Northwestern University Alumni

Willard “Will” S. Evans Jr. is a seasoned leader in both the public and private sectors. Known for his collaborative personal style and business acumen, he has extensive leadership experience that encompasses business, government, academic, civic, emergency, and social service organizations.

Evans started his 40-year career in the natural gas industry in 1974 as an engineering intern for Peoples Gas in Chicago. He held numerous leadership positions during his career and served as president of Peoples Gas and its sister company North Shore Gas from 2008 until his retirement in 2014. During his tenure as president, Evans led the passage of the Natural Gas Consumer, Safety, and Reliability Act, which modernized Illinois’s natural gas infrastructure and supported one of the most capital-intensive infrastructure projects in the United States.

Over the past decade, Evans has worked as an energy and engineering consultant and held several board leadership roles, including chair of the Skokie Board of Fire and Police Commissioners as well as Chicago Commons, a nonprofit organization that provides quality early childhood education, family-centered adult education, and senior services for underserved communities. He was recruited by Illinois Governor JB Pritzker ’93 JD to serve as chairman and CEO of the Illinois Tollway from 2019 to 2022. Evans also has served on the boards of Energy Insurance Mutual, The Peoples Gas Light and Coke Company, North Shore Gas Company, and PLCS.

A longtime volunteer for Northwestern, Evans was president of the Northwestern University Black Alumni Association (NUBAA) from 2018 to 2020. Additionally, he co-chaired his 15th, 30th, 35th, 40th, and 45th Reunion committees. He is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.

Evans graduated from Northwestern with a BS in electrical engineering from the McCormick School of Engineering and an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management.