Advisory Board Representatives
2019-2021 Advisory Board Chairs
Advisory Board Chair Jonathan L. Dudley ’10 is a military intelligence officer for the Missouri Army National Guard Homeland Response Force, which is responsible for responding to chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incidents in a four-state region. Since 2011 he has served in various positions with the military, including training & operations officer, logistics officer and information technology officer. He is also a third-degree member of the Knights of Columbus. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Columbia College and a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Missouri-Columbia. He resides in St Louis, Missouri, with his wife and three dogs.
Advisory Board Vice Chair Debra Carnahan ’82 is an attorney, retired judge, founding partner of Carnahan & Carnahan law firm and a former assistant U.S. attorney and state prosecutor. Debra currently serves as a principle and founder of Carnahan Global Consulting with her husband, former Congressman Russ Carnahan. She appears regularly on the PBS award-winning program "To The Contrary with Bonnie Erbe." Debra lives in St. Louis, Missouri.
Bill Johnston ’82 serves as the alumni representative to Columbia College’s Board of Trustees. He is an account executive for Shelter Insurance Company, where he is responsible for market property catastrophe reinsurance to brokers and insurance companies. Since 1983 he has served in various positions at the company, including property underwriter, personal lines underwriting supervisor, business improvement supervisor and report coordinator. He earned his Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter designation in 1999, and he also received his Associate in Technology and Associate in Reinsurance designations. He is the past president of Central Missouri CPCU Chapter and a fourth-degree member of the Knights of Columbus. He and his wife, Janice, have two children, Brad and Kim, and two grandchildren. He resides in Columbia, Missouri.
Advisors
Allen Butler ‘07 is a MRI Sales Rep with American MRI Inc. in greater Chicago. He received a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies with a minor in Psychology from Columbia College-Lake County. Allen is an ex-Navy DAV from the first Gulf War “Desert Storm.” He first volunteered for the CCAA by serving on the board of the Great Lakes Affinity Council and enjoys giving back to the college that helped him realize his dream. Allen lives near Chicago in Wheeling, Illinois, with his wife, dog and their two boys, who both work and attend college.
Whitney Jones ’16 ’19 & ’20 is a human resources business partner with Chewy Inc. and an active entrepreneur. She owns two businesses: Liv & Kiss, a plus-size clothing line, and Transitional Homes for You. Whitney received bachelor's degrees in 2016 and 2020 and completed her MBA in 2019, all at Columbia College. Her next academic step is to pursue a Ph.D. in Theology. Born and raised in St. Louis, Missouri, Whitney currently resides in Dallas, Texas.
Jeannie M. Lahman ’18 first graduated from Columbia College in 2000 with an associate degree in General Studies and completed her bachelor's degree in American Studies in 2018. She and her partner, Jerry Shannon, live in Centertown, Missouri. A freethinker, Jeannie is an activist and advocate of women’s and children’s rights and credits her education at Columbia College as the foundation of her activism.
Bill Leeper ’04 is sheriff of Nassau County, Florida. He served the Florida Highway Patrol for 35 years, retiring as captain and the public affairs officer/media spokesperson for northeast Florida. He was elected to sheriff of Nassau County in 2012. He graduated from Columbia College-NAS Jacksonville with a Bachelor of Arts degree in General Studies, and he received the CCAA Professional Achievement Award in 2010. Bill served as CCAA President from 2013-2015. He is an active member of his community, serves on various boards for nonprofit organizations and is a former city commissioner and two-term mayor of Fernandina Beach, Florida. He resides in Fernandina Beach, Florida, with his wife, Emma. They have two children, Jordan and Chelsea.
Chris Lievsay ’09 & ’11 is a student mentor for graduate business students at Western Governors University and works as an adjunct instructor at Park University in Parkville, Missouri. He is also a city councilman for District 2 in Blue Springs, Missouri, where he lives with his wife, Grace, and their two young children, Benjamin and Emily. He earned his associate degree at the Metropolitan Community College, went on to complete his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Master of Business Administration at Columbia College and earned a Master of Education from WGU-Missouri.
Joshua Muder ’99 is a professional project manager. He received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Bachelor of Arts in History and Government from Columbia College. After graduating he worked and completed graduate school in Sydney, Australia, earning his Master of Arts in International Relations at Maquarie University. He also holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Saint Mary in Leavenworth, Kansas. He lives in Olathe, Kansas, with his wife, Ann, and their two children.
Joe Nicchetta ’79 is a senior vice president and retail specialist for Heitman, a global real estate investment management firm. He is responsible for working with the Portfolio & Asset Management and Acquisitions teams on all aspects of strategic planning and value enhancement of existing assets, as well as the analysis of potential new acquisitions. Prior to joining Heitman, Joe worked for The Rouse Company, General Growth Properties and Starwood Retail Partners. Joe received his bachelor's degree from Columbia College in 1979. He has worked with various charities such as The Juvenile Diabetes Association and The Special Olympics. He is married and has two sons, Martin and Michael, and a grandson, Alexander. He resides in the Chicago area where he grew up.
Ed Sasan ’11 graduated from Columbia College-Redstone Arsenal after serving 22 years in the U.S. Army as an ammunitions and explosives expert. He spent 10 years with the Madison City Police Department in Madison, Alabama. Ed is now an anti-terrorism officer, enforcing the standards of the Department of the Army regulations of force protection and the protection and understanding of terrorist threats. Ed's family drives him to make his community a better place.
Corbin Umstattd ’12 is a partner in U4, which owns and operates restaurants in the Midwest, as well as invests in real estate and new ventures. He received his bachelor's degree in Business Administration at main campus. Corbin currently lives in Germantown, Tennessee, with his wife, Lauren, and their son, Harris.