Midwest ACE 2025-2026 Executive Board Elections

Identifying and promoting leaders to serve on the Midwest ACE Executive Board is our duty and responsibility as Midwest ACE members. The future success of our organization is dependent on those who guide our association and make critical decisions on our behalf.

Submit Your Vote

Submit your vote by Friday, May 23, 2025

Responsibilities shared by all Executive Board members include:

• Liaison role to specifically assigned committees
• Attendance at three face-to-face executive board meetings annually hosted within the region
• Participation in interim board meetings via conference call
• On-going work of the association as well as long-term planning
• Fiscal responsibility and sound money management in conducting Midwest ACE business

Below are the nominees for the 2025-2026 Midwest ACE Executive Board open positions to be filled on July 1, 2025. Click on the position title to learn more about specific duties required.

President-Elect (1 year term): Juan Ramirez, Fastenal

Juan Ramirez has been a regional recruiter for Fastenal since 2021, primarily focusing on partnering with college career services departments. Key organizations like Midwest ACE, WIACE, and NACE have been essential for networking and expanding these partnerships. Juan has actively participated in several committees within Midwest ACE, including the DEI and Conference Planning Committees, and he was recently elected as President-Elect of WIACE.

Director - Finance (2 year term): Katie Kennealy, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Katie oversees all of the career development and employer relations activities for the Department of Economics at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.  While she has been with the department since 2015, she has been working in career services for the last 20+ years with the majority of that time being spent on the Illinois campus. Katie has been a member of Midwest ACE since 2005.  Most recently she has served on the Board as Past-President.  In addition, Katie has been involved with numerous Midwest ACE committees, including Professional Exchange, Membership, and Experiential Education and has served on numerous annual conference and Trends conference committees.  

Director - College Membership (2 year term): Casey Jenkerson, Washington University in St. Louis

Casey Jenkerson is the Director of Employer Engagement at the Center for Career Engagement at Washington University in St. Louis. In this role, she provides strategic direction to the employer engagement team, guiding efforts to cultivate meaningful partnerships with employers and alumni to expand internship and employment opportunities for WashU students. She has been with Washington University since 2017 and previously spent time in the corporate sector in human resources and recruitment. Her team focuses on developing new industry connections, deepening relationships with current employer partners, and aligning recruitment strategies with market trends and student interests.

Casey is running for the Director of College Membership because she is passionate about strengthening connections across institutions and encouraging meaningful partnerships between universities and employer partners. She is committed to creating inclusive spaces for knowledge-sharing and collaboration and is excited about the opportunity to grow the MWACE community through intentional engagement and impactful programming.

Director - Employer Membership (2 year term): Dorothy Eppenstein, Cintas Corporation

Dori has been a leader for talent development with companies like Target, Chick-fil-A, and Bath & Body Works for over 15 years. Dori is currently a Campus Talent Acquisition Manager at Cintas, which spans eight states and over 50 locations. Dori serves on the board for Cintas' Partner Business Resource Group, Minnesota Association of College and Employers as Vice Chair, MWACE as a membership committee cochair, and serves her hometown on a board as well.  Dori loves networking, strategizing on recruiting, and building brand awareness to drive talent. When Dori is not working, she enjoys traveling with her husband and two daughters. 

Director - Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (2 year term): Julie Quick, Cintas

Director - Professional Development (2 year term): Jerry Donahue, College of Lake County

I'm excited to offer my services as an Executive Board member to enhance the success of the Professional Development committee. During the past year the committee has shown great leadership through the development of programs to educate and engage our members. The value of our membership in MWACE depends on our interactions with each other and the resources available to use in our daily work, such as the programming of the PD committee.. My previous experience as a Board member directing this committee was a very rewarding one! I would welcome the opportunity to once again support the great work that the committee members provide to MWACE!

Director - Advancement & Communications (2 year term): John Link, Bennington College

Since July 2021, John Link, Ed.D., has led the marketing and advancement efforts for Midwest ACE and has been an active member of the organization since 2014. He currently serves as the Associate Dean of Career Development & Field Work Term at Bennington College, where he oversees one of the nation’s most progressive experiential learning programs. John is seeking an additional term as Director of Marketing and Advancement to build on the foundation of continuity and further strengthen member engagement.

Submit Your Vote