Chair
James Kvedaras is a nearly lifelong resident of Chicago’s far south suburbs. He and his wife Cathy currently reside in the west suburban area and have two adult children and three grandchildren. He received his Bachelor of Business Administration from Governors State University and his MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management. Jim retired after 37 years in the railroad industry, working for one of the large “Class 1” international freight railroads. He established a pattern of assuming roles of increased management responsibility across several departments, including as Director of U.S. Government Affairs, where he managed state and local Government Affairs for sixteen states.
Previous roles included positions in Public Affairs (including as spokesman for the company’s U.S. operations), Contracts and Agreements, Corporate Development (strategic planning), and several sub-departments in engineering. One of his highlights throughout his career has been reaching out to newer employees in an informal mentoring capacity, encouraging them in ways to build their own professional skill sets, and improving their competence and confidence.
While he participated in various community organizations during his working career, including baseball and soccer coaching for area youth athletics organizations, he also participated for years on the Dean’s advisory committee for Governors State University’s College of Business.
He now continues to give of his time on boards and committees for several organizations. He is in his second term as Trustee for Governors State University (and Board Secretary) and represents GovState on the State Universities Civil Service System’s Merit Board. He is a longtime Director and Executive committee member for the Cancer Support Center of Homewood and Mokena, IL. He also donates time and energy as a volunteer for his local food pantry, in various capacities.
A believer in lifelong learning, he looks forward to the challenges of helping provide guidance and direction to the state’s University College system and their student bodies.
Vice Chair
Stacy Crook, an alumna of the university’s Master of Science Accounting program, is a Principal and Director of Investment Accounting at Asset Allocation and Management and brings more than 20 years of financial and investment experience to the board. Previously with Jackson National Life Insurance and Northern Trust Company, Crook has been recognized by many, including her peers as Diversity MBA’s 2018 Top 100 Under 50 Executive Leaders.
Crook also serves her community as the Chicago Chapter President for the National Black MBA Association and as Vice-Chair for GovState’s College of Business Advisory Board. She is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and United Way of Metro Chicago’s Women United Creating Connections.
Shortly after Crook's appointment to the GovState’s Board of Trustees, she attended her first trustee meeting where Chair Angela Sebastian introduced the new trustee. “The board is excited to welcome a community leader with proven commitment to GovState and we are grateful and fortunate for her willingness to serve,” Sebastian said.
“Stacy has an expertise in process optimization, change management and corporate governance, and we are so fortunate to work with her," Sebastian said later.
Crook joins trustees Sebastian, Jim Kvedaras, and Kevin Brookins as the fourth alum on the board. She was appointed to the board to fill a vacancy left by Lisa Harrell who stepped down in 2022.
Crook received a Bachelor of Science from the University of Tennessee and a Master of Business Administration from Roosevelt University.
Secretary
Karen Nunn, an alumna of the university’s Master of Science Accounting program, is a CPA and a finance executive with more than 30 years of accounting and financial operations experience. She started her career at a small accounting firm, and after 13 years joined Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC) in a senior accountant position
while completing her master’s degree.
Nunn rose quickly to manager and currently serves as Vice President of Financial Operations at HCSC, where she founded the Financial Service Division Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Forum. Its objective is to create a sense of belonging and cultivate understanding and growth in divisional employees and the communities served.
Nunn anticipates using her accounting experience and her time as a GovState student in her role as Trustee on GovState's board.
“I want to leverage my knowledge and experience to further the mission and vision of the great Governors State University. My experience as a student and as a parent of two college graduates balances my finance background with the realities, challenges, and dreams of an educational journey," said Nunn.
Nunn joins Chair Angela Sebastian and trustees Jim Kvedaras, Kevin Brookins, and Stacy Crook as the fifth alumnus on the board.
Nunn received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from Roosevelt University.
Trustee
Frances Pao-Han Kao is an attorney, independent arbitrator, and mediator who brings more than three decades of top-tier legal, international dispute resolution, and corporate governance experience to the Governors State University Board of Trustees. Appointed by Governor JB Pritzker, she helps guide institutional direction with a focus on strategic oversight and community-enhancing initiatives.
