Board of Trustees

Cody Cornell

Secretary, Columbia; Elected to Serve July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025

Cody Cornell, a senior majoring in Agriculture Science from Columbia, Illinois, has been elected to serve his third term as the student member of the WIU Board of Trustees from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025.

Cornell is an active member of the Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity, where he previously held the position of Noble Ruler (President). He also serves on the Alpha Gamma Rho Fraternity National Collegiate Advisory Council until 2025. His involvement extends to the Fraternity and Sorority Political Action Committee Board, where he is a member of the Student Advisory Committee. During his sophomore year, he served as the Director of Academic Affairs for the Student Government Association and currently acts as the liaison between the Board of Trustees and the Student Government Association.

Throughout his time at Western Illinois University, Cornell has been a part of the AgVocators Team, the Interfraternity Council, the Academic Calendar Committee, the Honors College SWOT Analysis Team, and the St. Francis Catholic Newman Center. He has received several accolades, including a nomination for the Lincoln Laureate Award, serving as an Honors Convocation Marshal, the Dan and Laura Webb Pre-Law Scholarship, the New Member of the Year Award from the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life, a nomination for the Kinsey Tiemann Emerging Leader Award from the Office of Student Engagement, and the George Washington Carver Award from the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. Additionally, he is a Dean's List Scholar.

In the summer of 2024, Cornell is interning with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture in Washington, D.C. as the Congressional and Stakeholder Affairs intern. During the school year, he works as the National Intern and Ambassador Coordinator for the Prairie Hills Resource Conservation and Development, Inc. that plans and conducts activities that increase the conservation of natural resources, support economic development, and enhance the environment and standard of living for citizens in the Macomb community.

As a member of the WIU Board of Trustees, Cornell is dedicated to representing the voices and concerns of WIU students, ensuring the institution remains a place of opportunity and success for all members of the Leatherneck community.

Cornell will serve as the Secretary for the WIU Board of Trustees from July 1, 2024, to June 30, 2025.

Contact: 
Student Organization Center, Western Illinois University
1 University Circle
Macomb, IL  61455
Email: CT-Trustee@wiu.edu