Catching Up With Ed McMillan
Ed McMillan, who has served on the University of Illinois Board of Trustees for the last six years, was reappointed for a new six-year term and named the new chairman of the board. We caught up with him about serving for the past year with Lucas Frye and what’s to come in the next six years.
Q&A With Ed McMillan

What is your vision for the University of Illinois as the chairman of the Board of Trustees?
First, I want to see In-State tuition remain as low as possible. U of I is already second only to Northwestern among Big Ten Schools in tuition cost. To accomplish that, we must find ways to lower our administrative and service cost at all levels of the University including each campus, each college, and each department. In addition, we need to critically evaluate all academic programs. We need to consolidate some and eliminate others where the student demand is insufficient and invest in the programs where we excel and where demand is high. We need to continue to seek research funding from all sources and secure venture funding and incubator facilities for University discovered technology and innovation which ultimately creates new business and new employment opportunities in Illinois. The U of I Foundation needs to focus on endowing high priority faculty positions to enhance our faculty recruitment and retention and endow scholarships to attract and retain high caliber students who would not otherwise be able to afford to attend the U of I. In ACES in particular, we need to recruit a new Dean which will develop a new strategic plan for the College and aggressively implement that plan for the betterment of Illinois Agriculture and Agribusiness.
What are some of the upcoming problems and obstacles that will be in front of you and the board, and how do you hope to address them?
I addition to the items mentioned above, the current most pressing issue is the financial condition of the state of Illinois. Not only will the University likely receive an even lower allocation from the state in 2015-16; but we will also likely need to find ways over the next 10 years to bear a greater portion of the pension and health insurance benefits of our faculty and other employees without increasing the tuition burden on our future students. We also must find ways to provide more high quality (U of I quality) internet based courses to complement the in-classroom course offering to meet the needs of all potential students.
Looking back at the six years you have already served, what do you take from that experience?
First, it is an honor to serve the U of I as a Trustee. While the commitment of time is sometimes extensive, I believe all of us not only appreciate the opportunity to serve the U of I, but also accept it as a challenge and obligation and willingly serve to the best of our ability. I certainly did not expect to see five different Presidents (White, Ikenberry, Hogan, Easter, and now Killeen) and three different UIUC Chancellors (Herman, Easter, and now Wise) during my first six years on the Board of Trustees!!! The leadership transitions have been especially challenging; however, I am especially thankful that Bob Easter stepped in when he did… he was exceptional!
When you were living in Nabor House, what goals and aspirations did you have? Did you ever think you would be as successful as you have been?
I came to the U of I, and to Nabor House, hoping to return to McDonough County to farm… by the end of my sophomore year, I realized that would not happen. Then I tried to figure out where I should head in my career. Nabor House provided me with the opportunity to afford to attend the U of I… the men in the house at the time, challenged me to aim high and seek a career where I could excel and yet enjoy what I was doing. Dean Wessels helped me find an internship between my junior and senior year with Purina… that allowed me to see where I might fit in agribusiness, where I could really enjoy my job and potentially excel in my efforts.
What advice would you give someone entering the corporate world?
First, while in college, get experience working for someone else and, if possible, work in an industry and career area which you think you might enjoy… find out before you graduate. After you get a job, be responsible, be respectful, be ethical, and build a reputation for hard work, integrity, and trustworthiness. Focus on the job at hand and do not be viewed as the person who is always looking for your next job… let your boss be concerned about that. I always looked for people I could trust to do what they said they would do, when they said they would do it.. and people who would do their homework and provide well researched recommendations… those were the people I promoted and relied upon.
What was it like to work with Lucas Frye this past year?
Lucas Frye is an exceptional Student Trustee and is a tribute to the type students the U of I College of ACES and Nabor House develop. Lucas comes prepared for all committee and board meetings. He seeks input from fellow UIUC students when issues come before the Trustees to deliberate. When Lucas speaks during Trustee meetings, my fellow Trustees, both adult and student, listen attentively to what Lucas has to say… they have learned he researches the issues, he prepares his remarks very carefully, and he is respectful in making his comments regardless of the issue. I will miss Lucas on the Board of Trustees but I am confident we will be hearing a great deal about Lucas Frye in the years to come as he excels in whatever career he seeks to pursue!
