Brian Smith
Brian Smith, Manager, Rockford’s Northwoods League manager
Former pitching coach Brian Smith is taking over as manager of the Rockford’s Northwoods League.
The former NIU pitcher and first baseman for NIU will in charge the 18-team league, the largest organized baseball league in the world and a proving ground for the pros.
A three-time captain at NIU, Smith graduated in 2009 with a bachelor’s degree in communication-media studies and a master’s degree in sports management in 2011.
He was a 2006 Northwoods League all-star in 2006 and led the Madison Mallards in wins in 2007. He was named to the Mallards’ All-Decade team in 2010 and was a coach for the Mallards in 2009, the pitching coach for the University of St. Francis in 2012 and for the Windy City ThunderBolts in the Frontier League the last three years. He also pitched for the Joliet Slammers of the Frontier League in 2011-2012.
Terry Horan, president and CEO of Rust-Oleum subsidiary
Terry Horan
RPM Inc., the holding company for Rust-Oleum, has appointed Terry Horan as president and CEO of its DAP Group.
Horan has served as DAP’s executive vice president of sales and marketing. Prior to that, he served as president of Master Lock Co. and president and CEO of Robert Bosch Tool Corp., North America.
He also spent 11 years with Rust-Oleum. While there, he held a number of positions, including senior vice president of marketing for five years.
Horan earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Northern Illinois University and an MBA from the University of Notre Dame.
Sherwin Brook named professional of the year
Sherwin A. Brook of Chicago has been recognized by the International Association of Who’s Who for Exemplary Achievements in the field of financial services.
Brook is a managing partner with BrookWeiner LLC, a full-service CPA firm serving the Chicago area.
He attended Northern Illinois University, earning his bachelor’s degree in accounting in 1967. Upon graduation, he attended the prestigious Northwestern University – Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and earned an MBA in 1969.
Jennifer J. Fronek, VP of finance
The American Board of Medical Specialties, a leading organization that oversees the standards for physician board certification, has named Jennifer J. Fronek certified public accountant and vice president of finance.
Fronek brings to ABMS a wealth of financial, strategic, leadership and audit experience in both the nonprofit and corporate business sectors. Most recently, she served as the vice president of finance for the United Way of Metropolitan Chicago, where she advised executive and senior leadership on financial planning, risk management, policy compliance and investment priorities while managing the operating budget and financial reporting.
She is a graduate of Northern Illinois University with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and is a certified public accountant.
James McKinney, CFO of Banc of California
James McKinney has been promoted to chief financial officer at Banc of California Inc.
McKinney will be responsible for accounting, tax, financial and regulatory reporting, and financial analytics.
He previously served as the company’s chief accounting officer. Before joining the company, he was vice president, controller and principal accounting officer at International Lease Finance Corp. He also has held positions at RBS Asset Finance, KPMG and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
McKinney holds a B.S. in economics and computer science from DePauw University and a master’s degree in accounting from Northern Illinois University.
Chris Weber, group account director, GA Communication Group
GA Communication Group, one of the nation’s leading independent, full-service healthcare communications agencies, has hired veteran marketer Chris Weber as senior vice president, group account director.
With 24 years of healthcare agency experience on both the creative and account sides of the business, Weber will help lead GA through a period of strong business growth, using his deep experience in oncology and neurology to support the launches of multiple new brands and new drug indications, initially for products treating chronic lymphocytic leukemia and epilepsy.
Weber joins GA from Flashpoint Medica in New York, where he worked for two years as senior vice president, planning director on major U.S. and global accounts in oncology and diabetes. He also served as the strategic lead on the U.S. launch of a respiratory disease product.
Over the preceding 22 years, Weber worked in a succession of increasingly responsible leadership roles at Corbett Accel Healthcare Group in Chicago, starting as a copywriter in 1991 and rising through various creative and account management positions to the role of senior vice president, category leader, in 2012.
He holds a B.A. in English from Northern Illinois University.
Ben Bingle
Ben Bingle, manager of DeKalb County Nonprofit Partnership
The DeKalb County Community Foundation has hired Ben Bingle as the DeKalb County Nonprofit Partnership manager.
Bingle has worked seven years at Northern Illinois University, most recently in a role with the Center for Non-Governmental Organization Leadership and Development. In this role he collaborated with community-based organizations, performed research, coordinated trainings and worked directly with students as a research mentor, academic advisor and instructor. Since 2012, he has published nine book chapters and two peer-reviewed journal articles.
He serves his community as a board member of the Ellwood House Association and as a member of the DeKalb County Nonprofit Partnership steering committee. He is also a member of Phi Alpha Alpha Honor Society for Public Administration, the Midwest Political Science Association and the Council on Undergraduate Research.
Ben earned his master’s degree in public administration from Drake University and is working on his dissertation for a Ph.D. in political science from NIU. He was awarded NIU’s Supportive Professional Staff Presidential Award for Excellence in 2015, Monmouth College’s Young Alumnus Award in 2014 and NIU’s Outstanding Graduate Student Award in 2014.
