Alumni Council Members

Colin Barbera '91 P'23 P'25

Occupation: Ramp Manager at American Airlines

Bio: I married my college sweetheart, Sara Hazelton '93 P'23 P'25. MBA from Northeastern University. Semi-conductor industry for six years. Stay-at-home dad for 15 years. I've been working in the airline industry for the past four years.

Jessica Chang '16

Occupation: Private banker at J.P. Morgan Private Bank

Bio: As a proud Forester, I graduated from Lake Forest College with a degree in finance and have spent over a decade in the wealth management industry. While a student, I enjoyed every aspect of campus life: serving as Editor-in-Chief for The Stentor, competing on the handball team, working as an RA, and conducting research as a Richter Scholar. Now based in the Chicago suburbs, I am thrilled to bring that same dedication and Forester pride to the Alumni Council to help strengthen our College community.

Ken Cohen '73 P'25

Occupation: Managing Principal at Grow Associates

Bio: I graduated in 1973 as part of Spike Gummere’s first-year admissions class in 1969, and my youngest son, Griffin, graduated in 2025. Over the past four years, I have served on the Parents and Families Council and co-led the Career Advancement Center Internship initiative.

Professionally, I lead Grow Associates, a management consulting practice that helps organizations navigate new learning, processes, and technology. We advise early-stage and mature companies on technology adoption, implementation, and process change management. We provide strategy and due diligence support to investors, private equity firms, and investment bankers and serve as fractional executives. Outside of work, I still enjoy making music and driving my old Porsche Cabriolet.

Davis DeKorte '18

Occupation: Partner and Managing Director at 5 Nails Capital

Bio: Experience across investment banking, private equity, and family office investing. Currently Partner and Managing Director of 5 Nails Capital (family office for the Silvernail family), where I lead sourcing, execution, and portfolio management for the majority-control buyout strategy. Our firm brings a long-term, operationally focused approach to building businesses, drawing on leadership principles shaped by global best-in-class companies.

Susan DuMont '07

Occupation: Attorney at Miles & Stockbridge PC

Bio: Susan is an attorney in the Baltimore office of Miles & Stockbridge, a full-service AmLaw 200 firm. Susan chairs Miles' Pro Bono Committee, loves puzzles, local flowers and art, and Cardinals and Orioles baseball. She's a retired (amateur) triathlete and (professional) fraternity and sorority advisor.

Spencer Ivy '02

Occupation: Sales Operation Supervisor at CDW

Bio: I am a member of the Class of 2002, and I was an American studies major with a minor of African American studies. I have a nine-year-old daughter and have been working at CDW for 20 years. I love to cook and to travel.

Charles Lasco '94 P'27

Occupation: Head of Global Delivery at Enable

Bio: Charles has spent the past 25+ years in the software industry, leading software delivery programs and supporting complex client implementations, including roles at companies such as Microsoft and Qualtrics. He has led both the technical and functional sides of delivery, guiding teams through complex implementations and client work.

He majored in economics and history at Lake Forest College and later earned an MSc from University of Edinburgh. He and his wife, Melisa, live in the Seattle area, and he previously served for eight years on the Board of Directors for Camp Fire Central Puget Sound, including as Board President.

Craig Marchbanks '84 P'26

Occupation: Knowledge Leader at Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago

Bio: Craig Marchbanks is a Knowledge Leader at the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago in the Bank Supervision and Regulation Department. Currently, Craig is a member of the Global Systemically Important Banks (GSIB) Liquidity Pillar III team where leads and participates in GSIB liquidity risk reviews. Previously, Craig served as the co-lead for the System’s Capital Markets Specialty Training (CMST) program. Craig has also led work streams for the Federal Reserve’s Supervisory Capital Assessment Program (SCAP); the Large and Foreign Banking Organizations (LFBO) Resolution Plan Review; and LFBO Horizontal Liquidity Reviews.

Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Craig earned his BA from Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, Illinois, where he majored in business and politics and received his MBA in finance from Marymount University in Arlington, Virginia. Craig and his wife Owinda live in Chicago, and they have three sons Richard, Matthew, and Joshua.

