Press Release

Loyola University Chicago Welcomes New Leadership and Members to Board of Trustees
Board elects Susan Sher as chair and Mark Hoppe as vice chair

CHICAGO, July 21, 2020 –At its annual meeting in June, the Board of Trustees elected Susan Sher, ‘74 JD, as Board Chair, and Mark Hoppe as Board Vice Chair to the Loyola Board. Additionally, five new trustees, including four Loyola alumni, were elected to the Loyola University Chicago Board of Trustees in 2020.

“I would like to extend my congratulations and deep appreciation to Susan Sher and Mark Hoppe for their election as Chair and Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees, and to our newly elected trustees,” said Dr. Jo Ann Rooney, president of Loyola University Chicago.

“We are grateful for their commitment and expertise especially in this meaningful year when we mark our 150th anniversary as Chicago’s Jesuit Catholic university and as we increase focus on educational and research strategies to fight racism, violence, poverty, health disparities, and other significant social justice issues that disproportionately impact the poor and marginalized in our country and the world.

As we advance our university’s mission and priorities, and plan our anticipated return to classes in the fall in the midst of a global pandemic, Loyola will benefit immensely from their perspective and insights as leaders in their fields of higher education, healthcare, not-for-profit organizations, and business.”

Susan Sher, ‘74 JD – Board Chair
Sher is senior advisor to the President of the University of Chicago. She was first elected to Loyola’s Board in June 2011 and became vice chair in June 2017. In addition to her role as chair, Sher serves ex officio on the Executive Committee of the Board. She was chair of the Governance and Trusteeship Committee of the Board from September 2016 to June 2020.

She is also a member of the Board of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and a member of the Board of Directors of the Partnership for a Healthier America. Prior to her role as senior advisor to the President of the University of Chicago, Sher was the former chief of staff to First Lady Michelle Obama and served as vice president for legal and governmental affairs, general counsel at the University of Chicago Medical Center.

Mark Hoppe – Vice Chair
Hoppe is the regional president of Fifth Third Bank Chicago. He was elected to the Board in June 2018, and during his tenure, he has served as a Trustee member of the Audit Committee and the Student Development and Success Committee. In addition to being elected vice chair, Hoppe was recently elected chair of the Finance Committee of the Board and will act as ex officio on the Executive Committee of the Board.

Hoppe is the vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Window to the World Communications, Inc. (WWCI), parent company of WTTW and WFMT. He also serves on the Board of Directors of the Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and on the Board of Advisors and Executive Committee of Catholic Charities. Prior to his role at Fifth Third Bank Chicago, he was the CEO of MB Financial Bank, Cole Taylor Bank, and LaSalle Bank Midwest. He received his MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The newest trustees include the following:

Mr. Kim Blickenstaff, ’74 BA, ’76 MBA, is the executive chairman of the board of directors at Tandem Diabetes Care. He previously served as the company’s president and chief executive officer. Prior to joining Tandem, Blickenstaff worked at Biosite Incorporated as the company’s chairman, chief executive officer, and co-founder.

Rev. Walter C. Deye, SJ, ’77 M. Div., is rector of the Cincinnati Jesuit Community in Ohio. He previously served as the socius and acting provincial of the Chicago-Detroit Province for the Society of Jesus. He also served as president of two Jesuit high schools: Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School in Indianapolis and St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati. Fr. Deye is currently also a trustee of Xavier University.

Ms. Sharon O’Keefe, ’76 MSN, is President of the University of Chicago Medical Center. She brings more than 30 years of healthcare and executive experience to her role, beginning with her career as a staff nurse and transitioning to executive leadership. O’Keefe serves on numerous boards, including the American Heart Association Midwest Regional Board and Misericordia Home. She previously served on the board for CURE: Citizens United for Research in Epilepsy, including two years as Chair of the Board, and the NIH Advisory Board for Clinical Research, including one year as Chair of the Board.

Mrs. Betty Parkinson, ’75 BS, is a philanthropist and longtime active member of the Loyola community. She is a current member of the Founders’ Circle and the Loyola Blue Ribbon Task Force. Parkinson and her late husband Bob Parkinson, ’73 BBA, ’75 MBA, chairman emeritus of Baxter International, made a $20 million gift in February 2019 to name the Parkinson School for Health Sciences and Public Health.

Dr. Bryan Traubert, MD, is Chairman of the Pritzker Traubert Foundation. He is the Chairman of the Board for WBEZ Chicago Public Media and serves on the boards of the University of Chicago Medical Center and Steppenwolf Theatre, and on the Executive Committee of the Chicago Community Trust. He is also a trustee of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and founded and serves on the board of the Chicago Parks Foundation.

About Loyola University Chicago
Founded in 1870, Loyola University Chicago is one of the nation’s largest Jesuit, Catholic universities, with more than 16,600 students. Nearly 11,500 undergraduates call Loyola home. The University has four campuses: three in the greater Chicago area and one in Rome, Italy, as well as course locations in Saigon-Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Vernon Hills, Illinois (Cuneo Mansion and Gardens); and a Retreat and Ecology Campus in Woodstock, Illinois. The University features 14 schools, colleges, and institutes, including Arrupe College of Loyola University Chicago, College of Arts and Sciences, Graduate School, Institute of Environmental Sustainability, Institute of Pastoral Studies, Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing, Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health, Quinlan School of Business, School of Communication, School of Continuing and Professional Studies, School of Education, School of Law, School of Social Work, and Stritch School of Medicine. Ranked a top national university by U.S. News & World Report, Loyola is also among a select group of universities recognized for community service and engagement by prestigious national organizations like the Carnegie Foundation and the Corporation for National and Community Service. To learn more about Loyola, visit LUC.edu, “like” us at Facebook.com/LoyolaChicago, or follow us on Twitter via @LoyolaChicago or @LoyolaNewsroom.