CHICAGO, IL -- Five leaders in the business and philanthropic communities have recently been named to the Columbia College Chicago Board of Trustees, announced college President Warrick L. Carter, Ph.D.
The five individuals are: Lester Coney, Executive Vice President in the Office of the Chairman at Mesirow Financial; philanthropist Susan V. Downing; Chester T. Kamin, J.D., Senior Partner at Jenner & Block, LLP; Paul R. Knapp, Senior Executive at DST Systems, Inc. and President of Vermont Western Assurance, Inc.; and business advisor and consultant Barry M. Sabloff.
“We are very excited that our newest elected trustees bring a corporate emphasis that will serve to further enhance the spectrum of an already powerful and diverse group of professionals,” said Carter. “It is our continued focus to provide open educational access to students in arts and media, making it imperative that we reach an even broader audience of supporters and potential stakeholders.”
“By educating the minds and honing the skills of the next generation of artists, communicators and managers – the individuals who will run the arts, entertainment and media industries -- Columbia College Chicago is not only ensuring the future of American culture, but making a significant contribution to the economy of the country,” said Allen M. Turner, chairman of the college’s board of trustees. “That means that everyone is a stakeholder in the education that Columbia delivers and that is the message that our board leadership will be carrying forward as we continue to grow and stake our claim as the best student centered arts and media college in the country.”
Lester Coney joined Mesirow Financial in 2006 as Executive Vice President in the Office of the Chairman. In this role he is responsible for originating and nurturing new business opportunities as well as expanding and maintaining client relationships across all lines of business including investment management, investment services, insurance, investment banking, consulting and real estate.
At Mesirow Financial, Mr. Coney also makes it his unofficial business to make diversity a priority by identifying potential employee talent. Furthermore, he keeps the company connected to ethnic, minority, and community organizations by providing corporate support for key initiatives and events.
Prior to joining Mesirow Financial, Mr. Coney spent nine years at Aon Corporation. Earlier, Les spent 15 years at United Healthcare and Traveler's Insurance where he was director of key accounts and national sales director, respectively.
Board, cultural, civic and philanthropic activities include President of the DuSable Museum of African American History and founding Chairman of the Board of Directors of Congo Square Theatre Mr. Coney is currently a member of the Boards of Directors of Chicago United, School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Roosevelt University, Lincoln University, Kohl's Children's Museum and the Athletes Against Drugs organization.
Honors include: Executive Leader Award from the Association of Fund Raising Professionals Chicago (2007); King Legacy Award from the Boys & Girls' Club of Chicago (2007); Leadership in the Arts Award from the Arts & Business Council of Chicago (2006); the Community Service Award by the 100 Black Men (2005); Crain’s Chicago Business’ Top 50 Minorities in Business (2004); Chicago United’s Business Leaders of Color (2003); Human Resources Development Institute's Seeds of Africa Award (2002) and the Keeper of the Dream Award (2001). In 2000 he was a delegate for the Governor of Illinois Trade Mission to South Africa.
Mr. Coney holds a Bachelor of Science degree business from George Williams University. He resides in Chicago’s West Loop and he is the father of two children, Chanel and Javon.
Susan V. Downing is a lifelong activist and philanthropist who promotes culture and the arts in Chicago and has been responsible for coordinating and developing numerous successful fund raising events around the city.
Board, cultural, civic and philanthropic activities include: membership on the Board of Trustees of the Adler Planetarium, the Sarah Siddons Society and the Gold Coast Neighbors. She is the President of the Women’s Board of the Adler Planetarium and sits on the Goodman Theatre’s Women’s Board. She is also active with the Achievement Rewards for College Scientists (ARCS) and the Junior League of Chicago. Ms. Downing has been an active volunteer with and donor to Columbia since her son graduated from the college in 1999. She has co-chaired the Parents’ Fund and the Institutional Advancement Committee, has been a member of the President’s Club giving society since 2000 and has secured scholarship support for Columbia theater students from the Sarah Siddons Society.
Ms. Downing lives in the Gold Coast neighborhood of Chicago and has three grown sons.
Chester T. Kamin, J.D., is a Senior Partner at Jenner & Block, LLP where he has a business litigation practice that includes antitrust, intellectual property, real estate and financial institutions litigation.
