John P. Heybach, Ph.D.

Founder & President +

Before founding Altus Academy, John was director of the Midtown Center for Boys, one of the premier non-profit supplemental educational institutions in the country providing underserved boys with programs spanning the 4th grade through post- secondary education. John earned a Ph.D. in Physiological Psychology in 1976, worked as a post-doctoral associate with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and was a research associate at the Bowman Gray Medical School at Wake Forest University. John worked for 30 years as a businessman and entrepreneur developing new businesses for multinational corporations such as Monsanto and Kraft Foods (General Foods) in the United States, Europe and globally, and more recently his own businesses in the United States. John earned a Master of Management degree from the Kellogg Graduate School of Business Management at Northwestern University in 1989.

John has been involved in non-profit organizations for 35 years. His past civic contributions include serving on the board of the Marshall Square Boys and Girls Club in Chicago’s Pilsen Community, as chair of the Board of Limited Jurisdiction for Saint Mary of the Angels Elementary School in Chicago, and as Operations Director for the Lincoln Park Homeless Shelter in Chicago. He served as Chairman of Board of the Prader-Willi Syndrome Association USA, an international organization based in Sarasota, Florida that sponsors medical research and provides a range of support services for individuals with Prader-Willi syndrome, their families, and caregivers.

The founding of Altus Academy was a natural outgrowth of the strategic planning program John led while director of the Midtown Center. Altus was founded to meet the pressing need identified to create an educational environment that promoted the integral human development of the students and community that Altus academy serves. Altus represents a powerful new initiative in putting the Social Doctrine of the Catholic Church into action in education.

John lives in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago with his wife Sue, an elementary school educator and counselor and advisor to Altus and his son Conor. John’s daughter Michelene is an attorney, founding board member and of counsel to Altus Academy.

Sean Haley

Chair of the Board of Altus Academy and Vice President, Sage Products, Inc.(retired) +

Sean spent 27 years with Sage Products, Inc. in Cary Illinois, a privately-held American firm that develops, manufactures and distributes innovative drugs, devices and cosmetics into healthcare settings all over the world. Sage is known for innovative products as much as for their culture and people, named one of Fortune Magazine's "Best Places to Work" many times over the years. Sean's contributions included leadership roles in Operations, Quality, Regulatory and Clinical Affairs as well as in Materials. Sage is now part of Stryker Medical. Sean retired in August 2017.

Sean has been involved in community service for more than 25 years, beginning with Public Action to Deliver Shelter (PADS), a McHenry County-based organization that provides emergency shelter and meals to homeless in the area, where he and his family still contribute time and talent in a variety of ways. He served for John Heybach on the Midtown Advisory Council, where he inspired and led the strategic planning effort for that organization. Sean is a founding board member of Altus Academy. He is a graduate of the 2005 charter class of Leadership Greater McHenry County (LGMC), an organization dedicated to educating and inspiring leaders to engage in community leadership and served as LGMC's Board President for several years. He is also the past Chairman of the McHenry Police Commission. Sean graduated from Northern Illinois University in 1985 with a BA in Journalism and a minor in Language and Writing.

Sean and his wife Renae have four children – Emily, Babz, George and Quinn – and make their home in McHenry, Illinois.

Thomas J. Dee

Retired Pharmaceutical Executive, Abbott Laboratories & Avexis, Inc. +

Thomas Dee’s most recent position was Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer at Avexis Inc. Prior to that, Tom spent 24 years with Abbott. After starting at Abbott as Senior Internal Auditor he held various management positions in Abbott's corporate finance group and international pharmaceutical business. Prior to retiring in 2013 as Vice President, Global Finance Operations, Tom served as Vice President and Controller for Abbott's Pharmaceutical Products business; Vice President, Internal Audit; Controller, Manufacturing Operations; Director, Acquisition Integration Management; and Finance Director, Europe Area. Prior to joining Abbott, Tom worked for Arthur Andersen LLP and Carson Pirie Scott.

Mr. Dee serves as a member of the board of directors of Altus Academy, and the board of trustees for Cristo Rey St. Martin College Prep. He is an investor in and mentor for the Impact Engine in Chicago. He is also active in charities work and has served as a member of the steering committee for the Lake County Catholic Charities Annual Golf Classic for over 15 years.

He earned a bachelor's degree in accounting from Northern Illinois University and a master’s degree in management from Northwestern University’s Kellogg Graduate School of Management. He is a Certified Public Accountant.

Lisa C. Freeman, DVM, Ph.D.

President, Northern Illinois University +

Lisa has focused her academic career on bringing people and resources together to solve complex problems.

Freeman was president at Northern Illinois University (NIU) in 2018. Previously she served as executive vice president and provost since May 2014, after serving on an interim basis. From 2010-2013, she served as NIU’s vice president for Research and Graduate Studies. Freeman is also a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences.

Formerly, Freeman spent 16 years at Kansas State University (K-State), where she served as a principal investigator on research and training grants; taught courses in pharmacology, and in the responsible conduct of research; and acted as a mentor to numerous graduate students, postdoctoral trainees and early career faculty members. In 2005, Freeman was promoted to professor and also became the associate dean for Research and Graduate Programs for the K-State College of Veterinary Medicine. Subsequently, in 2008, she became associate vice president for Innovation for the K- State Olathe Innovation Campus. In this role, Freeman was responsible for fostering partnerships across academia, industry and the public sector to promote educational attainment, economic engagement and workforce development.

Since joining NIU, Freeman has served on the Illinois Innovation Council, as well as on the boards of directors of the Fermi Research Alliance; the Chicago Council on Science and Technology; and the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center. She has been a member of the executive committees of the Association of Public, Land- Grant Universities (APLU) Councils on Research Policy and Graduate Education and Academic Affairs; the APLU Commission on Information, Measurement and Analysis; and the American Council on Education Council of Fellows.

