Biography

Anthony “Tony” Pomonis brings more than 21 years of leadership experience to this role. He previously served as Director of Development at the University of Illinois Foundation where he led national support teams for the Humanities Research Institute and Krannert Center for the Performing Arts. To date, Tony has secured more than $15M for organizations he represents. His experience in the academic world includes work representing the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, the University of Illinois Springfield, and the University of Illinois-Chicago. Before taking on roles in higher education, he was the Founder, President, and COO of Merry-Ann’s Diner in Central Illinois, which he expanded from one franchise location to four.

Tony is a 2002 University of Illinois alumnus (BA in English, Minor in Spanish). He is the Co-founder of the Cognitive Empowerment Consulting Group, LLC which focuses on best practices for ethical fundraising. He completed his CFP education last year and plans to sit for the national exam soon.