Alumni Hall of Fame
David A. Shotts
David A. Shotts, a native of Galesburg, Illinois, Mr. Shotts graduated summa cum laude from UIUC with a BA in both Political Science and History; his name is inscribed on the University’s Bronze Tablet. After serving as an Infantry Captain in the US Army, assigned to the Defense Intelligence Agency, Mr. Shotts began a highly successful career in business.
Mr. Shotts established himself quickly as a highly accomplished business executive with experience in manufacturing, operations, P&L management, business development, and engineering. An advocate of "change management," Mr. Shotts has had a great deal of experience with complex negotiations in business, industrial and academic environments. He has been President / CEO of several organizations, including Allied Tube, Frisby PMC (a subsidiary of Intermet Corporation), and Schiegel, Rochester Division (currently BTR US). As an industry leader, Mr. Shotts has testified before both Houses of Congress and was Chairman of the Committee on Pipe & Tube Imports, an industry group that assisted in writing the current GATT treaty. His professional awards include the McDonald & Company Management Medal for Operational Excellence in Manufacturing, which he received in 1995.
In addition to his business career, Mr. Shotts also made important contributions to both academia and public life. He was the Hyneman Fellow in Political Science at UIUC for the 1993-94 AY and is the author of American Government and Politics in Crisis: A Private Citizen’s Call to Challenge and Responsibility. Mr. Shotts is a member of the University of Illinois President’s Council and the University of Illinois Foundation. Mr. Shotts also serves on the Board of Trustees of Garrett Theological Seminary at Northwestern University, where he is currently a Visiting Professor and Fellow in Ethics. He serves as the Chair of the Seminary’s Academic Affairs and has been a principal in the development of its Ethics Center. He also served as a member of the search committee for Northwestern’s president.
Mr. Shotts is an elected Village Trustee of South Barrington; he chairs the Legal and Human Resource Committee. He also serves on the Board of Directors for several civic organizations, including the Police Assistance Board of Chicago, the Friends of Lincoln Park, and the Opera Piccola in Chicago.