Our Faculty
Our students learn from credentialed professionals who also work as successful entrepreneurs and leaders in the business community. They do more than teach what's in the textbooks. They help students gain the insight needed to apply what they've learned to real-world situations. Many draw on international experiences to offer students more complex insights into how to lead in a dynamic, global economy. With a typical student-to-faculty ratio of just 19 to 1, individuals can be assured of receiving the attention they need to succeed.
Michael Cozzi
Senior Lecturer
Mike Cozzi is an Information Technology professional with vast experience in team leadership, end user relations, vendor management, and the full systems development lifecycle for telecommunications, business intelligence, call center operations, payroll, human resources, insurance claims administration and pension funds administration applications. Mike holds a B.A. from Northern Illinois University in Operations Management and Information Systems and a M.B.A. from DePaul University in Leadership/Change Management. Mike has been a Project Management Professional (PMP) since 2001. Mike is currently the Director of Business Solutions and Systems Analysis at U.S. Cellular®. Mike has held various leadership positions at AT&T and CNA prior to joining U.S. Cellular®. Mike is also heavily involved with Junior Achievement – serving on the DuPage Board of Directors since 2009. Mike has been an adjunct faculty member at Kendall College since 2010.
Michael.Cozzi@kendall.edu
Thomas B. Digan
Senior Lecturer
Thomas Digan is principal and founder of Bowsprit Financial Corp. and Bowsprit Computer Leasing Corp. Mr. Digan has been a part of the distressed consumer debt business since 1996 when as Treasurer of Encylopaedia Britannica he orchestrated the sale of it’s $200 million portfolio to EMCC, Inc., one of the nation’s largest debt purchasers. Shortly afterward he joined EMCC, Inc. and led their portfolio acquisition and due diligence team until May 2000, when he was recruited by Hilco Receivables, LLC. As Senior Vice President at Hilco Receivables, LLC he was instrumental in building that business from the ground up. He also developed an accounts receivable appraisal business that generated more than $1 million in appraisal fee revenue. . He is a well-known and respected member of the distressed-debt buying community. He has priced and negotiated the purchase of over $1 billion in both distressed and performing consumer receivables, including sizable portfolios from Duke Energy, Gateway Computer, Heilig Meyers Furniture, and Jacobson’s Department Stores. He has appeared as an expert witness in litigation in bankruptcy court, and has appraised portfolios in excess of $3 billion dollars for asset-based lenders. As an educator, he has taught Accounting and Finance courses at both the undergraduate and graduate level as a member of the adjunct faculty at Elmhurst College, Lewis University and Keller Graduate School of Management. Mr. Digan holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree from The University of Notre Dame and a MBA from Loyola University of Chicago. He is a Certified Public Accountant.
Thomas.Digan@kendall.edu
Jodie Eason
Senior Lecturer
Jodie has been a Kendall College adjunct for four years and has over a decade’s training experience. In addition to teaching the introductory technology class CIS190, she has taught CIS290, as well as the online Information Systems in Enterprise course at the Santa Fe University of Art and Design. Currently, she is teaching CIS270. Jodie’s career has spanned diverse industries including shipbuilding, the defense industry, nonprofit and corporate consulting, eLearning, the auto industry and of course, the software industry. Since moving to Chicago in 2005, Jodie has been an active board member of the Ross School of Business Alumni Association, and is currently serving as the VP of Technology. An avid explorer of many things, Jodie’s current hobbies include travel, cooking and reading. Jodie has a Bachelor of Science in Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering and an MBA in Strategy and General Management, both from the University of Michigan.
Jodie.Eason@kendall.edu
Emily Engel
Senior Lecturer
Emily Engel is a Senior Research Analyst in the Community Development and Policy Studies department at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago. Her chief responsibilities include contributing to research and Fed publications. She also started and supports the Community Development and Policy Studies Blog. Before joining the Community Development and Policy Studies team, Engel worked in the Supervision and Regulation department and the Research department at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago.
Engel received a B.A. in economics and mathematics from Northwestern University and an M.B.A. from University of Chicago's Booth School of Business.
