CDA Board of Directors
The Champaign Downtown Association Board of Directors is the governing body of the Association. Their responsibilities are to set the direction of the organization and oversee financial commitments. The Executive Committee of the organization consists of the President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary and are appointed and guided by the Board’s direction.
The board is comprised of 11 Board Members, elected at large by the entire CDA membership. Board members serve 2 year terms with a maximum of two successive terms. Any CDA member is eligible to be a member of the board.
Champaign Downtown Association Executive Committee
Trisha Bates, CDA President – Cakes on Walnut
Trisha, a native of central Illinois, opened Cakes on Walnut in 2008. Prior to Cakes, Trisha graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in Urban and Regional Planning. Trisha’s personal and professional goals are to be involved in and grow the local community. She is passionate about urbanism and the green movement.
Mike Royse, CDA Vice President- One Main Development
Mr. Royse is President of One Main Development, LLC. In his role, Mr. Royse works closely with city leaders and partners to ensure the success of each project he undertakes and the continued growth of One Main Development. He leads the team of professionals at One Main Development, providing strategic direction and support to all areas of the company.
Mr. Royse’s experience is as a business generalist with cross disciplinary planning and administrative capabilities. He has been extensively involved with a sixty million-dollar residential property portfolio owned by his family. Also, as CEO of Royse Wagner (a small national branding firm), Mr. Royse consulted on teams leading high growth activities within a variety of industries including healthcare, finance, building trades, furniture, grocery, retail, restaurants & fast food, software, engineering and telecommunications & wireless. As a consultant, Mr. Royse has been involved with companies varying in size from startups to twenty million in annual sales.
Chris Ehley, CDA Treasurer- Busey Bank
Chris graduated from the University of Illinois in 2007 with a Bachelors in Finance and Economics. Chris started his career as an equity analyst where he interned during college at Busey Wealth Management. He moved to the heart of downtown last summer and has enjoyed everything downtown has to offer. He works with Kyle Wetters closely at Busey where he first got his interest in CDA. Chris hopes to put his enthusiasm and financial background to good use.
Champaign Downtown Association Board Members
Douglas L. Milburn, Design Committee, IGW Architecture
Douglas L. Milburn works at IGW Architecture as an Architectural Intern pursuing licensure. He holds a Master of Architecture and a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies from the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign. He participated in the Study Abroad Program — Ecole d’Architecture de Versailles/University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign — from 1999 to 2000. Outside of his professional work, Doug is active as a budding social entrepreneur, a humanitarian, a community advocate, and an advocate for the arts. He is an incoming Bureau Member (BOD) of the International Federation for Housing and Planning and will present the IFHP Young Planners Award at the IFHP 2009 World Congress in Berlin this fall. He serves on the 40 North | 88 West Board of Directors and has been Chair of the Boneyard Arts Festival since 2008. Doug has been recognized with the American Institute of Architects’ Central Illinois Outstanding Associates Award, the American Institute of Architects’ Illinois R. Buckminster Fuller Award and most recently received the AIA Associate Award, a national award given to three Associate AIA members in 2009.
Lois A Wacholtz, Christopher’s Fine Jewelry Design
Like many who live in Champaign, Lois came to the community to attend the University of Illinois. Graduating with a degree in History and a love of fine art and fine craft, and a talented boyfriend designing and making jewelry, Lois found her place managing and growing a retail jewelry business that focuses on selling fine and collectable colored gemstones, diamonds and providing repair and design services of one of a kind and limited edition fine jewelry, all anchored in downtown Champaign.
A resident of the community since 1973 and active in downtown Champaign’s rebirth and growth since 1986, she brings experience and perspective to the process of growing and keeping the downtown beautiful, healthy and growing. It is good for business, good for the residents and good for the whole community.
Joan Dixon, Executive Director of Community Foundation of East Central Illinois
The Community Foundation of East Central Illinois works with donors by ensuring that their charitable wishes are achieved. Through the Foundation’s “Center for Nonprofit Excellence,” Dixon helps organizations in the areas of board training and development, strategic planning, fund development, stewardship, succession planning and other areas critical to success. Dixon is a life-long resident of Champaign and holds graduate degrees from the U of I.
Robb Tobias, Promotions Committee, Boltini Lounge
Robb lives and works in downtown Champaign. He has both personal and professional reasons for wanting to help with the growth, image, development, and marketing of downtown Champaign. He strongly believes in the CDA, its mission, and vision. Robb is a huge advocate for supporting downtown retail and the challenges that segment faces. As a restaurant/bar operator he has many loyal customers and vendors that can step up to the plate in support of CDA causes on many levels. Robb loves to brainstorm ideas and help make things happen. He currently serves on the promotions committee.
Dorothy Kallmeyer, Pavlov Media
Amy George, The News Gazette
Jan Kijowski, Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District
Sonya Darter, The Orpheum Children’s Science Museum
