Woody is a Consulting Civil Engineer recently retired from Foth Infrastructure and Environment, who previously headed up an engineering firm of approximately 75 staff members, headquartered in Champaign, IL. His specialty is structural engineering, particularly bridges, dams, buildings, and their foundations. He graduated from the University of Illinois in 1964 with a BS in Civil Engineering, and earned a MS in 1972. He served as an officer in the US Army in Germany from 1964 to 1967, and developed a love for travel at that time.
He was introduced to Rotary as a team member on a 1974 Group Study Exchange (GSE) to Australia, and has been a member of the Champaign West Rotary Club for the past 20 years. He has been active in his club in both community service and international projects. In 2007, he was one of several club members to travel to Azacualpa, Honduras to help begin his Rotary club’s project to build a new cottage to house 8 children and a foster family at a childrens home, and is also participating in the design of a sewage collection and treatment system for a local neighborhood whose systems have failed in Azacualpa. He served on the District GSE Committee for approximately 5 years in the 1990’s.
He is married, and he and his wife Miriam have 3 grown daughters, and 8 grandchildren ranging from 5 months old to 14 years old, which help him to stay young. He is a mentor to boys in Jr. High School, and also volunteers with profoundly developmentally disabled children. He is active in his church, and sings in a community Chorale, with which he toured Ireland in June 2008. He enjoys sailing and gardening in the summer, and skiing in the winter.
John Bierbaum
John works for McLean County Unit District 5 as a high school history teacher at Normal Community West High School. He teaches world history and is the sponsor for the mock trial team, co-Director of the Freshmen Mentoring Program, and is a case manager on the school’s CARES team.
John graduated from Illinois State University and is currently working to complete his Masters degree in History. He is married to Jennifer, and they are expecting their first child this June.
In his spare time, John likes to spend time with his family and friends, read, garden, travel and spend time outdoors. John is very excited about the opportunity to learn about new cultures and be able to bring back his experience to the classroom.
Aaron Copley
Aaron is the Assistant Director of Residence Life at Millikin University in Decatur, IL,. an independent, private university with an enrollment of approximately 2100 students. Aaron is responsible for the housing needs of undergraduates, and the supervision and training of student leaders within the residence halls. His main charge is to prepare the residential students to be successful after college by providing intentional outside the classroom learning opportunities for students.
Aaron received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication from Wittenberg University and his Master of Arts degree in College Student Personnel from Bowling Green State University, both in Ohio. While in graduate school, he held a position in residence life at Bluffton University in Bluffton, Ohio, and completed a summer internship in Alnwick, England where he supervised U.S. students studying abroad.
During his free time, Aaron enjoys singing with his community choir, visiting friends all across the country, and serving as a mentor to youth in the community. He also enjoys watching certain television programs and running through Decatur’s beautiful parks.
Deanne Holste
Deanne lives on a farm which has been in her family for over 100 years. She was born and raised on this homestead with one older brother, one younger brother and one younger sister. At the present time the farm is home to her daughter Danielle, age 16 and her son Johann age 9, four horses, three dogs and two cats.
Deanne is employed by the University of Illinois Extension with the title of 4-H Youth and Family, community worker. She oversees thirty 4-H clubs which include over 500 youth and 150 adult volunteers. 4-H is a large part of her life as she not only works for Extension, but also volunteers as a club leader in her community.
During the fall and winter seasons, Deanne referees collegiate, high school and junior high volleyball and coaches high school girls basketball. During the spring and summer, she enjoys being outside, riding horses, and swimming in the pool.
Nick Stafford
Nick is a Plan Enrollment Specialist for Alliance Benefit Group of IL, a full service retirement plan consulting and administration firm. He is in charge of employee education, including benefit options, for clients that offer their employees a retirement plan.
He graduated from Augustana College, a liberal arts school with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration – Marketing. While in college Nick was heavily involved in multiple clubs and organizations.
His jobs have taken him all over the world, including Walt Disney World as a character, at a dude ranch in Colorado, and as an English teacher in Incheon, South Korea. His last semester of college was spent traveling around E. Asia for 11 weeks with 80 of his classmates while they took classes in each of the 24 cities they visited. In his free time, Nick enjoys traveling, planning events, riding his motorcycle, reading and working on his new house.
