The Dean's National Industry Council is comprised of distinguished MCMA alumni from across the country. Their mission is to enhance the quality of education at Southern Illinois University for the College of Mass Communication and Media Arts. The Council will advise the Dean on long-term goals, identify industry trends and help develop the necessary resources for the academic programs.

Steven Poster

Poster is currently the President of the International Cinematographers Guild. He visited SIUC to conduct a master class in cinematography for College of Mass Communication and Media Arts students. Poster was a part of the Cinema and Photography program for two years while he attended SIUC. With over 35 years in the cinema industry, Poster will bring a great deal of creative and practical insight to the Council.

Michael J. Porcaro

Michael J. Porcaro has been in the magazine publishing business for nearly 30 years with previous experience in marketing and advertising.

Currently, he is Operations Manager for Modern Trade Communications, a business-to-business publishing company in Skokie, IL.  Previously, Mike was Senior Advisor of Randall-Reilly Publishing Co., a firm to which the publishing company he co-owned, James Informational Media Inc., was sold. Mike was President and Managing Partner, and co-founder of James Informational Media Inc., a Des Plaines (IL) based publisher of Better Roads and Aggregates Manager magazines.

In addition, he is founder, Publisher and Editorial Director of Midwest Thoroughbred magazine, a publication for horsemen in Illinois and Indiana. Mike owns six thoroughbred race horses, one of which was entered in the 2010 Arlington Million at Arlington Park Race Course.

Mike has been involved in the construction industry for more than 35 years beginning in the 1970’s with the Construction Equipment Division of the International Harvester Company where he held several positions in marketing, including Marketing Communications Manager, Worldwide.

He joined Cahners Publishing Company, later part of Reed Business Information, in 1982 serving much of his tenure as Vice President and Publisher of Construction Equipment magazine.  In 1996, Mike joined The Aberdeen Group, now part of Hanley-Wood, as Vice President and Group Publisher of the company’s construction publications.

Prior to co-founding James Informational Media Inc. in 2000, Mike spent a year as Vice President, Publishing for Newport Communications, and leading publisher of trucking industry magazines.

Mike served on the Board of Directors of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), TRIP (The Road Information Program) and ARTBA (American Road & Transportation Builders Association), and is a member of several AEM committees, including Publications in Construction and Agriculture Association (PICA), where he is past chairman, the Marketer’s Council, and the Conexpo-Con/AGG & IPFE show marketing committee. In addition, Mike serves as the Illinois coordinator for ARTBA’s Central Region Committee, and he is a member of the Illinois Road Builders (ITRBA) Public Information Committee.

He is a graduate of Southern Illinois University at Carbondale where he holds a Bachelor of Science in Journalism and Advertising, and has a Masters Degree in Marketing from Roosevelt University.

Randy A. Daniels

Randy A. Daniels is currently the Vice Chairman of Gilford Securities Inc., a private equity partnership in New York.

On April 12, 2001, Daniels was appointed New York State Secretary of State by Governor George E. Pataki. Daniels resigned in 2006 to run for the Governorship for the State of New York.

From December 1999 to April 2001, Daniels was Senior Vice President of Canyon Johnson Urban Fund, L.L.P., a real estate equity fund based in Beverly Hills, CA. From 1995 to 1999 Daniels served under Governor Pataki as Senior Vice President and Deputy Commissioner of Economic Revitalization at the Empire State Development Corporation (ESDC). At ESDC Daniels managed the Department of Economic Revitalization, where he oversaw the Harlem Community Development Corporation and coordinated New York State's role in the federal Empowerment Zone program and Enterprise Community programs.

In 1997 Governor Pataki nominated Daniels to the State University of New York (SUNY) Board of Trustees. The Governor later named him Vice Chairman of the SUNY Board, where he continues to serve as Chairman of the Investment Committee, Co-Chair of the Committees on General Education and Charter Schools, and is a member of the Executive and Finance Committees.

