WIU Campus Rec Alumni

"Where are they now ..April edition" Our April spotlight is on Matt Suellentrop.

2005-2007 - Masters of Sport Management Graduate
Matt spent 2 years at WIU - Campus Recreation as a Graduate Assistant in Facilities and Special Events in his first year and then Intramurals his second year.

Matt says his favorite moments were the people, experiences and lessons he learned while at WIU - Campus Recreation. "Coming out of college you are in a unique time in your life and I wasn't completely sure of what I wanted to do after college. Attending graduate school and gaining valuable experience in event, facility and personnel management all while working alongside many other great supervisors and coworkers was something I will never forget.
Macomb will also hold an extra special place in my memories, as I met my wife Molly McLuckie there as she also attended WIU."

Career History: 2007-2016 - Peoria Park District Athletics Manager
2017-2021 - Washington Park District, Recreation Manager

I took a transition of careers and started with the State of Illinois working for the Department of Human Services. My wife Molly and I live in Washington, Illinois and have a 6 year son Reid and 2 year old daughter Charly.
I am grateful for what Western Illinois Campus Recreation provided me and what I was able to gain.

Some of my favorite memories include playing tricks on Connie in the main office, pizza lunches on Fridays, and driving a mini-van up to Central Michigan for a NIRSA mini-conference."

"Where are they now?" Our March spotlight is on Chrystall Dooley. She attended WIU from 2011-2015 graduating with her Undergrad BA in Broadcasting.
Chrystall was a 2016-2018 MS Sport Management grad student.
She worked both in the IM area that entire time from freshman year through grad school.

After WIU: " I was a Coord. At Southeast Missouri State University from 2018-2019. Been a Team Sport Coordinator at the Univ. Of Colorado 2019- now. "

Favorite WIU memory: " Too many to choose from lol but I would have to say homecoming. All the events leading up to
homecoming, painting the paws on campus, the concert, the friendly competition amongst the Res Halls and tailgating in Q lot"

"Where are they now?" Our February spotlight feature is on Pat McGrath.

Graduation: M.S. Sport Management 2011 (Facilities and Sport Club GA)

After WIU: Interned at Slippery Rock University 2011-2012
Assistant Director of Aquatics and Outdoor Pursuits at WIU 2012-2015
Associate Director of Facilities at Northern Kentucky University 2015-2021 (attended NKU Chase College of Law at night)

Currently: Discovery Attorney at WilmerHale (officially Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale and Dorr) Law Firm. Working out of Dayton, OH.

Favorite WIU memory: I'm still living most of the great memories I have because I've maintained amazing friendships with so many people. "

Other favorites: "Cruising campus with Knowles in the gator, coming back to work as an assistant director and getting to implement the plan for Outdoor Pursuits I had created for a GA project. "

Congrats to our January "Where are they now" recipient Lauren McKinnis:

Maiden name: Carrier

Lauren received her MS in Sport Management from WIU in 2008. From 2006-2007, Lauren worked as the Design & Publications graduate assistant. In 2008, she interned with WIU Electronic Student Services to help with the development of a new campus recreation website.

Over the years, Lauren has worked in marketing and special events positions in higher education and parks and recreation. She is currently the Director of Marketing for NIRSA: Leaders in Collegiate Recreation. In 2006, Lauren attended her first NIRSA Annual Conference which led to her securing her graduate assistantship at WIU. Everything has now come full circle as she is working for the association that helped shape her career.

My favorite memories from WIU:

"I moved to Macomb from New Jersey and loved how everyone made me feel so welcome. I was able to work with and learn from the best team of professional staff, graduate assistants, and students. Jody and Connie were the office moms and would make the graduate assistants their favorite birthday desserts! During my time with campus recreation, I had the opportunity to help work on and promote so many fun events and programs (and we always created awesome t-shirts) including Big Pink Volleyball, Fear Factor, Trivia Bowl, Swimmer’s Mile, and more! "

"Where are they now" Our December spotlight is on Ms. Tiara Cash..

Tiara Cash, MS, MCMA
Positions: GA in Facilities 2013-2014; GA in Sport Clubs in 2014-2015
Favorite Memories: "I have such fond memories of hosting tournaments at SFU! My favorite memory has to be the night we held Welcome Day for WIU students at the Center. I just remember having so much fun watching the new students playing with the beach balls over the volleyball net."

Career path: "Following receiving my Masters in Kinesiology at WIU, I ventured to California State University where I worked in Campus Recreation. I was there for around a year and half as the Business Manager where I learned so much about policy making and creating safe, fun environments for students engaged in Rec. Following that, I moved to Arizona State University where I worked in Student Success and as the Program Manager: Culture and Equity Specialist at ASU’s CMCR. There, I created many programs and events around well-being on Mindfulness, Compassion and Resilience. I also created a novel framework in the well-being field called Equitable Mindfulness, which works to break down barriers to inclusive practice through foundations in justice, equity, and solidarity."

" Currently, I utilize this framework full-time in my own business - Crowned Vitta, LLC. I am also working toward my doctoral degree in Social Psychology at Simon Fraser University in Canada."

