Governor Bruce Rauner’s office has announced the appointment of new members Julie Jones, John Rauschenberger, and Sharon Rossmark to the Board of Trustees at Illinois State University. The three will hold six-year appointments, filling the seats of departing members Jay D. Bergman, Anne Davis, and Betty Kinser.
“This is an incredible group of individuals who have a passion for service and Illinois State,” said Board of Trustees Chairman Rocky Donahue. “We look forward to their insights and continued work for the University.”
University President Larry Dietz noted the new members have a history of service. “Though these members are new to our Board of Trustees, they are certainly not new to Illinois State. Their long-time dedication will be an asset to the Board,” said Dietz. He added, “I wish to thank Gov. Rauner for his efforts in making timely appointments to our Board.”
Julie Jones
Julie Jones
Jones is a principal attorney at the Julie Annette Jones, P.C. firm in Chicago. A 1990 alumna of Illinois State with a dual degree in political science and psychology, she is a member of the University’s Attorneys Advisory Board, Black Colleagues Association, Alumni Association Board of Directors, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.
Jones also serves as the president of the National Council of Negro Women-Chicago Central Section, the secretary of Gospel Kitchen, Inc. and a member of the Board of Trustees at St. John Missionary Baptist Church in Chicago.
Prior to establishing her own law firm, Jones joined a small, boutique estate-planning law firm in Chicago, and worked for years with Frontier, Verizon, WorldCom, and MCI.
John Rauschenberger
John Rauschenberger
Rauschenberger is the owner of Rauschenberger Partners, LLC, a national consulting firm that assists corporations and nonprofits navigate through state legislation and policies. He has served as a senior advisor for statewide campaigns in Illinois.
A 1972 alumnus with a bachelor’s degree in health and physical education, Rauschenberger also earned a master’s degree from Illinois State in 1974. Before embarking on his insurance career, he was a former football player for Illinois State and an assistant coach. He later lent his expertise to executive consulting and coaching.
Rauschenberger brings more than 35 years of experience in business to the Board. He is a former senior executive and president of privately owned insurance agencies and brokerages. Past roles include his tenure as senior vice president of the Marine Credit Union, where he managed and oversaw the internal insurance agency and his multiple roles at State Farm Insurance Company. Rauschenberger is currently serving as the executive vice president and general manager for the Technology & Manufacturing Association.
Sharon Rossmark
Sharon Rossmark
Rossmark is the chief operating officer of AeroVista Innovations, an unmanned aviation firm in Chicago that provides aerial mapping and imagery solutions. She is a 1978 alumna of Illinois State, with a bachelor’s degree. She currently serves as the vice president of the Illinois State’s College of Business Advisory Council. For her continued service to the University, Rossmark was the 2015 recipient of the University’s E. Burton Mercier Alumni Service Award, and the College of Business Hall of Fame Service Award in 2009.
A member of the National Committee on Governance for the American Hospital Association, Rossmark is a former member of the Board of Trustees of Oakton Community College and the Women’s Leadership Advisory Board of Loyola University. Rossmark also serves as an independent board director for Special Olympics of Illinois and for Board Source, an organization that supports excellence in nonprofit governance.
She is the former president and CEO of Zayos Global Ventures in Glenview, Illinois, and a former assistant vice president of Allstate insurance. Rossmark earned an MBA from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Bob Dobski, who filled the seat of a departing board member two years ago, was reappointed to a new, six-year term.
