Glenn Hollister, ’73, has fond memories as a first-generation college student, but as an alumnus, the golden moments at NIU are more profound.

“I truly believe I have had more ‘NIU highlights’ after graduating,” Hollister said.

As a proud alumnus and donor, Hollister has served on Huskie Athletics and College of Business advisory boards, visited classrooms as a guest lecturer, and started a program to offer NIU students real-world business experience. He enjoys sporting events, including attending several MAC Football Championships and Bowl games, fall weekends at Huskie Stadium, performances by the School of Music, and basketball and concerts at the Convocation Center. Most notably, Hollister served on the Golden Huskies Reunion committee and celebrated his 50-year class reunion at the Golden Huskies 50+ Reunion in 2023, igniting a desire to champion the next generation of Huskies through scholarships.

Hollister and his wife, Sharon, M.A. ’92, have since committed to establishing the Glenn and Sharon Hollister Golden Huskies Endowed Scholarship for First Generation Students and contributed to the Golden Huskies Scholarship Fund.

Golden Huskie Challenge

Today, Hollister is challenging fellow Golden Huskies (NIU alumni graduating 50+ years ago) to make a gift of their own. Any gift, to any area of interest, from a Golden Huskie counts toward the $19,740 goal to unlock Hollister’s $50,000 gift to start the endowment.

The Golden Huskies Scholarship Fundraising Campaign was launched this year to raise scholarship funds to support students who demonstrate the most need across all NIU colleges and departments. As witnesses to the rise in tuition costs since the 1970s, when the cost to attend NIU was roughly $330 per year, the Golden Huskies have come together to show their support and Huskie Pride by establishing a pathway for fundraising.

Hollister raised his hand high, not only to support the Golden Huskies Scholarship but also to encourage and nurture first-generation students. With 50 percent of the students in the latest freshman class being the first in their families to earn a degree, many students are working their way through school while assisting with family obligations. The Glenn and Sharon Hollister Golden Huskies Endowed Scholarship for First Generation Students will ease financial burdens for these students and support NIU’s mission to be an engine for social mobility. As an endowment, Glenn and Sharon’s investment will provide ongoing support for countless generations of Huskies and their families because the gift itself is invested, and a portion of the earnings will be used to fund scholarships in perpetuity.

“I felt I had accomplished a major milestone within our family when graduating,” Hollister said. “I knew how much it meant to my parents. Through the Golden Huskies Scholarship and our scholarship for first-generation students, we can support students in need for years to come. I hope the recipients can continue or complete their education while enjoying their time at NIU. I also hope they will be as thankful as I was for the opportunity and that their degree will bring as much joy to their family as it did to mine.”

Hollister said giving back is a core value to his generation. With this focused campaign approach, and by increasing awareness of giving options for NIU alumni, he wants to see more Golden Huskies help students reach their lifetime goals. Without having received his own scholarship, Hollister may not have attended or graduated from NIU.

Scholarship Impact

Growing up in Bristol, Wisconsin’s small, rural community, Hollister learned early on the importance of a strong work ethic and education.

“In addition to my dad’s full-time job as a truck driver and county highway worker, he worked two to three other part-time jobs to help make ends meet,” Hollister said. “I spent most summers working on my uncle’s dairy farm, where I learned about long days, hard work, and taking on responsibility at an early age. I was driving tractors and pickup trucks at the age of 12.”

Hollister’s parents, Glen and Myrtle, were both high school graduates; they encouraged their two children to do well in school and go to college despite not having the financial means to help. Working at Bristol Oaks Country Club golf course while also playing varsity golf all four years at Salem Central High School—and winning some tournaments—paid off for Hollister. He was recruited by NIU Golf coach Jack Pheanis, and with a partial scholarship in hand, Hollister came to DeKalb in the summer of 1969 and lived with three other NIU golfers.

The lessons Hollister learned growing up helped him to balance the time demands of collegiate golf, classes, and studying while working part-time.

“My parents instilled upon me the importance of hard work, living up to your commitments, and finishing what you started,” Hollister said. “So, I came to NIU with a partial scholarship, worked at the Kishwaukee Country Club to pay for the rest, played on the men’s golf team, lettered during my junior and senior years, and graduated in four years with no college debt as a first-generation college graduate.”

Hollister graduated with a bachelor’s degree in economics and continued working at the Kishwaukee Country Club, where he had worked his way up from mopping the floors and cleaning the bathrooms as a student to tending bar. After reaching out to companies for a career in sales, a country club member who worked at IDEAL INDUSTRIES INC in Sycamore suggested that Hollister apply to work there.

“I applied for a sales position, and after interviewing and taking some profile tests, they said I had some analytical skills and asked if I would be interested in an Assistant Product Manager position,” Hollister said. “I immediately said yes. My first 12 months W2 was slightly under $8,000, and I was in heaven.”

Hollister spent his entire 41-year career at IDEAL, holding sales, marketing, management, and general management positions. Although he relocated only twice, once to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and then to the Toronto, Canada, area, he logged over three million miles flying during his career. In 1986, he returned to DeKalb, where he has remained since. In 2015, he retired as senior executive vice president.

Finding the IDEAL Connection

About a month after joining IDEAL, Hollister was invited to a coworker’s retirement party. While there, Hollister met one of his coworker’s two daughters, Sharon, a recent Purdue graduate working as a speech therapist in the Sycamore School District. Eventually, the two started dating and were married on June 14, 1975, about a year from when they first met.

Sharon earned her master’s degree in speech pathology from NIU and spent several years as a speech therapist in DeKalb schools before working at NIU as a clinical supervisor in Communicative Disorders. There, she focused on school-age speech and language and worked with the hearing impaired.

