May 21, 2012
College of Business honors five alumni
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- The College of Business at Southern Illinois University Carbondale recently inducted four people into its Hall of Fame and recognized a fifth as Executive of the Year.
The 2012 Hall of Fame inductees are Kevin Bastien, Diane Compardo, Stephen Parks and Jeff Emme. Wesley Gibson is the Executive of the Year.
“It was an honor to have the opportunity to recognize these five individuals. They have made undeniable contributions to their field. The example they set for current and future students is a powerful message that will leave a lasting legacy far beyond the professional achievements each has produced,” Dean J. Dennis Cradit said.
Bastien earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting in 1986 and his master’s of accountancy in taxation a year later at SIU Carbondale. He is the chief financial officer for the St. Louis headquarters of the Edward Jones financial firm.
Working for Price Waterhouse in 1989, Bastien’s initial assignments included the Edward Jones account along with Anheuser-Busch and other substantial accounts. He joined Edward Jones as director of finance in 1996, handling tax function and partnership capital, and two years later became a principal with the firm. Since that time, he also has been involved in coordinating the overall financial support for international operations and establishing and directing the sourcing area that negotiates the firm’s financial commitments. He became CFO in January 2009.
A licensed CPA in Illinois and Missouri, Bastien is a member of the University’s School of Accountancy External Advisory Board and the board of directors for Junior Achievement of Greater St. Louis. He and wife Debra live in Columbia, Ill.
Compardo earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting in 1991 and master’s of accountancy in taxation in 1992 at the University. She is currently a principal with the Moneta Group, a financial planning firm providing family chief financial officer services to more than 2,000 clients. The firm, founded in 1995 and located in Clayton, Mo., earned recognition as one of St. Louis’ top wealth managers in August 2011. Owned by 31 principals, the company manages more than $11 billion in assets for clients. Compardo’s association with the firm dates to 1997, as she was the first professional consultant. She became partner in 2007.
Compardo’s career began with PricewaterhouseCoopers, serving as executive financial services group manager, providing comprehensive financial planning services to senior executives and other substantial net worth individuals. She has earned numerous honors as a top financial adviser including the Top Wealth Manager Award from the National Association of Board Certified Advisory Practices and the Five Star Best In Wealth Advisory Client Service Award five times. She is a certified public accountant, certified financial planner and accredited wealth management adviser.
She is finance chair for Covenant House of Missouri and a member of the Forsyth School Development Committee. She and husband Ron Wienstroer met while in graduate school at SIU Carbondale and they, along with sons Alex, Sam and Jack, reside in St. Louis. Both are members of the College of Business Rehn Society and lifetime members of the SIU Alumni Association. Wienstroer serves on the School of Accountancy External Advisory Board and the family includes 11 SIU Carbondale graduates.
Emme holds a 1980 accounting degree from SIU Carbondale and a 1993 master’s in tax accounting from DePaul University. He is senior vice president for the Downers Grove-based Sara Lee Corp. The worldwide manufacturing and marketing firm’s meat and bakery brands include Jimmy Dean, Ball Park, Hillshire Farms, Sara Lee, and the European coffee brand Douwe Egberts.
Emme oversees a staff of 25 in Illinois as well as 17 employed overseas and his connection with the company goes back 25 years. During his tenure, he has served Sara Lee as assistant tax manager, senior tax manager in Utrech, Netherlands, and director of international tax. He previously worked at Deloitte & Touche.
A member of the Chicago Chapter of the Committee on Taxation for Financial Executives International, Emme and wife Kelly are Carbondale natives and supporters of the Boys and Girls Club of Carbondale. He serves as a board member for the Civic Federation of Illinois, is active in his church, and is a lifetime member of the SIU Alumni Association. The family resides in Naperville, Ill.
Parks earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting in 1980 and after obtaining his CPA license that year, joined the Dallas firm of KPMG Peat Marwick. In 1985 he joined the United States Congress Joint Committee on Taxation staff where he assisted with the Tax Reform Act of 1986 and other legislation. Three years later, he returned to KPMG as international tax partner in the Dallas branch. His career also includes time at PriceWaterhouse in Washington, D.C. His affiliation with General Electric extends back to 1991, initially as the GE Plastics manager of Taxes in Pittsfield, Mass., and then in various other roles before promotion to his current post as vice president of taxes and infrastructure in 1995.
Parks, a lifetime member of the SIU Alumni Association, resides in Kiawah Island, S.C., with wife Kathryn.
Gibson earned his bachelor’s degree in accounting at SIU Carbondale in 1981. He is the founder and managing partner of Gibson Consulting Group, LLC, with headquarters in Chicago and offices in Tampa, Fla., London, Paris and Shanghai, along with a training facility in Carbondale. The company provides operational consulting services to Fortune 500 companies, manufacturing entities and private equity firms including Bose, Sara Lee, Motorola and Pitney Bowes.
In 1990, Gibson founded and was managing partner for Gibson and Associates, a firm that began with a staff of one and grew to employ 250 professionals with offices in Chicago, Tampa and London. The firm was sold to a public holding company in 2001. Gibson, a certified management consultant for more than 20 years, also previously worked in operational consulting for the Chicago office of Arthur Andersen and with the firm’s special services group.
Gibson has extensive philanthropic endeavors and sponsors various charitable and cultural organizations including Homes for Hope in California, the Chicago Food Depository, the Chicago Art Institute, the Chicago Field Museum, the United Way and more. A native of Carbondale, Gibson is a charter member and past chairman of the Carbondale Community High School Foundation and in honor of his service, leadership and financial support, was inducted into the CCHS Foundation’s Hall of Service.
Gibson is an emeritus member of the School of Accountancy Board of Advisers and a lifetime member of the SIU Alumni Association. While attending the University, he was senior class president, vice president of the Accounting Society and president of Beta Alpha Psi. He currently resides in Hinsdale, Ill.
The Executive of the Year award recognizes an SIU Carbondale graduate who rises to a prominent business position and demonstrates a commitment to innovation, broadening the scope of economic opportunity through utilization and transfer of technology and training skills. The honored executives serve as role models for peers and inspiration for College of Business students, according to Cradit.
All five honorees participated in an awards presentation and banquet held recently at the Student Center.