Date: 12/21/09
Contact: Eric Jome
Illinois State University has named seven new members to its College of Business Hall of Fame. The honor recognizes individuals for their outstanding business careers and professional service to their communities and to Illinois State University. The seven will be formally inducted at a ceremony on April 1, 2010, during Illinois State's annual Business Week.
Gary Gemberling '63 (business administration)
Gemberling, Atlanta, IL, is a certified public accountant, personal financial specialist, and certified financial planner. He is a founding partner of O & G Financial, and serves as chairman of the board of First Farmers State Bank. Gemberling served as CFO of Malcolm Group, Inc. from its inception in 1973 until its sale in 2007, overseeing all financial aspects of a five company conglomerate operating world-wide in the areas of manufacturing, mail order and internet marketing.
As chairman-elect of the Workforce Investment Board, Gemberling administers federal and Illinois monies for economic development and workforce initiatives in a four county region of Illinois. He also serves as chair of the audit committee and a member of the investment committee for the Illinois State University Foundation Board. He established and funded the Herbert Sieg Endowed Scholarship in the College of Business at Illinois State.
Duane Livingston '70 (accounting)
Livingston, Peoria, the first African-American vice president at Caterpillar, Inc., initially joined the company as an hourly laborer. At the time of his retirement in 2002, Livingston was responsible for worldwide financial services, operational auditing, information technology auditing, business risk management, corporate environmental health and safety and the office of business practices and ethics.
Livingston is active in leadership positions with numerouscivic and professional organizations including the Mental Health Association, G.W. Carver Center, Peoria, Economic Development Association, OSF St. Francis Advisory Board and the Institute of Internal Auditors. He was past chair of the Illinois Special Olympics and Eureka College Boards, and served on the Executive Leadership Council & Foundation in Washington, DC. In addition to funding an endowed scholarship at the College of Business, Livingston was also instrumental in securing a six figure gift from Caterpillar to help fund portions of the construction of Illinois State's College of Business Building.
David Magers '77 (accounting) '86 M.B.A
Magers, Bloomington, has been executive vice president and chief financial officer of the COUNTRY Financial group since 2003. He previously served as COUNTRY's vice president of property and casualty operations. Prior to that, he was vice president of finance and treasurer for the Illinois Agricultural Association (IAA), responsible for the treasury, cash management and risk management for COUNTRY and other IAA affiliated companies. A certified public accountant, Magers is a member of the Illinois Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
Magers serves on the board of directors of the Heartland American Red Cross and the McLean County Chamber of Commerce. He is a member of the finance committee of the Community Cancer Center and the boards of directors for the Community Development Corporation and the Economic Development Council of McLean County. He also chairs the advisory board of Illinois State's Katie School of Insurance and Financial Services.
Mark Thorndyke '85 (finance)
Thorndyke, Lake Barrington, is a certified financial planner and a certified investment management analyst who has been with Merrill Lynch since 1986. He is currently a senior financial advisor and first vice president of investments at the Global Wealth Management Chicago Metro office. In 2009, Barron's Magazine, named him one of the top 1000 advisors in America, ranking 21st in Illinois on the magazine's state-by-state top advisors list.
Thorndyke supports charitable and non-profit organizations including the student run Education Investment Fund (EIF) at Illinois State University. As a senior, Thorndyke was selected as one of the managers of the fund, which he cites as his motivation for pursuing a career in investment management. He now shares his expertise with today's EIF participants. He has served on the Lake Barrington Countryside Park District board for the past five years and is the president of the Sigma Tau Gamma-Gamma Psi Alumni Association of Illinois State University.
Donna F. Zarcone '79 (accounting)
Zarcone, Burr Ridge, is founder of D.F. Zarcone & Associates LLC, a strategic advisory firm providing consulting at the executive and board level. She serves on the boards of directors for the Chamberlain Group, Inc., CIGNA Corporation and Jones Apparel Group, Inc., and the board of managers for Wrightwood Capital. During her eight year term as president of Harley-Davidson Financial Services, Inc. that company's annual operating income increased from $20 million to over $200 million. A certified public accountant, she began her career as an auditor and computer audit specialist with KPMG/Peat Marwick.
Zarcone serves on the boards of the Economic Club of Chicago; the National Association of Corporate Directors-Chicago Chapter; the Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, and the Hyde Park Angels. She is a member of the Commercial Club of Chicago, the Committee of 200, the Chicago Network, and the Young Presidents' Organization.
Jay Edmondson
During his 42-year career at State Farm, Jay Edmondson, Sun Lakes, AZ, held positions in underwriting, management planning, and systems development. He retired as vice president for underwriting and service. He has served on the board of directors of the Conference of Casualty Insurance Companies, the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies and the Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund.
Edmondson was named emeritus advisor to the Katie School of Insurance and Financial Services at Illinois State, having served as both a member and as chair of the Insurance Executives Advisory Board. The Edmondson-Miller Chair in Insurance and Financial Services is named in recognition of his service to the Katie School. He is also a member of the Senior Professionals of Illinois State University. He has served on the board of directors of the United Way, Center for Human Services, the Illinois Symphony and as chair of the Town of Normal Human Relations Commission.
George Eovaldi
George Eovaldi, Normal, is retired vice president of accounting for State Farm. He began his career with the company as an accounting trainee and worked in State Farm offices in Dallas, Texas and Lincoln, Nebraska prior to becoming director of management planning and information in the Bloomington headquarters. He held managerial positions in several areas of the company and became vice president of accounting in 1981. He represented State Farm as a member of the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business, where he served on the accreditation and standards committees.
Eovaldi supports Illinois State's College of Business through service on the college and Accounting Department advisory councils. He is a member of the Senior Professionals at Illinois State and has been a mentor for accounting students. He is a supporter of the McLean County United Way, serving as treasurer, chair for the finance and leadership committees, and as a member of the board.
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