Board of Directors

William M. Tank, Jr. is Executive Vice President and Chief Credit Officer of QCR Holdings, Inc. In addition to Bethany for Children & Families, Bill serves on the Board of Directors of the Center for Alcohol and Drug Services. Bill has over thirty years of banking experience in credit administration, commercial lending, residential lending, retail banking, and as a bank President and Chief Executive Officer. Bill has a Masters of Business Administration from Drake University. He previously served as a board member of New Ventures.

Kevin Koski has been President of Missman, Stanley & Associates, a Civil Engineering Consulting Firm, since 2000. He is a registered Professional Engineer and has been with the firm for thirty-eight years. He has a Bachelors of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of Notre Dame. Along with Bethany for Children & Families, Kevin has been active within and served in a leadership role in many professional, fraternal, religious, community service, and economic development organizations. He was named “Rock Island Citizen of the Year” in 2005. Kevin and his wife Jane have been married for thirty-eight years and have two children.

LaFrance Russell retired from Deere & Company in 2005 after thirty years of service. As a Bethany Board member, LaFrance serves on the Fund Development/Marketing Committee. LaFrance has extensive Board experience, serving as Board Director with the YWCA and as Membership Committee Chair and Second Vice President of the Waterloo chapter. She served as Chair of the Board of Directors for the American Red Cross-Hawkeye Chapter in Waterloo, as well as Chair for their Membership, Human Resource, and Fund Development Committee. LaFrance served as a member on the Davenport NAACP Chapter Executive Board and as a representative of Zeta Phi Beta for the March of Dimes’ State Board. LaFrance has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Northern Iowa in Business, Humanities and Fine Arts, and Psychology, as well as earned graduate credits. LaFrance is married to Willie Russell.

Ruth Evelyn Katz has served as an active member of the Bethany for Children & Families Board of Directors since 1950. As a worldwide traveler, she brings rich experiences to the many boards with which she is associated. A community leader, she has been active in and has received many awards from various Quad City cultural organizations. Ruth Evelyn gives generously of her time and talent and furthers the mission of service to families and children in the community. A graduate of Augustana College, Ruth Evelyn was the wife of the late Isador Katz, and together they raised two children.

Kim Benson has served as a substitute teacher for the Moline School district before staying home to raise three children. Along with Bethany for Children & Families, Kim has served on numerous not-for-profit boards including the William Butterworth Trust, Tri-City Garden Club, The Quad-City Sports Center, Committee for Disadvantaged At-Risk Youth (DARY), Quad-City Symphony Junior Board, Moline Booster Club, and Bible Study Fellowship (BSF). She has a Bachelor of Science in Education from Illinois State University. Kim is married to Peter Benson, an attorney with Lane & Waterman, LLP, and lives in Moline.

Russ Kennel is retired after working for Lee Enterprises for fifteen years. In his last position with Lee Enterprises, Russ served as their Chief Financial Officer of the Publishing Group. Prior to that, he worked for McGladrey & Pullen for ten years, three of which he served as a partner. Along with Bethany for Children & Families, Russ currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Rock Island Public Library and its Foundation. He served five years as a member of the School Board of Rock Island/Milan School District #41. Russ graduated from University of Iowa with a degree in Accounting; he is a registered CPA in Iowa and Illinois. Russ and his wife Linda have been married for forty-one years and have two children and two grandchildren.

Mark J. Kleinschmidt retired in 2008 after thirteen years as the Chief Financial Officer for Genesis Health System and President of a for-profit affiliate. Along with Bethany for Children & Families, Mark has served on numerous not-for-profit boards including the Quad-City Symphony Orchestra Association (as President beginning in July 2009); Quad-City Symphony Trust; the American Diabetes Association-Quad-Cities America’s Walk for Diabetes; and Our Savior Lutheran Church. Mark has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from Valparaiso University, an earned Masters in Business Administration from Northern Illinois University, and CPA certification. Mark and his wife Barbara live in Davenport and are the parents of three (plus one “adopted”) children.

