Recent Good News For Our Alumni

Susan Rorison, President, Watt Commercial Properties

Blakely to Direct Elks Eastern Division

Outdoor lab helps Unity Point science teacher land award

Health dept. director appointed

Buckner man and father to be on ‘Turkey Call'

New chiefs have broad experience with agency

Susan Rorison Named President of Watt Commercial Properties; Sees New Retail Opportunities in Dense, Urban Infill Areas in Western U.S. (Link)
Susan Rorison Named President of Watt Commercial Properties; Sees New Retail Opportunities in Dense, Urban Infill Areas in Western U.S.

Business Editors/Real Estate Writers
SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--October 20, 2008--Watt Companies announced today that Susan Rorison has been named President of Watt Commercial Properties. Rorison will lead the strategic development, leasing and management services for the company's 60 retail, residential, office and industrial properties throughout the United States.
Rorison brings three decades of retail sector experience to this position, including serving as national head of asset management for Centro Watt, a national Real Estate Investment Trust specializing in shopping centers. While at Centro Watt, Rorison helped direct the Trust's shopping center portfolio to over $11 billion in assets and grew the Trust's presence to 38 states.
While the nation's credit crisis disrupts real estate projects across the country, Rorison sees opportunities for Watt Commercial Properties' current portfolio. She is pursuing redevelopments of existing assets and making new investments in the company's portfolio.
The firm's shopping centers are located in high density, urban areas with diverse populations, and the centers themselves consist largely of grocery stores, drug stores and other nondiscretionary retailers. "While these types of small retail centers are often overlooked by investors in good economic times, they provide much needed stability when overall discretionary consumer spending drops," she said. "My team and I have evaluated consumer needs at our centers, and pinpointed upgrades that will make a difference for local residents. At a time when many real estate developers are pulling back, we are moving forward with investments that can help secure the future of these urban shopping centers by providing a desirable mix of retailers and a clean, comfortable shopping experience for our customers."
Prior to joining Watt Companies, Rorison directed national asset management for Burnham Pacific Properties and was Western Regional Vice President for Prudential Real Estate Investors, managing its regional mall portfolio. Rorison holds an MBA from the University of Southern California and attended Purdue and Southern Illinois Universities, graduating with a degree in mathematics.
"Susan is a gifted leader who delivers tremendous results," said James Maginn, President and CEO of Watt Companies. "Since joining Watt Companies in 2004, she has dedicated herself to the success of the company and played an integral role on the Executive Committee. Her depth of expertise in asset management, relentless work ethic, and unique ability to lead and inspire people will continue to serve as key assets for our company in her new role as President of Watt Commercial Properties. It will be exciting to see all that she accomplishes in this new position."
About Watt Companies
Watt Companies offers comprehensive and diversified real estate services across the United States to investors and partners, homebuyers and commercial customers. These services include commercial development, homebuilding, asset management, and the realization of capital investments. In its sixty year history, Watt Companies has developed homes for over 100,000 families, built over eight million square feet of industrial and professional office space, developed more than 50 shopping centers, three major first class hotels, and six major master-planned communities.

For Watt Companies
Emily Baines
310-689-7537

State Keywords: California
Industry Keywords: Construction & Property; Commercial Building & Real Estate
Source: Watt Companies

Copyright © 2008 Business Wire

Business Editors/Real Estate Writers SANTA MONICA, Calif.-- --October 20, 2008--Watt Companies announced today that Susan Rorison has been named President of Watt Commercial Properties.

