By Julie Terstriep, Business/Membership Services at Western Illinois University
Judy Yeast of Western Illinois University filed her papers, cleaned out her office, and retired from Western Illinois University on December 31, 2015. Judy began her career in recreation at WIU on September 1, 1981 at a time when facilities used for campus recreation were scattered across campus. Judy served on a university-wide committee to pass a referendum for the building of a student recreation center in the early 1990s. The Donald S. Spencer Student Recreation Center opened on October 1, 1997 and to this day the facility continues to serve the students of Western Illinois University.
WIU is the home of the original Big Pink Volleyball tournament. Judy and two college students began the event in 2001 as a fundraising event for breast cancer prevention. Since its inception, this event has raised almost $120,000 for mammograms for worthy individuals in the community, and has involved thousands of college students and community members in a fun event played with a giant KIN-BALL®. Big Pink Volleyball is now played at over 40 universities and corporations.
A NIRSA member since 1981, Judy was awarded NIRSA’s Horace Moody Award for outstanding commitment to student development in 2010. Throughout her 34-year career, Judy mentored over 300 graduate assistants at Western Illinois University who are now spread from coast to coast in the United States. Many stay in touch with Judy and continue to turn to her for guidance.
“Judy’s passion for helping others and attention to detail will be qualities that are long remembered by her students and anyone who worked with her. These traits allowed Judy to become the major champion on campus for employee wellness efforts” says Milly MacDonell, Director of Campus Recreation at Western Illinois University. She adds, “Judy’s tireless efforts to mentor students and impact her colleagues’ health, will be irreplaceable.”
Kari Osborne-Albarado, Associate Director of Programming and Staff Development, Texas A&M University– Commerce, reflects, “Her commitment to student development and instilling the importance of networking to the graduate assistants she has mentored has created such a strong connection among Western Illinois University alumni within NIRSA. If I am able to impact one student’s life and career in the way she has mine, I will consider my career in campus recreation a success.”
Judy continues to serve as the historian for the Illinois Intramural Recreational Sport Association and plans to spend time with her grandchildren.
If you are interesting in celebrating a retiring colleague at your institution, please contact NIRSA’s Communications Specialist, Nazifa Islam.
