EIU Media Relations

EIU Alumni Association announces updates to executive leadership

(Charleston, IL) – The Eastern Illinois University Alumni Association has announced the appointment of a new Executive Director and Executive Committee for the Board of Directors.

Amber May, a former standout EIU student-athlete in softball and a member of EIU’s Alumni Services team since 2012, will resume the role of Executive Director for EIU’s Alumni Association. Chris Swing also will assume the role as Immediate Past President, while president Mary Anne Hanner, vice-president Marty Morgan, treasurer Josh Reitz, and secretary Cody Czmyr have assumed appointment duties beginning July 30, 2022.

May is a 2011 and 2012 EIU graduate. Most recently, she served as Director of Alumni Services and Special Events for the EIU Alumni Association where she led triple-digit membership growth, led efforts to secure gifts to the University, and contributed to the largest gain in “Lifetime Members” in a decade. May is a resident of Charleston and a 2021 inductee into the EIU Athletics Hall of Fame as a member of the Panther Softball Team. May assumes the role of Executive Director after 11 years with the Alumni Association.

“I am looking forward to engaging the executive committee with their rejuvenating ideas and ambitions,” May said. “Our alumni are extremely passionate about the EIU experience and the relationships we forge here, and we are all excited to see what we can achieve together.”

Hanner is a 1972 and 1974 Graduate of EIU, and a currently retired EIU Professor and Dean Emeritus for the University. Hanner currently resides in Oakland, Illinois and is entering her seventh year on the Board. This will be her fifth year on the Executive Committee.

“The 2022-2023 EIU Alumni Association Executive Committee will work diligently to advance the goals of the Association through communication and outreach, recruitment and retention through awareness and visibility,” said Hanner. “As with all Association Board members, we care deeply about EIU and will work to continue to spread good news about EIU and its people.”

Morgan is a 1985 EIU Graduate. He currently resides in Lake Bluff, Illinois and is a Business Sales Manager with Carl Zeiss IMT Corp. Morgan is entering his seventh year on the Alumni Association’s Board of Directors.

Reitz is a 1998 graduate of EIU and serves as Superintendent of McHenry Elementary School District #15. He resides in Crystal Lake, Illinois and is entering his fifth year on EIU’s Alumni Association Board of Directors. 

“I am so excited about what is in store for EIU and the Alumni Association for 2022-23,” Reitz said. “We have a tremendous team who are deeply invested in giving back to this great university.”

Czmyr is a 2010 EIU graduate and currently serves as the director of Marketing, Communication and Membership for the Restaurant Technology Network. He resides in Chicago and is entering his fifth year on the EIU Alumni Association Board of Directors. 

“During my tenure on the Board, I have watched it grow through members, scholarships and grants around campus,” Czmyr said. “I’m thrilled to have an opportunity to serve on the Executive Committee and further our impact on future generations of EIU Panthers.”

The Eastern Illinois University Alumni Association builds lifelong relationships between alumni and their alma mater through a network of more than 120,000 alumni. The Association sponsors special events, assists with homecoming and reunions, facilitates communication between alumni and the university, maintains alumni records and recognizes alumni accomplishments through its Distinguished Alumni Awards program.