Elk Foundation Promotes Blakley to Direct Eastern Division

Outdoor lab helps Unity Point science teacher land award

BY SCOTT FITZGERALD, THE SOUTHERN
Tuesday, June 10, 2008 11:03 PM CDT
CARBONDALE - Science teacher Michael Blair of Unity Point School can offer his elementary and middle school students a new world in less than four minutes and 200 yards away from his classroom.
It's a teaching laboratory on the southeast corner of campus with two ponds, a tall grass prairie and an assortment of trees that allows for a hands-on approach to learning about the science of ecosystems, wildlife and plant biology.
Many of the science classes Blair teaches are conducted outside on the three-acre site.
"It's kind of a neat place. We've been able to open up a lot of opportunity. It's like a different world. You forget the school is right up there," Blair said as he walked from an open-air pavilion toward Kermit Shallow Pond.
The outdoor laboratory is one of Blair's many accomplishments. He was named last month as a 2007-2008 Illinois Science Teachers Association/ExxonMobil Outstanding Teacher of Science for a 26-county area encompassing most of Southern Illinois.
Developing and utilizing an outdoor laboratory was a big plus in getting the award.
"He's quite a guy. His outdoor laboratory is extraordinary. Just the time alone that he spent to develop and maintain it separates him from the others," said Sher Rockway, ISTA Awards chairwoman.
Blair's dream to have an outdoor area for teaching purposes became a reality in 1996, when Unity Point purchased surrounding land for expansion purposes.
"Superintendent James Ludwick was looking at building expansion. He allowed us through the school foundation to develop this area. There was a group of us teachers at Unity Point that got together and did the work. It was a lot of fun. The kids came out in the summer and helped," Blair said.
In addition to the tall grass prairie and two ponds, there is a wildflower patch students have named "Butterfly Pass."
Students use computerized sensors to collect sophisticated data such as soil moisture and acidity, temperature and conductivity. Much of the data is converted into computerized visual data. Blair has worked to get grants to pay for computer equipment.
"Bringing in technology that allowed students an opportunity to document and visualize the pond ecosystem presented a real story of learning to work together and ecological change," Blair wrote in a narrative about himself that was submitted to the ISTA last spring as part of his award submission.
The 1977 Southern Illinois University Carbondale graduate, with degrees in biological science and botany, has helped his students win many state science awards, including 16 Gold Awards, with two being Best in Category at the 2007 State Science Exposition.
scott.fitzgerald@thesouthern.com / 351-5076

Health dept. director appointed
May 23, 2008

JOLIET -- The Will County Board of Health appointed John Cicero to be the new Will County Health Department executive director.
Cicero, 50, succeeds James Zelko as executive director June 2. Zelko retires May 30, after nearly 38 years of Will County public health service.
A native of Rockford, Cicero is no stranger to health department operations. A 28-year resident of Joliet, he joined the Will County public health laboratory staff in 1979, shortly after earning a bachelor's degree in microbiology, with a minor in chemistry from Southern Illinois University -- Carbondale. He worked in, and managed the department's laboratory complex for more than a decade before transferring to the agency's Division of Administration.
Since 1992, he has been the department's assistant executive director.
Married and the father of two, Cicero is a fellow of the University of Illinois' Public Health Leadership Institute. He is also a member of the Illinois Public Health Association, the Northern Illinois Public Health Consortium, and the Governors State University Health Care Administration Advisory Committee. He holds a master's degree in health care administration from Governors State.
One of Illinois' most comprehensive public health agencies, the department has been meeting Will County's public health challenges since 1947. The agency, headquartered at 501 Ella Ave., employs more than 350 public health, medical and clerical professionals.
Zelko, a Joliet native, has served as executive director since 1991. A Northern Illinois University graduate, he previously directed Will County Environmental Health Services and simultaneously managed the department's northern and eastern branch office facilities.
The board awarded plaques of recognition to Zelko and retiring Will County Environmental Health Director Michael Vollmer.
Vollmer also retires May 30, after 32 years of Will County public health service. He has been environmental health director since 1992. Elizabeth Bilotta will replace Vollmer.

Buckner man and father to be on ‘Turkey Call'
By Diana Winson – Editor  Benton Evening Call

When Jerry Garver began working for the Wild Turkey Project in 1970, the birds could be found primarily in only three counties in Illinois.

