Foundation Staff

	Christi Donsbach cdonsbach@lakelandcollege.edu Executive Director for College Advancement/Foundation CEO Christi Donsbach serves as the Executive Director for College Advancement at Lake Land College. In her role, Christi leads the Foundation and alumni areas of the college and serves as the chief executive officer of the Lake Land College Foundation. With a primary focus on philanthropy, alumni engagement, and building community partnerships, she works closely with key stakeholders both within the college and throughout the college district and serves as a catalyst for donor and volunteer involvement for the Foundation through a variety of operational activities. Christi joined the college in October 2019 with more than 14 years of experience in fostering a culture of philanthropy in a college setting. Ms. Donsbach came to Lake Land College from Eastern Illinois University (EIU), where she served as the director of development and was responsible for the leadership and management of alumni and friends to an assigned fundraising portfolio, as well as planned giving. She also taught a university foundation introductory course and presented at several regional educational seminars. Prior to joining EIU, Christi served as the director of donor & alumni relations at Midland Institute for Entrepreneurship in Effingham, director of development & alumni relations at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, and director of development at Pony Bird Inc. in Mapaville, Missouri. Christi holds memberships in the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) and Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) professionally and in several community organizations. She recently served on the AFP membership committee and as co-chair for the CASE District V conference. She is a member of the Effingham Chamber of Commerce, a past member of the Effingham PEO, and a member of the St. Aloysius Church has served as a mentor to Effingham County CEO. She was also recognized as one of Effingham, Illinois’ Top Community Leaders Under 40 in 2015. Christi has a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Southern Illinois University Carbondale and a master’s degree in business administration from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. She lives in Teutopolis with her husband, Jake, and their four children.
	Amanda Allen atucker1563@lakelandcollege.edu Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations Amanda Allen is the Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations at Lake Land College in the Foundation Office. She is responsible for developing and implementing strategies to support fundraising and alumni engagement goals. This involves planning and executing the Foundation’s events and advancing relationships with the College’s donors & alumni. She also enjoys volunteering for groups such as FISH & Catholic Charities Christmas Store – Effingham County and the Shelby County Fair Queen Pageant Committee. When Amanda is not at work or volunteering, you can find her at the gym and/or yoga studio, at the lake, or spending time with friends and family. In 2019, she was presented the Lake Land College Pace Setter Award and was recognized as a Top Community Leader Under 40 in Effingham County. She received her Associate Degree at Lake Land College in 2015, her Bachelor of Science Degree with a concentration in Hospitality Management at Eastern Illinois University in 2017, and her Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Illinois in 2022.
	Penny Walk pwalk@lakelandcollege.edu Donor Information and Database Coordinator Penny Walk works as the Donor Information and Database Coordinator. She is responsible for organizing the database for all of the foundation and alumni databases. She will also be helping with day-to-day operations in the College of Advancement office. Ms. Walk came to Lake Land College from Eastern Illinois University (EIU) with 21 years of experience in Procurement and Advancement in a higher education setting. She enjoys gardening, shopping, and spending time with family and friends in her spare time. She resides in rural Neoga with her husband, Art, on the family farm. Penny received her BS and MS in Family and Human Services from Eastern Illinois University.
	Bailey Cole bcole2@lakelandcollege.edu Foundation Awards and Corporate Relations Coordinator Bailey Cole works as the Foundation Awards and Corporate Relations Coordinator. She is responsible for managing the Foundation Scholarship Award Program. This involves taking care of the internal side of the scholarship application process. Bailey joined the college in February of 2023. She received her B.A. in Public Relations with a focus in Social Media Engagement from Eastern Illinois University in 2021. She enjoys spending time at local coffee shops, going for hikes, and kayaking at Lake Charleston. Bailey is from Roxana, IL, but currently resides in Charleston, IL, with her husband, Dylan.
	Donna McCoy dmccoy2@lakelandcollege.edu Foundation Office Coordinator Donna McCoy works as the Foundation Office Coordinator. She will be assisting with the day-to-day activities of the Foundation & Alumni Center. She retired from the University of Illinois in 2019, where she spent 25 years at the U of I Foundation in both Gift Processing and Cash Receipts areas. She served on the Data Integrity Committee and led many data clean-up projects there. Donna enjoys being at the lake & spending time with her family in her spare time. She currently resides in Neoga with her husband, Wesley.