First, I want to see In-State tuition remain as low as possible. U of I is already second only to Northwestern among Big Ten Schools in tuition cost. To accomplish that, we must find ways to lower our administrative and service cost at all levels of the University including each campus, each college, and each department. In addition, we need to critically evaluate all academic programs. We need to consolidate some and eliminate others where the student demand is insufficient and invest in the programs where we excel and where demand is high. We need to continue to seek research funding from all sources and secure venture funding and incubator facilities for University discovered technology and innovation which ultimately creates new business and new employment opportunities in Illinois. The U of I Foundation needs to focus on endowing high priority faculty positions to enhance our faculty recruitment and retention and endow scholarships to attract and retain high caliber students who would not otherwise be able to afford to attend the U of I. In ACES in particular, we need to recruit a new Dean which will develop a new strategic plan for the College and aggressively implement that plan for the betterment of Illinois Agriculture and Agribusiness.
What are some of the upcoming problems and obstacles that will be in front of you and the board, and how do you hope to address them?
I addition to the items mentioned above, the current most pressing issue is the financial condition of the state of Illinois. Not only will the University likely receive an even lower allocation from the state in 2015-16; but we will also likely need to find ways over the next 10 years to bear a greater portion of the pension and health insurance benefits of our faculty and other employees without increasing the tuition burden on our future students. We also must find ways to provide more high quality (U of I quality) internet based courses to complement the in-classroom course offering to meet the needs of all potential students.
Looking back at the six years you have already served, what do you take from that experience?
First, it is an honor to serve the U of I as a Trustee. While the commitment of time is sometimes extensive, I believe all of us not only appreciate the opportunity to serve the U of I, but also accept it as a challenge and obligation and willingly serve to the best of our ability. I certainly did not expect to see five different Presidents (White, Ikenberry, Hogan, Easter, and now Killeen) and three different UIUC Chancellors (Herman, Easter, and now Wise) during my first six years on the Board of Trustees!!! The leadership transitions have been especially challenging; however, I am especially thankful that Bob Easter stepped in when he did… he was exceptional!
When you were living in Nabor House, what goals and aspirations did you have? Did you ever think you would be as successful as you have been?
I came to the U of I, and to Nabor House, hoping to return to McDonough County to farm… by the end of my sophomore year, I realized that would not happen. Then I tried to figure out where I should head in my career. Nabor House provided me with the opportunity to afford to attend the U of I… the men in the house at the time, challenged me to aim high and seek a career where I could excel and yet enjoy what I was doing. Dean Wessels helped me find an internship between my junior and senior year with Purina… that allowed me to see where I might fit in agribusiness, where I could really enjoy my job and potentially excel in my efforts.
What advice would you give someone entering the corporate world?
First, while in college, get experience working for someone else and, if possible, work in an industry and career area which you think you might enjoy… find out before you graduate. After you get a job, be responsible, be respectful, be ethical, and build a reputation for hard work, integrity, and trustworthiness. Focus on the job at hand and do not be viewed as the person who is always looking for your next job… let your boss be concerned about that. I always looked for people I could trust to do what they said they would do, when they said they would do it.. and people who would do their homework and provide well researched recommendations… those were the people I promoted and relied upon.
What was it like to work with Lucas Frye this past year?
Lucas Frye is an exceptional Student Trustee and is a tribute to the type students the U of I College of ACES and Nabor House develop. Lucas comes prepared for all committee and board meetings. He seeks input from fellow UIUC students when issues come before the Trustees to deliberate. When Lucas speaks during Trustee meetings, my fellow Trustees, both adult and student, listen attentively to what Lucas has to say… they have learned he researches the issues, he prepares his remarks very carefully, and he is respectful in making his comments regardless of the issue. I will miss Lucas on the Board of Trustees but I am confident we will be hearing a great deal about Lucas Frye in the years to come as he excels in whatever career he seeks to pursue!
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