QUINCY UNIVERSITY BOARD OF TRUSTEES ADDS FOUR NEW MEMBERS
QUINCY, Ill. – The Quincy University Board of Trustees has elected four new members: Sam Banks ‘76, Jean Buckley ‘78, Murphy Grant ’97 and Mary Mooney.
“Our new class of trustees adds to an already strong board that is helping guide QU,” said Ralph Oakley, chair of the QU Board of Trustees. “This group of people is committed to educational excellence and to ensuring QU will continue to grow and prosper.”
Sam Banks ’76 is a Director at Busey Bank in Champaign, Ill. During his years at Quincy, Banks began a life of service to others by volunteering in what ultimately became the Big Brother Big Sister program. Banks spent the better part of thirty years working with abused, neglected and dependent children from throughout Illinois. Following tenures with Chaddock in Quincy and Cunningham Children’s Home in Urbana, Ill., Banks returned to his Chicago roots and accepted the position of President and CEO of Glenwood School for Boys and Girls, a residential boarding school for at-risk, low-income students from throughout the Chicago area. He has also found time to achieve success as a basketball official. While still in college, Banks began refereeing YMCA kids’ games. He has since officiated hundreds of games at both the high school and college levels, including Division I, and was inducted into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame as an Official in 2016. Banks earned his sociology degree from QU in 1976 and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is married to Maureen who is leaving the QU Board of Trustees after serving for six years.
Jean Buckley ‘76 is an active member of the Tracy Family Foundation and served as a member of the Dot Foods, Inc. Board of Directors for four years. She served on the Tracy Family Council for three years and as a Board member of the Community Foundation in Quincy, Ill., from 1999 to 2007. Buckley was the Community Foundation chairperson for two years. She served as a Steering Committee Leader and Quincy Area Campaign Leader for QU’s GOAL 2000 campaign. Buckley attended Quincy University from 1974-76, and graduated from the University of Illinois in 1977. Her husband Michael is retired as the Vice President of Business Development at Dot Foods, Inc.
Murphy Grant ’97 has been an athletic trainer for over 25 years and is recognized as a leader in collegiate sports medicine. Grant’s knowledge base in injury prevention, sports performance, and rehabilitation has kept him on the cutting edge of health care in both the professional athletics and collegiate settings. Grant was named Executive Chair of the Intercollegiate Council for Sports Medicine in January of 2017. He is the owner of Grant Sports Performance and Therapy and serves as an athletic trainer for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Prior to working with the Cavaliers, Grant spent a season with the Utah Jazz. Before his work with the NBA, Grant held athletic and healthcare administration roles with Wake Forest University, University of Kansas and Oklahoma State University. He is a board member of Summer Search, a national non-profit organization that provides collegiate opportunities for high school students from low-income communities. Grant earned his BS in Athletic Training from QU in 1997 and is a member of the QU Sports Hall of Fame, as an individual member and member of a team. Grant earned his MS in Exercise Science from Illinois State University. He is married to QU alum Amy Grant ’96.
Mary Mooney has a strong background in international operations, systems development and implementation, and compliance. She has worked with many businesses and sectors, primarily in telecommunications, precious metals, and commodities, with a focus on business modeling, strategic entity formation strategies, as well as consulting on and negotiating targeted acquisitions. Mooney is the co-founder of Exclusive Group Holdings, Inc., a tech-data driven international telecommunications carrier. Prior to transitioning into the business sector, Mooney was the member of a prominent litigation firm in St. Louis, Missouri, specializing her practice on securities and commodities litigation and compliance. Mooney is committed to giving back to the community. She dedicates over 200 hours per year doing pro bono legal work to uplift women in the local community by representing them in litigation matters. She serves as a mentor for first year law students at Ave Maria School of Law in Naples, Florida and at her alma mater, Saint Louis University. Mooney earned a BS degree from Illinois State University and earned a MBA with a specialty in Finance and Juris Doctorate from Saint Louis University. Mary Mooney is the wife of QU alum Jim Mooney ’70.
The Quincy University Board of Trustees currently has 28 members, 19 of whom are alumni of the university. While some trustees live in or near Quincy, Illinois, other trustees live throughout the United States. Three Board members are Franciscan friars.
Founded in 1860 by Franciscan friars, Quincy University is a small Catholic university emphasizing the sciences, liberal arts and the professions. Quincy University offers undergraduate, graduate and adult education programs integrating practical experience and Franciscan values. Faculty and advisors work with students to design customized success plans to help them graduate on time, find their passion and prepare them for life. QU is a member of NCAA Division II for intercollegiate athletics. For more information, please visit www.quincy.edu or contact the Office of Community Relations at (217) 228-5275 or communityrelations@quincy.edu. Quincy University. Success by Design.
