Travis is a wonderful student who currently participates in a blended program between the Transition Program and adult services through Canopy. Within moments of meeting him Travis' personality was evident to all of our staff and his peers. He is a big fan of walking through the halls to greet people throughout the building, and provided the right music, can offer up more dance moves than just about anyone else in the building. Travis is a caring person who is aware of his fellow students and peers, often asking, "Where are the children?" if passing an empty classroom, or letting a staff know when another student is upset. Travis is a joy to be around and really makes Giant Steps a fulfilling place to be every day.

Jeff Bowen was  just elected as the Giant Steps Chairman of the Board. Jeff has been a boardmember since 2011, and he is excited to serve as Chairman during this term.  Jeff also serves as Chief Administrative Officer for Dana Holding Corporation.  He oversees all Human Resources activities, Corporate and Government Affairs and Marketing Communications, and Worldwide Facilities.

 

Jeff came to Dana from Navistar, Inc., where he served as vice president, responsible for integrating Navistar's Product Development team with its World Headquarters in Lisle, Illinois.  Jeff also has operations experience, most recently as vice president, general manager of DealCor, responsible for managing and divesting the Navistar-owned $1.5 billion dealership portfolio.

 

Jeff earned a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in 1981 and a master's degree in business administration from Syracuse University, with emphasis in human resources and operations management.

Brian Sheehan

Corporate Sponsorship Committee Chair - Junior Board

Brian is employed by CenterPoint Properties as a Development Manager in the Infrastructure and Logistics group.  His focus is the management of land development projects, specifically industrial developments with logistical advantages such as rail and/or port proximity.  Brian has been with CenterPoint since 2008, and he is also a Licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Illinois.  He graduated from the University of Illinois in 2006 with Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering. Brian was first introduced to Giant Steps by his wife, Nadia, who is the Director of Human Resources at Giant Steps.  After attending a few events at Giant Steps, Brian wanted to become more involved with the school, and he is honored to be one of the inaugural members of the Junior Board.