Calmese, Marker inducted as new Illinois College trustees
Joseph Calmese ’07, of St. Louis, Missouri, and Joanna Marker ’02, of Charlotte, North Carolina, were inducted at the winter meeting of the Illinois College Board of Trustees held on February 24-25, 2023.
“I am delighted to welcome two exceptional alumni to the Illinois College Board of Trustees,” Board Chair Steven R. Mills ’77 said. “Trustees Joseph Calmese and Joanna Marker bring a wealth of skills and abilities to our board in addition to a passion for serving their alma mater. I look forward to working with them to advance the mission and vision of the College.”
Calmese is chief executive officer of ADDMAN Engineering. He began his career as an engineer and held leadership roles with several firms before joining ADDMAN as CEO. He has extensive leadership and professional experience in administration, business, long-range planning and engineering.
After graduating from Illinois College with a Bachelor of Science in physics, Calmese studied engineering in the Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Manufacturing Engineering Dual Degree Program. In 2017, he earned an MBA from the Washington University in St. Louis Olin Business School.
Calmese was elected to the Illinois College Alumni Association Board of Directors in 2021. He and his wife, Marilu Torres, have four children and are members of the Illinois College Society.
“Servant leadership has been a guiding principle in my 20-year commitment to the Illinois College community, a special family that has taught, nurtured, challenged and supported me in countless ways,” Calmese said. “Now, as a new member of the board of trustees, I am dedicated to championing this leadership principle and fostering an environment where students can develop their leadership potential. I am excited for the opportunity to serve the students of IC — past, present and future — to advance the mission of Illinois College and help shape the next generation of compassionate, innovative and effective leaders.”
Marker is lead principal for distribution performance at Northwestern Mutual, where she has held a number of roles over the course of a more than 20 year career. She is an experienced leader with experience in administration, business, human resources and sales and marketing.
Marker received her undergraduate degree in business and managerial economics from IC and earned an MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2009. She holds designations from The American College of Financial Services as a chartered leadership fellow and chartered life underwriter.
Marker and her husband, Eric Dettmann, are members of the Illinois College Society.
“I am honored and thrilled to join this esteemed group of trustees as a new board member,” Marker said. “The work that the board does has generational impacts; the opportunity to support the ongoing sustainability of Illinois College in this way brings me great joy.”
For a complete listing of the Illinois College Board of Trustees, visit ic.edu/trustees.