2024
The Northwestern Alumni Association (NAA) relies on its dedicated volunteers to help fulfill its mission of inspiring alumni intellectually, socially, and professionally. These volunteers play a vital role in organizing programs that spark lifelong curiosity, connection, and growth among alumni. Their exceptional commitment and service was honored at the NAA Service and Club Awards on November 14, 2024. This year’s honorees and a video of the award ceremony are featured below.
Service to Northwestern
Presented to alumni in recognition of leadership and service excellence rendered to the University via the NAA, an affiliated alumni group, school, or unit, or other University-associated program.
Janae Bakken ’96
Janae Bakken is the immediate past chair of the Council of One Hundred (C100), which supports Northwestern women and non-binary people throughout their careers. C100 sponsors networking and mentoring opportunities and events on career, workplace, and life strategies. During her tenure as vice chair and chair from 2019 to 2023, C100 initiated several diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) measures, including becoming a membership for and mentorship of non-binary alums in addition to women. Previously, Bakken served as C100’s career advisors co-chair for six years, developing the club’s popular “Mentor Circles,” which the NAA has adopted and expanded to all alumni. Bakken resides in Los Angeles with her son Ansel, where she has been involved with the Northwestern University Entertainment Alliance West (NUEA) and Northwestern University Leadership Circle (NULC) Los Angeles Regional Board. Bakken is an Emmy-nominated television and screen writer and executive producer, and taught television writing at Northwestern in 2011. She holds a bachelor’s degree in radio/television/film and a certificate in creative writing for the media.
Joanne Meister Gomez ’88
Joanne Meister Gomez is communication chair of the Northwestern Club of Colorado, with which she’s been active since her 2003 move from Chicago. During her tenure, the club won the Northwestern Alumni Association Club of the Year award in 2011, 2019, and 2023. Gomez has also served on the NAA Board of Directors as a regional director, supporting clubs in Colorado, Utah, and New Mexico. She is a part-time freelance web and digital communications professional and full-time mom to a 11th grade son. As the spouse of a University of Notre Dame alumnus, she has also served on the board of the Notre Dame Club of Denver as webmaster and communications chair. Gomez earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Northwestern.
James Hill ’71, ’74 MD, ’79 GME (’12 P)
James A. Hill, MD, was elected to the Medical Alumni Association (MAA) board in 2004 and served as president from 2011 to 2013. He is also an honoree in the Northwestern University Black Alumni Association Hall of Fame. Currently, he is a Professor in the Department of Orthopedic Surgery in the Feinberg School of Medicine specializing in sports medicine. Dr. Hill also served as Chief of Staff at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, member of the Board of Directors of the Northwestern Memorial Hospital Foundation, member of the Program Committee for Medical Ethics and Humanities, and member of the Office of Minority Affairs Task Force Committee at the Feinberg School of Medicine. Dr. Hill was awarded his medical degree in 1974 and bachelor’s degree in biology in 1971, both from Northwestern. He completed his Graduate Medical Education (GME) residency in orthopedic surgery at the McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University.
Club Leader of the Year
Presented to alumni in recognition of leadership and service excellence rendered to an affinity, international, and/or local club.
Mickey Heynen ’02
NU Club of Los Angeles
Mickey Heynen ’02 became president of the NU Club of Los Angeles in July 2023. The club is on a mission to create a tangible Northwestern presence in LA, help the area’s more than 8,000 alumni connect in a vibrant community, and be a megaphone for other clubs in the region. Heynen holds a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from the McCormick School of Engineering. As a student, he was a proud member of the Northwestern University Marching Band Drumline, Boomshaka, Undergraduate Leadership Program, Civic Education Project, XDX Fraternity, and Interfraternity Council. Heynen spent 20 years consulting with large pure-play companies and building the consulting arm of software companies, working on the East Coast and in Europe before moving to Los Angeles. He is now a small business owner and entrepreneur. In his spare time, he is involved in integrative and functional healing, loves to travel with his wife and son, and is an avid LA Dodgers fan.
The Rising ’Cat
Presented to alumni in recognition of emerging volunteer leadership in a current role.
