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Board of Directors

CLASS OF 2027

Tia Anderson, Assistant Vice President
Heartland Bank & Trust Company

Amanda Christensen, Regional Superintendent
DeKalb Regional Office of Education (ROE)

Matt Duffy, Executive Director
DeKalb Chamber of Commerce

Dr. Lisa Freeman, President
Northern Illinois University

Michael Hall, City Manager
City of Sycamore

Tom Hutchinson, Commercial Account Executive
Nicor Gas Company

Rob Larkins, Owner-Operator
Northern Rehab Physical Therapy Specialists

John McCann, Economic Development Business Manager
ComEd, an Exelon Company

Ishmael McGhee, Managing Partner
Equitable Commercial Lending

Dr. Bill Nicklas, City Manager
City of DeKalb

Pramit Patel, President
EO5 Hotels (Hampton Inn & Home2 Suites-DeKalb)

Pinky Raina, CFO
IDEAL Industries, Inc.

Tara Tenario, Community Representative
Meta

CLASS OF 2026

Mike Carpenter, Real Estate Broker
RVG Commercial Real Estate

Kelly Gillespie, Owner
Express Employment Professionals

Derek Hiland, County Administrator
DeKalb County Government

Mike Kokott, Vice President Operations
Northwestern Medicine

Mike Leopardo
Curran Contracting Co.

Adam Nissen, Engineering Project Manager
Syngenta Seeds R&D Innovation Center

Foti Pappas, Vice President
Pappas Developments, LLC/Cornerstone LLC

Cortney Strohacker, Executive Director
DeKalb County Convention & Visitors Bureau

Dan Templin, Executive Director
DeKalb County Community Foundation/DCCF

Rose Treml, Executive Director
Greater Sycamore Area Chamber of Commerce

Jerry Wahlstrom, Realtor
Century 21 Affiliated

Elisabeth Williams, Sr. Vice President
SomerCor

Class of 2025

Dr. Laurie Borowicz, President
Kishwaukee College

Paul Callighan, Retired- ComEd Public Affairs

Tom Matya, Executive Director
Opportunity House

Greg Millburg, Manager
DeKalb County Farm Bureau

Frank Roberts, Vice President
First National Bank

Jim Stoddard, Partner
Klein, Stoddard, Buck & Lewis, LLC

Weaver, Tom, Owner-Operator
Weaver Management/Construction

NON-VOTING EX OFFICIO MUNICIPAL LEADERS

Cohen Barnes, Mayor
City of DeKalb

Ryan Block, Village President
Village of Kirkland

Steve Braser, Mayor
City of Sycamore

Jonathan Brust, Mayor
City of Genoa

Brad Edwards, Village President
Village of Kingston

Suzanne Fahnestock, Village President
Village of Maple Park

John Frieders, Chairman
DeKalb County Board

Don Goncher, Village President
Village of Shabbona

Aaron Grandgeorge, Village President
Village of Somonauk

Mary Hess, Township Supervisor
DeKalb Township

Robert Iversen, Village President
Village of Malta

Todd Latham, Mayor
City of Sandwich

Mark Pietrowski, Jr., Mayor
Town of Cortland

Sarah Quirk, Village President
Village of Hinckley

Pete Robinson, Village President
Village of Waterman