"Where are they now?" Each month Campus Recreation will spotlight a former Graduate Assistant, employee, or student worker. Our November spotlight recipient is Brian Baxter.

Brian earned his Bachelor (1999) and Master of Science (2001) degrees in Exercise Physiology/Fitness Management, from Western Illinois University. He currently provides leadership and strategic direction for multiple programming areas and facilities as a Senior Associate Director with Recreational Services at the University of Iowa. At the University of Iowa, Brian completed the Executive Leadership Academy in 2017, and currently serves on Staff Council in an elected capacity and serves on the Presidential Charter Committee for Campus Planning.

Brian has worked his entire career in the recreation field with experience in both Parks & Recreation and Collegiate Recreation. Along with his graduate assistant experience with WIU Campus Recreation (99-01), he had two wonderful internships when he worked for the New York Yankees as a strength & conditioning undergraduate intern (99) and the Illinois Police Corps as their first physical training coordinator as a graduate intern (00). He has prior B1G professional experience as he worked from 2004-2015 at the University of Illinois Urbana/Champaign for Campus Recreation overseeing fitness/wellness and various indoor and outdoor facilities. Prior to that, he was the Fitness, Aquatic & Adult Recreation Director from 2001-2004 for the Village of Rantoul, located in East Central Illinois.

During his time at Western Illinois University, Brian served as a Facilities GA with Campus Recreation. As a first year GA (99/00) he was responsible for satellite facilities and the second year (00/01) he spent his time at the Spencer Recreation Center. He also spent some time assisting at the Harry Mussatto Golf Course. Some of his fondest memories were working for and learning from Sara Winship. The accountability and attention to detail she instilled in him during his GA experience was invaluable to his professional career. To this day, students and staff get annoyed at his high expectations of cleanliness on the fitness floors. He also enjoyed the family atmosphere amongst the Campus Rec team. He had great mentors in Jim Keeney, Jim Miner, Judy Yeast, Julie Terstriep, Chad Ellsworth, Sherri Burger, Sara Winship and Jeff Stockton. He is now teamed up with fellow WIU Campus Rec Facilities GA (00/01), JT Timmons, to lead Recreational Services at the University of Iowa. Another interesting fact is that Brian was a Little League teammate and shared time on the Macomb High School Bomber football field and wrestling mat with the current Director of WIU Campus Rec, Nick Knowles.

Brian grew up in Macomb, Illinois, started raising his family in Rantoul, Illinois before relocating to Walford, IA in 2015. Brian married his wife, Jackie, in 2003 and they have a son, Caden (2005), and a daughter, Raya (2006). In his spare time, he enjoys golfing, hunting, yard work, hanging out with family/friends and working on projects around the house.

"Where are they now?" Each month Campus Recreation will spotlight a former Graduate Assistant, employee, or student worker. Our featured alumnus for October is Laura Burg.

Laura was a GA for the Intramural Department at WIU from January 2006 until she graduated in May 2007 with a masters degree in Sport Management. After graduation she interned with Arizona State University and from there secured a position at Northern Arizona University as the Coordinator of Intramurals and Sports Clubs. Your first job out of graduate school comes with some intense challenges and Laura will never forget the first week at NAU sitting in her office wondering why they hired her when she received a phone call asking about the date of the annual intramural full marathon. Panicked at the thought of coordinating a 26.2 mile race, she tried as hard as she could to help the caller when the student in question started laughing uncontrollably and turned out to be her old boss from WIU, Scot Fransk, calling to wish her luck. While at NAU Laura worked with a wonderful student staff of officials, supervisors and office staff all of which helped her more than she could ever express. One of her favorite parts of the job at NAU was bringing her student staff and athletes to work and play at extramural flag football and basketball tournaments within NIRSA Region VI universities in Arizona, California and Nevada. She was also able to work in a small capacity with NAU athletics working scoreboards and books for the football, basketball and volleyball teams. At the end of her third year at NAU Laura and her husband Jesse welcomed their first son, Bryce Danger Burg. Laura’s husband had a job opportunity that moved them to Missouri in 2010 and the next year they welcomed their second son, Gavin Mayhem Burg. Laura has been happily fulfilling her role as an accidental stay at home mom for the last 11 years with healthy doses of sarcasm and humor pulling her through the highs and lows of motherhood. They welcomed their third son, Maximus Chaos Burg, in 2016. While 3 sons would be plenty of children for most couples, Laura and Jesse opened their home to foster children for 3 years and it was both beautiful and heartbreaking, a success and a failure. The last 2 years they have stepped away from fostering and are now focused on their 3 boys ages 11, 10 and 5. Laura is struggling along with most parents learning “new math”, juggling virtual and in seat learning and trying desperately to raise good humans. Laura’s best memories at WIU were trying to learn how to play Euchre from her fellow GA’s. Every lunch break for 2 weeks Kelly Day, Mike Chadee and Scott Vandermoon patiently sat with Laura teaching her the rules of Euchre until she understood that crazy card game because she had to run the intramural Euchre tournament. And who could forget working the coldest extramural flag football tournament on a bitterly cold and windy weekend in November! According to Laura, "The wind chill dropped well below freezing, the GA’s working the tournament were wearing all the clothes they owned and wrapped in sleeping bags on the sidelines. It was miserable and fantastic! "

"Where are they now"
Campus Rec will spotlight an outstanding alumnus from our department each month. Our September spotlight recipient is...