“I consider Sharon as much of a Golden Huskie as I am,” Hollister said. “When we returned to DeKalb in 1986, with our two sons Brett and Eric, ’05, we rekindled our relationship with NIU and immediately got season tickets for football and men’s and women’s basketball games. NIU was part of our family.”

IDEAL not only allowed him to meet Sharon but also offered ways for Hollister to build a stronger relationship between IDEAL and NIU.

He initiated a sales associate program at IDEAL, where they hired graduates of NIU and other universities to come to IDEAL and enter a six-month overall training program. After that, they were assigned to a U.S. sales territory.

“IDEAL employs dozens of NIU students as interns every year, many of which are offered full-time employment after graduation,” Hollister said.

After retiring, Hollister spent two years helping to create and oversee the IDEAL – NIU Intrapreneurship Program. The program was designed to give NIU undergraduate students real-life experience designing products, conducting market research, and developing a business plan. The ultimate goal, however, was for students to be hired by IDEAL and for the company to create a business unit to manufacture these products and bring them to the market. IDEAL had a facility dedicated to this program in DeKalb.

NIU Golden Years

Enriched by his experiences in DeKalb and at NIU, Hollister has become a key contributor to the growth and development of both communities. His professional and philanthropic endeavors are woven into the DeKalb community and garnered recognition from NIU.

Glenn and Sharon are also committed to supporting NIU Athletics and NIU Golf, which are still very close to Glenn’s heart. Over the years, they have contributed to various capital projects, and in 2018, they created an endowment that would award an ongoing annual academic scholarship for both the men’s and women’s golf programs. In 2018, Hollister was honored with the Huskies Legend Award from NIU Athletics for his contributions to and support for the athletic program and in recognition of his involvement with students and faculty over the years.

In 1994, Hollister received the William J. Hendrickson Award for Outstanding Contribution from an Alumnus from the Department of Marketing.

“I was honored to be recognized for my contributions,” Hollister said. “NIU was the springboard for successful careers, and many of us found ways to give back or still want to find ways to give back. Today, I’m excited to continue my support while working with the Golden Huskies Committee to bring awareness of how to get involved and give back.”

“Last year, we had a lot of fun attending all of the events during Homecoming,” Hollister continued. “While I only knew a few of the attendees at the reunion, I had made several new friends by the time the night ended. It was great to share stories of our time on campus, from concerts, athletic events, protests, and overall life on campus.”

Hollister said he remains an active Huskie because NIU helped define who he is today.

“Whether it be by volunteering, providing financial support, promoting the quality of getting an education at NIU, proudly wearing the Cardinal and Black, and most importantly, believing in Forward Together Forward, we all can represent and champion NIU with pride. I am extremely proud that I was and will always be a NIU Huskie!”

Robert Yadgir, ’86, was raised in a family that believed strongly in volunteerism and public service.

Yadgir served as director of communications and senior policy advisor to Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White from 1999 to 2023 and as director of public relations for the Office of the Cook County Recorder of Deeds while White held that position from 1993 to 1999.

Yadgir has also served since 2012 as volunteer executive director of the Jesse White Foundation, which supports programs benefiting at-risk youth and provides educational opportunities for low-income students, including the famous Jesse White Tumblers.

This year, after decades of working in the public sector, Yadgir joined two friends, retired Secretary of State press secretaries Dave Druker and Henry Haupt, in founding their own media, advocacy, and public policy consulting firm: Druker, Yadgir & Haupt.

It is for his decades of dedication to public service that Yadgir is receiving the 2024 Alumni Achievement in Public Service Award.

Yadgir grew up in the Rogers Park neighborhood on Chicago’s North Side and moved with his family to the suburb of Glenview when he was 12. He has two older siblings, John and Vicky. His father was an executive at a carbide tool company, Metal Removal, and later owned his own company, while his mother was a small business owner and worked for A.C. Nielsen and Signode Corp.

Yadgir said his father had a strong influence on his life and that he learned early on the importance of helping those around him and in his community.

“My father was very active in the Assyrian community in Chicago,” he said. “He volunteered at the Chicago Assyrian-American Club, an organization my grandfather was a founding member of. He organized fundraisers, coordinated the annual picnics and supplied and cooked the food. He also served as a leader in our Assyrian church and for AMVETS Post 5, the Assyrian-American U.S. veterans organization in Chicago.”

He continued, “He used his role as an executive at Metal Removal to hire hundreds of Assyrians and sponsored many Assyrian families to start new lives in the United States. My father set a standard of volunteerism that helped shape my desire to help others through public service and volunteering my time to uplift others.”

Yadgir took those inspirations with him when he moved to NIU as a freshman and lived in Douglas Hall.

“I was our D4 floor president, worked at the front desk, and conducted Douglas Hall tours for incoming freshmen and their families,” he said. “It was there that I gained confidence and learned that I liked to help those around me.”

He later moved off campus to the College Square Apartments, where he met his wife, Patricia “Patty” (Bakalis), ’85, M.S.Ed. ’88. The couple have been married for 37 years and have two sons: Mike, 33, and Paul, 30. Patty is a licensed counselor, manages a charter school, serves on the Illinois Executive Ethics Commission and once served on the NIUAA Board of Directors.

“I loved everything about my experiences at NIU, the good, the bad and the ugly; every part of it was a learning and growing experience for me,” Yadgir said. “I came to NIU as a shy freshman with no real direction or plan; when I graduated, I was confident, focused and determined to make my mark on society.”

Yadgir named three professors who had a special impact on him: Ging Smith, Albert Walker and Russ Eldridge.