Ms. Kao spent 20 years as a litigation partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP, a premier global law firm. During her distinguished tenure, she established and led the firm’s U.S. dispute resolution and regulatory compliance practice in the Asia-Pacific region from its Hong Kong office. Her practice specialized in international arbitration, complex business litigation, and corporate/white-collar investigations, frequently advising Fortune 50 companies across the technology, pharmaceutical, energy, and retail sectors.
Today, she serves as an independent neutral in private mediations and arbitrations, focusing on complex commercial, real estate, and franchising disputes, as well as oil and gas issues.
Beyond her corporate and public board work, Ms. Kao operates a private venture dedicated to developing, designing, and building community-enhancing housing that incorporates universal design, state-of-the-art technology, and accessible layouts.
She earned a Bachelor of Special Studies in History with high honors from Cornell College and a Juris Doctor with Order of the Coif honors from the Chicago-Kent College of Law. She is a native Mandarin Chinese speaker.
Trustee
Dr. Judith L. Mitchell, president emerita of Joliet Junior College, brings more than 26 years of higher education governance and financial management experience to the Governors State University Board of Trustees. Mitchell served as the ninth president of Joliet Junior College, or JJC, from September 2016 until her retirement in 2022, having previously assumed the role of interim president in March 2016. In recognition of her service, the JJC Board of Trustees granted her president emerita status in June 2022.
Mitchell’s career at the college began in 1996 as an administrative assistant. Over nearly three decades, she advanced through multiple leadership tracks, serving as director of business and auxiliary services and vice president of finance and administrative services before her unanimous appointment to the presidency. Following her retirement from institutional leadership, she founded Judy Mitchell Consulting, a firm dedicated to supporting community colleges nationwide.
An active civic leader, Mitchell serves on the boards of Silver Cross Hospital, Habitat for Humanity, and First Secure Bank and Trust. She is also a member of the Rotary Club of New Lenox and the Lincolnway Area Business Women's Organization.
Mitchell earned an associate degree in microcomputers for business and computer programming from JJC in 1998. She holds a bachelor's degree in business and technology and a Master of Business Administration from Governors State University. She completed a doctorate in community college leadership from National-Louis University in 2012.
Trustee
Angelica Zuniga is an accomplished financial executive and dedicated civic leader who brings more than 25 years of credit union industry experience to the Governors State University Foundation Board of Trustees. As Chief Strategy Officer at Illiana Financial Credit Union, she specializes in corporate governance, operational leadership, and community-driven economic development.
In her executive role, Ms. Zuniga leads the development, facilitation, and communication of Illiana Financial’s strategic initiatives and long-term goals. Her extensive background spans high-impact leadership positions across multiple departments, including directing transactional operations, marketing, and asset recovery.
Ms. Zuniga holds a Bachelor of Science in Business from the University of Phoenix and successfully completed the rigorous three-year program at the Credit Union National Association (CUNA) Management School. Reflecting her deep expertise in operations, strategic planning, and leadership, she earned the elite designation of Certified Credit Union Executive (CCUE) in July 2024.
Student Trustee
Coming Soon
Under Illinois law, all appointed trustees are required to complete a minimum of four hours of professional development leadership training covering topics that include, but are not limited to, public university and labor law, contract law, ethics, sexual violence on campus, financial oversight and accountability, audits, and fiduciary responsibilities of a member of a governing board within two years after beginning service and within every two years of service thereafter. All appointed trustees have timely taken such training as indicated below based on their last training date, or will take such training within the time required based on their start date.
The Board of Trustees holds regular meetings on a quarterly basis each fiscal year. Additional special board meetings are held as needed. The Executive Committee of the Board, comprised of the Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary, meets as needed. All meetings take place in Engbretson Hall on the GovState campus in University Park, Illinois.
An opportunity for public comment is provided at every public meeting of the Board. To make a public comment, please register at least two business days in advance of the meeting by contacting Percy Amarteifio.
