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LAS Alumni Association Welcomes Members to Its Board
Three new members bring diverse backgrounds to board.
The LAS Alumni Association has selected three new members to join its board of directors. Michael K. Brandt, David H. Hays, and Walter W. Kurczewski will begin their four-year term in May, and will bring diverse professional and educational backgrounds and a collaborative spirit to board efforts to build lifelong connections between LAS and alumni.
Brandt (AB ’75, political science), of Savoy, Ill., is vice president of claims and legislation at Attorney’s Title Guaranty Fund, Inc., where he oversees title insurance claims, litigation and legislation, among other legal matters. He has participated in LAS Career Information Night for the past eight years. Brandt says he will bring “a commitment to making the University a source of value and pride to students, alumni, the Champaign county community, and the state of Illinois.”
Hays (BS ’78, teaching of secondary mathematics), of Bloomington, Ill., is vice president and actuary at State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Company, where he is responsible for actuarial research and product and technological development. He was involved with the creation of the State Farm Research Center on the Illinois Campus. Hays seeks to contribute “first-hand knowledge of the value the business community sees in an LAS degree from U of I and the practical experience of using that knowledge to solve business problems.”
Kurczewski (AB ’65, political science), of Northbrook, Ill., has a long career in law and management and recently retired as the senior vice president, general counsel, and secretary of Square D. Company.
“[I] learned to think critically at Illinois and desire to give back that critical thinking ability to the deliberations and activities to the board,” Kurczewski says, and he hopes to do so by “bringing an enthusiastic love of the University, a sense of humor, honesty, and frankness...and [I] hope to make it easy and fun for alumni to reconnect and strengthen their connection to the college and University.”
Each member volunteers their time and insight to develop activities to strengthen bonds between alumni and LAS. The board has 13 members, including a student representative. New members began their terms at the spring meeting on May 2.
By Ashley Spinozzi, Student Intern
May 2009
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