2020 Guests of Honor
Outstanding Young Alumna/us Awards
Kraig Koch '08
Kraig Koch ’08 is a planning director for the St. Louis-based creative and technology
agency HLK. As the strategic lead on key agency accounts, including Ameren Illinois
and Bayer Traits and Systems, Koch works closely with his clients and creative counterparts
to build brand experiences with the potential to change behavior and shape belief.
HLK, whose diverse client base spans more than 20 industries, was recently named a
2020 Top Workplace by the St. Louis Post Dispatch. Previously, Koch spent eight years with Leo Burnett Chicago. Hired as a community
manager in 2012, he was promoted twice in two years and eventually rose to the position
of global account director. In 2017, he transitioned to Burnett’s strategy department,
working as a global strategy director on iconic brands like Samsung and Kellogg’s.
Koch believes the communication and critical thinking skills he honed as an undergraduate
have been crucial to him making such a significant impact so quickly and he often
returns to campus to share this conviction with current students as a regular speaker
at the annual English Studies Conference. Koch currently resides with his wife and
daughter in Webster Groves, MO.
Lauren Urban-Adewole '13
Lauren Urban-Adewole ’13 is the chief operating officer at Youtech & Associates, a
full-service marketing and advertising agency based in Naperville with offices also
located in Dallas and Scottsdale. Lauren started her journey with Youtech in June
of 2013 as a graphic designer, just a year after the $20 million company was founded.
She swiftly rose to director of web and graphics, then creative director, before landing
her current role as COO. With a reputation as a fearless and professional leader,
she oversees marketing, project management, back-end development and creative teams
for a company whose most well-known clients include MillerCoors, Chik-fil-A and 3M.
The company ranked 522nd in Inc. >magazine’s fastest growing companies in the country in 2017, while ranking 60th
among Illinois companies on the 2019 list. While at EIU she was involved with both
Student Government and University Board as a graphic designer. She received her MBA
in 2019.
Distinguished Educator Award
Eric Combs ’05, '18
Eric Combs ’05, ’18, a middle school band teacher at Richland County Middle School
in Olney, was named the 2020 Illinois Teacher of the Year by the Illinois State Board
of Education. Combs, who believes every student should have the opportunity to learn
how to play an instrument, started a program that loans instruments to students at
no cost to them. He has also developed a new system of differentiated and individualized
music instruction in which every student in the band program can progress at his or
her own pace. The founder of banddirectorsshare.com, a free website that allows band
directors to share materials, videos and short presentations in their area of expertise,
he also maintains several Facebooks groups with thousands of followers for his fellow
music educators. Combs also assisted in helping the Illinois State Board of Education
draft guidelines for all school districts as they returned to on-site instruction
after Covid-19 closures. Combs and his family live in Clay City.
Louis V. Hencken Alumni Service Award
Mike Finkle ’62
Mike Finkle ’62 was as well-respected as one can be in his field as a financial advisor.
But his service to others, including his beloved EIU, is what set him apart. Finkle,
who passed away unexpectedly in February and is being honored posthumously, made it
his life’s goal to use his success to give back. After a highly successful 47-year
career as a financial advisor, he retired from Raymond James & Associates in 2014
after being cited as one of the nation's top financial advisors by three separate
financial trade publications during his career. He was named a Distinguished Alumnus
by EIU’s School of Business and later served two terms on the Business School’s advisory
board. He served six years on the EIU Foundation board of directors, serving as President
from 2016-17. Finkle was recognized by the EIU Foundation with the Burnham and Nancy
Neal Philanthropy Award in 2018. His scholarship, the H. Michael Finkle Finance Endowment,
is awarded each year to an undergraduate student in marketing or finance. Formerly
a resident of Danville and Marco Island, along with his wife he was also very active
in the community, serving on boards and in leadership roles for numerous organizations.
Distinguished Alumnus Awards
Randy Bailey ’78
Randy Bailey ’78 is the founder and chairman of First Health Advisory, a healthcare
advisory firm which has been recognized as a national leader in connected asset risk
management services. The firm serves federal and commercial healthcare entities by
developing and providing technology solutions to suit the ever-changing needs of their
clients. Active in the information technology industry throughout his career, he also
served as chairman, president and CEO of FreeLinc and was a founding board member
of SpinGo, where he held the role of president, as well. A sought-after public speaker,
he has remained actively engaged with EIU as an alumnus, addressing the university’s
graduates as a commencement speaker, spending time in the classroom as an on-campus
lecturer during Entrepreneurship Week and serving on the Lumpkin College of Business
and Technology Dean’s Task Force. Bailey has participated as a member and leader of
numerous volunteer and community-based organizations and was selected to participate
in the wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National
Cemetery. The Phoenix resident and his family have also hosted numerous alumni gatherings
in their home.