If you require accommodations to participate in the meeting, please contact Percy Amartiefio at least two business days in advance to request them.
| Date* | Time/Location | Agenda | Board Books | Resolutions | Minutes | Meeting Recordings |
| Monday June 22, 2026 Committee of the Whole & Board of Trustees Meeting | 9 a.m. Committee of the Whole Engbretson Hall 1 p.m. Board of Trustees Engbretson Hall | |||||
| Monday August 17, 2026 Committee of the Whole & Board of Trustees Meeting with Board Retreat | ||||||
| Monday October 19, 2026 Committee of the Whole & Board of Trustees Meeting | ||||||
| Monday December 4, 2026 Holiday Celebration** | ||||||
| **The Holiday Celebration is traditionally held the first Friday of December [subject to change]. | ||||||
| Date* | Time/Location | Agenda | Board Books | Resolutions | Minutes | Meeting Recordings |
| Monday February 23, 2026 Committee of the Whole & Board of Trustees Meeting | 9 a.m. Committee of the Whole Engbretson Hall 11:30 a.m. Board of Trustees Engbretson Hall |
| Governors State University Board of Trustees Committee of the Whole, Video Recording February 23rd, 2026 Governors State University Board of Trustees Full Board Meeting, Video Recording February 23rd, 2026 | |||
| **The Holiday Celebration is traditionally held the first Friday of December [subject to change]. | ||||||
| Date* | Time/Location | Agenda | Board Books | Resolutions | Minutes | Meeting Recordings |
| *Note that committee dates are tentative. | ||||||
| Friday December 5, 2025 Holiday Celebration** | 9 a.m. Committee of the Whole Engbretson Hall 11:30 a.m. Board of Trustees Engbretson Hall |
| Governors State University Board of Trustees Committee of the Whole, Video Recording December 5th, 2025 Governors State University Board of Trustees Full Board Meeting, Video Recording December 5th, 2025 | |||
| Monday October 27, 2025 Committee of the Whole & Board of Trustees Meeting | 9 a.m. Committee of the Whole Engbretson Hall 12:30 p.m. Board of Trustees Engbretson Hall |
| Governors State University Board of Trustees Committee of the Whole, Video Recording October 27th, 2025 Pt. 1 Governors State University Board of Trustees Committee of the Whole, Video Recording October 27th, 2025 Pt. 2 Governors State University Board of Trustees Full Board Meeting, Video Recording October 27th, 2025 | |||
| Rescheduled to Monday, October 27, 2025 | ||||||
| Monday August 18, 2025 Committee of the Whole & Board of Trustees Meeting with Board Retreat | 9 a.m. Committee of the Whole Engbretson Hall Board Meeting Immediately Following (Lunch Scheduled for Noon) | File
|
| Governors State University Board of Trustees Committee of the Whole, Video Recording August 18th, 2025 Governors State University Board of Trustees Full Board Meeting, Video Recording August 18th, 2025 | ||
| Monday June 16, 2025 Committee of the Whole & Board of Trustees Meeting | 9 a.m. Committee of the Whole Engbretson Hall 12:30 p.m. Board of Trustees Engbretson Hall | File
|
| Governors State University Board of Trustees Committee of the Whole, Video Recording June 16th, 2025 Governors State University Board of Trustees Full Board Meeting, Video Recording June 16th, 2025 | ||
| Thursday April 24, 2025 Board of Trustees Special Meeting | 3 p.m. Engbretson Hall |
| File
|
| Governors State University Board of Trustees Full Board Meeting, Video Recording April 24th, 2025 | |
| Monday March 10, 2025 Board of Trustees Meeting | 9:30 a.m. Engbretson Hall | File
|
| Governors State University Board of Trustees Full Board Meeting, Video Recording March 10th, 2025 Pt. 1 Governors State University Board of Trustees Full Board Meeting, Video Recording March 10th, 2025 Pt. 2 | ||
| Monday February 24, 2025 Committee of the Whole & Board of Trustees Meeting | 9 a.m. Committee of the Whole Engbretson Hall 1 p.m. Board of Trustees Engbretson Hall |
| File
|
| Governors State University Board of Trustees Committee of the Whole, Video Recording February 24th, 2025 Pt 1 Governors State University Board of Trustees Committee of the Whole, Video Recording February 24th, 2025 Pt 2 | |
| **The Holiday Celebration is traditionally held the first Friday of December [subject to change]. | ||||||
The Governors State University Bylaws, Governing Policies and Regulations were issued in 1996 when the independent GovState Board of Trustees was established. Amendments to these documents require approval by the Board of Trustees. The date on which amendments have been approved are noted in the footnotes.
