Alicia Parrott Claypool was the recipient of the Cristine Wilson Medal for Equality and Justice at the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in August. The Iowa Department of Human Rights and the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women recognized Alicia for founding and directing The Interfaith Alliance of Iowa and serving as the Iowa Civil Rights Commission Chair. She pushed for advancement in Iowa civil right laws that prohibited the discrimination against members of the LGBTQ community.

Jim Dunn has been named the editor and general manager of the Bureau County Republican in Princeton, Ill. Jim began his journalism career as a reporter and photographer nearly 40 years ago at this same newspaper.

Dennis Weger is the chief operating officer for the Bank of Bluffs in Bluffs, Ill.

Rob Lazarus is an assistant vice president accountable for compliance with registered investment advisor and Employment Retirement Income Security Act laws and rules at Horace Mann Educators in Springfield, Ill.

Eric Sheffield is the chair of Western Illinois University’s Department of Educational Studies in Macomb, Ill.

Paula Eschelbach Rawlings completed the Florida Xtreme Triathlon, which was three triathlons over the course of three days beginning at the Gulf of Mexico and ending at the Atlantic Ocean.

Steve Schaller was inducted in the Waterloo High School Legacy Society in September. Waterloo (Illinois) High School annually recognizes individuals who honor the legacy of WHS by their service or accomplishments. A nationally recognized speaker on consumer lending and regulatory compliance matters, Stephen is deputy general counsel of Springleaf Financial Services in Cincinnati, Ohio.

Luiz Guimarães is a regional client market leader – chemical sector for North America at Environmental Resources Management in Chicago, Ill.

Jennifer Heaton Buhlig was named president of the board of directors for Senior Services of Central Illinois. Jennifer continues in her position of director of sales and marketing for Springfield Supportive Living.

Amy Wilson, director of the office of inclusion for the National Collegiate Athletic Association, was among the five finalists for the 2017 President’s Award. The impact Amy has made in two years at the NCAA national office earned the respect of her colleagues and admiration of her nominators, placing her among the top five finalists for the coveted award.

Erin Shoemaker FitzPatrick is an assistant professor in the Department of Special Education and Child Development at University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Dr. Chris Becker has been named the next principal of Highland High School in Highland, Ill. Currently the assistant principal at Highland, Chris will begin in his new role at the conclusion of the academic year.

Carrie Jo Henry Donnan surpassed a career milestone of 300 victories in her 15^th year of coaching high school volleyball. Carrie Jo has been the head volleyball coach at PORTA Petersburg/A.C. Central for five years, following 10 years at A.C. Central prior to the merger.

Jeremy Wright is a senior internal auditor at Movement Mortgage in Indian Land, S.C.

Christina Cook is a database administrator for the Missouri History Museum in St. Louis, Mo.

Christy Heaton recently earned a Ph.D. in educational administration from the University of New Orleans. Her dissertation examined the lived experiences of transgender college students at institutions in the south. Christy is the director of first-year experiences at the University of Colorado in Denver, Colo.

Tim Tyrrell is the director of software engineering for Mediavine. He works remotely from his home office in Louisville, Colo.

Mark Dochterman is the visiting assistant vice chancellor for student engagement at University of Illinois Springfield.

Angela Ryckman Schubert received a promotion to Master of Science in Clinical Counseling Program Director for Central Methodist University in Fayette, Mo.

Michael Bendorf has been promoted to the position of associate director of enrollment technology at Illinois College.

Greg Butterfield was recognized by Mother’s Against Drunk Driving as a MADD Hero at a ceremony in Springfield, Ill., last September. Awarded to the top 25 law enforcement officers throughout Illinois, this is the fifth time the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office deputy has received the award that recognizes efforts to eliminate drunken driving and help to fight drugged driving, efforts in victim support and efforts to prevent underage drinking.

Donathan Brown is director of faculty diversity and development at Ithaca College’s School of Humanities and Sciences in Ithaca, N.Y.

Lacey Howe Remington received a master’s degree in educational leadership from Western Illinois University in Macomb.

Stephanie Smith Warren is teaching fourth grade at Carrollton CUSD #1 in Carrollton, Ill.

Andrew Perkins is deputy chief of staff for legislative affairs in the State of Illinois Governor’s Office of Management and Budget.

J.J. Sadler is the associate director of the Office of the Undergraduate Research at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Ind.

Julie Harding Dargatz is Sensi project lead at Emerson Climate Technologies in St. Louis, Mo.

Bill Murphy is teaching eighth grade social studies at Old Quarry Middle School in Lemont, Ill.

Amber Furness is a land protection specialist for Tax Credit Connection in Longmont, Colo. 

Eric Hiatt is a resource and policy analyst in the Office of Planning and Budget at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. 

Christopher Waters is a field chemist for Heritage Environmental Services in Wood River, Ill.

Clare Zimmerman has accepted a pediatrics fellowship at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo. Clare will begin her fellowship focusing on pediatric hemotology and oncology in July.

Brendan Kimble is a manufacturing/process engineer at Brady in the Buffalo/Niagra area of New York.

Carmen Kremitzki is assistant director of the Smith Career Center at Bradley University in Peoria, Ill. She primarily works as a career advisor for students in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Ross Barker is the branch manager for Insight FS in Brodhead, Wis.

Megan Jagodzinski-Joergens received a master’s degree in social work from the University of Southern Indiana in Evansville, Ind. Megan is an outpatient mental health therapist for the Lawrence County Health Department-Behavior Health in Lawrenceville, Ind., and is studying to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. 

Spencer Campbell is an associate district sales manager at Dot Foods in Chesterfield, Mo.

Allie Little Lewis is a training and communication coordinator for H. D. Smith in Springfield, Ill.

Josephine Oshiafi is a law clerk at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton LLP in New York, N.Y.

Zac Schopp is an operations manager for Motion Industries in Bloomington, Ill.

Brianna Klein is a senior business analyst for H.D. Smith in Springfield, Ill.

Brooke Kuchefski is an office assistant for United Way of Danville Area in Danville, Ill.

Brianna Pohlman is an intermediate biologist at Monsanto in St. Louis, Mo. She was also accepted at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where she will pursue a Master of Science degree in agronomy with a focus in crop physiology and production, and minor in entomology.

Abigail Bruner is enrolled in the doctor of physical therapy program at the University of St. Augustine for Health Sciences in St. Augustine, Fla.

Renata Gray is the shift lead at Walgreens in Oak Lawn, Ill.

Mesfin Lenth is a budget analyst for the State of Illinois Governor’s Office of Management and Budget in Springfield, Ill.

Kayla Matthews is a management assistant for Enterprise Holdings at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla.

Lauren Mense is an account executive for football and baseball at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Lauren will focus on season ticket sales, renewals and group sales.

Ashley Murphy is a benefits solutions expert for Aflac in Seattle, Wash.

Samuel Welbourne is a supply chain analyst for Dot Foods in Mt. Sterling, Ill.