McKendree University to Honor Outstanding Alumni During Homecoming Awards Ceremony Oct. 24
Accolades to include the Peter Akers Award, Loyal Service, Academy of Excellence, Rising Stars
(LEBANON, Ill., Oct. 17, 2025) – McKendree University will honor several of its accomplished alumni at its annual award ceremony on Fri., October 24 at the Hettenhausen Center for the Arts on campus. Chosen by the alumni board, the 2024 awardees have made their mark in their professions, communities and at their alma mater.
This year’s winners include the following:
Peter Akers Award
Jeff and Marcy Lanter of Belleville, Ill., were presented with the highest alumni honor, the Peter Akers
Award, during the university’s annual Wayne E. Lanter Lecture series, which occurred
on Thursday, Sept. 25 when Build-A-Bear Workshop® founder Maxine Clark visited McKendree
to impart her wisdom to the campus community. This award acknowledges professional
success, outstanding service, and loyalty. Jeff graduated from McKendree in 1985,
earning a bachelor’s degree in physical education. The Lanters have been loyal supporters
of the university for 40 years and are longtime members of the William McKendree Society.
They have demonstrated remarkable loyalty to McKendree across decades of involvement,
including giving of their time, talent, and treasure in support of the university.
Marcy is a dedicated partner in McKendree service and philanthropy.
Jeff Lanter has been a member of the McKendree University Board of Trustees since 1996. He was also inducted into the McKendree Sports Hall of Fame in 2003 for men’s basketball. A four-year letter winner from 1980 to 1983, he was known for his strong work ethic, tenacious defense, leadership, and intensity, contributing to a team record of 87 wins and 37 losses. He was also awarded the Nate Clay Award his senior year at McKendree. Now, Jeff is the Senior Vice President of Ozburn Hessey Logistics. He was the former owner and president of Lanter Company, a family-owned business started by his father, which was acquired by Ozburn Hessey Logistics (OHL) in 2004.
Loyal Service
Dave ’70 and Mary (Reinhardt) Philip ’66 of Belleville, Ill., will receive this year’s Loyal Service Award. Dave graduated
from McKendree with a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1970, and Mary
graduated with a bachelor’s degree in English from McKendree in 1966. At McKendree,
Dave was a member of the choir, Phi Lambda Sigma (Philo), and theatre, while Mary
was a member of the choir, Kappa Lambda Iota (CLIO), the homecoming court, and was
active with The McKendree Review. The two met as first-year students in Dr. Silver’s English class; however, Dave
was deployed to Vietnam during his college career. They later married in 1964.
Dave was a Civil Air Patrol Squadron Commander and was awarded Outstanding Senior Officer of the Year. A Vietnam veteran and accomplished airborne and event photographer, Dave is involved with the Civil Air Patrol, Union UMC Fine Arts Committee, community theater, and photography. He also served 20 years on the McKendree Alumni Board, retiring in 2024. Mary is a retired English teacher at Belleville East High School and was the recipient of the 2009 National Council of Teachers of English Excellence Award, which is given to only one candidate per state. She is active in many clubs and organizations, including P.E.O., AAUW, Women in Faith, Union UMC, and many book and writing clubs. The couple are longtime William McKendree Society members, Hett performance sponsors, regular volunteers and event attendees, and Dave donates photography for university events.
Academy of Excellence:
Four alumni will enter the university’s Academy of Excellence for achievement, leadership
and character in the following categories: education; humanities; language, literature,
and communication; and mathematics, science, and technology. Honorees have made exceptional
contributions to the honor and prestige of the university and have demonstrated the
values imparted by a liberal arts education in their professions or chosen fields.
Humanities
Ryan Furniss of Saint Louis, Mo., graduated from McKendree in 2000 with a bachelor's degree in
history and a minor in philosophy. He also earned a juris doctorate from Washington
University School of Law in 2003. As a Bearcat, he was a member of Phi Kappa Phi,
the History Society, Pi Gamma Mu, Model United Nations, Student Government Association,
Intramurals, and Phi Alpha Theta. He also served as an online ambassador and a New
Student Orientation ambassador.
Furniss is the founder and a member of The Furniss Law Firm, LLC, since 2011. Previously, he served as an attorney for Holland, Groves, Schneller & Stolze, LLC and also as an associate attorney for Brown & James, P.C. He focused his legal career on advocating for individuals and families with integrity and compassion. He was a school board member at Immacolata Catholic Church from 2021 to 2024, a chair and co-chair for the Young Friends Council at the Missouri Botanical Gardens from 2016 to 2018, and a member of the Young Friends Council from 2013 to 2019. He is dedicated to community building, cultural enrichment, and educational opportunity.
Furniss has also served McKendree throughout the years in many roles, including as a member of the McKendree University Board of Trustees since 2018, the president of the McKendree University Alumni Association from 2018 to 2024, and an alumni board member from 2012 to 2024. He is a member of the McKendree University Legal Society and volunteers for the Presidential Scholarship Interview Days at the university.
Education
Dr. Khalilah (Graham-Hyatt) Doss of Placentia, Calif., graduated from McKendree in 2003 with a bachelor’s degree in
economics/finance and marketing. She went on to earn a Master of Public Administration
degree in public administration and policy from Southern Illinois University – Edwardsville
and a doctorate in educational administration and higher education from Southern Illinois
University – Carbondale. As a student at McKendree, she was a resident director, a
New Student Orientation ambassador, and a member of the Black Student Organization,
the Alpha Phi Omega sorority, and Student Government Association. A standout member
of track and field and also cross country from 1998 to 2003, she was later inducted
into the McKendree University Sports Hall of Fame.
