Announcements
(notes provided by the unconventional and unorthodox Paul Conforti)
If you donated blood in the past 4 weeks for Community Blood Services please advise Lou Simpson as this qualifies as a make-up. Pat Kovar of Champaign Rotary announced that the 14th Annual Rotary Blood Drive continued through August 3rd.
John McDaniel announced The Lou Henson—Illini Rebounders 12th Annual Golf Outing is scheduled for Wednesday, August 21, 2013 Stone Creek Golf Club in Urbana. Coach John Groce will be there with other special guests including of course Coach Henson. This year will feature a ladies division. Visit http://www.illinirebounders.com/ for more info.
Ed Perry announced there will be, in conjunction with the Wesley Evening Pantry, a Rotary orientation on August 14th in preparation for the August 15th Pantry distribution. Volunteering for this cause is a regular event for CU Sunrisers and all members are invited to regularly participate in this worthwhile and worthy cause for our community. Please see Ed if you are interested.
Program
Phyllis Mischo introduced our speaker Mike Thomas, Director of Athletics at the University of Illinois.
Mike Thomas is in his third year at the University of Illinois in 2013-14 after being named the school’s 18th director of athletics on Aug. 10, 2011. That follows six successful years as the director of athletics at the University of Cincinnati. A 28-year veteran of college athletics administration, Mike has continued to boost the Fighting Illini athletic program to national prominence in men’s and women’s sports.
Mike accepted the U of I job largely due to the high level of academics at the University citing it’s a lot easier working at the top academic school. Mike works within that context as the overall GPA for 19 sports for both the fall and spring semesters in 2012-13 was an impressive 3.12. Ten teams posted perfect scores of 1,000 in the NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) for the 2011-12 academic year, including baseball, men’s golf, men’s gymnastics, men’s tennis, women’s cross country, women’s golf, women’s gymnastics, soccer, women’s tennis, women’s track and field (indoor and outdoor) and volleyball.
Mike has also has also emphasized the student-athlete as community leader, with annual community service last year exceeding 7,000 hours..
Other highlights from Mike Thomas’s presentation:
Launched the State Farm Center renovation project and received UI Board of Trustees approval to move forward with the $165 million project. Illinois signed a landmark 30-year, $60 million naming rights agreement with State Farm for the renovated State Farm Center, formerly known as Assembly Hall, in April 2013. It is the largest corporate naming rights deal for a college-only venue in the country.
Signed a 10-year agreement with Learfield Sports as the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics’ exclusive athletics marketing partner and multimedia rights holder, marking the first time DIA has outsourced its multimedia rights in a comprehensive package. DIA realized more than $2.3 million net increase in value year-over-year and estimates that the agreement will generate more than $60 million over its lifetime.
A $7.2 million project at Memorial Stadium that includes a new video board, ribbon boards, auxiliary video boards, sound system and control room was completed in time for the 2013 football season. Illinois also developed and launched a branding campaign in announcing the new athletic slogan – “Illinois. Our State. Our Team.” – around the state.
Fighting Illini teams won Big Ten championships in men’s golf and women’s indoor track and field in 2012-13. Wrestler Jesse Delgado, men’s gymnast Fred Hartville and women’s track athlete Ashley Spencer all won individual NCAA championships in their respective sports.
In his first year at Illinois, Thomas directed Fighting Illini teams that won a national championship in men’s gymnastics and Big Ten titles in women’s soccer, men’s gymnastics, men’s tennis and men’s golf, while also producing six NCAA individual champions, and 24 All-Americans in a wide range of sports.
Mike received his bachelor’s degree in business administration from Colorado State University in 1983, and his master’s degree in athletic administration from Western Illinois University in 1986. He and his wife, Jenifer, have four children: Vince, Joey, Mick and Meredith. Mike himself is the 5th of 10 siblings.
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| August 8th | August 15th | August 22nd | August 29th | |
| Introductions | Jeff Van Buren | Cary Woolard | Kris Young | Harold Adams |
| Invocation | Andrew Kerins | Andrew Kerins | Dave Krchak | Benny Lapid |
| Greeters | Jeff Van Buren | Cary Woolard | Kris Young | Harold Adams |
| Bruce Hatfield | Mary Hodson | Phillip Holthaus | Andrew Kerins | |
| Song Leader | Reuben Chambers | Paul Conforti | Ata Durukan | Jim Gould |
| Notetaker | Perry | Penwell | Hodson | Lintner |
| Decker Weeding | Hatfield | Hatfield | Schluter | Kerins |
| Next Weekend | Chalifoux | Mischo | Family | Family |
| Decker Garden | Krchak | Krchak | Adams | Adams |
| Watering | Family | Family |
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Upcoming Schedule
August 8th – Christine Catanzarite, Director of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (OLLI), UIUC
August 15th – Larry Pennie, District Governor
September 12th – Dr. Peter Schiffer, Vice Chancellor for Research, UIUC