“Each of them instilled in me a desire to learn and – perhaps more importantly – to apply what I learned on campus to real-life personal and professional settings,” Yadgir said. “Learning is important; knowing how to apply concepts to improve a policy, or streamline a message, or build an organization defined by key principles is priceless. This was an important impact these professors had on me, and I remain grateful to them.”

Yadgir said it was shortly after graduating from NIU that he met Jesse White while the now-retired statesman was serving as a state representative in Springfield.

“After earning my bachelor’s degree from NIU, I started my public service career as a staff member in the Illinois House of Representatives,” he said. “My three years there were comparable to earning a master’s degree. It’s there that I learned the legislative and political process, and it’s there where I learned how impactful state government can be on the lives of the people of Illinois.”

Yadgir describes White as one of the state’s most impactful political leaders.

“As his communications director/senior policy advisory, I was part of the team that executed Jesse White’s agenda for the office: restoring integrity to the office that had been plagued with public corruption and wrongdoing prior to our administration; improving customer service and modernizing the office; and making Illinois roads as safe as possible,” Yadgir said. “I’m proud of our work there, the positive impact we made on the lives of Illinoisans, and for accomplishing key goals that greatly improved the Office of the Illinois Secretary of State.”

Yadgir described the goal of his new consulting firm as “working with good people to accomplish good things.” In addition to securing paid clients, the firm is committed to giving back by providing pro bono services to worthy causes. The firm will specialize in media relations, crisis communications, internal and external communication strategies, advocacy, and public policy development, implementation, and communication. Yadgir and Haupt are founding partners; Druker will serve as a senior adviser.

To Yadgir, public service is an honorable profession and can be a wonderful, fulfilling career.

“Too often we hear about those who use public service to line their own pockets, resulting in a common belief that public officials and those who work for the government are ‘crooks,’” he said. “This is a debilitating misconception that drives talented, well-meaning people away from public service. The vast majority of those working in the public sector are dedicated public servants who do amazing jobs every day to improve the lives of the public. It deserves to be emphasized that a career in public service empowers a person to accomplish more for the common good than many other career fields. A career in public service can be that powerful if executed correctly and with the right intentions.”

Yadgir said it’s a tremendous honor to be recognized by his alma mater for his career in public service.

“NIU played an outsized role in my life: it is, most importantly, where I met my wife, but it also gave me purpose and direction that have served me well in my life and professional endeavors,” he said. “I have spent most of my career working behind the scenes; to be recognized for my impact on our state is humbling.”

A distinguished professor at Kansas State University’s Department of Agronomy, Charles W. Rice, ’77, has conducted innovative research for decades in climate science, even being part of a UN team that received the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize, and it all began with an undergraduate class at NIU that ignited his passion for what would become his career.

As a professor, Rice specializes in soil microbiology, carbon cycling and climate change. He received the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for his work with the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and his research has been supported by more than $90 million in grants from the USDA, the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Science Foundation and others.

It is because of this success and dedication that Rice is receiving the 2024 Alumni Achievement in the Sciences Award from the NIU Alumni Association.

Rice grew up in a subdivision outside the small rural town of Yorkville, Illinois, with two younger siblings – Diane and Mark. His father worked in a factory, and his mother worked as a cook at the Yorkville grade school.

Rice remembers being active in the local 4-H chapter.

“I did several different 4-H projects, including gardening, cooking and small engine repair,” he said.

Rice said he always enjoyed nature and the sciences as a youth.

“My parents were very encouraging even though they were not involved in the sciences,” he said. “They bought me a chemistry set and a microscope. I remember one experiment where my mom and I cut a hole in an eggshell, incubated the egg, and watched the embryo grow into a chick.”

Rice’s teachers were impactful even in his younger years.

“I had some very influential teachers,” he said. “My third- and fifth-grade teachers were very influential; we did several hands-on science projects. In high school, the biology teacher inspired me further in the sciences. I became a lab assistant for high school biology during my junior and senior years. I was also selected to be part of a small group to spend an extended weekend at the sand dunes in Michigan, where we studied the succession of plant communities from the beach to the climax forest.”

Rice started as a biology major at NIU but switched his major to geography, with an emphasis in natural environmental systems, after taking an honors course in water resources taught by Ken Bowden, who also served as his advisor.

“That course changed my career goals,” he said.

Rice said professor Steve Messenger inspired him in the field of soil science. Both professors encouraged him to go on to graduate school.

“I did an undergraduate research project and was a teaching assistant for the introductory soils lab course,” he said. “The summer between my junior and senior years, I did a summer internship at Argonne National Laboratory, where I did a project on surface mine reclamation.”

Following his graduation from NIU, Rice earned an M.S. in soil science in 1980 and a Ph.D. in soil microbiology in 1983, both from the University of Kentucky.

He has been a member of Kansas State University’s faculty since 1988.

“My geography degree from NIU prepared me to think globally and understand both human and natural systems in the context of global geography,” he said. “I took courses in soil, water, meteorology, and cartography, all of which prepared me for my current research program.”

While at NIU, Rice lived in Douglas Hall for the first three years. He remembers his floor being active in sports, including touch football and softball. He worked at the hall’s front desk on the night shift, either from midnight to 4 a.m. or 4 to 8 a.m. Rice enjoyed hanging out at Douglas, in the library or the coffee room at Davis Hall, or at Candlelight Inn off campus.

Douglas Hall is also where he met his wife, Sue (Broquist), ’76, a Rockford native. They got married before his senior year and moved into an off-campus apartment. The couple has a daughter, Sarah, who lives with her husband, Shea, and their four children in Overland Park, Kansas.

