August 12, 2026
Michelle Mittelman
Showing up for one another: Tiffany Milliken ’05 leads the Alumni Council forward
As new and returning students prepare for the coming academic year, Tiffany Milliken ’05 is also marking the beginning of a new chapter in her Forester journey. After nine years of service on the Alumni Council, Milliken is stepping into her new role as Chair, and she’s excited about what’s ahead.
“I’ve been on the Council for nine years now, and the students, staff, and people I’ve interacted with continue to inspire me to remain active within the Lake Forest community,” Milliken said. “I have seen the amazing contributions that have been made and the investment in the College and its students, and that is something I want to push even further.”
For Millken, the year ahead isn’t about one person or one initiative. It’s about bringing together the collective strength of the Forester community.
She’s especially excited to build on the momentum the Alumni Council created during the 2025–26 academic year.
“We have an incredible group of members whose skills, backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives vary greatly, but who share a genuine desire to give their time, energy, passion, and support to a place they hold dear,” Milliken said.
That belief in the power of a team is something Milliken has carried with her since her days as a student-athlete at Lake Forest. As a member of the women’s basketball team, she learned early on that strong teams are built on commitment, trust, and an appreciation for the unique strengths each person brings.
“Even at the Division III level, being a student-athlete requires a level of commitment that really helps build a foundation for the person you want to become and the leader you want to be,” she said.
Basketball taught Milliken lessons that continue to influence her leadership today—including loyalty, sacrifice, time management, tradition, and the importance of listening to others.
“I didn’t always agree with everyone, but I learned to understand that everyone brings a different perspective,” she said.
Those lessons are particularly relevant to her role as Alumni Council Chair. Milliken’s goal for the year is to harness the collective strengths of Council members to support the College’s priorities, its students, and the broader Forester community—and to find new ways for alumni to show up and contribute. That contribution can take many forms.
“Whether someone contributes time, expertise, mentorship, connections, financial support, or simply their presence, every form of participation can strengthen the College community,” Milliken said.
Keeping Foresters connected
When Milliken thinks back to her own Lake Forest College experience, she remembers the little things: walking into town, Sunday mornings in the cafeteria, finishing papers late at night in the library, early-morning conditioning, and thought-provoking conversations with professors she admired.
“Most of all, I think about the people I met and the impact they continue to have throughout my life,” she said.
Those relationships—and the lessons she learned from them—have stayed with her long after graduation.
As Alumni Council Chair, Milliken hopes to create more opportunities for alumni to build those same kinds of connections across generations. She envisions social gatherings and informal meetups, career and industry connections, family-friendly events, mentorship opportunities, and more reasons for alumni to return to campus outside of milestone reunions.
“Engagement doesn’t have to look the same for everyone,” she said. “The key is giving alumni a variety of meaningful and accessible ways to reconnect with the College and with one another.”
Photo: From left to right, Alumni Council members Don Mastro '92, Tiffany Milliken '05, Leslie Sawyer '75, Adelaide Hassels '20, Davis DeKorte '18, and Eric Markey '01 at the 2026 In The Loop Mixer.
Alumni have a role to play
Milliken also sees alumni as an important part of the student experience. In a world where career opportunities are often shaped not only by what you know but by the relationships you build, alumni can provide students with valuable perspective, encouragement, and mentorship.
But Tiffany believes the alumni role goes beyond career assistance.
“We have generations of families who have attended Lake Forest, staff members who have devoted their careers to the College, and alumni who continue to return for events and remain part of campus life,” she said. “That continuity is what makes this community special.”
Lake Forest’s close-knit environment is part of what drew many alumni to the College in the first place. Milliken believes it’s also something alumni have a responsibility to preserve and extend.
“As alumni, we have a responsibility to preserve and extend that experience by sharing our time, traditions, expertise, and passion with today’s students,” she said.
Photo: Tiffany Milliken '05 with fellow alumni and members of the Forester Family at the alumni outing cheering on the Chicago Cubs on June 4, 2026.
A Homecoming worth coming home for
There may be no better time to share traditions with current students than at 2026 Homecoming and Reunion Weekend on Friday, October 2, and Saturday, October 3.
For Milliken, Homecoming is more than a date on the calendar—it's an opportunity to display the pride she feels in being a Forester.
"Being a Forester continues to mean something long after graduation," she said. "It gave me much more than an education—it gave me teammates, mentors, friendships, confidence, perspective, and a community that has remained part of my life for more than two decades."
And now Homecoming includes her own family, which is one of the most meaningful things she gets to share. Her husband, a Knox College graduate, has become part of the Forester family in his own right, and her children have grown up attending Homecoming right alongside him.
"My children have grown up coming to campus, attending Homecoming, calling my best friends from college 'aunt,' and hearing stories about my time at Lake Forest," she said. "Seeing them develop their own connection to a place that shaped so much of who I am has made being a Forester feel even more special."
It’s a fitting way to begin her year as Alumni Council Chair: surrounded by the people and places that have meant so much to her, while welcoming other Foresters back home.
“I’m honored to serve as Chair and excited about what we can accomplish when more Foresters choose to show up for one another,” she said.
Milliken and the Alumni Council can’t wait to welcome you home for 2026 Homecoming and Reunion Weekend on Friday, October 2, and Saturday, October 3! Visit the Alumni Council resource table at Reunion Row during Fan Fest to learn about Alumni Council activities, events, and how you can get involved.
Photo (left): Head Women's Basketball Coach John McGinty, Vice President of Career Advancement and Community Engagement Jackie Slaats, and Tiffany Milliken '05.
Photo (right) Tiffany Milliken '05, her husband, their children, Kristen Fink '05, and Shannon Joerger '05 at the Dau Room Halftime Reception during 2025 Homecoming and Reunion Weekend.