INA, Ill. (August 15, 2022) — The Rend Lake College Foundation announced that Tony Wielt would assume the chair role on the board of directors. With the recent changes to the foundation's organizational alignment, sitting board chair Robert "Bob" Bornheimer wanted to ensure a smooth transition as he moved to a member role. This move allowed Wielt to be appointed as board chair effective as of the August board meeting.
Chairman, Tony Wielt
Wielt has served as a member of the foundation board since 2018.
“My connection to Rend Lake College has taken a lot of different facets over the years, including camp participant, college student, advisory board member, foundation golf outing participant and sponsor, and parent of an RLC student,” Wielt explained. "It will be an honor to serve as the foundation board chairman for the next couple of years.
My immediate goal will be to assist in recruiting another member to our foundation board that will actively serve alongside our existing members. We are in a transition period with a new structure to our internal team, and we are excited to see where we can take the foundation. Our commitment remains constant to helping the students of RLC achieve academic success and partnering with RLC itself in their upcoming projects."
Other appointments on the RLC foundation board include the reappointment of Mary Ellen Aiken as vice chairperson, the reappointment of Mark Ballard as secretary, and the new appointment of Joshua Esser as treasurer.
Vice Chairperson, Mary Ellen Aiken
The Rend Lake College Foundation has been a vital part of the Rend Lake Family for years," stated Vice Chair Aiken. "However, with the recent reorganization of the foundation office and the addition of new dynamic board members, the Foundation is feeling renewed energy. We will continue to make it a priority to maintain or increase the number of student scholarships that are presented each year. Having recently completed the renovation of the state-of-the-art Student Resource Center, there are already projects being explored to continually meet the needs of the RLC students and staff. As Vice-Chair of the RLC Foundation, I feel the excellent Foundation staff and Board are ready to aggressively meet the needs of RLC this year and in the future."
Treasurer, Joshua Esser, CPA
Esser stated that he is looking forward to leveraging his experience in the financial industry by learning the finance and accounting system of the RLCF to help them impact as many students as possible.
Secretary, Mark Ballard
"I have noticed how the Foundation has streamlined," said Secretary Ballard. "I am excited to see how the new approach can help more students in the future."
The Rend Lake College Foundation represents a partnership between public and private interests for the benefit of Rend Lake College students. We invite and encourage your participation, interest, and support. Please join the many generous individuals, corporations, and foundations who have given their support to the Foundation and the mission of Rend Lake College.
If you would like to learn more about the Rend Lake College Foundation,
please visit us online at rlc.edu/foundation.
