Summertime, and the living is easy. Kids are jumping and the temperature is high! Shots in arms and we are losing the face masks. So hush, IWU Titans, don’t you cry-yi!  Thanks to Gershwin we have an anthem, alumni. I, for one, am so glad and grateful for some pandemic relief. I hope that you and yours are venturing out to visit family and friends. Eating out and taking in a baseball game or two. Please, continue to be cautious, especially when travelling. Take all of the necessary precautions, and remember to be kind. There seems to be, if you watch the news, a dearth of compassion and human decency, nowadays. Now is a time when we need it the most. I know that I can count on you, you green and white gladiators.  Thank you!     

Gary Johnson ’75 recently penned a memoir detailing his legal career, Luck is a Talent: The True Story of a Trial Lawyer’s Experience Defending an Innocent Man Charged with Murder. You can order it here. 

Michael Chivell ’76 was named chairman emeritus of St. Louis law firm Armstrong Teasdale on June 1, 2021. Michael joined Armstrong Teasdale in 1983 as an associate and spent the following 23 years practicing corporate law. Michael served as managing partner from 2007 until he was elected chairman in 2016. As chairman, he focused on client relations, strategic planning, community relations and lateral recruitment.

Former Chief Judges Elizabeth Robb ’78, Kevin Fitzgerald and John Freese will each lead a panel of eight members to propose new district maps, as the county board must draw new maps every 10 years based on census numbers. The 24 panel members consist of small business owners, farmers, teachers, and administrators from State Farm, Illinois State University and Illinois Wesleyan University.  The three new maps will be available for public view by July 8, and the 24-member advisory committee will conduct a public input meeting afterward. The full county board will vote to adopt a new map at its July 15 meeting.  See entire Pantagraph article here.

Merrill Lynch Wealth Management Financial Advisor Carol Brandt ’78 was recently named to the 2021 Forbes “America’s Top Women Wealth Advisors” list. Carol lives in Chicago and received her MBA from DePaul University and a bachelor’s degree from Illinois Wesleyan University. She is a Wealth Management Advisor with Merrill and Certified Financial Planner with 36 years’ experience providing personalized wealth management strategies to high-net-worth families. She has also been recognized as a Barron’s Top 100 Women Financial Advisors and Financial Times Top 400 Financial Advisors. Congratulations!

Paul E. Pedersen ’73, M.D., was elected trustee-at-large of the Illinois State Medical Society (ISMS) during its 2021 annual meeting, which was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He has been a member of ISMS since 1980 and served as its president from 2019-2020. Dr. Pedersen will serve as trustee-at-large through April 2022.