Alumni Council Members

Colin Barbera '91 P'23 P'25

Occupation: Ramp Manager at American Airlines

Bio: I married my college sweetheart, Sara Hazelton '93 P'23 P'25. MBA from Northeastern University. Semi-conductor industry for six years. Stay-at-home dad for 15 years. I've been working in the airline industry for the past four years.

Cece Cruz '20

Occupation: Digital Engagement HRO Project Manager at Alight Solutions

Bio: Client focused professional and creator of personalized digital experiences for consumers. Leader part of an industry-leading consultancy team, delivering innovative and communicating effective results as part of Alight Solutions Professional Services business group. Reputation for strategic account management, developed trusted relationships with cross functional teams, clients, and organizational leaders. Skilled in client relationships, custom content/data, team leadership, internal analysis, and in development/documentation in technical requirements for web programming.

Davis DeKorte '18

Occupation: Partner and Managing Director at 5 Nails Capital

Bio: Experience across investment banking, private equity, and family office investing. Currently Partner and Managing Director of 5 Nails Capital (family office for the Silvernail family), where I lead sourcing, execution, and portfolio management for the majority-control buyout strategy. Our firm brings a long-term, operationally focused approach to building businesses, drawing on leadership principles shaped by global best-in-class companies.

Alex Demers '08

Occupation: Vice President/Group Manager at Ketchum (Omnicom)

Bio: Results-driven earned media relations strategist with 15+ years of experience, excelling at building and enhancing brand reputation through strategic communication, storytelling, and media engagement.

Susan DuMont '07

Occupation: Attorney at Miles & Stockbridge PC

Bio: Susan is an attorney in the Baltimore office of Miles & Stockbridge, a full-service AmLaw 200 firm. Susan chairs Miles' Pro Bono Committee, loves puzzles, local flowers and art, and Cardinals and Orioles baseball. She's a retired (amateur) triathlete and (professional) fraternity and sorority advisor.

Abby Fliss '14

Occupation: Media Sales Director at Inmar Media

Bio: Abby Fliss '14 is a Media Sales Director at Inmar Media, where she helps brands connect with consumers through creative, data-driven media solutions. She's passionate about building strong client relationships and driving growth across industries including CPG, retail, travel and auto. Abby lives in Mokena, Illinois with her husband, who she married in 2024. Together they love spending weekends turning their house into their dream home, testing new recipes, and exploring new restaurants around the area.

Dai Ichikawa '92

Occupation: Project Manager, Sr. at Starbucks

Bio: I have been in the people business serving coffee for over 30 years. My career experiences have spanned across multiple disciplines including product management, marketing/branding, new market business development, innovation, domestic and international operations.

Spencer Ivy '02

Occupation: Sales Operation Supervisor at CDW

Bio: I am a member of the Class of 2002, and I was an American studies major with a minor of African American studies. I have a nine-year-old daughter and have been working at CDW for 20 years. I love to cook and to travel.

Don Mastro '92

Occupation: Head of Underwriting and Portfolio Management at Citizens

Bio: Don Mastro is Head of Underwriting and Portfolio Management for the Citizens Asset Based Lending Group, a division of Citizens Financial Group, Inc. Located in Chicago, he is responsible for all aspects of leading underwriting and portfolio management including structuring, credit approval, portfolio monitoring, and problem loan identification. He earned an MBA in finance and international business from Loyola University Chicago and a bachelor’s degree in business from Lake Forest College, where he is Chair of the Alumni Council.

Andrew Palmer '16

Occupation: Assistant Buyer at Costco

Bio: Member of the Lake Forest College Alumni Council since 2019. Studied finance, international relations, Islamic world studies in undergrad. Purdue MS, Indiana University MBA. While at the College, I spent most summers working as an Admissions Ambassador to support enrollment initiatives.

Leslie Sawyer '75

Occupation: President and CEO of Environmental Design International Inc.

Bio: Leslie J. Sawyer is President and CEO of Environmental Design International Inc. (EDI), a prominent, small to mid-sized engineering professional services firm headquartered in downtown Chicago and one of few African American, female-owned engineering firms in the state. Ms. Sawyer operates her firm with more than 30 years of executive experience in program and policy design, implementation, and management, particularly in the areas of higher education administration, college access, and workforce development and training. She is devoted to encouraging students in underserved communities—especially diverse young women—to pursue STEM education and career paths. Ms. Sawyer earned her bachelor of arts from Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, Illinois and holds a master of arts in communication from Eastern New Mexico University in Portales, New Mexico. She lives in Hyde Park with her husband and two cats.

Dan Turk '15

Occupation: Vice President at Pike Street Capital

Bio: Dan is currently a Vice President at Pike Street Capital, an industrial focused private equity firm based in Seattle, Washington. He focuses on deal execution, portfolio management, and new opportunity sourcing. Previously, Dan worked at Copley Equity Partners and Platte River Equity, both based in Denver, Colorado. He started his career at Moelis & Company in its New York City office.

Elizabeth (Behrmann) West ' 07

Occupation: Senior Director, Strategic Hiring at Bounteous

Bio: Originally from the East Coast, I was drawn to Chicago by Lake Forest College and have called it home ever since (minus brief adventures in San Francisco and Austin). I’m currently a Senior Director at Bounteous, a digital experience consultancy, where I lead global strategic and executive hiring. My career began in advertising before evolving into creative staffing, connecting top talent with agencies, startups, and product companies. That blend of client service, creative collaboration, and talent strategy led me to Bounteous in 2018, where I’ve grown alongside the company’s rapid expansion. I credit my Lake Forest College experience—its personalized attention, internship opportunities, and broad liberal arts foundation—with helping me build transferable skills and shape my career. I’m grateful to stay connected to the College and love engaging with students as they create their own paths.

Outside of work and my involvement with the Alumni Council, I’m a member of the Junior League of Chicago and enjoy Pilates, needlepoint, and learning mahjong.

Mason Zuniga '16

Occupation: Vice President, Corporate Development at ONDEX Automation

Bio: Mason graduated from Lake Forest College in 2016 with a major in finance and a minor in political science. While at Lake Forest, he was a member of the men’s basketball team and the investment club. After college, Mason pursued a career in finance and now leads mergers and acquisitions for factory automation firm. He married his college sweetheart, also a Class of 2016 graduate, and resides in the Chicagoland area. They still frequent some of their favorite Lake Forest establishments: The Lantern, Authentico, and The Deerpath Inn.