Finance External Advisory Board
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The Southern Illinois University Finance External Advisory Board (EAB) was created in the summer of 2005 when Dr. Hussein Elsaid, Chair of the Finance Department, recruited ten members, consisting of business and/or civic leaders, to form the new board. Mr. Brien Leahy, Senior Vice President of Retail Branch Banking at MB Financial Bank in Chicago, Illinois, was nominated to serve as President at the Board's inaugural meeting in September 2005. Mr. Drew Stoker, Manager, International Contracts, Boeing Defense, Space & Security in St. Louis, Missouri, was elected Vice Chair.
The Board meets twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall. Meetings are held on the Southern Illinois University Carbondale campus. The Board serves as an advisory body to the faculty of the Finance Program on various activities of the School, its mission, and academic programs. Board members help identify opportunities for student and faculty development (e.g. internships, externships, traineeships, applied research, etc.) as well as assists in bringing business executives into closer contact with students and faculty.

Matt Arnold
Equality Analyst
Edward Jones
St. Louis, Missouri

Barbara Blacklock
Managing Director
Wells Fargo Advisors
Carbondale, Illinois

George H. Cook, Jr.
Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer
MacLean-Fogg Company
Mundelein, Illinois

Mark Ford
Vice President
First Tennessee Bank
Nashville, Tennessee

Darla Krause
HR Program Manager
Wintrust Financial
Chicago, Illinois

Randy Lane
Manager, Derivative Program Calculations
NISA Investment Advisors, LLC
St. Louis, Missouri

Courtney Lucas
Senior Analyst, Client Services
NISA Investment Advisors, LLC
St. Louis, Missouri

Allen Schmale
Chief Credit Officer
United Community Bank
Chatham, Illinois

Jeffrey J. Speith
Market Executive
Banterra Bank
Carbondale, Illinois

Brett Stehl, CFA, CAIA
Institutional Consultant
Goelzer Investment Management
Brett earned his bachelor's degree in Finance with a minor in Accounting from Southern Illinois University - Carbondale in 2007. He is also a Chartered Financial Analyst and Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst.

Drew Stoker
Group Manager (Retired)
The Boeing Company

Rod Talbot
President
Talbot Asset Management
Winter Garden, Florida
George Taylor
Digital Lending Sales & Service Executive
Bank of America
Charlotte, North Carolina
Matt Wadiak
Financial Advisor
Edward Jones
Marion, Illinois

Troy Ward
Managing Director and Portfolio Manager
Ares Management
Los Angeles, California