Board, cultural, civic and philanthropic activities include: service as Special Counsel to the Governor of Illinois and Commissioner of the Illinois Law Enforcement Commission; active in bar associations at the national, state and local levels; Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers and of the American Bar Foundation; member of the Lawyers Club of Chicago and the Quadrangle Club. Kamin has served on a number of charitable boards including Chicago Volunteer Legal Services, Committee on Illinois Government and An Alliance for Action, a joint educational initiative between the National Writing Project and the National Collegiate Athletic Association; and Sherwood Conservatory of Music (past board chair);
Kamin serves as Adjunct Professor at the University of Chicago Law School in the field of antitrust and telecommunications and has written numerous articles and lectured in a variety of continuing legal educational programs.
His cultural and avocation interests include music, drama and the visual arts. He plays cello, which he has studied at Sherwood Conservatory.
Mr. Kamin holds a Bachelor of Arts degree (magna cum laude) from Harvard College and a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School. He is married to Nancy Schaefer, also a lawyer. The couple reside in the South Kenwood neighborhood of Chicago and have two adult children and three grandchildren.
Paul R. Knapp is a Senior Executive with DST Systems, Inc., a publicly held, New York Stock Exchange listed corporation offering information processing and computer software services to corporate and institutional customers. He first joined DST in 1997 as president and chief executive of DST Catalyst, an international software and consulting business serving securities exchanges and securities brokerage firms. He currently serves as president and chief executive of Vermont Western Assurance, a property and casualty insurance company formed and owned by DST and also serves on the boards of other DST-owned companies and participates in management direction and oversight of several DST companies, particularly international and insurance aspects of their businesses.
Before joining DST Systems Mr. Knapp was chairman, president and chief executive of Catalyst Institute and Catalyst Consulting. Catalyst, which he founded in 1991 dealt in global financial markets. Mr. Knapp joined DST Systems when it acquired Catalyst Consulting in 1997.
Prior to his affiliations with Catalyst and DST, From Mr. Knapp was partner, president and chief executive officer of Kessler Asher Group and prior to that served in a variety of executive positions with the Kemper Group of insurance and financial services companies over a period of 20 years.
Board, cultural, civic and philanthropic activities include: member, Board of Directors, J.E. Dunn Vermont Assurance, Inc. and past member of the Boards of Directors, Berger family of mutual funds and Chicago Capital Fund. Knapp is an elected Community Representative on the Local School Council for William B. Ogden Elementary School and President of the Board of Friends of Ogden. He is a member of the board and treasurer of Chicago’s TimeLine Theatre, a past board member of the Allendale Association, a residential treatment facility for emotionally and behaviorally disturbed children, and is involved in and a supporter of other Chicago community, arts and political activities. Through Children International, Mr. Knapp and his wife initiated and have supported a four-year college funding program for students in the Philippines.
Mr. Knapp holds a Bachelor of Science degree in industrial administration from California State University and an MBA (Magna Cum Laude) in finance from The University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. He holds the professional designation of Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter. He lives in the Gold Coast neighborhood of Chicago with his wife Nancy. Between them they have five grown children.
Barry M. Sabloff is an experienced senior executive, banker and board member. During a 30 year career with First Chicago NBD; and Bank One (now merged with JP Morgan Chase & Co.) he held key leadership roles including Executive Vice President and Head of the International Group (Bank One); Head of Global Risk Management (First Chicago NBD); Area Head for Europe, Middle East and Africa (First Chicago) and Head of Syndications and Private Placements (First Chicago). He currently serves as a business advisor and member of a number of corporate boards including CoBank (Denver) and Calypso Technology, Inc. (San Francisco), as well as serving as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Marquette National Corporation/Marquette Bank.
Other board, cultural, civic and philanthropic activities include: current member of the Boards of Trustees of the Marquette Bank Foundation and the American School in London Foundation; current Chairman of the Board of the Sherwood Conservatory of Music at Columbia College Chicago; former member of the boards of The Feltre School, Mid-America Committee for International Business; Inroads, Inc.; Inroads/Chicago, Inc.; and Illinois Cancer Center.
Mr. Sabloff holds a Bachelor of Arts (Cum Laude) in economics from Trinity College (Hartford CT) and an MBA in finance and international business from the University of Chicago. He resides in Winnetka, Illinois with his wife, Anne. They have two grown children.
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