Board of Directors
2024-2025
Dakota Horn
BOARD PRESIDENT
Dr. Dakota Horn is Associate Dean for Academic Programs at Bradley University’s Slane College of Communications and Fine Arts. He also serves as Course Director for BU’s oral-communication course. He has published research on humor, storytelling, accessibility in online education, general education initiatives and K-12 education.
Greg Cassidy
Board Vice President
Greg Cassidy is Chief Operating Officer at Tazewell County Resource Center, which serves individuals with developmental disabilities and visual impairment. His previous work in the social service field included Eureka-based ADDWC and Children’s Home of Illinois. He also serves on the boards of Tazewell Public Health Foundation and Pekin Rotary.
Gary Gillis
Board Treasurer
Gary Gillis is retired after a 40-year career as a Financial Advisor with Edward Jones Investments. He serves on the boards of the Pekin Public Library, Pekin Park Foundation, the
Illinois Association of Park Districts and IPARKS Risk Management. In addition to hosting the “What’s the Story Pekin” podcast, he’s also the longtime clue- writer for the Marigold Festival’s Medallion Hunt.
Emily Lambe
Board Secretary
Emily Lambe is Public Information and Office Manager at the Pekin Public Library. A past Director of Pekin Main Street and the Pekin Tourism Commission, she serves on the Pekin Tourism Commission and volunteers at local schools and charities.
Will Ball
Board Member
Will Ball retired from Caterpillar Inc. after 33 years of service. His career includes cross-functional and leadership experiences in the Caterpillar Foundation, governmental affairs , ethics & compliance, pricing, factory scheduling, new product introduction, manufacturing, accounting, treasury, and auditing. He also serves on the boards of the USA for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Lincoln Presidential Foundation and Eureka College.
Matt Coates
Board Member
Matt Coates has served as a member of the Illinois Prisoner Review Board since 2022. His other work in public service has included service on the McLean County Board and as director of communications at Bloomington District 87. Coates also serves on the boards of Bloomington-based Project Oz, Promise Council and Bloomington Rotary.
Leonard Ealey III
Board Member
Leonard Ealey is a longtime educator in Tazewell County. Currently serving as superintendent of Pekin District 108 Schools, he has spent much of his career with the district as an administrator and teacher. Earlier in his career he spent time on staff at The Dirksen Congressional Center as part of a professional-development project.
Lincoln Hobson
Board Member
Lincoln “Linc” Hobson serves as Tazewell County Circuit Clerk, maintaining court records for the county, which is part of the circuit in which Abraham Lincoln practiced law. He’s also been a small business owner and has been active in local government and politics. He began his career in public service working for U.S. Rep. Bob Michel.
Michael Inman
Board Member
Michael Inman is serving his fourth term as Mayor of Macomb, having first been elected in 2011. A career law enforcement officer, Inman served as a McDonough County Deputy Sheriff and an Illinois State Trooper, retiring as an ISP Master Sergeant. He serves as a trustee of the Illinois Police Officers Pension Investment Fund and is a past president and current board member of the Illinois Municipal League.
Beth Jensen
Board Member
Beth Jensen is an attorney in private practice in Peoria with a portfolio that has included representing school districts and municipalities across central Illinois. She was appointed and then elected twice to the Peoria City Council, serving from 2013-23. Jensen also serves on the board of the League of Women Voters of Greater Peoria.
Eric Lind
Board Member
Eric Lind currently serves as the Director of Technology for Pekin Community High School District 303, a role he has held for seven years. He is also the Mayor of the City of Eureka, having served in this position for the past four years following three years on the Eureka City Council. Eric holds a degree in Network Engineering and is actively involved in several professional and civic organizations, including FBI InfraGard, the Heart of Illinois Mayors Association, and the Eureka Rotary Club.
Carol Merna
Board Member
Carol Merna has served as CEO of the Center for Prevention of Abuse since 2015. She served the 18th Congressional District of Illinois for more than 25 years overseeing the constituent and community service operation for three members of Congress.
Mike O’Grady
Board Member
Mike O’Grady is Economic Development Representative for Wabash Valley Power Alliance. He’s previously served in multiple executive roles at the Economic Development Council of the Bloomington-Normal Area and oversaw the grounds and transportation operations at Illinois State University.
Stacy Peterson
Board Member
Stacy Peterson is Strategic Communications Manager for the City of Peoria, working with community members and visitors. She previously worked as a librarian for the Peoria Public Library, and also serves on the boards for the Friends of the Peoria Public Library, Community Foundation of Central Illinois, and Arts Alliance Illinois.
Don Shafer
Board Member
Don Shafer is Executive Director of the IT Accelerator Project at Illinois Central College, managing a federal grant to provide free training to create over 1,000 IT jobs in the Peoria region. He spent the majority of his career in financial services, served on the Alumni Association Board for Illinois State University for 20 years, and has served on numerous nonprofit boards in the Peoria Area, most recently the Community Foundation of Central Illinois and the Illinois Central College Educational Foundation Board.
Debbie Simon
Board Member
Debbie Simon retired as Regional CEO of UnityPoint Health (now Carle Health) for the Peoria Area. A nurse by training, she served in a number of executive positions in her 45 year career at Methodist before becoming the CEO. She’s a member of the boards of Carle Health Peoria Region, Carle Health System Board, Wildlife Prairie Park, Illinois Mutual Life Insurance Co., Bradley University and Memorial Hospital in Carthage.
Vicki Tilton
Board Member
Vicki Tilton is the owner of Fox and Hounds in Bloomington. In addition to the day spa, her family has extensively renovated historic space in the city’s downtown and leases it to more than 25 commercial and residential tenants. She’s served as a member of the Downtown Bloomington Association and on the board of the Friends of the Bloomington Center for the Performing Arts.
Staff
Tiffany White
Executive
Director
Lynn Kasinger
Operations Manager & Archival Requests
Chris Kaergard
Communications Director & Historian
Officers
Dakota Horn
PresidentGreg Cassidy
Vice PresidentGary Gillis
TreasurerEmily Lambe
Secretary
Senior Advisor
Hon. Ray LaHood
Historian Emeritus
Frank H. Mackaman
National Advisory Council
Jeffrey Bernstein
Eastern Michigan University, Ypsilanti, MI
Professor of Political Science
C. Lawrence “Larry” Evans
College of William and Mary, Williamsburg VA
Newton Family Professor of Government
Sean Theriault
University of Texas – Austin
Distinguished Teaching Professor of Political Science and the US Congress
Sheryl Vogt
University of Georgia, Athens GA
Director of the Richard B. Russell Library for Political Research and Studies
James “Jay” Wyatt
Center of Legislative Studies at the National Archives
Assistant Director
Nancy Beck Young
University of Houston
Professor of History