Mark Drake

Mark Drake studied law enforcement at Black Hawk College and earned an Associate of Applied Science in 1982. He went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice in 1984 and a master’s degree in counseling in 1986, both from Illinois State University.

Mark served as executive director of Youth Hope (formerly Christian Friendliness Association) for 37 years. When he began at Youth Hope, the annual budget was $74,000 with two part-time staff and two full-time staff members. Under his leadership, Youth Hope’s budget grew to an annual budget of over $2 million.

Mark started youth centers in Rock Island, IL, and Moline, IL. These centers have provided, and continue to provide, thousands of at-risk children and teens a safe place to find hope and healing, the chance to learn relationship and leadership skills, and the opportunity to meet and learn about God’s love.

Camp Summit, an arm of Youth Hope located in New Windsor, IL, is a 60-acre camp where youths can attend a week-long residential summer camp or a weekend retreat. Camp Summit has served more than 9,000 students since its inception in 1998. It provides kids and teens a safe place to enjoy nature, have fun on the zipline, catch a fish, go canoeing and roast a marshmallow over the campfire. Camp Summit is the result of Mark’s vision and unrelenting determination to give the youth of our community opportunities for experiences beyond their "city" life.

Mark also created a college scholarship fund for students attending Youth Hope programming, four endowments ensuring Youth Hope continues in our QC area, and Cre8 Studios to encourage kids to pursue the arts.

Patrick (Pat) Eikenberry

In 1984, Pat earned an associate degree at Black Hawk College and launched his career at Missman Inc. as a civil engineering technician, a position he held until 1990. He steadily progressed through various leadership roles, including director of marketing, office manager, vice president, president and ultimately president/CEO in 2010. Pat led Missman Inc. through substantial growth, expanding the company from 36 to nearly 100 employees, acquiring four firms, and diversifying into architectural services. In 2017, Missman merged with IMEG Consultants Corp., where Pat and his team contributed their expertise in airport design, roadway design, public involvement, SSES studies and construction engineering.

As executive vice president of civil engineering at IMEG, Pat focuses on strategically expanding the Civil Group across the U.S. in a sustainable way. Under his leadership, the group has grown from approximately 120 employees on four teams to more than 500 employees across 18 teams nationwide. This expansion has enabled IMEG to introduce services like geographic information systems (GIS), a fleet of 25 drones and pilots, reality capture and geospatial solutions, and to establish leadership in civil structures, transportation and water/wastewater services. IMEG also offers specialized services, including tribal work and subsurface utility engineering (SUE).

Pat has been a committed community leader for more than 40 years, driven by his passion for the success of the Quad Cities. He has served on numerous boards and chaired several, including the Society of American Military Engineers (SAME), Mississippi Valley Regional Blood Center (Impact Life), Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce, Bettendorf Development Corporation, Robert Young Center, Trinity Regional Health System (UnityPoint Health), Iowa Council of Engineering Companies (ACEC) and the John Deere Classic. He twice served as the ACEC National Director for the state of Iowa.

Steve Layer

Steve Layer grew up in Milan, IL, and graduated from Rock Island High School in 1975 then Black Hawk College in 1977. He was a pitcher on the baseball team under Coach Gene Henze from 1975-77. He attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale before being accepted into the physical therapy program at University of Health Sciences/Chicago Medical School. He earned his physical therapy degree in 1980 and was awarded the Prestigious Professional Achievement Award at graduation. He worked for four years as a clinic manager in Sterling, IL. In 1984, he and Mark Levson co-founded Rock Valley Physical Therapy in Moline. It is now the third-largest privately owned physical therapy practice in the country.

Steve was Rock Valley Physical Therapy’s CEO for more than 30 years. He was actively involved in patient care, evaluating and treating orthopedic patients. He was instrumental in growing the practice into bi-state multiple clinics, leading the practice’s vision and mentoring young therapists. In the early 1990s, Steve became one of only 50 physical therapists in the nation to be board certified as an orthopedic certified specialist in physical therapy. He was a guest lecturer for many years at University of Iowa and St. Ambrose physical therapy programs.