Doss currently serves as the vice president for student affairs and strategic enrollment management at California State University, Fullerton. Previously, she served as the vice president for student affairs and dean of students at Middle Tennessee State University, the vice president for student affairs at University of Southern Indiana, a non-tenured faculty member in Educational Administration & Higher Education and Africana studies at University of Southern Indiana, the vice president of student life and dean of students at McPherson College, the assistant dean of students and director of Residential Life & Housing at Lincoln University of Missouri, and a resident director at McKendree University. She is also the founder and a consultant of ashe Consulting and Educational Services, LLC, and is a Gallup Certified strengths coach. She is a speaker and coach for educational institutions nationwide and is an advocate for inclusive and supportive educational environments. Additionally, she is a McKendree Booster Club member.
Language, Literature, and Communication
Jill (Schlueter) Dorries of O’Fallon, Ill., graduated from McKendree in 1991 with a bachelor's degree in accounting.
She later went on to earn her juris doctorate from Southern Illinois University’s
School of Law in 1994. She has given back to McKendree for 33 consecutive years.
Dorries has served as the vice president of external communications, government relations, and outreach and engagement at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis since 2021. Previously, she served as the assistant vice president of public affairs at the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis from 1994 to 2021. She has more than 30 years of leadership in communications, public affairs, and strategic engagement within one of the nation’s most influential financial institutions, and she oversees regional and national strategies related to government, relations, industry partnerships, public education, and outreach. Her ability to foster dialogue and collaboration between the Federal Reserve and the communities it serves has been recognized, and she is known as a passionate advocate for financial education, civic engagement, and inclusive access to economic knowledge.
Math, Science, and Technology
Dave Dillenberger of Waterloo, Ill., graduated from McKendree in 1987 with a bachelor's degree in business
administration. As a student, he was two-way player as first baseman and pitcher for
the Bearcat baseball team, leading the team in homeruns and RBIs and earning the Offensive
Player of the Year honor in 1984. He also signed with the St. Louis Cardinals after
his junior year, playing two years in their farm system and one year with the Atlanta
Braves before returning to complete his degree.
Dillenberger is the founder and CEO of Americom, a St. Louis-based business technology provider. He led Americom for more than 30 years, transforming the company from a print, copy, and fax provider into a full-service leader in managed IT, telecommunications, and document management before transitioning the role of president to his son, DJ, in 2022. He also oversaw the development of the Americom Imaging Systems and the Americom Technology Solutions divisions. A previous Bearcat Booster Club member, Dillenberger was inducted into the Greater St. Louis Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame in April 2025.
Rising Stars:
Rising Stars are McKendree graduates of the past decade who have made significant
achievements in their professions or chosen fields, and how have been highly involved
with the university or their communities.
Taylor Ganz of Sneads Ferry, N.C., graduated from McKendree in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in political science and government. She later went on to earn her juris doctorate from Saint Louis University School of Law in 2022 and became a licensed attorney in the state of Missouri. She has served as the Captain and Judge Advocate of the United States Marine Corps since 2020 and also currently serves as Defense Counsel at Defense Services Office at Camp Lejeune. She represents Marines and sailors at Courts Martial and Administrative Separation Boards. Previously, she was a law clerk for David G. Waltrip, LLC from 2021 to 2022 and an office clerk for Airmen & Family Readiness at Scott Air Force Base in 2019.
Zach Loehr of Bethalto, Ill., graduated from McKendree in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing. While at McKendree, he served as captain of the men’s ice hockey team, president of the McKendree Marketing Club, president of McKendree’s chapter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA), and as a student ambassador. He was inducted into Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society, Sigma Beta Delta International Business Honor Society, and Phi Kappa Phi. He went on to earn an Executive Certificate in Leadership and Management from the University of Notre Dame in 2019 and a master’s degree in business administration from Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in 2023. Loehr has served as Chief of Staff for Boeing Global Services – Middle East and Africa programs since 2017, supporting a vast portfolio of international defense initiatives. He has held multiple key leadership roles within Boeing, including KC-46 project manager, F-15 contracts management specialist, F-22 financial analyst, and sustained estimator for both F-15 and F-22 programs. He is also a member of Boeing’s Leadership NeXt (LX) Class of 2025, a prestigious leadership development program.
Hailey (Porter) Traub of Effingham, Ill., graduated from McKendree with a bachelor's degree in athletic training in 2018. As a Bearcat, she played for the McKendree women’s soccer team and was named to the President’s List each semester for academic excellence. She later earned a master’s degree in physician assistant studies from Southern Illinois University School of Medicine in 2021. Traub has served as a physician assistant for Sarah Bush Lincoln Hospital since 2021, serving in both internal medicine and emergency department roles and providing care to a medically underserved, rural population in east-central Illinois. Previously, she served as an athletic trainer for Athletico Physical Therapy from 2018 to 2019, an athletic trainer for the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Tournament in 2018, and as a physical therapy technician for Athletico Physical Therapy from 2016 to 2018.
An active participant in the McKendree women’s soccer alumni community, Traub has been an NCCPA Board-Certified physician assistant since 2021 and a certified and licensed athletic trainer in Illinois and Missouri since 2018. She holds active certifications in She is also a member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) and the Illinois Academy of Physician Assistants (IAPA).
The McKendree University Alumni Association seeks and accepts nominations of worthy alumni throughout the year for the annual Alumni Awards. Please visit www.mckendree.edu/alumniawards to learn more or submit a nomination.
-McK-
