The University of Illinois System announced on Monday that Carolyn Blackwell and Jesse Ruiz, alumni of the University, were appointed to the University of Illinois Board of Trustees by Gov. J.B. Pritzker.
Blackwell and Ruiz are currently awaiting approval for terms until 2029 from the Illinois Senate. If both appointments are approved, the board, consisting of 13 total members, will be filled.
“Carolyn Blackwell and Jesse Ruiz bring so much capability to the board, and I look forward to their contributions,” said Chairman Don Edwards in a recent press release.
Blackwell is a senior accountant with Champaign Asphalt Company and has a combined 20 years of experience in finance, management and accounting. Ruiz formerly served as deputy governor for education and is a partner at the Vistria Group, a private investment group based in Chicago.
Both appointees are alumni of the University. Ruiz graduated in 1988 with a bachelor’s in economics, and Blackwell graduated in 2000 with a bachelor’s in accounting.
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Tim Killeen, president of the University of Illinois System, also publicly commended Blackwell and Ruiz. According to a recent press release from the University system, “Killeen thanked Blackwell and Ruiz for stepping forward at a critical time in the system’s history.”
The Board of Trustees is responsible for overseeing the entire University of Illinois System. This includes the universities in Champaign-Urbana, Chicago and Springfield.