Freeman earned a bachelor's degree in 1981, and a master's degree and a doctor of veterinary medicine in 1986, from Cornell University. She went on to earn a doctor of philosophy at The Ohio State University in 1989, and subsequently worked as a postdoctoral fellow and research scientist at the University of Rochester, School of Medicine. In 2004-05, Freeman was a Fellow of the American Council on Education hosted by the University at Buffalo.

Freeman's research focused the role of ion channels in the development of diseases such as gastrointestinal ulcers and ovarian cancer as well as on strategies for encouraging interdisciplinary interactions. Her work was funded by the American Heart Association, the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation. Freeman has written more than 50 peer-reviewed publications, invited reviews and book chapters. She has been invited to present research findings, and to discuss effective strategies for engaging trainees in STEM research, at national and international conferences.

Michelene Bajakian, JD

Of Counsel of Altus Academy +

Michelene is an attorney licensed to practice law in both Illinois and Michigan. She is a 2003 graduate of Ave Maria School of Law and a 1999 graduate of DePaul University. In her varied legal experiences, she has served as in-house counsel for a large multi-national corporation, has worked public policy affairs in the non-profit sector, and has built and run her own law practice, providing a variety of legal services including estate planning, family law, criminal law, Native American law, and business law. She currently works as a legal consultant for the crisis center of Prader-Willi Syndrome Association, a national non-profit organization that assists individuals with the syndrome. Michelene has also developed and taught a course on Social Justice and the Law at the university level.

Michelene has been active in volunteering for non-profit organizations. She has served as a member of St. Vincent DePaul Society which seeks to aid the poor in various ways and has also mentored women incarcerated on felony charges though JobsPlus StepUp Mentoring. In the past she served on the board of the Isabella Community Soup Kitchen in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan where she spearheaded their fundraising activities and implemented a new strategic development plan. She has been active as a volunteer and board member of the Prader-Willi Syndrome Association’s Illinois Chapter, where she organized a fundraising event in conjunction with the Chicago Bears. She has also volunteer taught and mentored teenage girls in Chicago at the Metro Achievement Center and volunteered at Catholic Charities Legal Aid Clinic in downtown Chicago. Residing in the Chicago area with her husband Mike, Michelene now continues legal consulting from her home office as she raises her daughters, Mary, Anna, Emma and Rose and her son Sam. She is a founding board member of Altus Academy and serves as counsel when legal needs arise.

In Memoriam: Hank Underwood, JD (1944-2022)

Attorney at Law, Howard & Howard +

Since the early 1970’s, Hank had been practicing law in downtown Chicago, specializing in business transactions and counseling on general business issues. Hank was at Defrees & Fiske for many years prior to its merger with Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC, a mid-sized firm headquartered in the Detroit area. Hank was the managing partner at Defrees and had served as the managing partner of the Howard & Howard Chicago office since the merger in 2009. Hank did his undergraduate work at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and received his law degree from the University of Chicago Law School. After being awarded a Rotary Fellowship for international study, received a Masters of Law from the University of London.

Hank was active in his church, which is located in the Hyde Park area of Chicago where he and his wife Janet lived for many years. He was on its governing board from 2003-2008, and in 2009 helped to organize a new Finance Committee, serving as its first chair until he was appointed as warden of the church in 2010, serving in that position until 2015. Hank was committed to the support of the education of young people. He believed that all children should be given tools to succeed as adults, and that Altus Academy would afford that opportunity for its students and their families.

Heron Rodriquez, MD

Department of Vascular Surgery, Northwestern Memorial Hospital +

Heron E. Rodriguez, MD, received his medical degree from (UPAEP) University of the State of Puebla, Mexico and completed his general surgery training at Columbus/St. Joseph Hospital in Chicago. He completed a fellowship in vascular and endovascular surgery at Northwestern Memorial Hospital.

He holds board certifications for general surgery and vascular and endovascular surgery. Dr. Rodriguez is an Associate Professor of Surgery and Radiology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. As the director of the Vascular Surgery Residency Program, he oversees the education and formation of residents in this specialty. He is co-director of the Limb Preservation Clinic and Chair of the Surgery Peer Review Committee. He also treats veterans at the Jesse Brown VA Hospital in Chicago. He is currently Secretary of CVHH, an international society of Spanish speaking vascular surgeons.

Alfredo Villegas

Principal, Altus Academy +

Alfredo Villegas serves as the Principal of Altus Academy. He is in charge of the day-to-day operations and in ensuring that the academic programs, outside partnerships, and family engagement align with the mission and vision of Altus Academy. Alfredo is also involved in curriculum planning, fundraising, and development. Alfredo previously taught 8th-grade math and science and was the lead coach of Altus Academy's Robotics Program. Alfredo received his B.S. from the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Al Kagan

Deloitte - Partner +

Al Kagan is a principal partner with Deloitte Consulting LLP. During his nearly 25-year consulting career, Al has led his clients through significant business and technology transformation projects resulting in enhanced customer service capabilities and operational efficiencies to enable business growth. Al’s current roles at Deloitte are as Lead Client Service Partner for the State of Indiana and Lead Consulting Partner for the State of Illinois, where he focuses on helping these states provide improved and streamlined access to services to their residents.

Federico Sciammarella, Ph.D.

MxD - President & CTO +

Federico serves as President and CTO of MxD, in charge of developing and implementing the technology vision for the institute. Federico was previously Associate Professor at Northern Illinois University in the College of Engineering. He has numerous publications and patents in laser assisted machining and additive manufacturing. He received his B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. from the Illinois Institute of Technology.