WIU: Who We Are, What We Do: The Kennys

University News

WIU: Who We Are, What We Do: The Kennys

July 18, 2016

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Behind the bricks and mortar, there are the people of Western Illinois University and the Macomb community.

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Who We Are:

My name is Natalie Kenny. I was born and raised right here in Macomb, IL. I consider myself to be shy, friendly, and hardworking.

I am Jim Kenny and have lived in Macomb, IL since 1991. Before that, I resided in Tulsa, OK having grown up there and eventually working at the Westin Hotel after completing my undergraduate degree. My degrees are from Oklahoma State University with a bachelor's in marketing, a master's of business administration, and a Ph.D. in marketing. I consider myself to be friendly, outgoing, and fun-loving.

I am Peppi Kenny. I have lived in Macomb, IL since 1991 after having lived in both Texas and Oklahoma. I have a bachelor's degree in accounting from Texas A & M, and a master's in business administration and Ph.D. in finance from Oklahoma State University. Past students have described me as kind, helpful, approachable, and friendly. Jim and I are parents to Michelle and Natalie. My parents moved here to be near their granddaughters, and we were blessed to have 10 years with my mother here before she passed away. My father, Dimmick Bymaster, still lives just around the corner from us and enjoys attending all the WIU events with us.

What We Do:

Natalie: I am currently a student at Western Illinois University, with an anticipated graduation date of 2019. Although I haven't decided on a major yet, I am interested in studying business management, with a minor in event planning or exercise science. In my free time, I volunteer at the WIU Infant and Preschool Center. I love working with young children. It certainly keeps me busy!

Jim: I have taught marketing courses during the past 25 years at WIU specializing in both personal selling and sales management. I keep active with the current marketing world by doing independent consulting. This practice has allowed me the opportunity to help numerous students gain full-time employment.

Peppi: I teach finance courses at Western Illinois University at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

Why We Love WIU:

Natalie: I learned to love Western Illinois University while growing up in Macomb, because I attended lots of sporting and performing arts events on campus. The size of the university is a good fit for me, because it is not too big and I know how to get around campus easily. I also like the atmosphere around the WIU campus, because it is a friendly campus and the professors have been nice to work with. The opportunity to work with a personal trainer at the recreation center has also been a lot of fun for me.

Jim: Western is a very friendly campus. Generally, the students are polite and hard-working, and it brings great joy teaching them and seeing them develop into young adults whom I can recommend for employment. The Western campus is a nice size and class sizes lend themselves well to the style of teaching I prefer with significant student interaction and activities in class. The recreation center is phenomenal and all three of us enjoy using it on a regular basis.

Peppi: When Jim and I moved here in 1991, we thought we would stay at WIU for a few years and then move. We enjoyed our colleagues at WIU, the safety of Macomb, and the students so much that we never left! The class sizes at WIU allow me the opportunity to interact with almost all my students during each class. This is especially important to me to be able to make sure they understand the required calculations and to be able to provide any needed help.

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