In addition, per state statute, the Superintendent of Public Instruction, or his or her chief assistant for liaison with higher education when designated to serve in his or her place, serves as an ex-officio member of the board.

Former members of the Board of Trustees are listed here.

Mr. John Simmons, an attorney from East Alton, was appointed to the SIU Board of Trustees in February 2004. He currently serves as chair of the Board and chair of the Board's Executive Committee.  In addition, he serves as member of the Board's Academic Matters Committee; member of the Board's Architecture and Design Committee; member of the Board's Finance Committee; representative on the Board of Directors, Southern Illinois University Foundation; alternate representative on the Board of Directors, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville Foundation and alternate representative to the Board of Directors, Alumni Association of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

He grew up in southern Illinois and earned a bachelor's degree in political science from SIUE in 1991. While an undergraduate, he served as president of the SIUE student body and was a member of the Deans' College, a program for honors students. He is a past member of the SIUE Alumni Association Board.

Simmons earned a law degree from Southern Methodist University after leaving SIUE. Before he began his college studies, he served in the U.S. Army as a combat engineer, earning an honorable discharge in 1988.

Simmons hopes to give back to his alma mater during his term on the Board, bringing a fresh perspective to issues and challenges public universities will face.

Simmons and his wife, Jayne, have four children.

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Dr. Ed Hightower was appointed to the SIU Board of Trustees in 2001. He currently serves as vice-chair of the Board and member of the Board's Executive Committee.  He also serves as chair of the Board's Academic Matters Committee; member of the Board's Architecture and Design Committee; Board representative to the Board of Directors, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville Foundation; Board Representative to the Board of Directors, Alumni Association of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville; and Board alternate representative to the Joint Trustee Committee for Springfield Medical Education Programs.

Hightower, of Edwardsville (Ill.), is known nationally as an outstanding Division I basketball referee, officiating in twelve NCAA Final Four tournaments. In 1999, he was named one of the top 100 St. Louis area athletes of the century, and he has received numerous awards for his professional officiating.

But as much as he enjoys basketball, Hightower makes it clear that his work as superintendent of the Edwardsville Community Unit School District is his top priority. He has served in the position since 1995 and before that was assistant superintendent for Alton schools.

Hightower is committed to the district's teachers and students. He has been recognized locally and nationally for his contributions to education, winning the 1989 Illinois Distinguished Principals Award and recognition in the 1992 Who's Who of American Educators. In 1993 he won the Illinois Principal of the Year award and the National Distinguished Principals Award.

In 1990 he received the Elijah P. Lovejoy Human Rights Award and the Illinois Jaycees 10 Outstanding Young Persons Award. He serves on the Board of Directors for Lewis and Clark Community College, St. Anthony's Hospital. He is also active in the Edwardsville/Glen Carbon Chamber of Commerce and the Edwardsville Rotary Club.

He holds bachelor's, master's and specialist degrees from SIU Edwardsville and a doctorate in education administration from St. Louis University.

He and his wife, Barbara, have two daughters, Julie and Jennifer.

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Mr. Mark Hinrichs of O’Fallon was appointed to the SIU Board of Trustees in April 2011. He currently serves as secretary of the Board.  He also chairs the Board’s Architecture and Design Committee, and serves as member of the Board’s Finance Committee.  He also serves as the Board’s representative on the Board of Directors, the Association of Alumni, Former Students and Friends of Southern Illinois University, Incorporated.

He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in 1981 from the former School of Technical Careers at SIU Carbondale.

Hinrichs is president and co-founder of IMPACT Strategies, Inc., of Fairview Heights, a regional construction services firm operating in the metropolitan St. Louis area and in Southern Illinois.  The firm, which opened in 2002, provides services in the areas of general contracting, construction management and design/build.

His other primary business interest is in the security systems industry.  Since 1994, Hinrichs has been co-owner of PASS Security, a local burglar alarm dealer and security systems company based in Fairview Heights.

He served as executive vice president of Holland-Hinrichs Construction, Inc., of Belleville, from 1986 until 1999.  From 1981 to 1986, he was construction project manager for J.J. Altman Co. and Bauer Bros Construction Co. of Belleville.

Hinrichs is involved in a number of civic activities, including serving on the board of directors of the Southwestern Illinois Leadership Council, the board of directors of the Boy Scouts-Lewis & Clark Council, and the board of the Southern Illinois Builders Association.  He also serves as an advisory director for Carrollton Bank.

He has three adult children employed in health care, accounting and financial services.

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A bio for Jesse Cler will be posted as it becomes available.

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Mr. Jeffry Harrison was elected by the students at SIU Edwardsville to serve on the SIU Board of Trustees beginning July 1, 2010 and was re-elected to a second term.  His term ends on June 30, 2012.  He serves as a member of the Board’s Architecture and Design Committee and Audit Committee.  He also serves as the Board's alternate representative on the Board of Directors, the Association of Alumni, Former Students and Friends of Southern Illinois University, Incorporated.

Harrison is a native of Red Bud, IL, and a graduate of Gibault High School in Waterloo.  He is a senior at SIU Edwardsville, majoring in business administration with specializations in Finance and Entrepreneurship.  He served as the Financial Officer for SIUE’s Student Government during the 2009-10 academic year, and is the Co-founder and former Vice President of CEO, the SIUE Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization.  In addition, Harrison serves as the Vice President for Students on The Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi’s National Board of Directors. Along with serving as a member of the honor society’s Board, he represents the North Central region on Phi Kappa Phi’s Council of Students and also serves as the Student Vice President on SIUE’s local chapter.

