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Donathan Brown ’06 was honored with the Young Alumnus Award. He is associate professor, director of faculty diversity and development for the School of Humanities and Sciences, and degree coordinator of the Culture and Communication program at Ithaca College in Ithaca, N.Y. He is a 2017 U.S. Fulbright Professor in Slovenia, former editor of the Journal of Race and Policy and has authored and edited four recent books about civil rights and contemporary race issues. After graduating cum laude from Illinois College with a major in communications and theatre, Brown earned a Master of Arts degree in communication and rhetorical studies from Syracuse University and a Ph.D. in communication studies and political science from Texas A&M University. He has won several awards for teaching, made various media appearances and had multiple stories printed in publications including the Christian Science Monitor and Huffington Post. Brown credits many of the Illinois College faculty and staff for their encouragement and influence on his personal and intellectual development. 

Rebecca Richards ’01 was the esteemed recipient of the Young Alumna Award. As a student,  Richards was a Trustee Scholar, having been granted one of the College’s prized full-tuition scholarships. She was involved in numerous campus organizations including Alpha Phi
Omega, Student Alumni Association and Pi Sigma Alpha, the national political science honor society that she worked to bring to IC. Richards was the valedictorian of her graduating class, with a double major in history/political science and international studies. She taught English in Japan through the JET Program and then moved to the United Kingdom. She received a Master of Arts degree in international relations and security from Lancaster University in 2003 and a Ph.D. in international relations at the University of Bristol in 2009. Richards is a lecturer in international relations at Keele University in Staffordshire, United Kingdom. She is recognized as an expert on political development in Somaliland, has authored a book on the subject and presented her work at academic institutions throughout the world. Richards said that IC taught her to “not only see, but also to experience the world,” which is a lesson she continues to pass on to her students today.

Nicholas Capo, professor of English at Illinois College was honored with the Faculty Ambassador award for his contributions to the College and the community. He has previously served as associate dean of the College and coordinator of academic advising. Capo has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and a minor in history, as well as a Master of Fine Arts degree in English from Pennsylvania State University. He has written, contributed and reviewed scores of refereed articles and academic publications on various higher education topics. He is an elected member of The Literary Union, volunteers as a prose judge for the Jacksonville Public Library’s Author of the Year Writing Contest and contributes as a guest columnist to the Jacksonville Journal-Courier. “When you teach at a small college, you often teach and talk to students through each semester of their years until graduation, and then you remain in contact with them as their careers develop,” said Capo. “One of the greatest rewards in this type of work is trying to help people achieve their dreams, and then watching their delight as those dreams happen for them.”

Marcia Billhartz was recognized with the Friend of the College Award for her outstanding contributions to continue the work of her late husband, Warren Billhartz ’49, who gave his alma mater $100,000 in 1995, knowing the gift would reap a lifetime of rewards for the many students who would eventually be touched by his generosity. The financier and philanthropist who died in 2006 left a legacy that continues today to be a rich source of support for a growing number of future investors and stockbrokers. His initial gift established the Warren Billhartz Student
Investment Club which became instrumental in helping countless Illinois College students trade with actual currency after conducting extensive research of the market before taking a position on whether the club should buy or sell. Marcia Billhartz has continued this work, most recently establishing the Warren and Marcia Billhartz Experiential Learning Fund to support student-faculty research. Marcia Billhartz gives credit to her husband when asked why she continues to invest in Illinois College students. She explains, “My true gift in life is my husband, Warren Billhartz. He held much admiration for his alma mater. I love keeping his legacy alive,
never to be forgotten.”

Wendy Good Henry ’83 was honored with the Distinguished Service Award. Henry is managing partner of the St. Louis and Decatur offices for BKD, one of the largest CPA and advisory firms in the U.S. In her role, Henry oversees the administration, planning and operations for approximately 125 personnel serving more than 4,500 business and individual clients. She has more than 30 years of experience providing audit and consulting services to a variety of organizations. Henry serves on the boards of the United Way of Greater St. Louis, St. Louis Zoo Association and Mercy East Foundation. She is a member of the Regional Business Council and co-chairs the higher education committee. She was honored as one of the 2011 YWCA Corporate Leaders of Distinction and a 2011 St. Louis Business Journal Most Influential Business Women. A magna cum laude graduate of Illinois College, Henry earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration with an accounting emphasis.Henry says she is proud of her “roots” and the solid education Illinois College provided. “IC was my foundation for success,” Henry said.

James Voyles ’65 was also the recipient of a Distinguished Service Award. Voyles credits a well-rounded liberal arts education from Illinois College as setting the groundwork for a successful life and career. He has shown the same passion and commitment over the 50 years he has spent practicing law as he did as a student, building a reputation as one of the most powerful attorneys in Indiana. After graduating from Illinois College with a Bachelor of Science degree, Voyles studied at the Indiana University McKinney School of Law – Indianapolis where he earned his law degree in 1968. He has defended major felony cases at both the state and federal levels, and handled several high-profile cases with a list of clients that includes Steve Jackson, Al Unser Jr. and Mike Tyson. After serving as law clerk to Indiana Attorney General John J. Dillon, Voyles has spent his entire career at the firm now known as Voyles Vaiana Lukemeyer Baldwin & Webb. He is a member of the Indiana Supreme Court Character and Fitness Committee, former member of the Indiana Supreme Court Committee on Race and Gender and is consistently listed in Woodward White’s “Best Lawyers in America” in the area of criminal law. The Illinois College Trustee Emeritus was recognized by the College for his many years of service to his alma mater with an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in 2015. A proud alumnus, Voyles wrote, “I can honestly say that my education at Illinois College gave me the foundation I needed to prepare me for the hard work that was ahead of me in law school and my eventual career as a criminal defense attorney.”