Before heading ESDCs Department of Economic Revitalization, Daniels was Press Secretary to the Prime Minister of the Bahamas from 1988-92, Director of Communications for the New York City Council President's Office from 1986-88, and was an adjunct journalism professor at both the City College of New York and Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism.

Daniels has extensive experience in journalism. He was Managing Director of Jacaranda Nigeria Limited - a television training program for Nigerian television - from 1982-84, National Correspondent for CBS News based in New York City from 1980-82, Foreign Correspondent for CBS News in Nairobi, Kenya, from 1977-80, Correspondent for CBS News in Chicago from 1972-1977, and Reporter for WVON Radio in Chicago from 1970-72.

Daniels graduated from Southern Illinois University in 1973 and holds a bachelorís degree in Radio-Television.

Daniels is married to the New York State Supreme Court Justice Sallie Manzanet and has two grown daughters from a previous marriage.

Bill Livek

Bill Livek is the Chief Executive Officer at Rentrak and oversees the day-to-day management of the company and is focused on growing and evolving Rentrak's business as a leading data and information analytics company to becoming a comprehensive knowledge provider to the media and entertainment industries. Mr. Livek brings three decades of experience in media, advertising and market research having worked vertically with major media and advertising agencies in executive positions at companies including Experian Marketing Services and Simmons Research Bureau.

Most recently, Mr. Livek served in a number of roles at Experian including, Co-president of Experian Research Services where he collaborated with customers to design and launch Experian's Addressable Advertising Service, as well as help expand the company's presence in China and Brazil. Previously, Mr. Livek was the co-Chair and Director of Simmons Market Research Bureau where he directed the growth and evolution of the company into a media-neutral, consumer-centric research and data business widely utilized by brands, advertising agencies and media organizations. During his tenure at Simmons Market Research Bureau, Mr. Livek orchestrated the sale of the company to Experian.

Mr. Livek was also co-founder of Transactional Data Solutions (an LLC with MasterCard), and was a principal shareholder in Birch Research and directed the integration of Birch into Scarborough Research where he served as President and CEO, growing the company to serve the top fifty markets. Earlier in his career, Mr. Livek served as Vice President of Sales/Marketing for Arbitron Radio.

Mr. Livek is a frequent presenter at industry conferences including Advertising Research Foundation (ARF), Cable Advertising Bureau (CAB), Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM) and ESOMAR Worldwide Research Organization.

Larry Henry

Larry R. Henry (School of Journalism, 1964) has more than 30 years experience in the magazine industry. In 1986, he formed Viscom Publishing which published five monthly magazines in the health care industry. He sold that company in 1996. Prior to that, he held a variety of positions with various magazine publishers including editorial, marketing, advertising and publishing responsibilities. Most of his career assignments have taken place in the New York City area. He currently serves as the Publisher for the St. Louis Medical News. Larry and his wife Linda (also SIUC’64) now live in Marion, IL.

Nyhl Henson

Chief Executive Officer of Broadspot World Wide Wireless (BWWD.TV)
IVI Communications, Inc.

Nyhl Henson is a cable television programming pioneer and entertainment industry executive who will serve on the Board of Advisors. An early leader in recognizing the value of cable television programming, Henson was instrumental in the conversion of Warner Communications' Star Channel into a satellite-delivered service known as "The Movie Channel." He served as the first general manager of Nickelodeon TV and was a key contributor to the development of MTV from Nickelodeon's "Pop Clips" program. After leaving Warner, Henson became vice president of programming and production with Oak Media Development, where he pioneered the pay-per-view genre with such events as the Rolling Stones in concert and the Leonard-Hearns and Holmes-Cooney championship fights.

In 1983, he helped to create Music Village Group, a Nashville-based entertainment Company, and Music Village USA, a 40-acre theme park. Henson was named Chairman and CEO of Country Music Television when Music Village acquired the fledgling network. Country Music Television was later sold to Group W Cable as part of a $1.5 billion package. Henson most recently has served as CEO of Craftsman and Scribes Creative Workshop, an award-winning New York City-based children's television production company. He also has been involved in the development of several land-based entertainment complexes including projects in Branson, Missouri and Nashville, Tennessee. He is currently the Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of IVI Communications.