Maria (“Rosie”) Salazar has worked for John Deere since 2000 and is currently the Global Logistics Quality Manager within its Worldwide Logistics and Worldwide Supply Chain Management. Rosie has served on the Bethany for Children & Families Board for five consecutive years and is currently the Chair of the Marketing and Development Committee. Prior to joining John Deere, Rosie worked at Deloitte & Touche, LLP, in San Francisco and San Jose. Rosie is active in her church and other local community organizations; she has a passion for philanthropic efforts. A native Texan, Rosie has a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration from Texas A&M. Rosie and her family reside in Davenport.

Mike Weger has been the Director for the Black Hawk Area Special Education District for eight years. Prior to that, for the previous twenty-six years, he has worked as a teacher, school psychologist, educational administrator, and licensed clinical psychologist in Iowa and Illinois. Along with Bethany for Children & Families, Mike is on the Board of Directors for the Illinois Alliance of Administrators of Special Education; and on the Board of Directors for the First United Presbyterian Church of Moline. Mike has a doctorate in School Psychology and is a certified State Approved Director of Special Education. Married for 27 years, Mike and wife Julie have four children, Jessie, Evan, Luke, and Jenna.

Patricia Castro has been an Assistant State’s Attorney in the Rock Island County State’s Attorney’s Office since 1997. Along with Bethany for Children & Families, Patricia is on the City of Rock Island Human Rights Commission and on the Board of Directors for Viva Quad Cities, Inc. She previously served on the Black Hawk Community College Foundation Board of Directors. A native Quad-Citian, Patricia went to Augustana College before attending law school at Drake University.

Al DeSimone is Vice President for Leadership Gifts at Augustana College. Along with Bethany for Children & Families, Al volunteers with the Isabel Bloom Art Education Fund; Bi-State Tennis Association; and the Moline Rotary Scholarship Committee. A native of Chicago and a graduate of Elmhurst College, Al has over twenty-five years of experience in raising funds for Augustana and the Illinois Institute of Technology. Al and his wife Lynne live in Bettendorf have two children.

Tim Schermer is the Director of Institutional Research for Augustana College. Tim served as the previous past Board Chair for Bethany for Children & Families. He is a member of the Rock Island Art Guild and is active in the First Covenant Church in Moline. Tim has a Bachelors in Mathematics from North Park University in Chicago and a Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of California at Berkeley. He has lived in the Quad Cities since beginning his career at Augustana in 1976. Tim and his wife Martha live in Bettendorf and have two grown children.

Lance Willett has served as President of the Adler Theatre and as Chief Executive Officer of the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts since 2007. Along with Bethany for Children & Families, he is a Board member and past Chair of Marriage and Family Counseling Service, the RiverCenter Advisory Board, and DavenportOne’s Arts and Cultural Committee; Lance also serves as an advisor to several other organizations. After thirty-one years, Lance is retired from the Quad-City Symphony Orchestra Association. He is a graduate of the University of Iowa and is a fellow of Stanford’s Executive Leadership Program. Lance and his wife Belinda are parents of an adult son.

Brett Van has worked for Modern Woodmen of America for over fifteen years and is the Portfolio Manager for a $3.5 billion fixed income portfolio. Along with being on the Board of Directors for Bethany for Children & Families, Brett is a Chartered Financial Analyst and holds a Masters of Business Administration from the University of Iowa. A native Quad-Citian, Brett graduated from Moline High School and served five years in the United States Navy before beginning his career in finance. Brett and his wife Molly live in Coal Valley and have two children.

Keely Byars has been with Lee Enterprises for twelve years and currently is the director of advertising for the Quad-City Times in Davenport. She has served on the Board for Bethany for Children & Families since 2008. Keely is involved in Young Women of Achievement, the Girl Scouts, United Way, and many other community events.

Ron Edwards is a Senior Attorney at Deere & Company, practicing in securities and finances. Along with Bethany for Children & Families, Ron currently serves on the Board of Directors for Christian Care Domestic Violence Shelter and Rescue Mission. He also serves on the Fundraising Committee for Prairie State Legal Services. Ron earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, in 2004, and a J.D. from The Ohio State University, Moritz College of Law in 2007. While attending law school, Ron externed for a judge in the Federal District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, and served as a summer associate for Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Aronoff, LLP, in Columbus, Ohio. Ron, his wife Katrina, and his baby son live in Davenport.