Steve served as president on the Commission of Education for St. Mary’s School in East Moline, the Alleman School Board, the advisory board for St. Ambrose Physical Therapy Programs and the Illini Hospital Foundation Board. Steve currently is the vice chair for the Black Hawk College Foundation Board and the Board of Directors for Youth Hope.

Steve feels Black Hawk College has proven to be a staple of the community and is grateful to the many professors, teachers and coaches who helped shape both his personal and professional lives.

Brett Lohman

Brett is a graduate of Black Hawk College and St. Ambrose University. He is co-president and one of the owners of Lohman Companies, a family-owned business in Geneseo and Moline that specializes in insurance strategies for individuals and business owners nationwide. He is past chair and board member of the Black Hawk College Foundation.

Brett has served the Geneseo community as president of the Geneseo Chamber of Commerce; member and founder of Geneseo Chamber Scholarship Foundation Committee; co-founder and current vice president of the Geneseo Community Development Corporation; president and co-founder of Geneseo Is For Tomorrow (GIFT) Foundation; board member of Central Bank Geneseo; board member of the Geneseo Foundation; chair of the Geneseo Water & Sewer Board; member of the Geneseo TIF District advisory committee; board member of the Geneseo Town & Country Foundation; chair of the Hammond-Henry Hospital Foundation Planned Giving Committee; and a Geneseo youth soccer coach for seven years.

Brett is a multi-engine instrument rated pilot. He is a board member and past president of Gen-Air Inc. (Geneseo airport operator); past committee member and co-founder of Geneseo’s Trains, Planes and Automobiles Stearman Fly-In; founding member of Gen-Air Father’s Day Pancake Breakfast Committee and Stearman Fly-In; and governor of the Quad City Area Quiet Birdmen, a national pilots’ organization.

Brett is a past member of and a district spokesperson for Professional Independent Insurance Agents of Illinois & Independent Insurance Agents of America Washington Lobbying Committee; past board member of the Professional Independent Agents Association of Illinois Agents Membership Services Board; and a two-term member of the Pekin Insurance Company Presidents Agent Advisory Forum.

Gary Miller

Gary Miller graduated from United Township High School in 1958 and enrolled at Black Hawk College in 1962. He earned an associate degree in 1965 then attended St. Ambrose College. In 1968, he decided to change direction and become a commercial pilot instead of a biology teacher. He earned a pilot license and was an airplane pilot and flight instructor for 50-plus years.

Gary retired from Air Wisconsin Airlines in 2000 with more than 20,000 flight hours as an airline captain and flight instructor. After retirement, he continued as the Air Wisconsin pilots’ 401(k) retirement plan administrator, a position he’d held since 1990. He retired from that position in 2020. Gary also was active in the Commemorative Air Force at Airbase Arizona, in Mesa, AZ.

In November 2021, Gary received the Wright Brothers Master Pilot Award from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration for demonstrating professionalism, skill and aviation expertise by maintaining safe operations for more than 50 years. The award acknowledged his exemplary service, professionalism and devotion to aviation safety, and recognition by his peers.

Gary is a past board member of the Air Line Pilots Association and former 5th Ward alderman for the city of East Moline. He is a member of the Sons of the American Legion 227 and the Rock Island County Historical Society.

Gary also was an active member of the Quad City’s Vintage Rods, which hosted car shows annually at Black Hawk College. From 1984-2021, the car club donated more than $85,000 to the BHC Foundation and donated to the foundation for more consecutive years than any other organization.

Gary and his wife raised two foster children in addition to their own two children.

Jazmin Newton

Jazmin Newton graduated from Moline High School in 2002, earned an Associate in Arts degree from Black Hawk College in 2008 then a bachelor’s degree in psychology and sociology from the University of Iowa in 2010. Jazmin pursued her childhood dream of becoming an attorney and three weeks after giving birth to her second son, she started law school at Northern Illinois University. She commuted five days a week to DeKalb from her home in Iowa and balanced the rigorous demands of law school while raising her two boys. She graduated cum laude in May 2013.

