The Waubonsee Community College Foundation recently welcomed four new members to the board of directors: Jimi Allen, of Aurora; Carl Dekker, of St. Charles; Kevin Pennington, of Aurora; and Kris Wano, of Geneva.
Allen, Founder and CEO of Bureau Gravity, has led results-driven marketing initiatives for clients across all industries and service sectors for more than 20 years. His professional career began in photojournalism, where he honed his love of storytelling through the camera lens.
Allen holds a Master of Arts in Visual Communications from Ohio University, a Bachelor in Philosophy Interdisciplinary Studies, and a Bachelor of Science in Botany from Miami University. He also serves on the City of Aurora’s Innovation and Technology Advisory Commission and The Caring Network Aurora.
Dekker is President of Met-L-Flo, Inc., a Contract Manufacturer specializing in 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing services for product development and low volume production for aerospace, defense and automotive markets. In addition to presenting his work at various conferences globally, Dekker has also been published in several industry journals. He is actively involved in research and product development using current technologies and innovative methods.
Dekker holds a Master Certificate in Rapid Prototyping and is a proud recipient of the Stereolithography (SLA) “Dinosaur” award (Distinguished INOvator – DINO). He has served multiple times as a judge for the Leadership in Engineering Achievement Program (LEAP) awards. Dekker lends his skillset and knowledge base to several advisory boards, having served on the Waubonsee Community College Industry Advisory Board. Currently, Dekker serves as the chair of the Direct Digital Manufacturing Tech Group International.
Pennington is the Manager of Athletic Training and Sports Performance for Delnor Community Hospital/Cadence Health/Northwestern Medicine. He oversees the daily operations of the rehabilitation therapy clinic and an outreach department of athletic trainers covering nine local high schools and colleges.
Pennington holds a Master of Business Administration from Aurora University, a Bachelor of Science from the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, and an Associate of Science from Waubonsee Community College. In addition to his certification in Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and First Aid, he is a Certified Athletic Trainer and member of the National, Great Lakes and Illinois Athletic Trainer’s Associations, respectively.
Pennington was a Lucile Gustafson Scholarship recipient at Waubonsee Community College and has gone on to receive many other notable honors in his career, such as the Delnor Firestarter Award, Dr. John Jevitz Continuing Education Scholarship and Delnor Hospital Leadership Award.
Wano is a Senior Wealth Advisor with Calamos Wealth Management. She specializes in comprehensive investment management and wealth advisory services to high net worth individuals, families, foundations and trusts.
Wano holds a Bachelor of Interdisciplinary Studies from Western Kentucky University, and is a certified Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA), series 7, 63 and 65. She currently serves on the board of CASA Kane County, and previously served on the board for United Way of Metro Chicago and the St. Charles Art Council.
The mission of the Waubonsee Community College Foundation is to cultivate philanthropic donors, to responsibly steward its assets and to equitably award scholarships to students to help them achieve their educational goals.
For more information, contact the Development Office at (630) 466-2316 or visit waubonsee.edu/foundation.
Pictured above (from left to right): Waubonsee Community College Foundation Board Members Jimi Allen, Carl Dekker, Kevin Pennington, and Kris Wano
