Alumni

General Information • Application • Current Members

Alumni Council

Made up of 24 alumni appointed to three-year terms and the president of the Student Alumni Association, this board meets four times a year. Members represent the interests of alumni and serve as liaisons to 25 University areas. The council assists in the recruitment of students, selects Alumni Award recipients, and was instrumental in establishing the Student Alumni Association.

WIU Alumni Association Survey - Alumni Council President Eldon Brown '96

eldon

Dear WIU Alumni-

The WIU Board of Trustees is seeking input on an important decision regarding the University's leadership. Since April 1 of this year, Dr. Kristi Mindrup has been serving as the interim president. The Board will decide in December whether to name Dr. Mindrup as the permanent president or to conduct a nationwide search.

We, along with other University stakeholders, have been asked to provide input on this decision. I have worked closely with the Executive Committee of the WIU Alumni Council to create a survey to collect your feedback. We will send the results of the survey to the Board of Trustees to inform their decision.

Please complete this survey by November 12. At that time, we will send the total counts for each option to the BOT for their decision in December. Additional details are contained in the survey itself.

Click here to complete the survey.

Your feedback is important in helping shape the future of our alma mater. With over 140,000 alumni, our collective voice is vital in this conversation.

Don't hesitate to contact me if you have additional questions or comments at eldonbrown@gmail.com.

Go Necks!

eldon

Eldon Brown `96

President, WIU Alumni Council

Interested in joining the Alumni Council?

The WIU Alumni Association is looking for dedicated leaders of all ages, ethnicity, gender, geographic location, career fields, etc. to serve on the WIU Alumni Council. The Alumni Council strives to include a broad range of members that accurately reflects our student body and alumni community. Applicants are evaluated based on a number of factors, including engagement since graduating (e.g. attendance, giving back to WIU financially, referring students, returning to campus to speak to classes, offering career mentorship, etc.) and general Leatherneck Pride. If you or someone you know is an active alumnus that would be a good candidate, please fill out our online application form. The deadline is April 1.

2024-2025 Alumni Council Meetings

  • Saturday, January 18, 2025
  • Saturday, April 12, 2025

2023 - 2024 Council Members

Alumni Council Featured Member

bobBob Klannukarn 1990

Degree: BA in Political Science in 1990 from WIU. MBA in 2005 from the University of Illinois at Springfield.

Business Information:  Before joining MITRE as a Lead Cybersecurity Engineer in 2019, I worked at Raytheon in several technical positions implementing information technology, cybersecurity, and information assurance solutions for domestic and international customers. I hold several IT and cybersecurity certifications including the CCSK, CEH, and CISSP.

Advice for Freshmen: Are you sure freshman want advice from someone who graduated with a liberal arts degree and is now working in cybersecurity?

Favorite WIU Memory: I stayed in Macomb during the summer of 1988 as a student worker for Student Residential Programs (Today’s UHDS). I experienced WIU and the Western Illinois region in a way few students do. One of those experiences was seeing Gloria Estefan & The Miami Sound Machine create a massive conga line at Burlington Steamboat Days. Who knew those farmers could feel the rhythm of that music?

Family Information/Special Interests and Hobbies: I enjoy exploring, gaming, reading and photography when I have some time for myself.