DePaul University welcomes 2 business leaders to board of trustees

“I look forward to working with our two newest trustees, who as alumni, have demonstrated a strong and continued commitment to DePaul’s mission and values,” said DePaul President A. Gabriel Esteban, Ph.D. “As we begin to develop DePaul’s next strategic plan, the insight we receive from our board will be invaluable.”

Michael L. Scudder is president and CEO of First Midwest Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq), and the chairman and CEO of First Midwest Bank, headquartered in the Chicago suburb of Itasca. Since becoming CEO in 2008, First Midwest has grown to one of the largest independent financial institutions in Chicago and the Midwest with $14 billion in assets and $10 billion in trust assets under management. He also serves as a member of the First Midwest board of directors. Prior to his current appointment in September 2008, Scudder served as First Midwest Bancorp’s president and chief operating officer and previously as its chief financial officer. 

Scudder, who is an active member of the ABA’s American Bankers CEO Council and the Mid-Size Bank Coalition of America, began his professional career at KPMG. He is a director of the Silver Cross Hospital Board, the Metropolitan Planning Council’s executive advisory board and a member of the executive committee of DePaul’s Driehaus College of Business Center for Financial Services. Additionally, he is a member of the Economic Club of Chicago, The Bankers Club of Chicago and The Chicago Club. Scudder serves as the chairman of the First Midwest Charitable Foundation, in addition to various civic and charitable organizations. Scudder earned a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Illinois Wesleyan University and an MBA from DePaul.

Joseph Skender is chairman of Skender Construction, which has offices in Chicago and San Francisco. Since the beginning of Skender’s leadership in 1980, the company has consistently grown to become one of the largest general contractors in Chicago. Skender is responsible for establishing the strategic direction of the firm and promoting the firm’s mission, values and entrepreneurial culture. Under his leadership, the company has earned accolades for its growth, strategic business strategy and commitment to employees. 

Skender has been recognized as Construction Executive of the Year by the Construction Financial Management Association of Chicago and was inducted into the UIC Chicago Area Entrepreneurship Hall of Fame. Skender is an avid supporter of charitable and community organizations, co-founding the Skender Foundation to support local organizations that provide wellness and educational advancement opportunities for communities in need. He has served on the board of directors and as board chair for SOS Children’s Villages of Illinois. He is a member of The Executives’ Club of Chicago and Economic Club of Chicago. Skender earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from DePaul.

DePaul University’s board of trustees is responsible for shaping the strategies that best promote the fulfillment of the university’s mission and values. With more than 23,000 students and some 300 academic programs, DePaul is the largest Catholic university in the United States and the largest private, nonprofit university in the Midwest. It is nationally recognized for incorporating service learning throughout its curriculum and preparing its graduates for a global economy.

DePaul was founded in Chicago in 1898 by the Congregation of the Mission (Vincentians), a Roman Catholic religious community dedicated to following the ideals of St. Vincent de Paul, the 17th century priest for whom the university is named. DePaul’s tradition of providing a quality education to students from a broad range of backgrounds, with particular attention to first-generation students, has resulted in one of the nation’s most diverse student bodies. More information is available at www.depaul.edu.

###

Carol Hughes

carol.hughes@depaul.edu 

312-362-8592