Meet the ICL Board!
Gene Flynn — Board President
- I joined ICL at the beginning of 2007 when I left full-time employment and began teaching marketing courses halftime at Harper College. During my sales career I worked for technology firms helping firms like Bell Labs, Ameritech and AT&T offer new services to their customers. I really enjoyed my sales role, especially when customer executives treated me as a trusted adviser. I attended Loyola University and have masters degrees from Northern Illinois University and the University of Chicago. My wife Mary and I love to travel and visited Europe 18 times. Travel led me to lead 10+ study groups on travel and European history.
Sheila Schwartz — Vice President- My husband Selwyn and I have been residents of the Schaumburg/Hoffman Estates area for over 50 years where we raised our two sons. We have four grandchildren from grade school through college age. I am a former special education teacher with a degree from the University of Iowa. I retired from Barrington Bank where I developed a senior travel and enrichment program called Platinum Adventures. I also worked for NBD and First Chicago Banks in marketing and community outreach positions and as Executive Director with a local United Way. I have held volunteer leadership positions with numerous community organizations including chambers of commerce and the United Way. I presently serve on our townhouse homeowners association board, on the Pace Citizens Advisory Board and the Sustainability Commission for the Village of Hoffman Estates.
John Smith–Secretary- I retired in 2019, after 40 years as a sales manager in the consumer products industry. I have BS in Marketing from SIU. My wife, Diane, and I have lived in Schaumburg for 41 years where we raised two great kids and now have 4 terrific grandchildren. I joined ICLRU several months after I retired and thoroughly enjoy the classes and member camaraderie. I have a lifelong interest in learning. Over the past 15 years, I acquired a keen interest in WWI and WWII history. We have taken a number of trips to Europe where we toured many different museums and battle sights. My wife likes to joke that there are hundreds of battle sights in Europe, and we have been to most of them! I enjoy playing golf, participating in church activities and am currently president of the Schaumburg Photo Club. I very much look forward to leading my first study group this fall.
Bill Amster–Treasurer- I spent my entire working life at AT&T and its spin-off Lucent Technologies (Bell Laboratories). I started as a factory engineer and then moved to International Product Management and finally to Wireless. The product management assignment was probably the most interesting and gave me insight into international business establishing a joint venture in Taiwan and working on equipment bids in China, Mexico and many others as well as having the opportunity to travel to the Far East. I have a BS degree in Industrial Engineering and an MBA in Finance, both from Northwestern. I joined ICL about 10 years ago and have attended many study groups. Recently, I have been coordinating study groups and have given an intersession presentation. The bridge study group allowed me to renew my interest in bridge and I now play all the time and participate in duplicate bridge tournaments. I also bowl and play golf and love sports of all kinds. I live with my wife, Caryn, in Elk Grove Village and, together we have 4 children, 5 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren.
Andrea Basalay Board Member at Large
- I completed my undergraduate studies in French Literature at Loyola University in Chicago and earned an MBA from Keller University. After a brief career teaching French at Madonna High School in Chicago, I became a stay-at-home Mom to raise our three sons. I currently hold the title of Grandma to six beautiful grandchildren and look forward to watching them grow. I worked with Illinois Tool Works from 1993 until my retirement. I enjoy travel and gardening and have served as a horticultural volunteer in the Circle and Sensory Gardens at the Chicago Botanic Garden for the past six years. I joined ICL after my retirement from Illinois Tool Works in 2013 and was immediately hooked by the passion and appetite for continued learning within the membership. I have served on the ICL Reads Committee and have recently assumed a leadership role within that group and enjoy the camaraderie and social opportunities provided.
Tom Gavigan Board Member at Large- Retirement in 2009, afforded me the opportunity to pursue my lifelong interest in American History by coordinating numerous study groups on this and other historical topics at ICL. After service as a U.S. Army officer, I spent 38 years in various management positions in finance and accounting with International Harvester/Komatsu America Corporation. I’m a graduate of Carthage College (BBA) and Loyola University (MBA). My volunteer activities include 12 years as a girl’s softball coach, along with league commissioner and treasurer of the Schaumburg Athletic Association. I’m also past president, and current board member, of the Northern Illinois Civil War Roundtable.
Les Miller Board Member at Large- I joined ICL after retiring at the end of 2004. Prior to my retirement I worked for 26 years as a corporate attorney for the American Medical Association, specializing in tax and pension, non-profit organization and Federal election law. Before going to law school, I taught international politics and U.S. foreign policy for three years in the Political Science Department at Iowa State University. I have coordinated study groups on various legal topics, including the History of the Supreme Court and Current Legal Issues, and on more general historical topics.
Ruth Sellers Board Member at Large- Two “R”s are especially important to me: Reading and doing Research. My career as a librarian in public libraries gave me an abundant opportunity to do both. Coordinating study groups and serving on the ICL Reads and ICL program committees have given me the opportunity to pursue my interests and skills and to work closely with other members. Study group I have coordinated include short stories, Greek myths, New Yorker magazine articles, Alexander Hamilton, and women as writers, main characters, and advocates for gaining the vote. My other interests include playing piano, crocheting and traveling. I have a Bachelor of Arts degree in French from the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh and a Master of Arts degree in Library Science from the University of Iowa. I worked at the Wheaton Public Library as a reference librarian and at the Palatine Public Library in a variety of capacities.
Bob Masterson Office Manager- I retired in December 2005 after an exciting 33 years with the Social Security Administration. I live in Streamwood with my wife Susan. I attended DePaul University in downtown Chicago majoring in Business Administration. I enjoy making presentations for Study Groups and I coordinated my first Study Group in the Spring of 2007. I have a great interest in Art History, American and World History, Photography and most sports. I look forward to bringing my years of public service experience to serving the members of ICL.