Northeastern Illinois University Announces New Board of Trustees

CHICAGO, April 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Governor J.B. Pritzker appointed five new members to the Board of Trustees of Northeastern Illinois University, pending confirmation by the Illinois Senate. The five newly-appointed Trustees join current Trustees Ann Kalayil, Ph.D. (B.A. '82, Computer Science), Marvin Garcia (B.A. '83 History, M.A. '08 Educational Leadership), and student trustee Shyrice Howell.

"As an alumnus of Northeastern Illinois University, I am excited to join the board of trustees," said José Rico, the newly appointed chair of the board. "As a first-generation college student, Northeastern is largely responsible for the success I have today. Many of Northeastern's students are nontraditional students, from working-class families, and many are Latino like me. I am proud of the support Northeastern provides its students through outstanding academic, extracurricular and financial aid programs. As chair, I look forward to working alongside the president, faculty and staff to shape the future of our institution for its deserving students and the larger community."

Rico (B.A. '99 University Without Walls) is the director of Solidarity Heals: Truth, Racial Healing and Transformation Greater Chicago and was formerly the chief partnership officer for United Way of Metropolitan Chicago. Rico served as the former executive director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics in the administration of President Barack Obama and is a member of multiple associations, including the Chicago Commission on Human Relations Advisory Council on Equity, the National Collaborative for Health Equity Culture of Health Leadership Institute for Racial Healing, and the University of Illinois Latina/Latino Alumni Association Board. He earned his Master of Arts in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment from the University of Illinois Chicago.

Other appointees include:

Paula Wolff, Ph.D., is the director of the Illinois Justice Project, a civic organization that develops and implements policy initiatives and programs to reform the criminal justice system by addressing youth trauma and reducing youth and adult violence, crime, and incarceration. Wolff served as president of Governors State University and has extensive experience in government and education. Wolff earned her bachelor's degree from Smith College and a master's and doctoral degree in political science from the University of Chicago.

J. Todd Phillips is the CEO of Parson Partners and spent 20 years in various positions in corporate America. Phillips earned a bachelor's degree from Morehouse College and has completed executive education programs at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, J. Mack College of Business at Georgia State University, and the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Phillips previously served the University as a board member of the Northeastern Illinois University Foundation, an adjunct professor, and chairman of the Executive Advisory Council for the College of Business and Technology.

Northeastern alumna Michelle Morales (M.A. '12 Educational Leadership, School Leadership) has 24 years of nonprofit and alternative education experience and currently serves as the president for Woods Fund Chicago, where she has established organizational plans, policies and procedures to fight against the systemic racism and economic injustices that impact students across Chicago. Morales earned a bachelor's degree in Latin American Studies and earned a master's degree in Special Education from the University of Illinois Chicago.

Betty Fleurimond currently serves as a principal at Deloitte Consulting, leading their Higher Education Cloud ERP Portfolio and chairing the global Deloitte Center for Higher Education Excellence. She began her career in Information Technology Systems, where she served as project lead at Lucent Technologies. Fleurimond earned her bachelor's degree in Mathematics and master's degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

The Board of Trustees serves as the governing body of Northeastern Illinois University. Complementing this work, the Northeastern Illinois University Foundation, a separate 501(c)3 organization, develops and stewards private support for the University. The Foundation Board also celebrates new leadership including its first Latina President, Olga Camargo, treasurer Jagannath Bobji, and secretary Patrick Shine (B.A. '82, Business and Management and Economics)." 

"This is an exciting time for our new Board members and our university. We are energized by Governor Pritzker's plan to increase funding for all Illinois universities to help working-class residents gain access to a high-quality education. Northeastern will continue to provide all our students with opportunities for a successful future," said Rico. 

ABOUT NORTHEASTERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY

Northeastern Illinois University offers more than 40 undergraduate degree and certificate programs and more than 50 graduate degree, certificate, licensure and endorsement programs. The Main Campus is located on 67 acres in an attractive residential area on the Northwest Side of Chicago. The University has additional locations in the metropolitan area, including the Jacob H. Carruthers Center for Inner City Studies, El Centro and the University Center of Lake County.

SOURCE Northeastern Illinois University