CAST Hall of Fame Inductees

Julie Hewitt

BS 1999, Agriculture

Julie Hewitt graduated from Illinois State University in 1999 with a bachelor’s degree in agribusiness and has spent over 20 years working in various aspects of the agriculture industry. She has worked in a wide variety of roles, including corn product development and research, marketing food ingredients, and selling corn and soybean seed to producers. She also worked extensively in strategic planning and business development as she helped clients to identify market strengths and challenges and adjust accordingly. With one foot in the corn field, and the other in the boardroom, Hewitt has built a career of making connections, solving problems, and moving organizations forward toward their business goals.

Hewitt currently serves as the executive director of the Illinois Nutrient Research and Education Council (NREC). In this role, she works closely with the council to direct funds assessed to producers for fertilizer purchases into nutrient research and outreach. She also works closely with industry partners to ensure that the best management practices related to nutrient management are shared with farmers and the retail industry in a manner that allows for easy incorporation into farming practices.

Hewitt resides in Heyworth with her two daughters, Lauren, 20, and Peyton, 9. Hewitt and her fiancé, Jeff Bays, enjoy spending time in New Orleans and with their families. Hewitt is a founding member of Heyworth Connect, a not-for-profit organization that serves the community through family-friendly, community building events. She is president of the Friends of Heyworth FFA Alumni group, vice chair of the Illinois FFA Foundation Board of Directors, and a member of the Heyworth Sting JFL Board of Directors and the Illinois State University Agriculture Advisory Board.

Hear more about Julie Hewitt’s story here!

Kathy Starkovich

MS 2004, BS 1995, Criminal Justice Sciences

Kathy Starkovich graduated from Illinois State University in 1995 with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice sciences and went on to earn a master’s degree from Lewis University in 2004 in criminal social justice. While at ISU, she was placed in an internship at the Cook County Adult Probation Department where she discovered a passion for helping others. She is currently a deputy director at the DuPage County Department of Probation and Court Services.

Starkovich has been within her department for over 27 years. She has worked extensively in juvenile detention as an officer, senior officer, supervisor, trainer, and assistant superintendent. In addition, she created and co-supervises the department’s Training Unit and is currently responsible for a variety of adult functions. Starkovich has been a member of the Adult Redeploy Illinois Oversight Board since 2017 and serves as chair of the Site Selection and Monitoring Committee. She is a 2021 graduate of the American Probation and Parole Association’s Leadership Institute.

Throughout her career, Starkovich has been passionate about effective behavior management strategies and cognitive-behavioral interventions. She is a certified trainer in a variety of curriculums and provides training with probation and detention centers within and outside of Illinois. She has worked as a consultant with the National Partnership for Juvenile Services to improve conditions of youth confinement through training and developing curriculums. Starkovich also serves as an adjunct faculty member at a local university, hoping to give back what she learned during her own college experiences. She is most proud of the energy and optimistic approach she brings to the work each day and hopes to influence others to serve clients in a way that helps them see their own potential and promotes community safety.

Starkovich has been married to her husband, Chris, also an ISU alum, for almost 25 years. They are the proud parents of an amazing son, Zachary, 14.

Shelley Lee

Family and Consumer Sciences

Shelley Lee is a seasoned health care professional with over 35 years of experience specializing in program development and management within the health care community. She holds a Child Life Specialist certification and is the executive director of Camp Hope Foundation.

Upon graduation, Lee was a certified child life specialist for Unity Point and the St. Jude Midwest Affiliate. She later transitioned to OSF HealthCare Children’s Hospital of Illinois, where she provided support to patients and families affected by cancer, blood disorders, and other serious illnesses. In 2017, she joined The Heller Center for Kids with Cancer within the Children’s Hospital of Illinois and the St. Jude Midwest Affiliate. During her tenure, she co-developed seven programs focusing on the long-term effects and survival of patients treated at the St. Jude Midwest Affiliate.

Lee is deeply committed to alleviating the suffering of patients, as well as their siblings and families, and helping them thrive within their communities. In 2022, she assumed the role of executive director of Camp Hope Foundation, aiming to bring joy, connection, and support to children, families, and young adults affected by cancer and sickle cell disease. As the sole employee, she oversees the foundation, camps, programs, and fundraising events.

Hear more about Shelley Lee's story here!

Cathy Ferguson

BS 1991, Health Sciences

After receiving her bachelor’s degree in community health from Illinois State University in 1991, Cathy Ferguson earned her master of public health degree from Northern Illinois University. She began her career at the McHenry County Department of Health in Woodstock, Illinois, serving as a health educator/case manager, then transitioning into the family planning coordinator position. In 1995, she moved to the Ogle County Health Department in Oregon, Illinois, to develop a public health education program. Eight years later, Ferguson was named the administrator of the Lee County Health Department where she continues to serve. She marked 21 years in her current position and 31 years in public health in June. She still loves going to work every day.

Leading her agency and community through the COVID-19 pandemic was the most challenging time in Ferguson’s career to date. Though she hopes not to experience another pandemic, looking back, she feels pride in her agency, staff, and public health in general for showing incredible resilience in the face of unprecedented adversity.

Ferguson has served, and continues to serve, on many local and state-level boards and coalitions including the Illinois Association of Public Health Administrators; the Illinois Public Health Association (IPHA) as a past president, past secretary, and member of the Executive Council; the Shining Star

Children’s Advocacy Center as a past president, past vice president, and past secretary; the Lee County Safety Committee; the Kreider Services’ Human Rights Committee; the Partnership for a Healthy Lee County as a founding member and current chair; and the Volunteer Care Center as a past president and past vice president.

