Gov. Bruce Rauner has appointed Bloomington-Normal business owner Robert Dobski and former state education leader Mary Ann Louderback to six-year terms on the Illinois State University Board of Trustees.
Dobski returns for his second term on the board, after serving from 2008 to 2013. This is the first term for Louderback, who has been active with the Illinois State University Alumni Association for more than 20 years.
“The Board of Trustees will benefit greatly with the addition of Mary Ann Louderback and the return of Bob Dobski,” said Chairperson Rocky Donahue. “Their dedication to Illinois State, along with their rich experience and knowledge of the University, will help continue our legacy of excellence through the successes and challenges we will experience in the future.”
A long-time supporter of Illinois State and the Bloomington-Normal community, Dobski and his wife, Julie, were named Philanthropists of the Year by the Illinois Prairie Community Foundation. Dobski’s service includes leadership roles with The Baby Fold’s Festival of Trees and the McLean County Chamber of Commerce. He has been active with The American Red Cross of the Heartland, the Bloomington-Normal Economic Development Council and the W.D. Boyce Council Boy Scouts of America.
Co-owner of 10 area McDonald’s Restaurant franchises, Dobski served as president of the Peoria-Bloomington McDonald’s Co-op and vice chair of the Ronald McDonald House Charities Board in Springfield. He is a 1969 DePaul University graduate.
Louderback, who resides in Car, Ill., is a long-time servant of the state of Illinois. She was the executive assistant for education under Gov. Jim Edgar, where she served as the senior policy advisor with liaison responsibilities to the Illinois Community College Board, Illinois State Board of Education, Illinois Board of Higher Education, Illinois State Scholarship Commission and all public institutions of higher education in the state of Illinois. She also served in the governor’s Office of Planning. Louderback was appointed to the Illinois Educational Labor Relations Board in 1993, and served until 2000. She also served as the commissioner of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission from 2003 to 2011.
Starting her career as a fifth-grade science teacher in Dwight, Louderback earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from Illinois State. In 1984, she also earned a Ph.D. in educational administration from Illinois State, with an emphasis in higher education. She is a past president of the Illinois State University Alumni Association, a past member of the Illinois State College of Education Advisory Board and a member of the Illinois State College of Education Hall of Fame. She currently co-owns Liberty Outdoor Advertising/Liberty Self-Storage in Crystal Lake.
“I know I speak for the entire University community in welcoming Mary Ann Louderback to the board and Bob Dobski back to the board,” said President Larry Dietz. “Our already excellent governing board is further strengthened by these two outstanding appointees, and we look forward to working with them.”