He is a Cox Scholar in the School of Business, one of the most prestigious scholarships available in the school.  Harrison also is the recipient of a scholarship from the Society of Information Management in St. Louis, and is a member of the National Residence Hall Honorary.

Volunteer activities include serving as a member of the REAP (Retreat Evangelization And Prayer) Team, a Catholic retreat ministry of the Office of Youth Ministry of the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

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Dr. Roger Herrin of Harrisburg was appointed to the SIU Board of Trustees in April 2011.  He has served as chair of the Board and chair of the Board’s Executive Committee.

A native of Hardin County, he earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Bethel College in McKenzie Tenn., in 1960, and completed additional graduate work at DePaul University, Roosevelt University, Elmhurst College and Northwestern University.  Herrin attended the University of Illinois College of Medicine and completed pre-clinical studies before graduating from Illinois College of Podiatric Medicine in 1969 with a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine Degree.

Retired from the practice of surgical podiatry and sports medicine in Harrisburg, Herrin is president of RDK Management Services, which owns and manages three long-term care facilities in Southern Illinois.  He also is president of ComBank, Inc., a banking corporation that owns and operates seven community banks in Southern Illinois known as Community National Bank.

He formerly served on the board of the Illinois Finance Authority, the Illinois Health Care Reform Task Force and as a board member of the former Illinois Health Facilities Authority.

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Retired Circuit Court Judge Don Lowery was appointed to the SIU Board of Trustees in April 2011.  He currently serves as a member of the Board’s Architecture and Design Committee and Audit Committee.

He served as a Circuit Judge for 26 years in the nine southernmost counties of the First Judicial Circuit of Illinois. During the last seven years prior to his retirement from the judiciary, one of his duties was managing the annual two-million dollar budget of First Circuit Probation. Prior to being elected Judge in 1980, he served as States Attorney in Massac County and as Public Defender of Saline County.

Judge Lowery earned his Bachelor of Science in Economics degree at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. During his senior year, he was chosen by the Department faculty to receive the Wall Street Journal Outstanding Student in Economics Award. Judge Lowery was a member of the charter class of SIUC School of Law. While in law school, he served on the Ethics Council and was the Chairperson his senior year. Judge Lowery was the first graduate of SIUC Law School to be elected a Circuit Judge. While working part time during undergraduate and full time during law school as a student worker at SIUC Travel Service, he completed his bachelor and law degrees in five years (1970-1975).

Prior to attending SIUC, Judge Lowery served in the U.S. Army (1966-1970). After being drafted at the rank of Private, he earned the rank of Captain and was awarded the Bronze Star, Army Commendation Medal, and Air Medal for his service in Viet Nam. Judge Lowery is a licensed Master Captain with the United States Coast Guard and resides on a farm in southern Illinois.

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Dr. Donna Litton Manering of Makanda, a veteran southern Illinois educator, was appointed to the SIU Board of Trustees in March 2011. She serves as member of the Board’s Academic Matters Committee and Finance Committee.  She also serves as the Board’s representative on the State Universities Civil Service Merit Board and alternate representative on the Board of Directors, Southern Illinois University Foundation.

She is a three-degree graduate of SIU Carbondale, earning her doctorate in Education Administration in 2000, her master’s in Special Education and Elementary Education in 1977, and her bachelor’s in Special Education and Elementary Education in 1974.  She also holds a Superintendent Certificate, awarded in 1998, and a General Administrative Certificate, awarded in 1989. 

Manering’s experience includes 21 years teaching in the Carbondale Elementary School District, including as a first, third, fourth and fifth grade teacher; special education resource teacher; and academic talent resource teacher.  Between 1980 and 1986, she also taught sections of SIUC courses to area gifted education teachers.  From 1986 to 1998, she taught a curriculum and instruction course for SIUC undergraduates. 

From 1994 to 1995, Manering was the junior/senior high school principal in the Cobden, Ill., District #17, where she also served as chair of the District Technology Committee and was an administrative member of the Parent Advisory Committee.  She served as assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction in Carbondale Elementary School District 95 from 1995 to 1999, and was a member of the school district’s administrative negotiations team. 

Manering’s experience includes extensive service to the Illinois Education Association-NEA (IEA-NEA). From1985 to 1994, she was a negotiator for the Carbondale Education Association, including serving as chief negotiator between 1990 and 1994.   She served as the IEA-NEA director of higher education and student program from 1999 to 2005, and from 2005 to 2008 was the director of program development for the IEA-NEA. 

Donna and her husband, Greg, have two sons and two grandchildren. 

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Ms. Marquita Wiley began serving on the Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees on November 7, 2005. She has served as Board secretary and member of the Board's Executive Committee.  She currently serves as chair of the Board's Audit Committee and Finance Committee.

Wiley, of Belleville, is a business executive with 30 years experience in the Financial Services industry. She is President of Trenier Enterprises, L.L.C. Her career includes serving as vice president for New Technology Development for Citicorp; senior vice president for Product Development at Boatman's Bank; and Senior Vice President and Central Region Executive for Bank of America's Premier Banking organization.

Wiley believes her analytical skills and experience in evaluating new concepts and ideas will help SIU move forward. She holds a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Marygrove College in Detroit and a master's degree in business administration from Washington University in St. Louis.

She has received many awards, including being named Corporate Executive of the Year by St. Louis American and RCGA. She received the YWCA Special Leaders Award and was featured as one of Ebony Magazine's most influential business women. She also serves on the Board of the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Foundation.

She and her husband, Joe, have two children, Raymond and Johanna.

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