Five Bradley alumni attended their first meeting as members of the board of trustees earlier this month after being approved in December.
The board of over 20 members acts as the governing body of the university and is responsible for strategic planning and overseeing the president.
“The ultimate goal is to try to make Bradley a better university, to build on its strengths and to address the challenges that Bradley and many other universities are facing,” new trustee Michael Scimo said.
Four out of the five approved trustees have never served on the board before. The exception is Ray Lahood, who was on the board from 1996 to 2006.
Additionally, LaHood has served as Secretary of Transportation and the U.S. Representative for Illinois’s 18th congressional district.
Both LaHood and Scimo have received the Distinguished Alumnus Award that allowed them to be inducted into the Bradley Centurion Society, made up of alumni who had achieved great honor in their field.
Michelle Mills Clement, a member of the class of 2003, said she wants to bring a different, younger graduate’s perspective to the board. An important focus for Mills Clement is diversity.
“[Diversity] was a big issue for me when I was at Bradley, and it’s something that I know the university still is working with and I’m really hoping I can come and offer a good perspective for the university to really pass along diversity and inclusion,” Mills Clement said.
Mills Clement is CEO of the Chicago Association of Realtors. She was also a part of the Black Alumni Alliance Board at Bradley and the Central Illinois Bradley Alumni Chapter.
Her involvement with the university shows that it has been a large part of her life.
“To be able to truly give back to a university that has given so much to me and helped me become so much of who I am, that was a no brainer for me,” Mills Clement said.
Scimo said he is excited to see Bradley’s ideas of convergence and collaboration behind the new building dedicated to business and engineering.
“I think it is a very progressive idea to look for opportunities to not only deliver a world-class educational experience within one’s field, but to also provide opportunities to collaborate with others in adjacent fields,” Scimo said.
Scimo would like to lend his experiences to contribute to strategy, operational excellence and growth.
“It’s a really good fit to be able to roll up my sleeves, dive in and try to make a difference,” Scimo said.
Mills Clement is looking forward to working with the other members of the board and feels like it is an exciting opportunity.
“It’s a room full of very smart individuals and I just love being surrounded by smart people,” Mills Clement said. “I’m excited to have this chance to work with them for the betterment of the university.”
Scimo said that Bradley changed his life, even though he enrolled reluctantly as the first in the family to attend college.
“If we didn’t take that drive down to Peoria and expose me to a different potential outcome after high school, my life could be completely different,” Scimo said. “I really feel a sense of indebtedness or gratitude to Bradley for opening my eyes.”
Also added to the board were Melvin Flowers and Tana Utley.
Flowers has served on several boards and associations including the Bradley’s Black Alumni Scholarship Committee and the Bradley University Alumni Association Board.
Utley is vice president of the large power systems division at Caterpillar. She has also served on two engineering and technology councils at Bradley.
