Professional Development Dinner
Professional Development Dinner
Monday | February 24, 2025
Brown Ballroom | Bone Student Center
Illinois State University
5:00 to 6:00 pm | Check in and Networking
6:15 pm | Etiquette Speaker
6: 45 pm | Dinner
7:30 pm | Keynote Speaker
At the Professional Development Dinner, College of Business faculty with etiquette expertise provide coaching advice to guide students in their future business endeavors. These tips provide invaluable insights that could turn a potentially stressful encounter into an enjoyable and powerful professional opportunity. While interviewing or conducting business over a meal, knowing proper etiquette is essential. This holds true for email communications, online interactions, and social outings.
We invite you to participate in this event with industry representatives while enjoying dinner and great conversation. A social networking hour will precede the dinner for students, faculty, and company representatives.
There is a $10.00 registration fee for students for this event.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT DINNER KEYNOTE SPEAKER
WENDELL DALLAS
President and CEO
Nicor Gas
Wendell Dallas serves as president and CEO of Nicor Gas, one of America’s leading natural gas distributors and the largest distribution company of Southern Company Gas. In this role, he is responsible for ensuring that natural gas reaches more than 2.3 million homes and businesses in over 650 northern Illinois communities.
Before assuming his current role, Dallas served as vice president of sales and marketing for Georgia Power, the largest electric subsidiary of Southern Company, which serves 2.7 million customers in Georgia. He was responsible for the company’s topline revenue growth strategy, new product development, product distribution, e-commerce, electric transportation, sales management and energy efficiency.
Dallas brings more than 30 years of leadership, operations and engineering experience to Nicor Gas, having served as vice president of operations for two Southern Company Gas subsidiaries, Atlanta Gas Light and Chattanooga Gas. Dallas also served as the vice president of economic and community development for the Southern Company Gas multistate footprint.
A champion for workforce development initiatives, Dallas serves on the boards of World Business Chicago, Executive Club of Chicago, Illinois Utilities Business Diversity Council and Northern Illinois Community Initiatives. He also believes in helping communities grow and prosper and is an active board member for the United Way and Chicago Field Museum. Dallas also serves as a member of the Southern Company Gas Management Council, The Chicago Club, Chicago United, Commercial Club of Chicago, Economic Club of Chicago and Business Leadership Chicago.
A native of Opelika, Alabama, Dallas holds a degree in mechanical engineering from Auburn University and is a graduate of Leadership Georgia, Leadership Atlanta and Leadership Savannah. He and his wife live in Wheaton, Illinois and have three adult children.
Student Registration Corporate Representative Registration Faculty/Staff Registration