Full-Time Faculty

Jimmie R. Alford, CFRE, is Founder and Chair of The Alford Group Inc. Throughout his 40 year career in the nonprofit sector, Jimmie has provided leadership in improving the quality of life, assisting hundreds of clients in all aspects of not-for-profit management. In addition to his volunteer service on North Park’s Board of Trustees, he will be teaching courses within the School of Business and Nonprofit Management, serving as a faculty member for the Axelson Center’s New Nonprofit Leader Boot Camp as well as other non-credit programs sponsored by the Center.

In addition to full-time teaching responsibilities, John Bonie is president and part owner of Aurora Typewriter Company, Inc. He serves as a consultant to healthcare and day-care industries and government incubators and is a former board member of the Aurora Kiwanis Club.

Associate professor Gianfranco Farruggia has over 25 years of experience in the nonprofit world, starting out at Oak/Leyden Developmental Services, Inc., and more recently as the co-founder and CEO of Community Human Services. He has written numerous articles on social services and his dissertation studied CEO survival strategies for nonprofit human service organizations. He has taught part-time at both DePaul University and Kendall College.

Ann Hicks is associate professor of accounting at North Park. Prior to joining North Park, she spent nearly 20 years in senior level accounting and finance positions in the real estate and education industries. She has also taught at Northeastern University and Concordia University.

Robert Hirsch, professor of management, has nearly 30 years of experience in corporate, nonprofit, and educational institutions. Prior to joining North Park, he was President and CEO of the Baking Industry Suppliers Association. He has held senior level positions in a variety of nonprofit associations, consulted to Fortune 500 organizations, and served as an associate professor of communications at Arizona State University. He has authored over 35 books and articles and currently serves on a number of boards and committees.

Since earning his MBA from Kellogg, Al Kamienski has been involved in both research and consulting existing at the intersection of business and education. Prior to joining North Park, Kamienski's professional experience included management consulting and corporate finance. Dr. Kamienski's research interests include the economics of education, school reform and the financial performance of nonprofits. He is a member of the American Educational Research Association. His recent consulting projects include curriculum design, case development and delivery of business content and human capital development for global corporations.

Wesley Lindahl is the Dean of the School of Business and Nonprofit Management at North Park after spending many years as the assistant dean and director of development at The McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science at Northwestern University. He has authored several publications on the subject of fundraising and is a frequent presenter on the subject at national conferences.

Catherine Marsh has more than 20 years experience, primarily in fundraising and human resource management. She is associate professor of management at North Park. She was most recently director of human resources for 21st Century Telecom Group and founder and president of Catherine Marsh Consulting. Prior to this, she was vice president and director of human resources for Kanbay.

Crendalyn McMath, associate professor, has spent nearly 20 years in education, marketing, and entrepreneurial positions. Most recently she was founding director of the Center for Urban Business at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Prior to her joining UIC, she founded and ran a video production company and was president of Entrepreneur and Executive Resources, Inc. McMath serves on a variety of corporate and nonprofit boards and committees.

Tim O'Brien, Assistant Professor of Nonprofit Finance at North Park University's School of Business and Nonprofit Management, has 30 years experience as a financial manager in commercial and nonprofit organizations. He also has managerial experience in Church-based organizations, including the role of Executive Director of Community of Passionist Partners. He has taught as an adjunct at Spertus College, JFK University and North Park University, before joining North Park's faculty full-time. Tim also serves on several nonprofit and church-based boards.

Pier has spent over 25 years in the nonprofit field and has been active in the nonprofit research community nationally since the early 1990's. Most recently she served as the associate executive director of the National Association of Social Workers, New York City Chapter. She has taught extensively at various institutions including Yale, Fordham University, and for seven years full-time at the New School University, Robert J. Milano Graduate School of Management and Urban Policy. She has presented and published broadly in the field of nonprofit management.

Lee Sundholm has taught economics at North Park for more than 30 years and has held several academic leadership positions during that time. He is an active member of the American Economics Association and teaches courses in economics and international business.