National Alumni Board

Barrera was elected as the first Latina president of the Illinois Association of School Nurses (IASN) in 2020 and served during the COVID-19 pandemic. She is an expert panel member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee with ANA-Illinois and an elected member of the Board of Directors. Barrera was appointed to the IDPH Diversity in Health Care Professions Task Force and the Governor’s Illinois Terrorism Task Force’s School Safety Committee. She is a vital member of the American Public Health Association’s Nursing Section (APHA-PHN) and co-founder of the Society of Latinx Nurses (SOLN), focusing on increasing the pipeline of Hispanic/Latinx nurses. She is a past Fellow of the Alliance of Nurses for Healthy Environments (ANHE) and one of the founders of the Nurse Heroes for Zero campaign. She has been recognized for her leadership and community work by several organizations, both locally and nationally. Most recently, she was named to the 40 Under Forty in Public Health list by the de Beaumont Foundation and recognized as Nurse Influencer of the Year by ANA-Illinois in 2023. 

Burns started his career at the CME (Chicago Mercantile Exchange) in the summer of 1989 as a commodities clerk, eventually becoming a broker and business owner. He has always enjoyed finance, global financial markets, and working with clients to solve complex financial challenges. He left his position at the CME in 2006. He is now a financial wealth planner, assisting individuals, families, foundations, and small business owners in navigating the complex world of tax mitigation, college planning, retirement, and a range of other financial services to help people build wealth and prepare for future uncertainties.

Burns has two amazing children, Matt (24) and Emma (21). Matt is out of college, working and starting his adult life, and Emma is a junior in college studying finance at Illinois State University. He raised his family in the Logan Square/Humboldt Park neighborhoods, exposing them to a very diverse community and world view, and helping them develop a palate for a variety of foods – Burns is a self-admitted "foodie."

His Edward Jones office is in La Grange, where he lives. He enjoys golfing, traveling, eating, hanging out with family and friends, being in nature, and giving back in as many ways as possible. Burns loves all sports — despite playing many of them poorly —and is an ordinary guy who knows that extraordinary things can happen when a small group of people join together and work towards a common goal.

Hunter boasts an impressive career spanning over 17 years, leading HR in industries including manufacturing, transportation, health care, not-for-profits, and municipalities. Her passion, industry experience, and entrepreneurial journey have afforded her the opportunity to become a sought-after speaker and panelist for many local chambers of commerce, business organizations, and, most recently, DeVry University!

Hunter's academic background includes a bachelor's degree in business management from Saint Xavier University (2007). In addition, she acquired a master's degree in human resources management from Keller Graduate School of Management in 2015. She accomplished graduating from both programs with honors!

Hunter has also attained the distinguished SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) certification and serves as a SHRM pre-certification course instructor.

Above all, Hunter is most proud of being a woman of God, a wife, a sports mom, and a philanthropist, using part of her company's profits to help families pay for fertility and IVF costs. 

She currently works as a credit union examiner for the National Credit Union Administration (NCUA), ensuring safety, soundness, and compliance with applicable laws and regulations within credit unions.

She also serves as a board member for the Moraine Valley Community College Foundation, which supports student scholarships and educational initiatives.

She is excited to join the SXU Alumni Board to stay connected to the University and contribute to its ongoing success. 

After graduating from SXU in 2015 (summa cum laude), he joined his family’' printing and graphics company, Graphic Image Corporation in Orland Park. He has been there for 10 years and currently serves as the vice president, with a minority ownership in the company.

After graduation, Markasovic spent three years in the medical sales industry, specializing in capital surgical equipment, including orthopedics, endoscopes, and electrosurgical solutions. His ability to build relationships and navigate complex sales environments honed his strategic and interpersonal skills. In December 2024, Markasovic joined Graphic Image Corporation, his family’s fourth-generation business, as strategy and operations manager. Founded by his great-grandmother in 1953, the company provides comprehensive printing and marketing solutions, including digital and offset printing, design, wide-format printing, and bindery services. Working alongside his father and brother, Markasovic drives innovation and operational efficiency, ensuring the company continues to thrive in a competitive market.