When asked about his legacy, Rice said he wants to make a positive impact on agricultural sustainability and the environment, as well as on the students he has mentored.

Rice is proud of being lauded by his alma mater.

“This award is very rewarding because it recognizes my dedication to the sciences and education,” he said. “I am honored to receive this award.”

Former Huskie Marching Band drum major Bryan Miller, ’89, brings his accomplished career as a music educator, military band conductor, professional orchestra conductor, and trumpet artist to serve on the NIU Marching Band Alumni Council (MBAC).

As a lieutenant colonel, Miller served as commander and conductor of the Air National Guard Band of the Midwest, the 566th Air Force Band for 25 years. He has performed at Mount Rushmore, Rockefeller Center Plaza, and Independence Hall to audiences of honor, including, Apollo Astronauts, the Tuskegee Airmen, and American and foreign Heads of State. He led missions for two Southwest Asia and Africa deployments and performed at funeral memorial honors for President Ronald Reagan.

“It is an honor to be able to serve our nation,” said Miller. “I had the privilege of playing a part in many meaningful military and civic events, and the joy of working with tremendously dedicated professionals. The training I received at NIU played a significant role in my success serving in this capacity.”

Miller joined the MBAC to raise awareness and support for the Huskie Marching Band and help facilitate the annual alumni marching band Homecoming activities.

“NIU regularly invited me back to be involved with School of Music events throughout my career, so it was an easy decision for me to get involved with the Marching Band Alumni Council,” he said. “Homecoming activities are a major undertaking. Despite this, the time commitment has been reasonable because all of us serving also have family and career obligations. The people are great, and it’s been fun reconnecting with alumni and NIU.”

NIU gave Miller the foundation for his success.

Miller grew up without the means to attend college but was fortunate to receive a generous full scholarship, which made it possible for him to attend NIU to study music education. He credits the incredible training and opportunities from School of Music faculty, such as professors Stephen Squires, Charles (Tim) Blickhan, Ron Modell, Carl Roskott, Frank Bibb, and others, for changing his life and leading him to a great career.

“I loved my time at NIU!” said Miller. “I was fortunate to be there during a special time for the School of Music because there were so many opportunities available for us. While there, I benefitted not only from incredible professors, but also from outstanding classmates. Serving four years as drum major for the Huskie Marching Band and participating in the NIU Jazz Ensemble, Philharmonic Orchestra and Wind Ensemble were all highlights that helped me throughout my career.”

Miller recently retired from his role as music chair for the national award-winning Leyden High Schools in Franklin Park and Northlake, Illinois, from 1994-2024. He also had affiliations with or held positions at Elmhurst University, VanderCook College of Music, North Central College, and the National Association for Music Education’s National Council of Music Program Leaders. Today, he serves as a visiting associate professor and director of music education for North Central College, supervises music education student teachers for NIU and leads the Naperville Youth Symphony Orchestra’s Brass Choir.

As founder and artistic director of the Chicagoland Educators Orchestra, Miller has guest-conducted numerous ensembles, including the United States Air Force Band, Wheaton Municipal Band and the Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra, of which he is an alumnus. Proudly playing the trumpet under Maestro Daniel Barenboim, he performed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Lyric Opera brass sections for the Arnold Jacobs Memorial tribute concert at the Chicago Symphony Center. Miller is also a founding member of the Pete Ellman Big Band, a well-known 18-piece band performing jazz classics throughout Chicagoland.

Gearing up for NIU’s 117th Homecoming October 13-20, Miller is excited to welcome back Huskie Marching Band alumni to participate in Homecoming activities.

“Alumni returning to DeKalb for Homecoming will enjoy seeing the marching band flourish under Dr. Thomas Bough’s leadership, and I’m looking forward to the ‘Fill the Field’ event because this year will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the NIU Show Band and the enduring impact of its founder and director, Michael Th. Embry,” Miller said. “Not only does the council entertain at Homecoming, but fellow alumni and council members are also involved in providing opportunities to current Huskie Marching Band students through mentorship and scholarship assistance throughout the year.”

Blagovesta Tagareva, M.B.A. ’22, has found an easy way to connect with Huskies while also amplifying the NIU alumni community. Tagareva is an NIUniverse social media ambassador.

As an ambassador for two years, Tagareva describes her role as an extraordinary way of giving back to her alma mater. She reviews and shares NIU Alumni Association articles highlighting alumni, volunteers, students, and donors to her social media network. Taking her less than an hour each week, it easily integrates into her day and is accessible from a mobile device—enabling Tagareva to participate when she has just a few minutes to spare.

“Learning about other NIU alumni and their success stories is inspiring,” she said. “Staying connected on social media by sharing NIU alumni news and events also inspires others, especially the younger generation, to choose NIU for their academic path.”

The NIUniverse program elevates pride among the entire Huskie community and brings together alumni in a unique and approachable way. It also keeps ambassadors engaged with contests for opportunities to win Huskie swag.

Tagareva enjoys participating and was pleased to share her NIUniverse volunteering accomplishments and feedback during a focus group looking for ways to improve the NIUniverse experience. She offered ideas on ways to further engage alumni and to promote the social media ambassador opportunity.

“I highly encourage other alumni to volunteer with NIU, not just for the grand prizes and perks that NIU provides but also to continue engaging and supporting our unique and phenomenal Huskie community,” Tagareva said.

Tagareva came to NIU to pursue her M.B.A. while working for Advocate Aurora Health (now Advocate Health), where she held various roles in health information management for over five years. Prior to attending NIU, she received her Certified Professional Coder (CPC) and Certified Professional Biller (CPB) certifications from the American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) and also earned a Master of Public Administration and Bachelor of Business Administration from South-West University “Neofit Rilski” Blagoevgrad in Bulgaria.

