Class of 2009/10

Gary Gemberling '63

Gary Gemberling is a successful entrepreneur, holds professional certification as a Certified Public Accountant, a Personal Financial Specialist, and a Certified Financial Planner. Gemberling is the founder of four CPA firms and sold three of them. He is a founding partner of O & G Financial, and serves as chairman of the board of First Farmers State Bank. Gemberling has 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 worldwide in the areas of manufacturing, mail order, and Internet marketing.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Gemberling is actively involved within his community. As chairman elect of the Workforce Investment Board, he administers federal and Illinois monies for economic development and workforce initiatives in a fourcounty region. Gemberling is also chair of the Audit Committee and a member of the Investment Committee for the Illinois State University Foundation Board. As an active member of his church, he serves on the Personnel Committee, and as chair of the Audit and Investments Committees. Additionally, Gemberling holds the treasurer positions of both a Masonic Lodge and a Shriner organization. He established and funded the Herbert Sieg Endowed Scholarship in the College of Business at Illinois State University. Gemberling was awarded the Illinois Valley Community Service Award for outstanding service leadership within his community.

Duane Livingston ‘70

A proven senior executive, Duane Livingston enjoyed a highly successful career at Caterpillar Inc. He became the first African-American vice president at Caterpillar, having joined the company as an hourly laborer. After graduating from Illinois State in 1970, he moved to the management ranks and enjoyed a series of promotions which included accounting manager in Mexico, development manager for projects in India, business unit divisional controller, and director of corporate auditing.

At the time of his retirement in 2002, Livingston was responsible for worldwide Financial Services/Operational Auditing, Information Technology Auditing, Business Risk Management, Corporate Environment/Health/Safety, and Office of Business Practices/ Ethics. He managed office locations in the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, Asia/Pacific, and South America and reported to the executive office with frequent contact with the Audit and Public Policy Committees of the Board of Directors.

Over the years, Livingston has been involved in leadership positions with numerous civic and professional organizations including the Mental Health Association, G.W. Carver Center, Peoria Economic Development Association, OSF Saint 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 D.C.

A father of three, Livingston has long encouraged and mentored minority students at Illinois State University. 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 the State Farm Hall of Business Building.

Dave Magers ‘77, M.B.A. '86

David Magers of Bloomington has been executive vice president and chief financial officer of the COUNTRY Financial group since 2003. As CFO of the Count ry group, he also serves as CFO and on the boards of directors of Count ry’s three alliance companies: Holyoke Mutual Insurance Company, Salem, Massachusetts; Middlesex Mutual Assurance Company, Middleton, Connecticut; and Cotton States Insurance Group, Atlanta.

Magers previously served as COUNTRY vice president of Property and Casualty Operations. Prior to that he was vice president of finance and treasurer for the Illinois Agricultural Association®, where he was responsible for the treasury, cash management, and risk management for COUNTRY and other Illinois Agricultural Association® affiliated companies. Magers served in various accounting and finance related positions with GROWMAR K Inc., a Farm Bureau agricultural supply company from 1977 to 1988. A Certified Public Accountant, Magers is a member of the Illinois Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

Professional and community service are priorities for Magers. He serves on various committees of the Property Casualty Insurers of America and the American Council of Life Insurers. He is on the board of directors of the Heartland American Red Cross and the McLean County Chamber of Commerce. He chairs the Children’s Hospital of Illinois McLean County Milestone Capital Campaign and is on the OSF Saint Francis Medical Center Community Advisory Board. Magers 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. In addition he chairs the Advisory Board of the Illinois State University Katie School of Insurance. Magers was named Central Illinois Louis J. Barger philanthropy volunteer of the year by the Central Illinois Association of Fundraising Professionals.

Mark Thorndyke ’85

Mark Thorndyke 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 and one of the top producers at the Global Wealth Management Chicago Metro office, with over $328 million in assets under his management. Thorndyke has been recognized by Merrill Lynch every year since 1997 for reaching award club levels. In 2008 he was honored with their prestigious Circle of Champions Club. In the February 7, 2009, edition of Barron’s magazine, Thorndyke was named one of the top 1,000 advisors in America, ranking 21st in Illinois on the magazine’s state-by-state top advisors list.

Being aware of an individual’s impact on his community, Thorndyke supports many charitable and not-for-profit organizations. He is a strong advocate of 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.

For a number of years Thorndyke has been investing in farmland in Central Illinois. He manages more than 750 acres of a successful farming operation growing corn and soy beans. With the environment in mind, participates in the Conservation Reserve Program by setting aside a portion of his farmland for land preservation and environmental enhancements.

Thorndyke has served on the Lake Barrington Countryside Park District Board for the past five years. He is the president of the Sigma Tau Gamma-Gamma Psi Alumni Association of Illinois State University. He also coaches his four children’s soccer, softball, and basketball teams.

Donna F. Zarcone ‘79

Donna F. Zarcone is founder of D.F. Zarcone & Associates LLC , a strategic advisory firm providing consulting at the executive and board level. Zarcone is an experienced chief executive and board director, with a proven record of rapidly growing and building companies, while consistently delivering outstanding bottom line results. 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. Additionally, she is a frequent speaker at industry and corporate governance conferences.

As former president of Harley-Davidson Financial Services Inc., Zarcone led the international company through transformational growth. In her eight year tenure as president, managed loans grew from $1.1 billion to more than $6 billion, market share grew from 20 percent to 50 percent, and annual operating income increased from $20 million to more than $200 million. Zarcone joined the start-up finance subsidiary of Harley-Davidson Inc. in 1994, serving four years as vice president and chief financial officer. Prior to Harley-Davidson, she served as executive vice president, CFO, and treasurer of Chrysler Systems Leasing Inc., a computer technology leasing company. A certified public accountant, Zarcone began her career as an auditor and computer audit specialist with KPMG/Peat Marwick. She holds an M.B.A. from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business.

Zarcone is actively engaged civically, serving 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.