Elizabeth was appointed assistant principal at Meadow Glens Elementary School.

Read more, here.

Congratulations, Elizabeth!

Sheryl of Glen Ellyn, Ill., was promoted to deputy chief of staff of DuPage County, Ill. She previously served as government affairs manager for the county for 11 years, and spent several years in various positions for the Illinois General Assembly and Minnesota House of Representatives prior to that. She recently visited the Illinois Wesleyan University campus with her 16-year-old daughter, a prospective student. “The campus looked beautiful with so many new structures since our days at IWU,” she wrote.

Congratulations on your promotion, Sheryl!

Kendra, of Peoria, Ill., is regional administrator for the Illinois Office of State Guardian, a state agency that provides guardianship services for adults who are elderly and have disabilities.

Congratulations on your achievements, Kendra!

In Late 2013, Lori, of Murfreesboro, Tenn., celebrated 30 years at State Farm Insurance and wrote she is “still loving every minute of it.” She recently became vice president of the Rutherford County Emergency Food Bank’s board of directors.

Congratulations, Lori!

Robin has released two new cookbooks in Spring 2014. Gluten Free Pasta: More than 100 Fast and Flavorful Recipes with No- and Low-Carb Options  was published through Running Press, and Juice It! Energizing Juices for All Times of Day was released by Chronicle Books. She plans to tour the country teaching cooking classes and wrote that she “would love to see fellow IWU alums at my classes.”

For more information, visit www.robinasbell.com

Congratulations, Robin!

Textile Recycling Makes a Difference

Matthew J. Drat ’84, development and community relations manager at Home Sweet Home Ministries in Bloomington, shared the results of their textile recycling program on the IWU campus. Now in its third year, the program places collection containers at various locations where students, faculty and staff can drop off their textiles (clothing and more) to be re-purposed by Home Sweet Home’s HSHRenew program.

For this school year, HSHRenew at Home Sweet Home Ministries collected nearly 5,000 pounds of textiles on the campus of IWU. 

“That is a tremendous impact on the environment and on the men, women and children at Home Sweet Home,” Drat wrote. “For example, the resources generated can help pay for any entire day of meals at our soup kitchen, meals that affect not only the body, but the mind and spirit as well.”

Rob leads the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe’s rule of law department in Podgorica, Montenegro, providing strategic advice and programming on matters such as judicial reform and human rights. Rob holds a law degree from Pepperdine and a master’s in international public policy from Johns Hopkins University. He previously served as a senior rule of law advisor in Serbia.

Congratulations for all your achievements, Rob!

Winter Morning Walks, an album by composer Maria Schneider featuring soprano Dawn Upshaw, was recognized at the 2014 Grammy Awards in Los Angeles. Dawn won Best Classical Vocal Solo for her work on the album, which won three Grammys. The jazz-inflected recording features the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra and Australian Chamber Orchestra. A five-time Grammy winner, Dawn is a fellow in the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She was also named a MacArthur Foundation Fellow.

Congratulations, Dawn!

John was named general counsel and corporate secretary of Sadara Chemical Company. A $20 billion joint venture developed by The Dow Chemical Company and the Saudi Arabian Oil Company, Sadara was formed in 2011 and will build and operate a world-scale chemicals complex in Jubail Industrial City. JD has been with Dow for 24 years and worked on the Sadara project since 2009. He and his wife Carla Olson ’83 relocated to Al-Khobar, Saudi Arabia. They have two daughters, including Samantha ’14.

Bonnie was recently named director of outside sales for Carts of Chicago Catering, a full-service catering and event planning firm that specializes in outdoor parties and fun food carts.

Congratulations, Bonnie!