She began attending NIU M.B.A. evening classes and later switched to the first online M.B.A. program NIU offered.

“I was working full time, studying in the evening, and volunteering for the AAPC in various elective leadership positions at a local chapter,” Tagareva said. “Earning my M.B.A. required some personal sacrifices, like attending family gatherings and holidays, spending time with friends, and traveling.”

Tagareva was impressed by NIU’s knowledgeable academic and professional administrative staff and immediately felt welcome.

“Everyone at NIU was vested in my academic success and professional growth after graduation,” she said. “The program had a rigorous focus on becoming a dynamic and creative leader by learning how to manage and resolve complex issues and make strategic decisions. As a first-generation American, I felt well accepted due to NIU’s diverse and inclusive academic and social environment, and I made long-lasting friendships with fellow Huskies.”

After graduating, Tagareva continued to grow her career at Advocate Health, where she now serves as a health information quality and training specialist.

“I am very grateful for the opportunity to help others by training professionals to achieve high performance and success while fulfilling my dream of caring for others by supporting healthcare professionals in providing high-quality patient care,” she said.

Tagareva anticipated taking a break from volunteering after graduation, but she didn’t. She had a strong desire to give back and help others and began shifting her attention to other areas—including her church, a local Bulgarian professional association and NIU.

“When I learned about the opportunity to become an NIUniverse Social Media Ambassador, I didn’t wait a second to join the program run by the NIU Alumni Association,” she said. “It is such a rewarding experience to support my fellow Huskies in staying connected and engaged with our alma mater on social media and share our success with future Huskies.”

Click here to learn more about volunteer opportunities at NIU, or contact us at volunteer@niu.edu or 815-753-2586.

Ryan Weidner, ’98, M.B.A. ’12, is elevating his strong partnership with the NIU Alumni Association, this time as a board member. He brings his energy, established professional network, and wealth of experience to the role.

“I wanted the opportunity to offer my time and talents back to the institution that has meant so much to me and has significantly contributed to my success and growth,” Weidner said about joining the board beginning July 1.

As co-founder, president and CEO of Pollyanna Brewing Company, Weidner is already a committed partner of the NIU Alumni Association through Dawgma, a collaborative Kölsch-style ale, adored by Huskies for its name, logo, and taste, and as a gracious host of alumni events at their suburban Chicago breweries over the years.

After completing his M.B.A. at NIU, Weidner was motivated to follow his dreams and unleash his entrepreneurial spirit.

“It has been a serendipitous, amazing ride!” Weidner said. “I found a few like-minded, passionate partners to join me in starting Pollyanna. In the 10 years since starting the business, we’ve grown to four locations, two brewing divisions and a distilling division. We employ approximately 80 people, have our product at nearly 1,000 retail points in Illinois, and have won 20 national and international awards for our beer and spirits.”

With its success, it’s hard to believe that Weidner’s role as Pollyanna’s president and CEO isn’t his day job. Rather, launching and growing the business has been his passion project.

During traditional business hours, Weidner serves as the director of finance for the Chicago district at Graybar. He oversees nearly $1 billion in accounts receivable and other assets through its Midwest markets.

“My team and I navigate what has become an ever-changing dynamic in supply chain management,” he said. “As a distributor of electrical, communications, data networking and industrial products, we’ve faced significant risks and challenges over the past few years.”

Weidner has been with Graybar, a Fortune 500 company, for over 26 years, interviewing with them on NIU’s campus during his senior year at NIU.

“I made one of the best decisions of my life starting a career at Graybar,” he said. “Growing up in a construction household, I spent a few years in high school and college working with my dad on job sites. Little did I know that my experience would prove invaluable as I established my career at Graybar, where most of our business is in the construction space.”

In addition to his construction background, Weidner credits his NIU education as the foundation for his professional success. As a first-generation college graduate, he essentially put himself through college (during his undergraduate years) by working when he wasn’t taking classes or studying. At the time, Weidner didn’t realize finding a balance between work and school—remaining focused on achieving his educational goals—would later serve him when striking a balance between Pollyanna and Graybar.

Weidner said he was eager to start his professional career but always planned on earning an M.B.A.

“Going back to NIU to further my education was always on my mind, and I am thrilled to have made that decision,” he said.

Today, as a double Huskie, Weidner enjoys connecting with students by sharing his wisdom and experiences as they look to the next phase of their lives. He has assisted students in the College of Business Professional Sales Program to develop their sales skills and has worked with some students to pursue post-graduation opportunities at Graybar.

“I remind fellow alumni to pay it forward,” he said. “It is extremely rewarding to contribute to the future success of others.”

Weidner is grateful to have found a balance between Graybar, Pollyanna, and family, and he looks forward to adding the NIU Alumni Association Board of Directors to the mix. He and his wife, Cyndi, are enthusiastic travelers who are either getting ready to go somewhere or planning their next trip. They are proud parents of their sons, Landon and Colin, and Saydee, their golden retriever. In Weidner’s free time, he plays disc golf, hits a new local diner for his favorite meal of the day, or cheers on the Chicago Cubs from Wrigley Field or a seat at Pollyanna.

“Pollyanna Brewing Company created a community for our customers to gather, celebrate, relax and unwind,” he said. “I enjoy spending time at one of our locations when I can. Seeing our concept and mission carried out every day by our amazing staff has been so rewarding. NIU alumni have a very similar community, and I am proud to be on the Alumni Association Board of Directors as someone who can play a role in bringing Huskies together.”

