WA
Account Executive for Microsoft Advertising
IWU Major: Business
IWU Activities: Alpha Gamma Delta
What advice would you give to fellow alumni? If you move to a new city, connect with the alumni group. It's a great way to meet people! 
Why are you an active alum? I moved to Seattle and one of the first things I did was find the IWU alumni group. I met great people and attended fun events. I became the chair of the Seattle alumni group five years ago. I was happy to help connect Seattle area alums to support IWU, gather together, and give back. Over the years we have been able to give back together by volunteering at Seattle Children's Hospital and Food Lifeline.

Regional President: Jane Locascio '79

Erin E. Milligan headshot St. Louis Facebook Group

Regional President: Erin E. Milligan '04
St. Louis, MO
Staff Attorney with U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs 
IWU Major: Behavioral Psychology 
IWU Activities: Alpha Phi Omega, Psi Chi, Habitat for Humanity
What advice would you give to fellow alumni? Take Minor's instructions to heart. Go into the world and do good. And encourage others to do the same. 
Why are you an active alum? My time at IWU was invaluable. I wanted to connect and reconnect with fellow graduates, faculty, staff, and students, and I wanted to engage in activities that promote my Alma Mater.

Amy Tenhouse headshot Washington, D.C. Facebook Group

Regional President: Amy Tenhouse '97
Arlington, VA
Vice President of Federal Affairs at Molina Healthcare
IWU Major: Political Science and History
IWU Activities: Volleyball, Student Senate
What advice would you give to fellow alumni? It is important to stay connected, collaborate, and network with other alumni. Getting involved with Illinois Wesleyan in some capacity -- through an affinity group or committee – is a great way to do that!  
Why are you an active alum? I want Illinois Wesleyan to continue to have the best and brightest students in attendance. Alums are great ambassadors for the University, and we need to utilize our time and talents to show potential students the great alumni network they will have at their disposal when they graduate from IWU.  

 

Kaylee Mathison - Director of Alumni Engagement

Department - Alumni Engagement