Melissa Conyears-Ervin ’97
Melissa Conyears-Ervin ’97 is the current treasurer for the City of Chicago and a
former state representative for the 10th District of Illinois. A finance graduate and proud member and past president of Sigma
Gamma Rho sorority at EIU, Conyears-Ervin has more than 15 years of experience in
the insurance industry as a manager for Allstate and CS Insurance Strategies. Elected
treasurer in April 2019 for a term of four years, her responsibilities include managing
and growing an $8 billion portfolio made up of a variety of securities and bonds,
while one of her primary goals is to help increase development in underserved neighborhoods
in Chicago. Always civic-minded, Conyears-Ervin also serves as a mentor for high school
girls, youth superintendent at her church and has co-chaired numerous community events.
She also remains connected to her alma mater, where she served as commencement speaker
for the fall 2019 ceremonies. Conyears-Ervin resides in Garfield Park with her husband
and daughter.
Steve Ferguson ’90
Steve Ferguson ’90 has experienced tremendous professional and global leadership success
during his 30-year career with Caterpillar, the world’s leading manufacturer of construction
equipment, diesel and natural gas engines, industrial gas turbines and diesel-electric
locomotives. Beginning as an entry-level accountant, he has progressed through the
ranks of the company, currently serving as vice president of the Industrial Power
Systems Division, where he has worldwide responsibilities for designing, manufacturing,
marketing and sales of industrial Cat® and Perkins engines and Caterpillar Defense products. Previously, he was the general
manager of Advanced Component Manufacturing and has also served as chief financial
officer for the Construction Industries segment based in Singapore. Ferguson also
serves as executive sponsor for the Caterpillar Latino Connection employee resource
group. Ferguson supports EIU both financially and with his time, having been a member
of the Accounting Advisory Board. He was previously honored as an outstanding alumnus
by the highly exclusive Beta Gamma Sigma international business honor society. In
addition to his bachelor’s degree in business from EIU, the San Antonio-area resident
is also a graduate of the Northwestern University Advanced Executive Development program.
Judy Ethell ’82
Judy Ethell ’82 founded J Ethell Consulting and serves as an operating consultant
for privately owned, middle market companies. She previously held roles as chief financial
officer and chief accounting officer for BearingPoint Inc., a $3.5 billion global
management consulting and technology company, and partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers,
LLP, where she managed global tax relationships for several Fortune 500 companies.
An active supporter of EIU with service on the Capital Campaign Steering Committee,
as Accountancy Advisory Board treasurer and president of the EIU Foundation board
of directors, she was recognized in 2005 as the EIU Foundation’s Outstanding Volunteer
and is a past recipient of the Alumni Association’s Louis V. Hencken Alumni Service
Award. Highly competitive as an equestrian, Ethell has been awarded gold, silver and
bronze medals by the U.S. Dressage Federation and the U.S. Equestrian Federation,
which are the highest awards available to amateur riders. Remaining active with the
Alpha Phi sorority since graduating, as well, she and her husband live in the St.
Louis area.
Cam Simpson ’06
Cam Simpson ’06 is an award-winning international investigative journalist, author
and editor. He is currently a senior editor and reporter for investigations at Bloomberg Businessweek magazine and Bloomberg News based in London, where he’s worked since 2010. Previously,
he worked for The Wall Street Journal as both a Middle East and Washington correspondent and covered U.S. foreign policy
and national security for the Chicago Tribune from its Washington bureau after 9/11, where he also did international investigations.
He’s reported from more than 40 countries in the last two decades and received more
than a dozen top awards, including two George Polk Awards, the Robert F. Kennedy Journalism
Award, and The Barlett & Steele Gold Award for Investigative Business Journalism.
Simpson also is the author of The Girl from Kathmandu,published by Harper Collins in 2016. It tells the story of the U.S. government’s
reliance on human trafficking during the Iraq War. The book was a finalist for the
Investigative Reporters & Editors Book Award and was a nominated finalist for the
PEN America Literary Awards. A native of St. Charles, Ill., Simpson lives in London
with his partner and their daughter.