Gov. JB Pritzker recently appointed Southwestern Illinois College President Nick J. Mance to the state’s Policy Academy on Strengthening Your State’s Manufacturing, a committee dedicated to developing and implementing a strategic plan to strengthen manufacturing in Illinois.
In addition, Gov. Pritzker appointed SWIC Foundation Board Chair Norma Bellcoff, vice president of Business Development/Trust at TheBANK of Edwardsville, to serve on the Board of Trustees of the Teachers’ Retirement System.
Mance has 25 years of service in community college leadership as a SWIC Trustee from 1993-2018, and 20 years as chair of the SWIC Board of Trustees, before becoming president of the institution in July 2018. He is a Certified Public Accountant, with more than 30 years of senior business management and leadership experience.
“I’m honored and excited for the opportunity to serve on the Governor’s Policy Academy,” Mance said. “This is a chance to strengthen the relationship between education, industry and our state government with the goal of improving our economy.”
The Policy Academy is charged with developing and implementing a plan that will improve retention and competitiveness of manufacturers in the state; increase Illinois manufacturing productivity and sales; and prepare the Illinois workforce for high-demand manufacturing jobs.
Mance is one of only four individuals in the state appointed to the Policy Academy Core Team. The Policy Academy is part of a five-year statewide economic development plan.
Bellcoff’s role on the Board of Trustees of the Teachers’ Retirement System will be to work with other Board members to oversee the operations of the TRS. The Board ensures the continual delivery of the retirement security promised to members by maintaining the highest and most efficient level of service.
Bellcoff has been in the financial services industry since 1988 and began her career at Argosy Gaming Company as assistant director of investor relations before joining A.G. Edwards Trust as a trust officer. Bellcoff joined TheBANK in 2010.
In addition to serving as chair of the SWIC Foundation Board, she also serves on the Marquette Catholic High School Foundation Board as well as other foundation boards and the Southwestern Illinois Division Auxiliary Board of Directors of the United Way of Greater St. Louis. Bellcoff received her bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting from Duquesne University in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania.
For more information, call SWIC at 618-235-2700, ext. 5247.