Brian Hunt

Senior Vice President Marketing & Sales Strategy TV Networks Distribution

Industry veteran Brian Hunt joined NBC Cable Networks in 1996, where he focuses on core campaigns and promotions that support all nine NBC Cable properties including Bravo, Bravo HD+, Telemundo and mun2. Hunt also manages the Time Warner/Advance-Newhouse programming relationship. In this role, Hunt works with senior management from Time Warner and NBC Cable on various contractual programming issues.

During his time at NBC Cable, Hunt has been instrumental in developing some of the cable TV industry's most successful local ad sales promotions. Designed to take prestigious cable network telecasts and co-brand them with affiliates for ad sales partnerships, these unique and highly successful programs have become industry standards.

Hunt's current focus is rolling out several new promotions and programs, including the local ad sales program for the 2004 Athens Olympic Games. It was for the 2002 Olympic games in Salt Lake City that Hunt created the first CD-ROM local ad sales and accompanying strategic sales training support program. Embraced by the industry, this hugely successful sales program for affiliates also extended to the popular "Bring Home the Gold" Olympic promotion for cable operators, linking to advertising partner Visa.

In addition, Hunt's efforts include re-launching CNBC's local ad sales program with innovative themed promotions like CNBC Dividends, Tax Tips and Personal Finance Tips. He initiated a similar program for MSNBC, the company's cable news channel.

Previously, Hunt served as Vice President and General Manager of TCI Media Services for the New York DMA. Prior to that, he served with TCI/United Artists Cable Ad Sales in St. Louis, Hartford, Peoria and Southern Illinois.

Hunt holds a B.S. in Finance from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale and an M.B.A. from Fontbonne College in St. Louis, MO. He currently lives in Manhattan with his wife, Rachel and his 11-year-old son, Chandler.

Dennis Lyle

Although he credits his current-day work ethic to spending his "Wonder Bread" years as the youngest son of dairy farming parents in Harvard, Illinois, Dennis Lyle knew early on that dairy farming was not a career of his choice. Dennis would spend those many summers in the mid to late 1960s doing farm-related chores with his small transistor radio tuned to Chicago rock stations WLS and WCFL booming rock n' roll at his side dreaming of someday working in the broadcast profession.

While Dennis' passion for broadcasting may have been nurtured on dairy farms in McHenry County, it was Southern Illinois University that allowed Dennis the opportunity to pursue his dream of a career in broadcasting. Barely unpacked for his 1971 freshman year at SIU, Dennis stumbled upon campus carrier current radio station WIDB, and the rest, as they say, is history.

While WIDB allowed Dennis to perfect his craft as an on-air announcer, it would be local Carbondale stations WCIL-AM/FM that would provide Dennis with his first paycheck for announcing on the radio. Dennis' role at the Carbondale radio stations grew throughout his four year undergraduate years at SIU, eventually leading to additional positions of sales, sales management, General Management, and remarkably, ownership of the locally owned stations.

Rather than leave the community, Dennis and his elementary school teacher wife Paula (Ritchey) would make Southern Illinois their home and eventually purchase the stations with their newly formed company; Lyle Broadcasting. Shortly after purchasing WCIL-AM/FM, the Telecommunication Act of 1996 came to pass, providing an opportunity for small broadcast companies like Lyle's to sell to larger regional and national broadcast companies. As sole partners in their company, Dennis and Paula decided to sell their stations, with Dennis returning to his alma mater to complete a Masters degree in Telecommunications, which he completed in 2000.

On track to become Chairman of the Board of the Illinois Broadcasters Association, an opportunity in 1999 was presented to Dennis to instead assume the role of President/CEO of the association. Dennis was awarded that position in June of 1999, a position he holds to this day. In 2008 Dennis was elected to the position of President of the National Alliance of State Broadcasters Associations.