By the time Garver retired five years ago, wild turkey habitats existed in 96 of the state's 102 counties.

The Cobden resident was inducted into the Illinois Outdoors Hall of Fame last year, honoring his contributions to the effort to re-establish wild turkeys throughout Illinois. Next week, Garver and his son, Jim Garver of Buckner, along with longtime family friend Bob Farrington, will be appearing on “Turkey Call,” a hunting series produced by the National Wild Turkey Federation.

The show will air on The Outdoor Channel at the following times and dates: 11 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19; 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 23; and 2 a.m. Sunday, Feb. 24.

The Garvers and Farrington were filmed during a turkey hunt last fall.

“They filmed us last spring, too,” Jim Garver said. “We hunted for three days and were not successful during the spring. We hunted for three days last fall, and on the second day, my dad got a turkey.

“He was the main focus for the show, so I was glad he was able to get one. If I could've gotten one, that would've been a bonus,” Garver added.

An avid turkey hunter for many years, Jerry Garver is well aware of the challenges the sport presents.

“Wild turkeys are extremely wary, and they have phenomenal eyesight. It's difficult to get one in shotgun range,” he said. “If you can see the turkey, you don't want to chance making a move.”

He contrasted turkey hunting with another popular outdoor sport in Illinois: deer hunting.

“A deer looks at a person and thinks it's a stump. A turkey looks at a stump and thinks it's a person,” he said with a laugh. “Some turkeys are extremely flighty.”

Hunters are usually able to determine where turkeys are located because of the sounds the birds make.

“You can usually hear the turkeys, so you know where they're at - but it's a matter of being able to get them where you can shoot them,” Garver said. “Calling the turkey to you - that's where the challenge is.”

He said he was glad to get a turkey during the fall hunt.

“I didn't like it that we didn't have that great of a spring season,” noted Garver, who said he intends to watch next week's episode of “Turkey Call” and “will probably be critiquing myself while I watch it!”

If not for Garver's efforts starting nearly 40 years ago, wild turkeys might not be found in nearly all areas of the state.

Garver graduated from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and became a district wildlife biologist for the Illinois Department of Natural Resources. When the Wild Turkey Project was created, Garver was selected to head it up.

“Back then, wild turkeys were found in only three counties: Jackson, Union and Alexander ... plus a few in Pope County,” he said. “It was a slow process, but as we got the turkeys established in other areas, we were able to get other districts involved.”

Since 1970, the IDNR has trapped and transplanted 5,000 turkeys to more than 270 release sites. Today, wild turkeys can be found in 99 counties.

“So much depends on the amount of habitat available in a county. The counties with the highest density of wild turkeys are up in the northwestern part of Illinois, mostly because of the good timber areas and small crop fields,” Garver said.

Jo Daviess County is the No. 1 county for wild turkeys, he noted.

Illinois opened its first spring turkey hunting season in 1970, and hunters killed “a grand total of 25 turkeys that year,” Garver said.

“This past year, there were 16,000 wild turkeys killed,” he said, noting that spring and fall turkey hunting seasons are held nowadays.

Garver does his hunting in Southern Illinois, which he said features a very good turkey population.

He is glad to be able to hunt alongside his son Jim, who helped start the Rend Lake Limbhangers Chapter in Benton. Additionally, for the past seven years, Jim Garver has served as director of the NWTF West-Central Region, which covers an area from Du Quoin to Macomb.

The family tradition is continuing: Jim Garver's son, Luke, will begin turkey hunting next spring, Garver said.

Also included in next week's “Turkey Call” episode, the NWTF helps celebrate the 400th anniversary of the founding of Jameston, Va., by showcasing a wild turkey release that took place there last fall.

“Turkey Call” is now in its 10th year and features stories of conservation, preserving the country's hunting heritage and introducing youth, women and people with disabilities to many outdoor activities, including hunting.