During law school, Jazmin was active with on-campus organizations including the Women’s Law Caucus, Latina/o Law Student Association (served as vice president), the Black Law Student Association, the Public Interest Law Society and the Student Bar Association. She also served as attorney general for the National Latina/o Law Student Association in 2012 and 2013. She competed in several moot court competitions and in 2012, her team made it to quarters and won Best Respondent’s Brief at a national moot court competition.

Jazmin’s primary area of practice is family law. She is a member of the Illinois State Bar Association, the Iowa State Bar Association, the Scott County Bar Association and the Rock Island County Bar Association.

Jazmin has been involved with many community non-profit organizations. She has been actively involved in politics on a local, state and national level. In 2019, she became the Latinx Caucus chair for Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign. In November 2023, she was elected alderman at-large in Davenport, IA. Jazmin believes civic engagement is of paramount importance and that having a representative government is key to moving our community, state and country forward.

Kevin W. Nolan

Kevin Nolan is a Rock Island native and 1990 graduate of Rock Island High School. He attended Black Hawk College from 1990-92 then earned a Bachelor of Political Science from Illinois State University and a Master of Business Administration from St. Ambrose University.

Kevin is the owner, president and CEO of Ecogistics, a third-party logistics company he founded in 2009. Under his leadership, Ecogistics has grown into a thriving organization that employs more than 55 people and has been recognized by Inc. magazine six times as one of the fastest-growing privately held companies in the U.S. The company also has been nominated twice by the Quad Cities Business Journal as one of the fastest-growing and coolest companies in the region. He previously served as global director of transportation and chair of the Strategic Transportation Council for Terex Inc., strategic sourcing manager for KONE and Allsteel, and production supervisor and purchasing manager for CASE IH. He also taught supply management as an adjunct professor at Western Illinois University.

Kevin has served as Planning Council commissioner and Community Development Block Grant board member for the city of Rock Island; president and board member of the National Association of Purchasing Management - Quad Cities Affiliate; board member and president of the Institute for Supply Management - Memphis Affiliate; board member and president of the Mississippi Valley Blues Society; member of the Rock Island-Milan School Board; youth softball coach for Milan Area Girls Softball; and bass fishing coach for Rock Island High School. He also led the annual Milan Harvest Festival; founded the Rock Island Milan Youth Sports non-profit; and served as a board member, sponsor and coach for Rock Island-Milan Little League for more than 15 years.

Greg Ryckaert

Greg Ryckaert grew up in Taylor Ridge, IL, and graduated from Alleman High School in 1981. He earned an Associate in Science degree from Black Hawk College in 1983. Greg then attended Southern Illinois University in Carbondale where he earned a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering in 1986. He worked for a consulting civil engineering firm in Dallas, TX, from 1986-88. He joined Missman Inc. (now IMEG Consultants Corp.) in 1988 and retired in March 2025. Greg spent his entire career in the civil engineering profession in various roles as a project engineer, various management roles, executive vice president at Missman and a client executive at IMEG. He was a member of several engineering societies over the years to help advance the engineering profession.

Greg has been a member of the Black Hawk College Foundation Board since 2014 and board chair since 2019. He also is a member of Renew Moline Board and past member of the Development Association of Rock Island. He has volunteered on STEM programs for the Quad City Engineering and Science Council, Hand in Hand Chili Challenge, Relay for Life for the American Cancer Society, 11th Street cleanup in Rock Island, Habitat for Humanity and Toys for Tots. He enjoyed coaching soccer, baseball and softball when his children were younger and looks forward to coaching his grandchildren.

Greg believes in giving back to the Quad-Cities community where he and his wife have raised their family. He believes Black Hawk College has been an integral part of his engineering career. He is happy to be part of Black Hawk College Foundation’s growth of awarding scholarships over the years to help students achieve their dreams and future success.