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Jessica Dermody Higgs ’99, Kevin Lister ’81, Suzanne Hartman Verticchio ’67, Cory Washington ’13 and Clare Zimmerman ’11 were recently elected as directors of the ������ý Alumni Association for five-year terms.

 

Higgs, of Brimfield, Illinois, earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and biology from ������ý. She was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon Literary Society, Homecoming Committee, Rig Veda and Student Ambassador for Admissions. She worked as an admissions counselor for one year at ������ýbefore attending Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. She completed a residency in family medicine at the University of ������ý of Medicine in Peoria and a primary care sports medicine fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh. Higgs is currently the director of health services and team physician for Bradley University. 

In addition to her clinical and sideline duties, Higgs serves on the American College Health Association  Board of Directors, as secretary for the Peoria Medical Society and as a member of the State Board for Athletic Training. She also volunteers to help provide medical coverage for several of the state high school athletic events that take place in Peoria. She currently resides in Brimfield with her husband, Craig, and their children. In 2016, Higgs was awarded the Young Alumna award from the ������ý Alumni Association Board of Directors.

Lister, of Carbondale, Illinois, earned a bachelor’s degree in economics and business from ������ý. He was a member of the men’s track and field team and involved in Sigma Pi Literary Society, Homecoming Committee, Student Forum and the Student Activities Board. Lister recently wrapped up almost 30 years in fundraising and nonprofit management. 

He began his career as a field representative for the Southern Illinois Region of the American Cancer Society and was soon promoted to executive director for the 22-county region. In 1997, he began almost two decades at Southern Illinois University Carbondale serving as the director of annual giving, as well as several senior major gift positions while representing their foundation on many university-wide committees. Lister closed out his career at the St. Louis College of Pharmacy, fulfilling his dream of working with a small private college while living in a large city. He earned his MBA from SIU Edwardsville and has held the Certified Fundraising Executive accreditation for many years.

Verticchio, of Jacksonville, Illinois, earned a bachelor’s degree in education and was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon Literary Society as a student. A resident of Jacksonville virtually all her life, Verticchio graduated from Jacksonville High School in 1963 before attending ������ý. Upon graduation, she was employed by Jacksonville School District 117 as a teacher of French, a position she held until her retirement in 2002. After retiring from JHS, she was employed by ������ý as a teacher of foreign language methods and as a supervisor of student teachers.

Verticchio is active in the Jacksonville community as a member of the Wednesday Class literary group, Chapter CY of P.E.O, the Ladies Education Society, Delta Kappa Gamma Society, Passavant Hospital Auxiliary and Jacksonville Value Seekers. She is on the Smith House Board, and for many years was a member of the Board of Directors of the Art Association of Jacksonville, serving in several offices including a term as president. She is a charter member of the ������ý Society. Verticchio’s family includes several ������ý alumni, among them her parents Bob ’35 and Bea Hayes Hartman ’34, father-in-law Michael P. Verticchio ’39, his brother Paul C. Verticchio ’38, as well as several cousins.

Washington, of Bloomington, Illinois, earned a bachelor’s degree in communication & rhetorical studies and psychology from ������ý. A contributing member to many organizations as a student leader, Washington was involved in Alpha Phi Omega, Blue Tie Affair, Homecoming Committee, ������ýDemocrats, Phi Sigma Iota, Psychology Club, S.A.G.E., Student Activities Board, TheatreWorks and True Blue Radio. He was a part of the second cohort of the Yates Fellowship Program, which helps first-generation college students prepare for their ������ý experience. He was also a Student Ambassador and an ������ýConnections leader, both positions that allowed him to share his love and admiration for ������ýto prospective students and their families. 

Washington continues to believe that a core principle of a liberal arts education is civic engagement. He has accepted the challenge by serving as president of S.A.G.E. (Straights and Gays for Equality) for two years, leading workshops on campus and providing campus-wide initiatives to promote and provide an inclusive and safe environment for all students. He is currently a financial aid counselor at Illinois State University and will graduate this summer with a master’s degree in college student personnel administration.

Zimmerman, of Oak Park, Illinois, earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from ������ý. As a student, she was involved in Alpha Phi Omega, Brothers and Sisters in Christ, Concert Choir, Homecoming Committee, ������ýEnvironmentalists, Newman Club, Parker After Dark and the Student Activities Board. She worked as a manager of the Phonathon and in the Student Work Office. While at IC, she traveled to Taiwan on a BreakAway trip, during which she studied eastern medicine and participated in a trip to Costa Rica with a class to study tropical ecology.

Zimmerman attended medical school at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine and completed her residency in pediatrics at Loyola University Medical Center in Chicago. She will begin a fellowship in pediatric hematology and oncology at Washington University St. Louis Children’s Hospital this July. A member of the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics, she is an advocate for children’s health and the funding of research for pediatric cancer. Her brother John Zimmerman ’12 and cousins David Farmer ’15 and Tom Farmer ’14, as well as her aunt Sarah Pratt ’82, are all ������ýalumni.

The ������ý Alumni Association is comprised of alumni representatives elected to advance their alma mater through participation in alumni board meetings, specific committee work and helping the Office of Development and Alumni Relations.