For almost forty years, Nancy McCowen served as the chief of staff in complex academic organizations including the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and the Office of the Provost at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and the Office of the President at the University of Texas. In each of these positions, she was responsible for a varied range of duties including managing personnel in executive, professional and staff categories. Her career demonstrates her commitment to sound policies, principles and procedures. She has been responsible for developing and implementing policies on a full range of topics from recruitment, career development and coaching, diversity, executive orientation and support, to conflicts of interest, and beyond.

At C. K. Gunsalus & Associates, Nancy specializes in working with higher education administrators. Her consulting compliments and expands the material found in C. K. Gunsalus's book, “The College Administrator's Survival Guide," available from Harvard Press. Learn more about the guide for college administrators

A lifelong educator, John Hedeman was hired as assistant dean in the University of Illinois College of Business in 2003 to design, implement, and administer an undergraduate business honors leadership program with a unique emphasis on leadership, professional responsibility, and global thinking. Honors students were inspired to build ethical leadership skills that they were expected to use to benefit all of the students in the business school. In addition to teaching, he led honors student trips to Europe, Asia, and South America.

Hedeman served as PwC xACT Case Competition faculty advisor for three national championship teams. In 2006, he received the Cammack Award for outstanding service to undergraduate students. In 2008, the Illinois Alumni Association honored him as the U. of Illinois Educator of the Year Award. In 2012, the College of Business recognized Hedeman with its highest honor for staff members with the Academic Professional Award. Prior to joining the College of Business, Hedeman was principal of the University of Illinois Laboratory High School. The school is consistently cited by Newsweek as one of the top public schools in the country.

For fourteen years Hedeman held teaching, counseling and administrative positions, including Dean of Students, at Parkland College, a public community college. His first job in education was at McDonogh School in Maryland where he was a teacher, coach, houseparent, counselor, and head of upper school. Hedeman earned his A.B. in English from Princeton University, his M.Ed. at Johns Hopkins, and his Ph.D. at the U. of Illinois. Upon retirement from the U. of Illinois in 2012, Hedeman moved to Lawrence, Kansas. He is consulting with honors programs nationally and serving on the board of the Marketplace Literacy Project.

John focuses on young professionals for C. K. Gunsalus & Associates. His presentations, consulting, and workshops compliment and expand the material found in C. K. Gunsalus's book, The Young Professional's Survival Guide, available from Harvard Press. Learn more about the guide for young professionals