EIU Alumni Association

Louis V. Hencken Alumni Service Award: Michael Babcock '97

Michael Babcock earned his M.A. in Painting from Eastern Illinois University in 1997 with support from Glen Hild, former chair of the Art Department. Encouraged by former EIU graphic designer Ira Yarbrough, he soon began his career at the university. For his first decade at EIU, Michael worked as a designer assisting faculty with online course delivery.

As video and social media gained prominence, he transitioned to Marketing & Communications, where he shares the stories of EIU students, faculty, and alumni. Today, he continues his work while mentoring students pursuing careers in video production. Michael values the relationships he has built with students above all, considering those connections to be at the heart of the EIU story. He lives in Charleston with his wife, Lindsay, a fellow EIU alumna, and their three daughters, Madeline, Lilly and Evie.

Distinguished Alumnus: David Kidwell '70

Dave Kidwell was an EIU athletic administrator for 44 years (1972-2016), the longest serving athletic staff member in EIU history. He was Sports Information Director (1972-97), Assistant Athletic Director for Marketing/Sports Information (1997-2006) and then Assistant Athletic Director for Special Projects (2006-2016). Kidwell was selected to the EIU Athletic Hall of Fame (2017), Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in the Media Division (2003), received the Illinois High School Association Distinguished Service Award (2010) and named Honorary Referee at the IHSA Girls State Track Meet (2005).

He received a Community Service Award from the Charleston Parks & Recreation Department, coached youth baseball for eight years, served three years as treasurer for Carl Sandburg Elementary School PTO and six years on the Charleston Excellence in Education Foundation. A 1970 graduate of Eastern, Kidwell majored in political science and was the 1968-69 editor of the Eastern News.

Distinguished Alumna: Dana Phelps '93

Dana Phelps is an award-winning communications expert. From working with non-profits to global corporations, her journey is rooted in her love for crafting interesting stories. Dana founded Clairemont Communications to blend traditional PR with digital communications, setting new standards for client engagement. Clairemont became a widely admired PR agency earning nearly 250 industry awards, including Public Relations Society of America Silver Anvils and the coveted Raleigh Public Relations Society PR Team of the Year, the same year she was honored with The Watt Huntley Award for Lifetime Achievement.

Dana is a Triangle Business Journal’s Women in Business award winner and appeared on MSNBC’s Your Business as a PR expert. Her love of PR started when she launched a student-led agency with a favorite professor at Eastern Illinois University. Dana’s proudest role is that of mom to son Jackson and loves exploring North Carolina’s outer banks with her rescue dog, Angel.

Distinguished Alumna: Barbara Goodson '86, '87

Barbara Goodson, from Greenville, retired after 32 years as a speech-language pathologist with the Bond County School District. She earned bachelor’s (1986) and master’s (1987) degrees in Communication Disorders and Sciences, holds Illinois Licensure, and Profession Educator endorsements in speech-language, elementary, and early-childhood education. Barbara has taught at multiple universities, including EIU, and currently serves as adjunct faculty at Southern Illinois University–Edwardsville.

A past president of the Illinois Speech-Language-Hearing Association and Speech Pathology Board Member-At-Large of the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, she is an ASHA Fellow and ISHA Honors recipient. She continues to serve EIU on the College of Health and Human Services Advisory Board. Further national service includes ASHA’s Committee on Nominations and Elections, and recent appointment to the Board of Ethics. A graduate of ASHA’s Leadership Development Program, she is passionate about mentorship, leadership, and professional issues. Barbara and her husband Mark enjoy traveling and spending time with their children and grandchildren.

Distinguished Alumnus: Joe Strohm '86, '87

Joe Strohm is an executive with the St. Louis Cardinals. Currently in his 38th season with the organization, Strohm is the Vice-President, Ticket Sales responsible for all ticket sales and fulfillment for all Busch Stadium events. Strohm is a graduate of Eastern Illinois University where he received his bachelor’s and master’s degree. He was honored with induction into the Athletic Hall of Fame in 2017 and awarded the Louis V. Hencken Alumni Service Award in 2001.

A Marshall, Illinois native, Strohm lives in St. Louis with his wife Vicki. They have two children, Ryan and Danny and one grandchild. Ryan is a basketball coach at Southeast Missouri State University and Danny is the men’s basketball strength and conditioning coach at Georgia Southern University.

Burnham and Nancy Neal Outstanding Philanthropist Award: Tim ('71, '72) & Vickie ('72, '75) Burke

Tim and Vickie Burke’s story began at Eastern Illinois University in the fall of 1969, when they met during Vickie’s freshman orientation at Lincoln, Stevenson, and Powell-Norton Halls (formerly Douglas Hall). Their years at Eastern resulted in both laying the foundation for a lifelong partnership rooted in service and leadership.

Following graduation, Tim and Vickie each embarked on fulfilling career paths. In 1975, they moved to Evanston, Illinois, where Tim launched his career with Arthur Andersen and the couple began raising their family. Over the years, their three daughters have made Evanston their own, establishing careers and families that now include five grandsons—and even three "grand dogs". Vickie is deeply involved in the Evanston nonprofit community, having held long-standing leadership roles at the McGaw YMCA and the Woman’s Club of Evanston (WCE), co-chairing its first capital campaign. Tim built his career in finance, spending 22 years at Arthur Andersen before becoming partner and Chief Financial Officer at William Blair, a Chicago-based investment bank, where he worked until his retirement in 2017. He has also served on the boards of Health Care Service Corporation (Blue Cross Blue Shield) and the Mather Organization, where he remains a board member. They both renewed their connection to their alma mater—Tim contributed as a member of the Accounting Advisory Board, the EIU Foundation Board, and ultimately the EIU Board of Trustees; Vickie as a key steering committee member for EIU’s Expect Greatness fundraising campaign. Their commitment to students extends beyond campus. Through their support of the Evanston Scholars program at Evanston Township High School, they have helped local students pursue an education at Eastern, and their continued involvement also connected them with Dr. Michael Gillespie’s research on food insecurity, leading to their ongoing support of the EIU Campus Food Pantry.