Alumni Spotlight
The Pizzo Family
The Bauer, Mickelson, Pizzo and Russell families, which include 36 University of Illinois alumni and current students, have caught the Illini spirit. Encouraged by parents Joseph and Elizabeth Pizzo, five of the six Pizzo siblings attended the U of I, three hold ACES degrees.
Pat (Pizzo) Bauer, a College of Media graduate in 1980, is the former mayor of Benton, IL and recently received her BSN and RN, fulfilling a lifelong personal goal of hers. She resides in St. Louis, MO with her husband, Brian, a College of ACES graduate in 1979, who is a Senior VP, Market Manager with PNC Bank. Brian's parents both graduated from the U of I. Pat and Brian's four children all attended the U of I – Doug (College of ACES, 2004), Gregg (College of ACES, 2005 and Masters FAA, 2007), Kyle (College of FAA, 2007) and Elizabeth (College of Media, 2008).
Jim Pizzo, a College of Business graduate in 1982, is a health care management consultant with Kaufman Hall. He is a well known expert and frequent speaker on industry topics both on Capitol Hill and nationally. He resides in River Forest, IL with his wife, Margo, a former contract interior design executive. They have three children and their daughter, Andie, is a current student in the College of Engineering.
Joel Pizzo, a College of ACES - Horticulture graduate in 1983, established himself as both an entrepreneur and innovative florist. Joel studied floral design in Paris and began his career by opening a Champaign based floral shop, Joel Pizzo Florist. He later opened Alice's Garden flower shop on Chicago's Magnificent Mile on Michigan Avenue. The Chicago Tribune recognized him for his "grand floral creations," displayed in the Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons and Charlie Trotter's Restaurant. He passed away at age 36.
Jack Pizzo received an ACES - Ornamental Horticulture degree in 1984 and is working on his Masters in Natural Resources - Restoration Ecology. He is the President of Pizzo and Associates, an ecological restoration company. Last year, Jack donated seed and design services to the University's 2.7 acre prairie restoration site at the corner of Florida Avenue and Orchard Street. Jack resides in Clare, IL and has four children, two of which attended the U of I, Joseph (College of LAS, 2009) and Nick a current student in the College of LAS.
Pamela (Pizzo) Russell, a College of ACES - Interior Design graduate in 1987, is the Founder and Owner of Russell Design Studio. She recently renovated the Alpha Phi sorority at the U of I and is a Director of the Mom's Association. She resides in Winnetka, IL with her husband, Peter, a College of Engineering graduate in 1986, who is a Life Sciences management consultant with Deloitte. They have three children, two of which are current U of I students, Kaitlyn in the College of LAS and Andrew in the College of FAA.
Peg (Pizzo) Mickelson is an entrepreneur who has started multiple businesses in the design and renovation field. Her husband, Alan, is a corporate tax consultant with Deloitte. Alan's parents and grandparents graduated from the U of I. Peg and Alan reside in Glen Ellyn, IL where they are currently renovating their home. They have two children rapidly heading toward college age and are strong believers in the value of a quality education.
In addition to these accomplishments, all of the family members are active philanthropists and have donated hundreds of hours of their time to helping schools, hospitals, churches, shelters, and community organizations.
Currently, the extended family, including Brian and Patricia Bauer, Alan and Peg Mickelson, James and Marguerite Pizzo, Jack Pizzo, and Peter and Pamela Russell are establishing a multi-unit scholarship. The scholarship is in honor of all of their parents and grandparents who valued higher education and helped to teach them that persistence and hard work lead to success. The initial donations were also made in special memory of Joel -- beloved son, brother, brother-in-law and uncle. The scholarships impact four colleges across campus, including ACES. The family and its future generations will continue to fund the scholarships to support students, welcoming new entrants to this U of I family.
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