News

The 27-member board includes alumni representatives elected to advance their alma mater through participation in meetings, specific committee work in the areas of engagement, enrollment and employment and to assist with the work of the Office of Advancement and Alumni Engagement. 

Kevin Lister ’81 was elected as president for a two-year term and Kerry Grubb Cox ’86 P’14, Mary Gail Hood Kwiecinski ’82, Bob Moore ’78, Cara Pratt-Fleming '06, and Tamar Norville Walleser ’16 will serve 5-year terms as directors. 

President-Elect Kevin Lister ’81 brings decades of experience working in nonprofits including the American Cancer Society, Southern Illinois University Foundation, and St. Louis College of Pharmacy. He has worked in alumni affairs, fundraising and volunteer management and is now retired. Lister resides in Carbondale and is actively involved in his community as a proud member of the Carbondale Kiwanis and the Jackson County Board and an advisor for the SIU Aviation and Automotive programs. 

Lister credits his experience at IC with teaching him the importance of “being involved, service and trying new things.” He stressed these lessons to the hundreds of students he mentored working in higher education. As a student at IC, Lister served on the Student Forum (Government), the Student Activities Board, and Homecoming Committees. He ran track for two years and belonged to Sigma Pi. He is a current member of the Illinois College Society, Sturtevant Society, and a regular participant in the IC Athletic Golf outing. He completed a five-year term on the Illinois College Alumni Association Board.

“Anyone who knows me knows I am pretty much a 10 on the extrovert scale. I know I will cherish the opportunity to meet new alums and visit with those from my past to share passion for our Illinois College,” Lister said. 

Kerry Grubb Cox ’86 P’14 has a strong professional background as a lifelong educator. Since 2019, Cox has been a clinical assistant professor of educational leadership at the University of Illinois Springfield. Cox has held several leadership including superintendent at Carrollton CUSD#1 and building principal in several schools in the Ball-Chatham and Carlinville School Districts. She began her career as an elementary teacher in Chatham and Winchester.

As an IC student, Cox was involved on campus and made many lifelong friends. She was involved in cheerleading, women’s track, theatre, and served as senior class vice president. Her husband Steve Cox ’86 and their sons Carter Cox ’14 and Caleb Cox ’14, along with several other family members are all graduates of Illinois College. Cox said that her liberal arts education has been invaluable throughout her life and she is thrilled to be able to give back to her alma mater in her new role. 

“I truly value the variety of opportunities that I had as a student and as a parent of students at IC. My experiences as a teacher, leader and educator provide me with the passion, background, and skills to add to this organization,” she said.

Mary Gail Hood Kwiecinski ’82 is a successful podiatrist and owner of Libertyville Podiatry in Libertyville, Illinois. As a student, Kwiecinski was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon literary society, Women's Collegium, choir and madrigals, Hilltoppers Theatre Club, and a student-athlete on softball and volleyball. She was also a standout student and member of Beta Beta Beta Biology Club.  

Kwiecinski said that she enjoys sharing good news about IC and she never misses an opportunity to “sing the praises of Illinois College.” 

“I feel the educational and social experiences I had at IC helped me get  to where I am today in both my personal and professional life,” she said. “I am looking forward, as a member of the IC Alumni Association Board, to continue to promote Illinois College to both new students and alumni alike.”  

Bob Moore ’78 is president of Moore Healthcare Consulting, LLC. He is retired from his role as chief executive officer of Gateway Regional Medical Center located in Granite City. He has more than 35 years’ experience as a healthcare executive in Illinois, Missouri, Florida, Pennsylvania, Arkansas and Alabama.

As a student, Moore was involved in the Rambler Newspaper, Rig Veda Yearbook, Pi Pi Rho literary society and the Student Activities Board. He says these experiences have played an important role in his life, personally and professionally, throughout his life. 

Moore calls the opportunity to serve the institution that shaped him “an honor and privilege.” 

“My wife Sherry (Kwater) and I have been loyal supporters of Illinois College over the years and have established an endowed scholarship for students choosing to enter the medical field,” he said. “I believe being a part of the Board would allow me to help build an even stronger future for Illinois College and for me to give back to a College that gave me so much.”

Cara Pratt-Fleming ’06 is an attorney in Springfield, Illinois, and currently works as a supervisory regional counsel with the Department of Children and Family Services. She earned her law degree from Saint Louis University School of Law and has 13 years professional experience.  

As a student at IC, Pratt-Fleming was an Orientation Leader, member of SIFE, Phi Alpha Delta Pre-Law Society and a tour guide. She recalls her time on the Hilltop being filled with positive memories. Pratt-Fleming has continued to serve her alma mater as a volunteer in various capacities since graduating. 

“The liberal arts education I received at IC provided me with a strong foundation for a successful career and life,” she said, adding that it will be an “honor and a privilege” to serve the College that has served three generations of her family, including her siblings Dawn Pratt May ’02 and Lisa Pratt Dewerff ’12, and father Robert Pratt ’82. 

Tamar Norville Walleser ’16 is a certified Master Resilience Trainer for the United States Army. She has a master’s degree in sports psychology. In her professional work, she has taught others how to face and overcome adversity, while performing at one's optimal level of performance, and previously at a hospital as a medical assistant and scribe. 

During her four years at IC, Walleser competed in tennis, soccer, basketball, and track & field. She was involved in music and theatre departments, and a member of Mu Phi Epsilon and Chi Beta. Walleser belongs to a legacy family and several of her siblings and family members have graduated from IC, including Hall of Fame Inductees Melissa Norville Johnson ’13 and Candy Norville Scheuers ’10. 

Walleser said she is most excited about the opportunity to “aid in creating a culture of partnership between the Alumni Association and the future alumni” in her new role. 

“I hope I am able to take the mentorship, advice, and support that I received and pay it forward,” she said. 

The Alumni Association will hold its first meeting of the academic year during Homecoming Weekend on Friday, Oct. 13. See all members of the Alumni Association Board at  ic.edu/alumni/AlumniAssociation.