Ferguson was awarded the IPHA 2019 President’s Recognition Award; was a nominee for the YWCA Sauk Valley Jane Reid Keefer Award for Professions and Education in 2010 and 2015; received an American Cancer Society Division of Cancer Control Honor Citation for Exceptional Outreach; and earned an Illinois Department of Public Health award for health promotion.

Ferguson and her son, Blake, who is a junior in high school, reside in Dixon.

Hear more about Cathy Ferguson's story here!

Leland Roling

BS 2005, Information Technology

Leland Roling graduated from Illinois State University in 2005 with a bachelor's degree in information systems. Currently serving as the director of information systems development at GROWMARK, Inc., one of North America's largest agricultural cooperatives, Roling plays a pivotal role in steering the technological evolution of the organization. He is responsible for the strategic design, implementation, and support function of the IT systems that empower GROWMARK's wholesale division and member companies to thrive in today's competitive landscape.

Roling began his career at GROWMARK as a programmer and quickly advanced to technical lead roles on numerous critical projects. Pioneering the role of inaugural manager of enterprise architecture and innovation, he spearheaded the development of strategic initiatives pivotal to fostering robust development and data platforms. He has been a key contributor to the company's innovation efforts and has been actively involved in several significant initiatives, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and seamless customer experience solutions.

In addition to his professional accomplishments, Roling is committed to promoting the development of future talent in the field. He collaborated with Illinois State to establish a talent pipeline through a cohort-based internship program, overseeing the recruitment and management of nearly 30 interns over the past three years. He is also the vice chair of the School of Information Technology's Business Industry Advisory Council (BIAC) and is active within the mentorship program.

Roling and his wife, Dana, reside in Bloomington with their three children, Landon, 17, Beatrix, 16, and Gianna, 12.

Hear more about Leland Rolling's story here!

Dan Butterly

Kinesiology and Recreation

Dan Butterly started his career as an intern at the Missouri Valley Conference in 1993 and then moved into a full-time role managing sponsorship sales, marketing, and various championships, including serving as tournament manager for the men’s basketball championship in St. Louis. He is credited with charting significant growth for the MVC Men’s Basketball Championships in St. Louis from 1994 to 1999.

In 1999, he was offered the opportunity to move to Colorado Springs, Colorado, to serve on the senior leadership team and start the Mountain West Conference, a new NCAA Division I-FBS conference, with responsibilities managing all aspects of men’s basketball operations, the men’s and women’s basketball championships, broadcasting, marketing, sponsorships, and external relations.

In 2020, Butterly was named the commissioner of the Big West Conference, an NCAA Division I athletic conference featuring 11 institutions based in California and Hawaii. Modernizing the Big West with a priority on improving the student-athlete experience has been a core focus for him.

Since becoming commissioner, the number of championship opportunities for student-athletes has grown from 15 championships in 2020-21 to 23 championships in 2024-25. In addition, the Big West has won two national championships in men’s volleyball over the past three years. The availability of Big West games has grown from 60 games on ESPN3 in 2019-20, before he became commissioner, to over 1,200 in 2022-23 on ESPN+. For the first time in Big West history, all championships have been broadcast the past two years either on television or ESPN+.

Butterly has also served on a number of senior-level NCAA committees, including the NCAA Council and its Council Coordination Committee, the NCAA Council Name, Image, and Likeness Working Group, the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Oversight Committee (serving as vice chair), and the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Competition Committee. He is also currently serving as vice president of the Collegiate Commissioners Association.

Hear more about Dan Butterly's story here!

Lt. Col. John Cross

Military Sciences

Lt. Col. (retired) John D. Cross hails from Elk City, Oklahoma. He is married to the former Laura Anne Bromley of Maroa. They have two children, Danielle, a second lieutenant in the Army, and Joshua, a senior at Liberty University.

Cross began his service in the United States Army as second lieutenant of Infantry in May 1993 following his graduation from the United States Military Academy. He has served in leadership and staff positions from platoon to division levels. He commanded two companies in the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and later served in Germany when he was a major. Following his command of the 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment at Fort Riley, Kansas, Cross served at the United States Military Academy at West Point as a regimental tactical officer in the United States Corps of Cadets, and as the 27th commandant of the United States Military Academy Preparatory School. Cross then became a professor of military science and the 13th chair of the Military Science Department, the Redbird Battalion, at Illinois State University and Bradley University until his retirement from the Army on September 1, 2019.

Cross continues his involvement with the Redbird Battalion to mentor and develop our future military leaders through his work with the Valor Movement, a campus ministry that focuses on ROTC students, while also coaching the student leaders at the ROTC programs throughout the states of Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, and lower Michigan. In this capacity, he and his wife host the local cadet fellowship, and he also travels through the region to encourage cadets on other campuses, attending many of their training exercises and other events.

Hear more about John Cross's story here!

J.R. Peterson

BS 2005, Technology

J.R. Peterson earned a bachelor’s degree from Illinois State University in construction management in 2005. He currently serves as a senior estimator and waste and water treatment specialist for River City Construction, LLC.

After graduation, Peterson went on to gain a M.S. in civil engineering in 2008 and worked on a number of Illinois State projects, including the ISU Student Fitness Center and McCormick Hall. He also was an adjunct professor in construction management and has been active on the Construction Management Advisory Board for several years, which included a stint as chairman of the board.

For the past 20 years, Peterson has been active in the Waste and Water Treatment industry. He has worked all over the Midwest building hundreds of new buildings and renovating old municipal facilities. These projects put River City Construction, LLC on Engineering News-Record’s Top Contractor list for several years and earned the company an award for best large municipal project at Fox Metro Sanitary District in Oswego.

Peterson and his wife, Sarah, reside in Washington, Illinois. They have four children, Bailey, 13, Charlotte, 9, Jude, 7, and Micah, 3. Peterson is an avid golfer and likes to spend time with his family.

Hear more about J.R. Peterson’s story here!