Always one to believe in giving back to his community, Dennis has been an advocate for economic development for Southern Illinois, having served twice as Carbondale, Illinois' Chamber of Commerce President, as well as a term as Carterville's Chamber of Commerce President, and is currently an advisory member of Williamson County's REDCO (Regional Economic Development Corporation) board of directors and an active member of the Marion, Illinois Chamber of Commerce Marketing Committee.

A registered lobbyist in the state of Illinois, Dennis resides in Carterville, Illinois with Paula, his wife of 28 years. Dennis and Paula are the proud parents of two sons (Kristopher and Matthew)

Bruce Fohr

Bruce Fohr founded FMR Associates, Inc. in 1981. Fohr's media research career began while serving on the Business/Journalism faculty of Columbia College, Missouri, where he taught courses in advertising, management and marketing, and conducted research studies for the Missouri Press Association (1975-1977).

In 1977, Fohr joined Frank N. Magid Associates, Marion, Iowa, as a Research Associate. In 1978, he was named Director of Research of the Radio/Print Division. Later the same year, he was elevated to vice president. Before leaving the firm in 1980, Fohr was director of the company's Research Division, including newspaper, television, radio and non-media clients. In 1980, as part of Surrey Broadcasting in Tucson, Arizona, Fohr was a founding partner and president of Communications Research, Ltd. (later renamed Surrey Research).

Academically, Fohr holds two graduate degrees: a Masters of Arts in Journalism, University of Missouri (1977) and a Master's in Business Administration (MBA), with a concentration in Organization Psychology, Southern Illinois University -- Carbondale (1975); as well as a Bachelor of Science in Management, also from SIU-C (1974).

Since his media and market research career began, Fohr has personally worked with more than 400 radio station or broadcast companies, nearly 100 newspapers, numerous television stations and hundreds of marketing research clients including hospitals, advertising agencies, universities, churches and government agencies - as well as individual businesses and consumer companies.

Craig Sinclair

Craig graduated from the School of Journalism in 1976 and in 1978 he received an MBA from Tulane University. As a student Craig was active with the Daily Egyptian. He grew up in Mt. Vernon, IL.

In 1978 Craig became Manager of Marketing at CIGNA Corporation. He was in charge of financial services, progressive assignments in marketing, product development and operations.

In 1983 Craig became the Market Development Manager at SCM Corporation Allied Paper Division. Craig was responsible for new product development, business and technology acquisition and strategic planning.

In 1987 Craig was selected to be Vice President of Marketing. He was responsible for marketing, strategic planning and acquisitions.

In 1991 Craig was hired as Walgreen Vice President of Advertising. His responsibilities included: corporate advertising, sales promotion, package design, direct marketing merchandising, point of purchase programs, and store grand openings.

In addition Craig was the Past Chairman for the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association, Director of the National Retail-Federation, named to Newsweek’s and Advertising Age’s “Marketing 100,” inducted into the Retail Advertising and Marketing Association Hall of Fame, and was Chairman of the Retail Marketing Institute.

Craig is currently CEO of the Sinclair Group.

Donald Stork

Don graduated from the School of Journalism in 1961. While at SIU he was a member of Sigma Pi Fraternity. He grew up in Herrin, IL. He is married to Joanna G. Stork and has one son. Joanna was a graduate of SIU. She graduated from the College of Education with a degree in Elementary Education in 1960.

Don's entire career since leaving SIU in 1961 has been in the St. Louis area. He started in 1961 after graduation working for an outdoor advertising firm for one year. Then he went to work for Gardner Advertising, which was the second largest advertising firm in St. Louis at that time. Gardner Advertising was sold. The Media Department of Gardner remained in St. Louis and Don became President of that media firm in the mid 1980's. This firm became Advancers and Don was the only President before it became partners with PHD in 2002.

In 1971 he received the Journalism Alum of the Year Award and the Alumni Achievement Award for Professional Achievement in 1983 which was awarded by the Alumni Association during Homecoming at that time. It was a different medallion than what is given out by the Colleges now.