Click here to learn more about volunteer opportunities at NIU, or contact us at volunteer@niu.edu or 815-753-2586.

Award-winning CEO Catherine Lang-Cline, ’88, leveraged her 15-year career in creative marketing to build Portfolio Creative, a niche recruiting and staffing company exclusive to roles in marketing.

Combining her marketing expertise with her love for problem-solving for the last 20 years as co-founder and CEO, Lang-Cline has earned numerous awards. Columbus Business First named her “Most Admired CEO” for three consecutive years, Smart Business recognized her as a top executive of the 50 smartest companies in the Central Ohio region for four years, and Smart Business awarded her the “Smart Woman – Progressive Entrepreneur Award,” to name a few. Portfolio Creative was also recognized as an Inc 500/5000 Fastest-Growing Privately-Owned Company from 2010 to 2014.

Lang-Cline’s successful entrepreneurial leadership, extending her knowledge in creative marketing to match talented professionals with businesses around the world, is why she is the 2024 recipient of the NIU Alumni Association Alumni Achievement in the Arts Award.

Entrepreneurship and human resources were never in Lang-Cline’s career plans. From an early age, after an elementary school teacher recognized her artistic potential, she consistently wanted to pursue a career in art.

The eldest daughter of five children, Lang-Cline was the first in her family to attend college. NIU emerged as the ideal choice based on its Bachelor of Fine Arts degree, proximity to her hometown of McHenry, Illinois, and its value. At NIU, she was introduced to graphic design, and her coursework positioned her as a competitive candidate in a field that was just beginning to embrace digital design tools.

For 15 years following graduation, Lang-Cline worked as a graphic designer, both as an employee and freelancer, for companies ranging from small businesses to Fortune 500 companies. She brought her innovative vision and design, strategic mindset, and proven track record in creating high-value business models to businesses in consumer products and services, financial services, and technology.

It wasn’t until she met her business partner, Kristen Harris, that the idea for Portfolio Creative emerged.

“Because I freelanced on and off throughout my career, the idea came up to try to connect marketing professionals like me with clients like Kristen,” said Lang-Cline. “I viewed it as a spin on freelancing, and it gave me a new challenge that, at the time, I didn’t realize I needed. Looking back, I had the tools, I just needed to leap.”

Lang-Cline says the most rewarding aspect of her work is problem-solving, and she began developing those fundamental skills while at NIU.

“NIU expanded my curiosity and interests,” she said. “Although my heart is rooted in art, NIU helped me to understand various career possibilities within the field.”

As a student, Lang-Cline started her days passing by Altgeld Hall and through the courtyard on her way to the art building. She remembers the beautiful walk setting a peaceful tone to her day. While most of her time was spent in the School of Art and Design, Lang-Cline also worked at the Northern Star, manually assembling columns for the latest addition; she also waited tables at Pizza Hut. Lang-Cline credits those experiences, along with her education and exceptional professors, for providing her with valuable skills for her future.

Today, she brings those skills to Portfolio Creative, blending creativity with business acumen and focusing on innovative approaches to achieve success. She has also shared her expertise as a member of the board of trustees for the Greater Columbus Arts Council, advisory board member to the American Red Cross, board member and president to the National Association of Women Business Owners – Columbus, and as a spokesperson for the American Staffing Association, to name a few. She is also a recipient of the Deloitte Board Ready Women certification.

“I find fulfillment in mentoring others, serving on boards, and sharing my experiences,” said Lang-Cline. “Integrating creative thinking with strategic business principles has been critical to my entrepreneurial journey. My proudest accomplishment, aside from raising my exceptional daughter, is establishing a successful business, and it’s rewarding to offer my connections, showmanship, and marketing skills to other organizations.”

In addition to her leadership at Portfolio Creative, Lang-Cline is the principal owner of Catherine Lang-Cline, LLC, which helps business owners and leaders integrate their creative left brains more prominently into the fold.

“Innovation can only happen with creativity, and growth can only occur with great marketing,” she said.

She is also a thought leader and public speaker with past engagements at Ohio State University, The American Staffing Association, the WSBA Women’s Leadership Conference, and was the keynote speaker of the Women’s Conference at The OSU Fisher School of Business. Host of the Illumination Bureau and The Secret Art of Business podcasts, Lang-Cline inspires and informs listeners on entrepreneurship, strategy, marketing, human resources, and culture-building topics.

Lang-Cline’s path far exceeds what she ever imagined, and receiving the Alumni Achievement in the Arts Award is a tremendous honor.

“Being included among this exceptional group of people is an honor that I do not take lightly,” she said. “This award not only recognizes my achievements and career path, which began at NIU, but it also underscores the profound impact that my NIU experience has had on my journey and validates the direction my life has taken. The creativity, curiosity, and continuous learning NIU sparked continues to stay lit, and because of that, I have challenged myself daily to learn more, reach farther, and be a little more fearless in life.”

NIU roommates Roger Kalisiak, ‘73, M.S.Ed. ’74, and Jeffrey Tross, ’73, last saw each other in person in 1976. That was until last year at the Golden Huskies Reunion Reception, when a chance encounter led to the two sharing laughs and smiles for the first time in 47 years.

The two explained that the meeting was completely by accident, as neither had seen each other in decades and, like a lot of old friendships, theirs had fallen by the wayside through the passage of time.

There will be plenty more opportunities for reunions – both planned and unplanned – between fellow Huskies who graduated from NIU 50 years ago or more during the Golden Huskies Reunion events on Homecoming Weekend Oct. 17-19.