Julie Terstriep:

WHEN DID YOU WORK AT WIU?:

"I began my career at WIU in December of 1981. I first worked in the Theatre Department as the Staff Secretary. I left campus and worked from home while my kids were small and returned to WIU in July 30, 1997 when I worked for one week in the Registrar's office before I accepted my job as Business Manager with the Campus Recreation Office. I retired May 31, 2019."

WHAT DO I DO NOW?: "I have started my 23 season as a volleyball referee. In that capacity, I serve as a clinician for the Illinois High School Association teaching other officials how to call volleyball matches. I also serve as one of the rules interpreters for the state.

I volunteer a lot of my time at the Easley Pioneer Museum researching and telling the story about Camp Ellis, a US Army base in WWII near Ipava, IL.

I currently serve as the President of the McDonough County Genealogical Society and do a lot of research there.

I have three grandchildren, Jordan (5), Reagan (2) and Ellis (11 months). I thoroughly enjoy spending time with them on the farm and attending their events.

I also help out with whatever I can on our farm. Presently, I'm killing it as the mower and weedeater of the farm!"

BEST THING ABOUT WORKING AT CAMPUS RECREATION: "The best things about working at Campus Recreation were the people I worked with, both professional and student, and the relationships I developed with them. I'm thrilled to see former students growing in their careers and facing tough challenges in higher education. I'm very proud of them.

I'm blessed to have worked with such great professionals and I still consider them a part of my family. My best friend, Sherri Whalen, was a co-worker with me at Campus Rec. "

MOST MEMORABLE TIME AT CAMPUS REC: " I would have to say the months leading up to as well as the day of opening the new Recreation Center on 10/1/1997. Our staff worked tremendously hard to provide a facility and programming that would become the spotlight of the University. We worked as a highly efficient team with one goal in mind. "

"Where are they now"
Campus Rec will spotlight an outstanding alumnus from our department each month. Our August spotlight recipient is...

Jim Miner - retired Director of Campus Recreation at WIU

Jim started his career at Western in the Fall of 1974 as the Men’s Activity Advisor and became Director of Student Activities in 1979. He served on the committee that helped pass the student referendum to build the new Student Recreation Center and then joined Jim Keeney’s team in the summer of 1997 as the Associate Director of Campus Recreation. He became Director of Campus Recreation after Keeney retired in 2001. Miner officially retired in 2005 to begin an eleven year career on the maintenance crew at the Harry Mussatto Golf Course.



Favorite memories…the top 5 and ties.

"Working with a GREAT team of professionals assembled by Jim Keeney to serve the recreational needs of students! Serving on the student referendum to create the Student Recreation Center. Working until 2 a.m. with Chad Ellsworth to assemble 2 table tennis tables on the eve of our Grand Opening. Working with all the GREAT grads and student workers who staffed the building and our programs. Hosting the NIRSA State Conference. Watching student officials begin careers as certified Officials. Working After-Proms until 6 a.m. Naming the Conference rooms after John Colgate and Jim Keeney. Moving equipment and mats to do heavy cleaning each semester. Playing Racquetball at noon. Working with and learning from Sara Winship. Hearing the “Loser of the Week” nominations. Watching the IM Championship games. Completing my Lifeguarding Certification at age 50."



Currently Jim resides in Macomb and enjoys visits with his twin sons and traveling to Oakland to see daughter Maureen “Mo”, son-in-law Daniel and granddaughter Eleanor. He also enjoys playing golf and Marshaling at golf tournaments. You can check him out in late September on the 15th hole at Whistling Straits for the Ryder Cup.:

Where are they now"
Campus Rec will spotlight an outstanding alumnus from our department each month. Our July spotlight is Greg Kaefer.

What year's were you at WIU Campus Recreation: "1979, I started as a graduate assistant for Dr. John Colgate after I graduated from Eastern Illinois University. Judy Yeast was a GA at the time for women's recreational activities. I interned with the Chicago Bears and successfully defended my thesis in 1982."

Favorite WIU Memory: "Campus Recreation was having an end of the year picnic at Lake Argyle. We were having a great time when tennis balls just started falling from the sky... it was the tennis team grad assistant who had rented a small plane for the day playing a prank on us!"

Professional Career: "I started out working for the National Football League Alumni Association in 1981. In May 1982, I moved to Chicago to work as the Sport Club Director at Loyola University. I then went to the University of Illinois -Chicago in 1986, and retired from UIC as the Associate Director of Campus Recreation in 2012 ( current WIU Director of Campus Recreation Nick Knowles was my intern in 2007).

Reflecting Upon his Career: "I am so glad I chose the path I did. I made many lifelong connections and the work was tremendously rewarding. My degree and graduate assistantship made it all possible. "