A proud SXU alum, Markasovic remains passionate about his alma mater and is dedicated to giving back to the community that shaped him. He actively seeks opportunities to mentor students and support initiatives that enhance the Saint Xavier experience. Outside of work, he enjoys staying active, drawing inspiration from his athletic background, and is committed to fostering growth, collaboration, and innovation in all his endeavors. 

Proudly part of the McDonald's 1 in 8 club, Porter's journey began in the Chicagoland area, where she worked for a local McDonald's franchisee for six years, advancing through various roles within the organization.

In December 2018, she earned her bachelor's degree in communication from Saint Xavier University and began her corporate career with McDonald's in February 2019. As a member of the first cohort of the University's recruiting program, she served as a field operations consultant, providing business consulting and partnership to McDonald's franchisees.

In 2021, Porter joined the U.S. Customer Care team, taking on the newly created role of customer care operations business service consultant for the U.S. McDonald's Customer Contact Center. As a key internal stakeholder, she managed and built partnerships with multiple stakeholders and vendors, coordinated executive activities, and oversaw technology enhancements and process improvements, among other responsibilities.

Porter graduated with an MBA from Colorado Technical University in May 2023. She then relocated to Dallas in September 2023 to take on the role of operations consultant/supervisor, immersing herself in the responsibilities of a business owner overseeing six corporate McDonald's locations.

What Porter values most is her ability and the honor of inspiring and driving business performance while fostering talent development through influence, innovation, strategic execution, and strong interpersonal relationships —qualities essential for creating real and lasting change.

In her free time, she cherishes moments with loved ones, including her French Bulldog, Phoebe, and enjoys serving her community, traveling, attending concerts, and all things self-care.

As a business banker for Wintrust, Reyes has implemented many of the foundational skills he acquired at SXU. He spends a lot of time getting to know his clients, their industries, and their business models, which has given him a deep appreciation for entrepreneurs and their dedication to building and sustaining a business from the ground up. He is also able to give back to the community through charitable work and donations. Wintrust encourages its employees to give back to the community. He greatly enjoys working for an altruistic corporation.

Reyes focuses on networking and relationship building and has recently been invited to become an Entered Apprentice with the Illinois Freemasons. The lodge he pledged to in Oak Lawn has a fantastic group of very diverse men. They have supported the Chicago Food Depository by spending a Saturday packaging food for distribution and have recently volunteered their time to clean a highway. He is looking forward to starting this new path, continuing to give back to the community, and taking advantage of the character-building opportunities the organization offers.

This focus has brought Reyes full circle back to SXU. He is very honored and excited to become a board member for the Alumni Association, and he looks forward to using his skills and resources to provide for the next generation of SXU alums. 

Tourtillott is an accomplished intellectual property attorney at Neal & McDevitt, LLC, with a focus on the sports and entertainment industry. She advises clients ranging from individuals to startups and global corporations on intellectual property portfolio management, prosecution, licensing, and enforcement matters.

Outside of her professional work, Tourtillott enjoys staying active by participating in 5Ks and playing basketball in a recreational league. She is also a passionate volunteer tutor with Tutoring Chicago. Tourtillott currently lives in Bucktown on Chicago’s North Side with her wife and their dog, Stetson.  

Ward is an educational leader and scholar. After obtaining a master’s degree in secondary education (English language arts) from Saint Xavier, she became a licensed professional educator in Illinois. She worked as a high school English teacher at Chicago Public Schools for several years. Over the last decade, she has diversified her teaching experiences, which now include teaching English as a Second Language at Malcolm X College, training instructional coaches at Chicago Public Schools, and teaching undergraduates at Northern Illinois University in the Center for Black Studies. A lifelong scholar, Ward is a doctoral candidate in the College of Education at NIU and is expected to earn an Ed.D. in curriculum and instruction this year. 

Servant leadership is one of Ward’s core values, as demonstrated by her service within Chicago Public Schools and Northern Illinois University. Ward leads the Teacher Leaders of Color affinity group at CPS to support BIPOC educators. Additionally, Ward served as a founding member of the Academic Student Equity Committee within the College of Education at NIU, bridging the knowledge gaps related to gender, sexuality, racial, ethnic, and learner identities between students and professors within the college.

When Ward has spare time, she enjoys playing golf, crocheting, and traveling with her family and friends.