Dr. Herrin named General Trustee of Lincoln Academy

Medical, business and civic leader Dr. Roger Herrin of Harrisburg has been named a General Trustee of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois. He was notified recently of his appointment by former Governor Pat Quinn in a letter from Thomas Johnson, the Chancellor of the Academy.

According to the organization's website, the Lincoln Academy of Illinois is a not-for-profit, nonpartisan, and self-perpetuating corporation established in 1964 to recognize the outstanding contributions made by living Illinois citizens, whether by birth or by residence, toward the social, cultural, and technological progress of mankind and thereby to encourage greater dedication to such progress by all citizens of Illinois. Members of the Academy, proclaimed Laureates, are decorated with the Order of Lincoln, the State of Illinois' highest award, at a formal public ceremony each year.

"To join this group of distinguished Illinoisans whose mission it is to honor the best and brightest our state has produced is a great honor in itself," said Dr. Herrin. "I am appreciative of the governor's recognition and will do my best to honor his confidence as well as the legacy of our great President Lincoln whose memory we honor with the academy's work."

As a General Trustee, Dr. Herrin joins leaders from across Illinois who are charged with selecting those individuals who best exemplify the legacy of Illinois' favorite son. They are charged with bestowing the Order of Lincoln, the State's highest award for individual achievement, as well as serving as sponsors of the academy's annual Student Laureate Award Program which honors college seniors for their excellence in curricular and extracurricular activities.

Prior recipients of The Order of Lincoln include President Ronald Reagan, Chicago Bears' Walter Payton, Poet Laureate Gwendolyn Brooks, author David Herbert Donald, business leader Lester Crown, Nobel scientist Leon Lederman, former United States First Lady, US Senator and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Duke University Men's Basketball Coach Mike Krzyzewski.

A native of Hardin County, Dr. Herrin earned his Bachelor of Science degree from Bethel College in McKenzie Tenn., in 1960, and completed additional graduate work at DePaul University, Roosevelt University, Elmhurst College and Northwestern University. He attended the University of Illinois College of Medicine and completed pre-clinical studies before graduating from Illinois College of Podiatric Medicine in 1969 with a Doctor of Podiatric Medicine Degree.

Retired from the practice of surgical podiatry and sports medicine in Harrisburg, Dr. Herrin is president of RDK Management Services, which owns and manages five long-term care facilities in Southern Illinois. Prior to merging with MidCountry Bank, he was president of ComBank, Inc., a banking corporation that owned and operated seven community banks in Southern Illinois known as Community National Bank.

Dr. Roger Herrin was appointed to the SIU Board of Trustees in April 2011. He has served as chair of the board and chair of the board's executive committee. He currently serves as chair of the board's finance committee. He formerly served as the vice chairman of the original Illinois Finance Authority and was chairman of the Underwriting Committee. He also served on the Illinois Health Care Reform Task Force and as a board member of the former Illinois Health Facilities Authority.

Dr. Herrin's first activity as a Lincoln Academy General Trustee will be at the organization's annual convocation in May.