The show takes viewers across the nation in pursuit of wild turkeys and inside the NWTF's outreach programs, highlighting the people who enjoy hunting and fishing. Viewers can also join the NWTF's volunteers, partners and friends as they work together to improve wild turkey habitat and celebrate North America's hunting traditions.

For further information on the Outdoor Channel - including how to add it to satellite network packages or request the channel on cable television - visit www.outdoorchannel.com.

New chiefs have broad experience with agency
Thursday, January 31, 2008
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- DeeCee Darrow and Ron Dent have been chosen to lead the Missouri Department of Conservation's Wildlife and Resource Science divisions, respectively. In announcing the appointments, Conservation Department Director John Hoskins noted the depth and breadth of both new chiefs' experience.
"I am confident DeeCee and Ron will bring a wealth of talent and vision to the Conservation Department's administrative team, and that they are very enthusiastic about the opportunities that await them in their new positions," said Hoskins.
Darrow holds bachelor's and master's degrees in fisheries and wildlife management from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Her first resource-management job was as a research aid with MU on contract with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. She also served as a research project coordinator and worked for the MU Cooperative Extension Service as a fish and wildlife specialist.
Darrow went to work for the Conservation Department in 1988 as a wildlife management specialist. Her jobs have included stints as a wildlife programs supervisor, resource science supervisor and forest management chief. She has worked with the Missouri Ozarks Forest Ecosystem Project, the environmental health, special permits, landowner permits, waterfowl reservation, wildlife restoration and federal aid programs.
Her professional involvements have included terms as president of the Missouri chapters of The Wildlife and Ruffed Grouse societies, as well as president of the North Central Section of The Wildlife Society, serving eight states.
Darrow said she does not plan any dramatic changes in the way the Wildlife Division operates, but she doesn't intend to settle for status quo, either.
"Over the next several months I hope to visit regional staff all around the state," said Darrow. "The division management team will continue to meet at field locations occasionally to further promote communication between planners and those who get work done on the ground. This is critical for making good decisions."
Darrow said top priorities include wetland, prairie and quail conservation efforts, full implementation of Missouri's Comprehensive Wildlife Strategy, using technology to enhance staff effectiveness and continued partnerships with other government agencies and private conservation organizations.
Dent graduated from Southern Illinois University (SIU) with bachelor's and master's degrees in biology and zoology. His first resource-management job was as an aquatic biologist for Wapora, Inc., of Washington, D.C. He also worked as a research assistant at SIU.
He went to work for the Conservation Department in 1976 as a fisheries biologist evaluating the effects of a 15-inch minimum length limit on black bass at Pomme de Terre Lake and Lake of the Ozarks. Since then he has worked as a fisheries management biologist, fisheries regional supervisor, fisheries research chief and resource science field chief.
Dent's professional affiliations include The Wildlife Society, the Society for Conservation Biology and the American Fisheries Society (AFS), whose Missouri chapter he served as president. He has received the Missouri Lifetime Achievement Award from Muskies, Inc., the Fisheries Management Employee of the Year Award, the John L. Funk Award of Excellence, the AFS Meritorious Service Award and the Resource Science Achievement Award.
Dent noted that conservation challenges are more complex today than ever before and require collaboration across professional disciplines. He said the problems that wildlife and fisheries managers face today are interrelated with the problems of society at large. Solving those problems will require blending societal values and biological principles and cooperation with a wide range of public and private partners. He said he plans to meet with staff and other divisions to look for ways to meet this goal.
Dent's professional and personal interests blend well. He is an avid hunter, angler and canoeist and manages his cattle farm in Benton County to benefit wildlife.
"We can manage our wild resources for the benefit of Missourians and still sustain the ecological integrity of our grasslands, wetlands, streams, agricultural lands and forests," said Dent. "My goal is to provide a sound scientific basis for management decisions. With the incredible expertise of Resource Science Division employees, we are well prepared to support the Department of Conservation and Conservation Commission."