The Richland Community College Foundation has elected three new members to join its Board of Directors.
Nikki Garry, Jeff Dase and Stacey Young will each serve a 2.5 year term which began on January 1, 2020. They attended their first quarterly Foundation Board Meeting this month, joining fellow Foundation Board Members Mark Avery, Jim Schroeder, Nicole Bateman, Stephen Clevenger, Julie Brilley, Joseph Brown, Sally Duncan, Jason Herman, Matt Naber, Trent Thompson, Matt Whitehead, Dawn Yuhas, Myung Kim and Joseph Schrodt.
“We are extremely pleased to welcome the newest members of our Foundation Board of Directors. They each bring diverse experience, along with an extraordinary skill set, that will be critical in ensuring the growth and future success of Richland Community College and the Foundation,” said Mark Avery, Chair of the Richland Foundation Board. “Along with our current Directors, they will help us fulfill our mission to provide greater access to a college education for even more students in our community.”
Nikki Garry is Founder and Owner of Your Money Matters, LLC. Nikki has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Millikin University, a Master of Science in Accounting from Liberty University, and a Certificate of Entrepreneurship from Richland Community College. Nikki is well-versed in the accounting and finance arenas and is passionate about developing and teaching attainable solutions for financial freedom. She is a graduate and facilitator of Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace University, a certified facilitator for Development Dimensions International (DDI), a licensed Illinois Life and Health Insurance Producer, a How Money Works financial educator, and an adjunct accounting and finance instructor at Millikin University. Nikki is an advocate of giving back to her community and finds great fulfillment in serving others. She is an esteemed community leader and serves on several boards, including as Vice Chairman of the City of Decatur’s Human Relations Commission and Vice Chairman of the Decatur Public Schools Foundation.
Jeff Dase is the Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning for Decatur Public Schools. Jeff has a B.S. in Elementary Education, a M.A. in General Administration and successful completion of an intensive Summer Leadership Academy for aspiring principals at Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern University. He is also a member of the inaugural Fellows class of CPS Principals and a member of the distinctive New York Cahn Academy Fellows program. Jeff prides himself on being an instructional leader that remains grounded in the fundamentals of providing a high-quality educational experience for all students and seeks every opportunity to improve his craft and the overall educational system.
Stacey Young is Manager, Community Relations for Ameren Illinois, a company she served for more than 20 years. Stacey leads a team of Community Relations Executives deployed throughout the state that are responsible for promoting the companies diverse offerings of programs and services. Stacey graduated from the School of Engineering at Southern Illinois University of Carbondale in 2002, earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Engineering and her Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from the esteemed Norwich University. Stacey is an advocate in her community and serves in many capacities, including Commissioner on the board of the Decatur Park District, member of the Chi Xi Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Rotarian, a mentor in the Big Brother/Big Sister Program and is an active member of House of Miracles Pentecostal Church.
The Foundation Board of Directors is made up of seventeen community members who volunteer their expertise to ensure the growth and success of the Foundation. The Richland Community College Foundation is dedicated to growing assets of the Foundation through gifts, grants and investment income and providing leadership in the allocation of funds for scholarships, programs, and facilities. The Foundation oversees $19M in assets and awards over $850,000 scholarships annually to nearly 1,000 full- and part-time Richland students. For more information on the Richland Community College Foundation, please visit www.richland.edu/alumni-giving.