ISU losing long serving board members

ISU Board
Illinois State Board of Trustees. (WJBC file photo)

By Adam Studzinski

NORMAL – Illinois State University will be losing a combined 35 years of experience on its Board of Trustees this week.

That’s due to the expiring terms of Jay D. Bergman, Anne Davis, and Betty Kinser, who have all decided not to return to the board. ISU Chief of Staff Jay Groves said Friday’s board meeting will be bitter sweet.

“They all brought fantastic perspectives to the board and great service to the university,” said Groves. “Jay Bergman, for example, great business sense, has a lot of business experience. Anne Davis, obviously, a leader in education. Betty Kinser, very local, you can’t go to an event on campus where you can’t see Betty there.”

All three are also Illinois State alumni.

Vacancies on board are filled by the governor. Groves explained it’s hard to say for sure when that will happen.

“The Rauner administration has been better at giving us notice that things will be coming, as opposed to previous administrations,” said Groves. “But we have had situations where trustee appointments have expired and they haven’t been replaced for more than a year or so.”

Groves was hopeful these vacancies will be filled by the end of January.

Adam Studzinski can be reached at [email protected].

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