Ron Daly
Lifetime Achievement Award
As one of the first African Americans to work at Donnelley, Daly continued his education, and, in 1975, earned his associate’s degree from Prairie State University. Two years later, he earned a B.A. degree from Governors State College, becoming the first person in his family to graduate from college. Daly continued his education, earning an M.B.A. from Loyola University of Chicago in 1980. He continued to work at R.R. Donnelley, and by the time he left in 2002, he had risen to the position of president of Donnelley Print Solutions, the largest division of the organization. Daly was then named president and CEO of Océ-USA Holding, Incorporated. At Océ, Daly is the first American to run the company’s North American operations, and the first American to sit on the board of directors of the Netherlands-based company.
In addition to a lifetime of dedication to his work, Daly is active in the community as a member of the board of directors of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, president of the Leadership Group of Chicago and a member of the executive council of Metropolis 2020. Daly and his wife, Delores, have three children.
Dr. Judy L. Mitchell
Lifetime Achievement Award
Dr. Judy L. Mitchell served as Joliet Junior College's ninth president. She was unanimously approved as the college’s president by the JJC Board of Trustees in September 2016; prior to that, she had served in the role of interim president at the college since March 2016. Mitchell recently retired and was recognized with President Emerita status at the June 15, 2022, Board of Trustees meeting.
Mitchell serves on various boards, including Silver Cross Hospital Board, Will County Workforce Investment Board, and Habitat for Humanity. She is a member of New Lenox Rotary and Zonta Club of Joliet.
Additionally, she has led the college budgeting process through the state of Illinois’ fiscal crisis and helped the college reduce its operating costs by over $2 million over four years, in addition to encouraging the pursuit of creative revenue sources like grant dollars to offset operational costs. In FY15, the college garnered more than $5.4 million in grants to offset operational costs. Fiscal year ’22, Mitchell presented to the Board of Trustees the 49th balanced budget for the college.
Under her leadership, the college’s financial team was awarded the Government Finance Officers Association’s (GFOA) Best Practices in Community College Budgeting for FY20, the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting. The award is presented annually to colleges based on their budgeting of resources that promote student achievement.
Under Mitchell’s leadership, JJC was the 2021 winner in the Advancing Diversity category from the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). She presented nationally at the AACC Future Leaders Institute on Bridging the Equity Gap in 2021. JJC has been recognized as a 2022 Most Promising Places to Work in Community Colleges (MPPWCC) by the publication Diverse: Issues in Higher Education and the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD).
Mitchell has been recognized for her contributions to education and the community, receiving the Gary W. Davis Ethical Leadership Award from the Illinois Community College Trustees Association in 2021, which honors individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to the pursuit and support of ethical leadership and decision-making. In 2018, Mitchell was honored with the Zonta Club of Joliet’s Woman of Distinction Award for her contributions to improving the status of women in the community.
Mitchell has worked at the college for 26 years, having started as an administrative assistant in the CIOS department in 1996. In 2001, she served as the program management specialist in Adult and Family Services, followed by the assistant to the director of administrative services in 2002. In 2004 she became interim director of administrative services, and then the director of business and auxiliary services in 2005. In September 2012, she was appointed to the role of VP of administrative services.
Mitchell received her doctorate in community college leadership from National-Louis University in June 2012. She holds a master’s degree in business administration and a bachelor’s degree in business and technology from Governors State University. She earned an associate degree in microcomputers for business and computer programming from JJC in 1998.
Most recently, Mitchell created her consulting firm JM Consulting
Rita Sola Cook
Rita Sola Cook is a Managing Director and President of Bank of America Chicago, as well as Division Executive for the Midwest and Mid Atlantic Division of Bank of America Private Bank. Drawing on more than twenty-five years with the firm, she provides strategic direction and sustained leadership in overseeing the delivery of impactful banking and wealth-management capabilities to individuals, families, businesses and institutions.
As President of Bank of America Chicago, Rita is responsible for connecting people and companies across Chicagoland to the suite of banking and investment resources offered by the Bank’s lines of business. In addition, she leads the Bank’s efforts in addressing social concerns, strengthening economic opportunities, building strong communities and facilitating the well-being and engagement of local employees.
Rita also serves as the Division Executive for the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic Division of Bank of America Private Bank. In this capacity, she leads the Division in providing a differentiated caliber of strategy, advice and service to high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, helping to advance their distinctive priorities with care and customization.
Since joining Bank of America in 1997, Rita has taken on increasing responsibilities in finance, management and operations, gaining diverse client-segment and product acumen. Prior to her current role, she served as the Global Banking and Markets Anti-Money-Laundering Executive, the Global Commercial Banking Midwest Region Executive and the Global Commercial Banking Chief Operating Officer. She holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Governors State University.
Rita is active in the Chicago community and has been recognized for her leadership and contributions in finance and banking by Crain’s Chicago Business, the Daily Herald Business Ledger and Crain’s Detroit Business. She was also recently named one of Chicago’s 10 Most Powerful Women by Better magazine. She serves on the board of directors for the Museum of Science and Industry, the Art Institute of Chicago and the Chicago Zoological Society, is a member of the Chicago Civic Committee, the Economic Club of Chicago and a Trustee for the Chicago Community Trust. Rita lives with her husband and daughter in Mokena, Illinois.
Colton Krska
Colton Krska is an Audit Associate for KPMG LLP, a Big 4 accounting and professional services firm. Colton graduated from Governors State University with both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting, and he was able to pass all four sections of the CPA exam within a 6-month time frame. All of these milestones were achieved before turning 23 years old. In that same period of time, Colton has worked for three of the top five largest accounting firms in the United States, that of which being Deloitte, KPMG, and RSM. His work experience in public accounting started with small personal tax returns, but his current role puts him at the forefront of integrated audits on large, publicly traded Fortune 500 companies.
The field of accounting is currently suffering a shortage of talent, and Colton wants to help inspire the next generation of future CPAs.
Kayla Siam
Kayla M. Siam is an attorney at Thompson Coburn, LLP, where she practices corporate and transactional law. Her experience spans all areas of corporate law, including mergers & acquisitions, establishing new business entities, memorializing joint ventures, drafting commercial contracts, and guiding clients through their strategic growth. She is an active member of the firm's African American Affinity Group as well as a 2023 Pathfinder and first-year law student mentor with the Leadership Council on Legal Diversity.
Kayla graduated from Governors State University (GSU) in 2014, earning a degree in Business Administration with a focus in finance. Prior to attending GSU, Kayla attended Joliet Junior College (JJC) and was a member of the university’s inaugural Dual Degree Program between GSU and JJC. She went on to earn a Juris Doctor (JD) and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Emory University with concentrations in transactional law, finance, strategy, and real estate. She now aims to help business owners make key transactional decisions and accomplish their business goals.
Kayla has been heavily engaged in the GSU community as both a student and an alumni, serving as a Student Trustee on the university’s Board of Trustees, one of the founding members of the International Culture Club, and as a member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Council. In her spare time, Kayla enjoys traveling, film, and creative writing.