Maria Atanasov ’94, ’95 MS
Maria Atanasov ’94, ’95 MS is president of the NU Club of Southeast Florida, having held club leadership roles since 2018. She has also been an active admissions interviewer with the Alumni Admissions Council. From 1997 to 2005, she was president and chairperson of the Medill Alumni Club of New York. Building on a 30-year career in journalism with such outlets as Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, the BBC in New York, Brussels and London, she is currently an editorial consultant with the Institute for Thought Leadership, which trains subject matter experts in effective communication. Atanasov currently teaches an online course for Harvard Alumni Entrepreneurs on writing like a thought leader and has also taught journalism at Hunter College in New York and American University in Bulgaria. In 2020, she founded her passion business, Posh Dog Life (poshdoglife.com), an online boutique selling chic dog apparel and accessories. Atanasov holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in journalism from the Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications.
The Rock
Presented to alumni in recognition of longtime service in a volunteer role and/or demonstrated advancement of alumni engagement at Northwestern.
Marc Staros ’09
Marc Staros is a club leader and past president of the Northwestern University Pride Alumni Club (NUPAC), with which he has been involved since 2009. He currently manages his own consulting practice, Rouleur, and serves in leadership roles for two insurance industry organizations. He graduated from Northwestern with a bachelor of science from the School of Education and Social Policy. As a student, he was editor-in-chief of the Northwestern Business Review and director of programming for Camp Kesem at Northwestern University, operated by undergraduate students for children who have been affected by a parent’s cancer. Outside of work, the Chicagoan enjoys cycling and is dog dad to a Bernedoodle named Charlotte.
NAA Campus Partner Award
This award is given to the unit, school or program that serves as a valuable and key player in partnering with the NAA on various initiatives to cultivate alumni relationships and connections to Northwestern.
Multicultural Student Affairs (MSA)
Multicultural Student Affairs (MSA), part of Northwestern University’s Office of Student Affairs, plays a vital role in fostering community, mentorship, and connection between students and alumni. MSA supports the NAA’s mission to create meaningful relationships within Northwestern’s diverse alumni network.
MSA staff act as a critical bridge between student communities and future alumni, providing valuable insights to NAA volunteers and staff to strengthen these connections. Their team collaborates with the NAA to feature affinity club leaders as presenters at major University events, including MSA’s end-of-year celebrations. These efforts help graduating students seamlessly connect with alumni networks.
Alumni deeply value MSA spaces like the Black House, and partnerships with the NAA ensure alumni feel welcomed and celebrated—whether during spontaneous visits or at larger events.
The NAA Campus Partner Award is presented to the entire MSA team, which is led by Director Alejandro Magaña.
NAA Staff Appreciation Award
The NAA has a team of dedicated individuals that work to ensure diverse and robust programming and engagement opportunities throughout the year and around the world on behalf of all Northwestern alumni. The NAA Staff Appreciation award is given each year to recognize one member of the professional staff who embodies that vision for an engaged global alumni community.
Louisa Kunzler
Louisa Kunzler, senior associate director of volunteer engagement, joined the NAA in 2017. In this role, she has been instrumental in strengthening and cultivating the NAA’s alumni volunteer leader community.
Kunzler works closely with NAA volunteer boards and organizations, including the NAA Board of Directors, Council of 100, Alumni Regents, Alumnae of Northwestern University, and Alumni Admissions Council. She has spearheaded key initiatives such as the Northwestern Leadership Symposium, the NAA Service and Club Awards program, and the first-ever NAA Town Hall.
Kunzler has over 25 years of experience working with volunteer-driven organizations. Before joining Northwestern, she held roles at the Family Action Network, American Bar Association, and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. She earned her bachelor of arts from Miami University in Ohio.
Clubs of the Year
Presented to alumni clubs who have had exemplary alumni impact as well as club growth and innovation. Winning clubs must have also excelled in governance, finance/scholarship, programming, membership, and communication and achieved either the Wildcat or Arch levels in the Leading Strategies Model (LSM) in fiscal year 2024 (September 1, 2023–August 31, 2024).