Advancers Media Programming bought large slots of TV advertising time across America and then resold the slots to large corporations. They have national accounts such as: Kellogg, Ralston Purina, Anheuser-Busch, and Jockey. Advancers annually sold over $1 billion of TV advertising and had a 30 year tradition of service before joining PHD.

Donald A. Stork was the President of the St. Louis branch of PHD USA, a member of PHD Worldwide. PHD is an Omnicom media network of select entrepreneurial independent media specialist companies. The partners are Advancers (St. Louis, Chicago, New York), Creative Media (New York, San Francisco), Penta Com (Detroit, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York), HPYN (Toronto) and PHD UK.

Currently, Don is semi-retired. Don is a consultant for Media Management Inc.

Liz Ralston

Liz Ralston has over twenty years of experience in visual effects production and facility management. She is currently a Freelance Visual Effects Producer.

She was the Executive Producer of the Feature Film Division at Method Studios in Los Angeles. She supervised the VFX production of Disney's "The Odd Life of Timothy Green", and Warner Bros. "New Year's Eve", in addition to other projects both in production and in development. Ralston was the visual effects producer on "Babe," the 1995 Oscar® winner for best visual effects. "Inspector Gadget," "102 Dalmatians," "Behind Enemy Lines," "Idlewild" and "Land of the Lost" are among her other credits in that role. At Dream Quest Images, Ralston was the executive production manager on "Armageddon" and "Mighty Joe Young." For director Mike Nichols, she produced the visual effects on "Charlie Wilson’s War" and the six hour HBO mini-series "Angels in America."

A film school graduate of Southern Illinois University, where Ralston studied cinematography and focused on experimental animation, led her to a career in visual effects. She was a rotoscope artist at Roto Effects of America, a traditional optical effects house, where her first feature project was "Beetlejuice." Ralston went on to work at deGraf/Wahrman, a cutting-edge computer graphics company where she was manager and producer. In 1991, she joined Rhythm & Hues as a producer, working on a variety of feature film and commercial projects over the next five years. She also held production executive positions at The Walt Disney Company, The Secret Lab and Imaginary Forces.

Janet Barker Evans

As Executive Vice President, Group Creative Director at Draftfcb Chicago, Janet oversees creative work on core accounts that cross various marketing disciplines including advertising, promotion, direct and digital. Past clients have included P&G, M&M Mars, ConAgra, Folgers, Kaiser Permanente, Priority Club, CVS, Bank of America, and GSK. She currently leads the agency's integrated work for Kmart, Halls and Valspar, heads the Draftfcb Consumer Health creative group, ands provides senior creative leadership to several other client accounts.

With a background that includes general advertising, direct marketing, retail promotional marketing and digital marketing, Janet brings a unique blend of disciplines that helps her create and provide direction to multidimensional efforts for all Draftfcb clients. Considered a digital pioneer, she made online/offline programs a reality for many clients in the early days of the Internet and has continued to do so as the digital world expands. Janet is also recognized as a leader in retail marketing, leading campaigns and programs from in-store merchandising efforts to fully integrated national television and digital campaigns.

She and her teams are recipients of dozens of creative awards including Reggies, Golden Eagles, Echoes, Effies, Tempos, PRO Awards, APMA Globes, John Caples awards and more. In addition, Janet has and continues to serve as a respected judge at numerous industry forums and award shows. Janet was named the Woman of the Year by WDMI in 2006, judged the Cannes Lions in 2008, and is a frequent speaker at industry meetings and conferences.

Janet serves as a member of the Board of Advisors of Little City Foundation (www.littlecity.org), a non-profit organization dedicated to serving the needs of adults and children with developmental disabilities. She has taught classes in advertising strategy and Internet marketing as an adjunct professor and she has been responsible both for mentoring future marketers and for administering extern and internship programs, while developing courses in direct and digital marketing. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale and a master’s degree in media communications from Governors State University.