Kevin Vrba, CFO of Shorr Packaging
Kevin Vrba has been promoted to chief financial officer of Shorr Packaging Corp., a leader in strategic packaging products, equipment and solutions.
Vrba began working at Shorr as the controller in March 2014. Prior to that, he held senior finance roles at Coopers Hawk, TopGolf and Bar Louie after spending 12 years in public accounting at Crowe Horwath.
Kevin Vrba received his bachelor’s degree in accountancy from Northern Illinois University. He is a certified public accountant and member of the American Institute of CPAs.
Kenneth Mennemeier
Kenneth Mennemeier, judge of Sacramento County Superior Court
Gov. Edmund G. Brown Jr. has appointed Kenneth C. Mennemeier to a judgeship in the Sacramento County Superior Court in California.
Mennemeier, 58, of Sacramento, has been a partner at Mennemeier Glassman LLP since 1997. He was a shareholder at the Diepenbrock Law Firm from 1995 to 1997 and a partner at Orrick, Herrington and Sutcliffe LLP from 1989 to 1995, where he was an associate from 1983 to 1988.
He earned a Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan Law School and a bachelor’s degree in political science from Northern Illinois University.
Deidra McIntosh
Deidra McIntosh, human resources at Fehr Graham
Fehr Graham recently announced the addition of Deidra McIntosh as a human resources generalist in the firm’s administrative division.
McIntosh will provide leadership in the areas of benefit administration, employee relations, staff acquisition and development in the consulting services business.
Prior to Fehr Graham, she was responsible for labor relations, payroll and benefits, employee relations, recruiting, and training in the industrial sector.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in organizational/corporate communication from Northern Illinois University and a master’s degree in organizational leadership from Ashford University-Iowa.
Kevin Boyle, vice president, Merit Foods
Tucson-based Merit Foods of Arizona has brought on Kevin Boyle as vice president of business development.
Boyle, who has more than 37 years of experience in the food service industry, was director of sales and marketing at Ace Foodservice before moving to Shamrock Foods, where he was a sales manager for 25 years and a sales representative.
He received a bachelor’s degree in psychology and anthropology from Northern Illinois University.
Jim Davenport, adviser, Sentinus
The Oak-Brook based wealth management firm Sentinus, formerly Reynolds Financial Group, has hired Jim Davenport as an adviser.
Davenport served a six-year tenure at Charles Schwab, where he was vice president, financial consultant and registered representative.
He is a graduate of Northern Illinois University with a bachelor’s degree in finance and is an accredited asset management specialist. He is currently working toward a certified financial planner designation.
Greg Feeney
Greg Feeney, VP at Kentucky college
Greg J. Feeney has been named vice president of academics and workforce development at Bluegrass Community and Technical College in Lexington, Ky.
Feeney most recently served as dean of academics at BCTC. Prior to that, he was in other administrative roles in academics, including assistant dean of history, languages, and social sciences at the college. He achieved the faculty rank of full professor and has been at BCTC for 18 years.
He earned his doctorate, with an emphasis in interpersonal and health communication, at the University of Kentucky. He completed his master’s degree at Northern Illinois University, with an emphasis in communication theory and organizational communication.
Chris Weber, VP at GA Communication Group
The Chicago-based GA Communication Group, one of the nation’s leading independent full-service healthcare communications agencies, has hired veteran marketer Chris Weber as senior vice president and group account director.
With 24 years of healthcare agency experience on both the creative and account sides of the business, Weber will help lead GA to support the launches of multiple new brands and drug indications.
Weber joins GA from Flashpoint Medica in New York, where he worked for two years as senior vice president and planning director on major U.S. and global accounts in oncology and diabetes.
During the last 22 years, he worked in leadership roles at Corbett Accel Healthcare Group in Chicago, starting as a copywriter in 1991.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Northern Illinois University.
Dustin Schrank, principal, East Peoria
Dustin Schrank has been named the principal of Central Junior High School in for District 86 in East Peoria, Ill.
Schrank, 30, of Peoria, began his career at CJHS a year ago as the assistant principal. Prior to that, he worked in Spring Valley.
Schrank, a native of Bigfork, Minn, earned an elementary education degree at Northern Illinois University and a master’s degree at St. Francis in Joliet, Ill.
Brian Lamm, principal, Freeport
Brian Lamm, is the new principal of Taylor Park Elementary School in Freeport, Ill.
He has spent more than 15 years as a Freeport educator and most of those have been spent at Freeport Middle School. He taught seventh- and eighth-grade English/language arts for seven years before becoming assistant principal in 2011. He became a Freeport educator by teaching third and fourth grades at Lincoln-Douglas Elementary School for five years.
After growing up in Rockford, he attended Rock Valley College and Illinois State University. He has a master’s degree in educational administration from Northern Illinois University.
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