Emily.Engel@kendall.edu
John Frech
Senior Lecturer
John Frech has worked in the banking industry for over 25 years in various capacities - External Auditor, Controller, Chief Financial Officer, Federal Banking Regulator, consultant and Chief Internal Auditor. He has extensive experience in developing, auditing and enhancing corporate governance programs and financial reporting controls. As a Federal Banking Regulator with the Office of Thrift Supervision and the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, he authored numerous financial reporting and auditing regulations affecting Federally-insured banking organizations. In addition, he has collaborated with industry peers, regulators, professional organization leaders and standards setters to establish more consistent and effective solutions to audit issues and business problems. He has a passion for using financial reporting to help business organizations design, monitor and achieve their business objectives. In that regard, John has developed and delivered training programs for banking leaders, bank examiners, and third world banking supervisors.
John is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of both the American Institute of CPAs and the Illinois CPA Society. He received a Bachelors of Business Administration degree from Kent State University with a concentration in Accounting. He also received a Masters of Business Administration from Loyola University of Baltimore, Maryland.
John.Frech@kendall.edu
Dan Heck
Senior Lecturer
Dan consults scores of companies and trained hundreds of employees around the world in problem solving, leadership, innovation, communications and a variety of technical skills. Dan's clients include Dow, Baxter, Motorola, Ford, McDonald's, Honeywell, GKN Aerospace and many others. His main concern is adding value; how are the class skills and insights going to influence the participants' performance? Whether it is the delivery of a problem solving class to engineers or facilitating the launch of a national special interest group, Dan positions everyone for action. Clients appreciate Dan's mix of engineering experience and passion for better communication and relationships.
Over the last 22 years, Dan has facilitated many sessions involving executives, IT special interest groups, lawyers, engineers, and work teams. Dan has trained hundreds of trainers and employees to facilitate Zenger-Miller, Motorola, and Ford courses. As a Master Trainer, Dan has also trained and mentored many to move into the Master Trainer role.
Dan is an adjunct at Kendall College School of Business (BUS305H, BUS110H, BUS140 ) and the University of Chicago's Graham School of General Studies. Dan occasionally lectures at Northwestern University in the undergraduate entrepreneurial program and the McCormick Engineering Masters of Product Development program.
Dan is a certified PMP = Project Management Professional (Project Management Institute)
Daniel.Heck@kendall.edu
Elvert Howard
Senior Lecturer
Elvert Howard has more than 10 years of progressively responsible experience developing and delivering a variety of coursework at the college and university level in areas such as Marketing, Advertising, Management Theory and Micro and Macro economics.
Prior to teaching, Elvert spent more than 10 years in consumer and healthcare advertising agencies with agencies such as Burrell Communications and Corbett Accel Healthcare Group. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of California at Berkeley and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of California at Irvine’s Paul Merage School of Business.
A native of Saint Louis, Missouri, he is an avid outdoor enthusiast and enjoys biking, tennis, fishing and volunteering his time with such causes as adult literacy and community beautification/recycling.
Elvert.Howard@kendall.edu
Dr. Tarnue Johnson
Senior Lecturer
Dr. Tarnue Johnson has worked as a youth counselor and adult educator. He worked as Youth Counselor for Jobs-for-Youth in Chicago and organized a successful college preparatory program there. He was also a lecturer for several years in the Behavioral and Social Sciences department at East-West University. Dr. Johnson is currently a lecturer in economics at Kendall College. Dr. Johnson also teaches undergraduate and graduate courses at Argosy University.
Dr. Johnson holds a doctorate degree (DBA) in business administration from Argosy University. His concentration was in management and his doctoral research was in business ethics and corporate governance. His current research is focused on making a significant contribution to critical stakeholder theory. Dr. Johnson also holds advanced degrees from British Universities including Middlesex University where he completed an MA degree in Political Economy with concentration in economic development.
Dr. Johnson completed a Postgraduate Certificate (PGCE) in Adult Education from the University of London and spent a year at Manchester University where he completed advanced coursework in educational research and planning. Dr. Johnson has written articles in several fields including adult learning, political economy and business ethics. He is an author of three books and has given advice to national leaders in his native country- Liberia. This includes business entrepreneurs, thought and policy leaders, writers, academics and community activists.
tarnue.johnson@kendall.edu
Angela McGee
Senior Lecturer
In her current role, Angela supports national marketing communications project leaders in planning and implementing complex marketing communications efforts. She also communicates plans, details and results of projects directly to key stakeholders. Prior to that, Angela was the marketing manager for Girl Scouts of Greater Chicago and Northwest Indiana.
Angela earned her B.B.A. in marketing from Tennessee State University, and her M.B.A. in marketing and integrated marketing communications from the Walter E. Heller College of Business at Roosevelt University.
