A FUTURE SO
BRIGHT
PHOTO BY: HEATHER BLANTON
“I said, ‘You look lost. Do you need help?’”
Alexis said they soon became friends.
“I needed a smaller, family atmosphere,
but I didn't know that I needed that until
I’d experienced the opposite at another
university,” Alexis recalled.
RECONNECTING TO JU
Years later, the University asked Matt to
serve on the Alumni Board of Governors, a
group of 20 to 25 individuals, of which he was
the youngest at the time, and recommended
by Dr. Walker S. Blanton. “There were, and
still are, so many people on JU’s boards who
really made a difference—Tim Cost, Chuck
Wodehouse, Linda Stein. They all took a real
shot on a 20-something.”
Matt chaired the Governance Committee of
the Board in 2006, and was responsible for
selecting the Distinguished Alumni of the
Year. “I had never done anything like that,
was thrown into it, and didn't know what
to do exactly. But I took it seriously and
personally interviewed all the nominees. I
called them, had extensive conversations,
and among those on my list was Tim Cost. I
asked him an entire panel of questions. That
was the first time we ever spoke.” Matt says the two went on to have an
interesting and storied relationship, both later
appointed to the JU Board of Trustees, at
the same time, with Matt eventually serving
on the committee that selected Tim Cost as
President. Now, after achieving success as a
business owner and civic leader, Matt said,
“I've run multiple companies, hired lots of
people, and the best hire that I've ever been
a part of was hiring Tim Cost. No question. I
would hire him to do anything.”
When Matt reported back to the committee,
he recommended Tim Cost without
reservation. “I interviewed all of these really
amazing JU alumni, and I told the committee
that this guy was special.” The first time they
met face to face was for the Distinguished
Alumni of the Year recognition ceremony. Alexis said, “I didn't stay as connected
immediately after graduation. I moved to
Chicago and was working at a children's
hospital there, establishing my career.”
Continued on next page.
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