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.

 

Molly

Letter from Incoming President Molly B. Holmes

Dear Members of the Western Illinois University Alumni Community,

I’m Molly B. Holmes (she/her) and proud double alum ’01 ’04. It is an honor to be your next Alumni Council President. After serving on the council since 2020, and as secretary for the last two years, serving in this role is an exciting opportunity at critical time for WIU.

When I became a member of this council, I was motivated to do so because of the impact my years at Western had on my life and career. From the academic and practical experiences, to being involved as a student leader, to attending Leatherneck (and Westerwind!) athletic events, to the friendships and connections that came from succeeding and being challenged in and outside of the classroom, I felt motivated to give back. Further, I wanted to contribute this energy as an alum for future students and future alumni. One of my goals as president is to support the council and all alumni in becoming the best ambassadors for WIU as it is, and where it can go in the years ahead.

Western has had challenges, is tackling the impact of challenges, and continues to be challenged by a variety of forces. As alumni, we have strength in our voices and in how we can make a positive and supportive impact on what the future of Western will be. I hope that members of our Alumni community will consider engaging with the council—joining us at the many upcoming Alumni events, including Homecoming, consider assisting with recruitment events, and consider seeing yourself as a future member of this council. 

My fellow 140,000 alumni—thank you for this opportunity to serve, and I look forward to working with the council and for you in support of this wonderful institution. Go Western!

Marching on for Western,

molly

Molly B. Holmes `01 `04

President, WIU Alumni Council

Letter from Outgoing President Eldon Brown

 

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.

2025-2026 Alumni Council Meetings

  • Friday, October 17
  • Saturday, January 17, 2026

2025 - 2026 Council Members

Alumni Council Featured Member

Conrad "Connie" Kowal 1974

connieDegree: B.A. Political Science pre-law 1974 at WIU.  Since then, I earned my Master's and Ph. D in "Life Experiences".

Email: ConnieAOK@aol.com

Business Information: I'm so fortunate to have had a 40-year career as a sports front office executive, most notably with the Chicago Cubs and the New Orleans Saints.  Now I do a lot of public speaking, and still do some sports consulting to teams, leagues, schools.  And I'm writing a book on my sports experiences.

Advice for Freshmen: Go to class.  Get good grades. Get involved.  Meet people.  Make friends, create relationships (some will become lifetime friendships and relationships). Embrace and experience new things.  If you are not on a sports team or in a club, join something. Ask for help, seek advice from your instructors, professors, alumni. Be flexible.  Be energetic.  Stay positive.  Have school spirit.  Enjoy the full college experience.

Favorite WIU Memory: So many good ones (then and since).  Topping the list is making the WIU baseball team as a walk-on, and then becoming the starting 3rd Baseman on WIU's greatest baseball team, the 1974 team, which advanced to the NCAA Regional Tournament.  For me and my teammates, the fun, the friendships and the success of this team became 'forever'.  And it manifested in 2019 when the 1974 Baseball Team was inducted in the WIU Athletics Hall of Fame. In May of 2024 we gathered at WIU and celebrated our 50th Anniversary Reunion.  Receiving the WIU Alumni Achievement Award in 1992 was an honor for me that crystallized tons of other great memories of classmates, teammates and people I met at WIU.

Family Information/Special Interests and Hobbies: Went to Glenbard West HS in the Chicago western suburb of Glen Ellyn.  Live in the Chicago northern suburb of Libertyville.  Married for 46 years to wife Sally.  One daughter, one son, one grandson.  I coordinate WIU Baseball Alumni communication and WIU Baseball Alumni Reunion Weekends.  Play 100+ rounds of golf a year.  Coach grandson's baseball, soccer, basketball youth sports teams. Use my time and resources volunteering for various civic, school and church efforts, and mentoring those aspiring to work for pro sports teams.