Tiffany Milliken '05

Alumni Council Chair

Bio: I majored in business and communications and am currently a marketing leader in the telecommunications space. I have been on the Alumni Council since 2017. During my time at Lake Forest College, I played women's basketball and was in the Economics Honor Society. I remember my time at Lake Forest fondly and enjoy giving back in any way I can, often times returning to campus for everything from career development events for students to athletic competitions. I'm always willing to help a fellow Forester!

Matt Nielsen '94

Occupation: Co-Founder of Emerson Family Office

Bio: Matt is Co-founder of Emerson Family Office, where he leads the firm's wealth management division from its New York City headquarters, advising high-net-worth clients \—including business owners, physicians, professional athletes, and entertainment professionals. Additionally, he manages the national retirement plan for the Jockeys Guild, providing investment guidance and financial education to thoroughbred jockeys nationwide.

Matt graduated from Lake Forest College in 1994 and is the parent of two Class of 2024 graduates. He previously served on the College's Parents and Family Council and remains an active mentor to students. He also sits on the Board of Trustees of Northwood School in Lake Placid, New York, his alma mater. Outside the office, Matt runs Silver Flower Stable, a thoroughbred breeding and racing operation, and splits his time between northern New Jersey and his hometown of Saratoga Springs, New York.

Andrew Palmer '16

Occupation: Assistant Buyer at Costco

Bio: Member of the Lake Forest College Alumni Council since 2019. Studied finance, international relations, Islamic world studies in undergrad. Purdue MS, Indiana University MBA. While at the College, I spent most summers working as an Admissions Ambassador to support enrollment initiatives.

Leslie Sawyer '75

Occupation: President and CEO of Environmental Design International Inc.

Bio: Leslie J. Sawyer is President and CEO of Environmental Design International Inc. (EDI), a prominent, small to mid-sized engineering professional services firm headquartered in downtown Chicago and one of few African American, female-owned engineering firms in the state. Ms. Sawyer operates her firm with more than 30 years of executive experience in program and policy design, implementation, and management, particularly in the areas of higher education administration, college access, and workforce development and training. She is devoted to encouraging students in underserved communities—especially diverse young women—to pursue STEM education and career paths. Ms. Sawyer earned her bachelor of arts from Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, Illinois and holds a master of arts in communication from Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, New Mexico. She lives in Hyde Park with her husband and two cats.

Dan Turk '15

Occupation: Vice President at Pike Street Capital

Bio: Dan is currently a Vice President at Pike Street Capital, an industrial focused private equity firm based in Seattle, Washington. He focuses on deal execution, portfolio management, and new opportunity sourcing. Previously, Dan worked at Copley Equity Partners and Platte River Equity, both based in Denver, Colorado. He started his career at Moelis & Company in its New York City office.

Elizabeth (Behrmann) West ' 07

Occupation: Senior Director, Strategic Hiring at Bounteous

Bio: Originally from the East Coast, I was drawn to Chicago by Lake Forest College and have called it home ever since (minus brief adventures in San Francisco and Austin). I’m currently a Senior Director at Bounteous, a digital experience consultancy, where I lead global strategic and executive hiring. My career began in advertising before evolving into creative staffing, connecting top talent with agencies, startups, and product companies. That blend of client service, creative collaboration, and talent strategy led me to Bounteous in 2018, where I’ve grown alongside the company’s rapid expansion. I credit my Lake Forest College experience—its personalized attention, internship opportunities, and broad liberal arts foundation—with helping me build transferable skills and shape my career. I’m grateful to stay connected to the College and love engaging with students as they create their own paths.

Outside of work and my involvement with the Alumni Council, I’m a member of the Junior League of Chicago and enjoy Pilates, needlepoint, and learning mahjong.

Mason Zuniga '16

Occupation: Vice President, Corporate Development at ONDEX Automation

Bio: Mason graduated from Lake Forest College in 2016 with a major in finance and a minor in political science. While at Lake Forest, he was a member of the men’s basketball team and the investment club. After college, Mason pursued a career in finance and now leads mergers and acquisitions for factory automation firm. He married his college sweetheart, also a Class of 2016 graduate, and resides in the Chicagoland area. They still frequent some of their favorite Lake Forest establishments: The Lantern, Authentico, and The Deerpath Inn.