This year’s event will be the third annual Golden Huskies Reunion, which includes the Golden Huskies reception, where Kalisiak and Tross reconnected last year.

Tross explained that the pair had connected at NIU after living in the dorms. They had mutual friends living in Stevenson South, and they shared an apartment for a year.

June 1973 was a busy month for the two Huskies. Kalisiak was preparing to start graduate school and married his wife, Cathy, who passed away in 2015 and whom he met at NIU while she was working as an office secretary for the men’s Physical Education Department. Tross was moving to Oregon to begin graduate school at Oregon State University; He and his wife, Linda, have lived in Salem, Oregon, since 1975. With the exception of meeting up once in 1976 that they can recall, the two of them hadn’t seen each other since that month.

“There was a little bit of contact throughout the years, such as through Christmas cards, but I lost track of Jeff,” Roger said. “But I often thought of him.”

The two built their careers and their lives after parting.

Kalisiak was a faculty assistant while completing his master’s degree in education and joined NIU as an instructor and assistant athletic trainer after earning his degree. He left NIU in the summer of 1975 for a position with Palatine High School District 211, where he served as athletic trainer for 32 years. He retired in 2007 but taught for several years after retirement at NIU in its Master of Science in Athletic Training program.

Tross spent a few years working in local county government and, in 1980, established a consulting practice in land use and urban planning, which he maintained until his retirement in June 2023.

In September 2023, Tross and his wife were planning a visit to see family in the Chicago area, a trip that they make periodically.

“I had never been to an NIU Homecoming and decided the 50th was a rare, and fortunate, opportunity, so we scheduled the family visit to coincide with the Homecoming events,” Tross said. “I have only maintained contact with one other friend and alumnus from our time at NIU and he was not going to attend, so I did not expect to see anyone I knew at the reunion.”

Kalisiak, a longtime supporter of and donor to NIU, served on the Golden Huskies planning committee last year, so he attended the reunion as an alumnus and also as a committee member.

Tross and his wife arrived at the reunion on Friday evening, milled around the room with their drinks and hors d’oeuvres, and had a pleasant time but did not recognize anyone in particular.

“Eventually we decided to take a table – this is where things get weird and surprising,” he said.

When they sat down, there were only four seats left at the eight-person table. The program was about to commence, and three others, who happened to be Kalisiak’s friend and that person’s brother and sister-in-law, sat down. Kalisiak decided to sit down at the Tross’s table and introduced himself to Tross’s wife, Linda, who said, “I know you.”

“I heard ‘Kalisiak’ and coughed up an hors d’oeuvre,” Tross recalled. “I begin to stand, say ‘Roger?…’ My eyes popped out and Roger’s jaw hit the floor. Neither of us breathed for what seemed like a full minute of shocked disbelief, but I am sure it wasn’t more than 45 seconds.”

Both of them are still gobsmacked at how they ended up running into each other.

“What are the chances that Roger and I would not just meet at the reunion but that it would happen at a randomly selected table, there was one empty seat, and it was next to my wife?” Tross said. “Statisticians do not need to calculate an answer. I am satisfied that it was entirely unlikely, incredible and unbelievable. All that needs to be said is, ‘Go figure.’ The next afternoon Linda and I headed out for a short fall tour around northwest Illinois before heading home to the West Coast, but it was hard to get this chance encounter out of our heads. Still is.”

Kalisiak was equally astounded.

“I still think of all the ‘what ifs’: what if we had memory issues, and what if our health was not good? What if I did not accept the invitation to serve on the Golden Huskies committee,” he said. “I love the fact that NIU is trying to build an alumni base for people to reconnect with NIU. Out of all the alumni, who would have thought a random chance encounter like this would happen?”

Haven’t seen a fellow classmate in years or even decades? Come to the Golden Huskies Reunion this year – you’ll never guess who you’ll run into!

As vice president of public relations and communications for the Chicago Bulls, Patrick Sandusky, ’98, is leading the narrative for the most iconic team of his childhood.

“From the time I was in junior high school through college, the Chicago Bulls were the focus of not just Chicago, but the world,” said Sandusky. “To grow up in that era was really special.”

Sandusky joined the Chicago Bulls in 2023 in a newly created vice president role, overseeing both business and basketball public relations. He works closely with the team, players, coaches, and general managers to manage media communications from an organizational and team perspective.

“My responsibilities encompass everything from media training and scheduling interviews to collaborating with our communications teams on selecting the right speakers for conferences,” Sandusky said.

Growing up in the small town of Bourbonnais, Illinois, sports were Sandusky’s primary focus. By age seven, he was playing football, and shortly thereafter, he added basketball and baseball. He attended Bishop McNamara High School in Kankakee, Illinois, where he was on the football, wrestling, baseball and track and field teams.

Sandusky’s father, Jon, was a police detective, and his mother, Marge, was a nurse.

“I think the biggest part of my path was having supportive parents,” Sandusky said. “We weren’t super wealthy, but we always had everything you could want. Without much worry, I could enjoy just being a kid and doing kid things. My dad coached all my youth teams, and we had a strong community where residents loved youth sports. My high school was small and tight-knit with a long history.”

With a scholarship to play football at NIU, Sandusky described his decision to attend NIU as a “no- brainer.” He studied journalism with the intent of becoming a sportswriter.

“Growing up, I read and watched a lot of sports,” he said. “I thought I was 100 percent going to be a sportswriter so that’s why I got into journalism. I randomly took an introduction to public relations class because it fit into my football practice schedule, not even knowing what PR was or that it was a career path. Once I got down the path and learned more about the career and what I could potentially do with PR, I decided to pursue it.”

Sandusky loved his time at NIU.