Angela.McGee@kendall.edu
Barbara McIntyre, CPA
Senior Lecturer
Barbara McIntyre is a seasoned public accounting and financial management professional with over 20 years of experience with Pricewaterhouse Coopers and ShopKo Stores, Inc. She has extensive experience in management consulting, financial reporting and analysis, acquisitions, strategic planning and large project management. As a Senior Manager with Pricewaterhouse Coopers, Barbara’s client base included notable corporations in the paper and forest products, food and dairy, construction equipment, computer software, value added metals, publishing and entertainment, commuter rail and higher education industries. Barbara held various financial and management roles at ShopKo Stores, Inc., a multi-billion dollar mass merchandise and health retailer and introduced her to the healthcare management field. Her diverse industry knowledge combined with her expertise in privacy management, business continuity planning and business integration make Barbara well suited to bring real world examples to the classroom. Barbara received a B.S. in Accounting from Miami University and is a Certified Public Accountant. She is a member of the AICPA.
Barbara.McIntyre@kendall.edu
Donna L. Otis
Senior Lecturer
Ms. Otis is a graduate of John Marshall Law School in Chicago, Illinois where she was staff editor for John Marshall Law Review. She is licensed to practice law in Illinois. .
She previously practiced law at the law firms of Cassiday Schade LLP and Quarles & Brady LLP until the start of her own law firm in January 2011 – Otis Law Group, Ltd. Otis Law Group, Ltd. provides legal services in the area of Fiduciary Litigation, Elder Law, Estate Planning, Probate (Decedents and Guardianships) and Disability Law.
Ms Otis has received numerous awards including:
- 2010 Recipient of Distinguished Service Award from Chicago Volunteer Legal Services for work as Guardian Ad Litem for guardianship of disabled adults and minors
- Illinois Super Lawyers-Rising Star for 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 (Trusts and Estates)
She is a member of several organizations including:
- Illinois State Bar Association (former member Trust and Estate Section Council and current member of Elder Law Council)
- Chicago Estate Planning Council
She is a:
- Hearing Board member for Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Committee
- Cook County Circuit Court Arbitrator
- Court Appointed Guardian Ad Litem for adult guardianship cases
- Founding board member of Street Justice, Inc. a legal clinic serving low income individuals
She has been a speaker in the area of probate and estate planning at multiple community organizations and churches and for the Illinois State Bar Association and Chicago Bar Association.
Donna.Otis@kendall.edu
Aurora Reinke
Senior Lecturer
Aurora Reinke first joined Kendall in March of 2009 as an adjunct professor and made the transition to full-time faculty effective January 2010. In addition to her extensive teaching experience, Reinke also brings 15 years of marketing experience within the technology industry.
Reinke has notably developed compelling marketing collateral, supported sales teams as a subject matter expert, and established effective marketing and product strategies. Her background in marketing within technology startups lends to her extensive experience designing and delivering software applications in the retail and financial services industries. In 2008, Reinke taught small business management to immigrants in the U.S. and strategic management to business owners in Ukraine. At Kendall, she teaches the Business Case Development course, where she instituted the living case studies.
Reinke received her undergraduate degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Computer Information Systems from Georgia State University. She earned a Master in International Business degree from the University of South Carolina, with a focus on Latin American studies.
Aurora.Reinke@kendall.edu
Amy Rubinstein
Senior Lecturer
Amy Rubinstein is a consultant, facilitator, instructor, mediator, and skilled coach. She has over fifteen years of experience in Organizational Development, working with organizations and individuals to improve performance. Amy coaches individuals incorporating 360 degree feedback and creating focused development plans. She teaches Crucial Conversations, a program that gives employees the tools they need to achieve desired results. She worked for The Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago for eleven years on multiple talent management strategies that included: leadership and management development, coaching, mentoring, recruitment, and career counseling.
Amy earned a Masters (MSOD) in Organizational Development from Loyola University and a Bachelors degree in Communications from The University of Arizona. She is qualified to administer and interpret the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Mrs. Rubinstein is a certified mediator through the Center for Conflict Resolution and performs mediations for the Cook County Court system. She is certified in The Coaches Training Institute (CTI) Core Coaching Curriculum and Crucial Conversations. She is an adjunct faculty member for the Kendall College School of Business where she teaches Practical Negotiation & Conflict Management and Succession Planning. Amy is a very engaging facilitator who uses a variety of adult learning techniques and continually receives excellent evaluations from her teaching and training.
Amy.Rubinstein@kendall.edu
