Board of Directors

Officers

President

Patricia Szpekowski, APR

• PR Strategies & Communications, Inc.
• Term expires 2024

1st Vice President

John Lampinen

• Term expires 2022

2nd Vice President

Sharon Boehlefeld

• Term expires 2024

Treasurer

Dan Campana

• Communications Senior Manager, Emergency Nurses Association
• Term expires 2023

Past President

Dan Campana

Executive Secretary

Jason Akst

• NIU Dept. of Communication

Communications Coordinator

Shelley Hendricks

• Adviser, Northern Star, NIU
• Contact: 815-753-4239 / shendricks@niu.edu

NINA Board members

Dennis Anderson

• Shaw Media
• Contact: danderson@shawmedia.com
• Term expires 2022

Donnell Collins

Jay Dickerson

• The Galena Gazette, Galena
• Term expires 2024

Anne Halston

• Chicago Tribune
• Term expires 2024

Cristi Kempf

• Writer, editor, communications consultant
• Term expires 2024

Margarita Mendoza

• El Observador
• Term expires 2024

Rick Nagel

• Kane County Connects
• Term expires 2022

Tom Parisi

• Northern Illinois University Division of Marketing and Communications
• Term expires 2022

Roger Ruthhart

• The Dispatch / The Rock Island Argus
• Term expires 2022

Penny Wiegert

• The Observer, Rockford Diocese
• Term expires 2023

Committees

2021 NINA Committee Assignments

Contest Committee

• Chair: Jay Dickerson
• Nagel, Hendricks, Szpekowski, Akst, Kempf, Ruthhart

Education Committee

• Chair:
• Ruthhart, Parisi, Hendricks, Akst, Nagel

Membership Committee

• Chair: Open
• Campana, Mendoza, Wiegert, Lampinen, Dickerson

Outreach Committee

• Chair: Pat Szpekowski
• Nagel, Campana, Kempf, Wiegert

Training Committee

• Chair: Tom Parisi
• Mendoza, Lampinen

NINA Board Terms

Bylaws: No fewer than 15, each to serve 3-year terms

Class of 2023 (6)

Penny Wiegert

Open

Dan Campana

Open

Open

Class of 2022 (5)

• Roger Ruthhart
• Tom Parisi
• Margarita Mendoza
• John Lampinen
• Dennis Anderson

Class of 2024 (5)

• Donnell Collins
• Jay Dickerson
• Pat Szpekowski
• Rick Nagel
• Anne Halston
• Cristi Kempf

Jason Akst and Shelley Hendricks are appointed to their positions and do not serve terms.