“NIU was a great school with great teachers, and I loved every minute of it,” he said. “Being on the football team enabled me to meet people from all over the country, including Canada. I was also a bouncer and a bartender at Amnesia, so NIU really provided me with all aspects of campus life.”

However, the late Dr. Albert Walker most significantly impacted Sandusky while at NIU. Years later, he returned to NIU to speak at a dinner in Dr. Walker’s honor.

“Dr. Walker came out of retirement to teach PR,” he said. “He helped me network in Chicago, which led to multiple internships and making connections in Chicago.”

After graduation, Sandusky worked at a few small, Chicago-based PR firms before starting a 10-year career at Hill and Knowlton, a global PR firm where he worked in their Chicago and London offices. While in London, he was involved in that city’s successful bid for the 2012 Olympics before returning to Chicago to work on its Olympic bid. He was then hired by the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) as its chief communications officer and relocated to Colorado Springs, Colorado. His role expanded over 10 years to include public and government affairs, international relations and international bidding. He played a key role for the USOC for the successful Los Angeles 2028 Olympics and served as the head of communications for the USOC for five Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as two Pan American Games, where he also served as president of the delegation. During this time, he worked with athletes like Michael Phelps, Simone Biles, and LeBron James.

Before joining the Chicago Bulls, Sandusky oversaw communications for the Madison Square Garden Sports Corporation’s professional sports franchises, including the New York Knicks, New York Rangers, and their affiliate and minor league teams, as well as senior vice president, global head of public relations and communications for PointsBet, respectively.

Sandusky served on the NIU Alumni Association Board of Directors and is a non-executive director and board member of JTA, a leading international strategic communications firm in global sports.

Despite the challenges of moving his family around over the years and working in high-profile environments, Sandusky says his career in sports PR is immensely fulfilling. He attributes his success to the unwavering support of his wife, Kate, and their children, as well as his commitment to pushing himself outside of his comfort zone.

“Working with great athletes and telling their stories has been incredibly rewarding,” he said. “People are often just as excited to talk to me about my work as they are about their favorite sports team. Meeting Bulls fans, Knicks fans, or fans of Team USA who want to talk about what you do is truly special.”

Sandusky attended the Paris Olympics, the first Olympics he attended as a fan.

“I had been credentialed at nearly every Olympics since 2004, working either as part of a bid or with the U.S. Olympic Committee,” he said. “Finally, I had the chance to experience it with my family purely as a fan—and it was great. I believe it’s something everyone should do if they have the chance, the means, or the time at some point in their life. It’s an incredibly fun event.”

Alexa Mahoney, ’21, was an active student at NIU, participating in the Color Guard and Huskie Marching Band while earning a bachelor’s degree in English with plans to go to law school. However, an inspiring internship led her to her current occupation, and Mahoney is now the human resources and safety coordinator at Tri-City Electric Co. in Davenport, Iowa.

“My role in human resources is to help both the employees and the company succeed,” she said. “On the employee side, I recruit candidates and help onboard new hires, enter and maintain employee records, help resolve employee issues and assist with anything an employee may need to help perform their job at the highest level. From a company standpoint, I help with compliance records, making sure we are following state and federal laws.”

Born in Crystal Lake, Illinois, Mahoney moved with her family at the age of two to the town of Colona, Illinois, near the Quad Cities, where she lives today. Her mom works in human resources, which inspired her to pursue her career, and her dad was in retail, selling men’s suits. She also helped run her family’s Mexican restaurant until her grandfather retired and closed the business in 2014.

“Seeing how much my mom has enjoyed the field of human resources over her career and getting the opportunity to experience it myself made me choose to follow this path for right now, although I have not pushed the idea of going to law school out of the picture; it’s just not my current path,” she said. “If I do not go back to law school, I would like to get my master’s degree in human resources someday.”

Mahoney attended Black Hawk College in Moline, Illinois, a community college, before transferring to NIU. She had two family friends who graduated from the NIU School of Law, introducing her to the university for the first time and inspiring her initial desire to study law. She decided to visit the campus and fell in love with NIU.

“I didn’t have mapped out what my years of undergrad were going to look like, but I knew I was interested in law,” she said “I wanted to attend undergrad at a university I could potentially foresee myself staying at for graduate school. My first college visit was at NIU, and I immediately knew that was the campus I was going to call home.”

Mahoney had a pair of Department of English professors who she said impacted her experience at NIU: Joe Bonomo and Tim Ryan.

“They not only taught me a lot in their respective areas of studies, but they both encouraged and supported me while navigating my education, elevating my potential to achieve my goals at a higher level,” she said. “They both made me feel confident in my work and helped me believe that I am capable of great things beyond my education.”

It was during her last year at NIU, which was all online due to COVID, when she completed an internship in human resources back home and solidified her post-graduation career plans.

“It was that internship that made me want to pursue a career in human resources right after graduating undergrad instead of pursuing law school,” she said. “I am now certified in HR and credit my experience at NIU to helping me find my career path. Getting the hands on experience in an office setting and working besides a human resources professional provided me with a better idea of what my career path could look like in the future. It made me realize that human resources dives into employment law, which is one sector of law that I was interested in pursuing.”

Mahoney participated in cheerleading and the dance team and was in the color guard for the school’s marching band while in high school, and once she got to NIU, she continued her passion for athletics and music, joining the Color Guard and the Huskie Marching Band.

“Being a part of these groups provided me with instant connections that allowed me to adapt and feel comfortable on campus rather quickly,” she said. “I thoroughly enjoyed being involved in active student life and I was able to find close connections to my fellow peers within my major. Some of my best friends to this day are people I met at NIU!”