MEET THE TEAM
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Tammy Wilson
Executive Director
Jason Kitson
Program Director
Tammy joined The Vault staff in October of 2019. Previously, she worked as a literacy specialist and ESL teacher for Richland Community College. Prior to that, she served as the theatre director for both Clinton High School and Decatur Christian School. Her love for teaching, teens, and telling people what to do have found a perfect home in her position as Executive Director at The Vault. Oh, and she loves jelly donuts, dogs, dark chocolate, and alliteration.
Jason was one of the first supporters of The Vault way back in 2016 when The Vault was just getting started. He joined our staff in the summer of 2021 alongside his wife, McKenna. What a full circle moment! When Jason isn't planning our awesome programs, he likes to spend his time watching a good movie (Marvel all the way), spending time with his family and friends, or playing outside with his two dogs. He's also our chess expert. Challenge him at a game at your own risk.
Wendy DeMent
Director of Marketing and Finance
Wendy became involved with The Vault in 2017 as a volunteer on the fundraising committee and later joined the staff in the summer of 2019. Wendy is married with four children, a dog, and a cat. She enjoys beach vacations, singing Taylor Swift songs with her youngest, and amateur cat photography. Her lifelong dream is to be welcomed into a room with a confetti cannon.
Kaitlin Burton
Programming Assistant
Kaitlin is a junior at Illinois State University majoring in Psychology and minoring in Sociology. She was very involved at The Vault during high school, serving as a Student Ambassador, cafe volunteer, and Student Cafe Manager. We are thrilled to have her assist us with our program set-up, clean-up, and everything in between!
Dillon Barnard
Event Assistant
Dillion has been involved with The Vault for the past two years as a mentor and is famous for being our tour guide for our Scare Downstairs. He has been married to Ashley for ten years, and they have four beautiful daughters. When he’s not at The Vault, Dillion is a special needs job coach for Clinton High School. He also volunteers for the local Cub Scouts pack 4142. His hobbies include cooking, board games, and going to the movies. We are excited to have him on board as our event assistant!
Jasmine Gentry
Student Art Program Instructor
Jasmine joins us this year as our Student Art Program Instructor. Art is her passion, and she enjoys working on her own projects as well as having the students participate in the projects she has prepared. Jasmine is a senior in high school and plans to continue in the art field after graduation.
Chelsea Irwin
Education Liaison
Chelsea joined the staff in the fall of 2023. Her role as the Education Liaison is to organize the After-Hours programs and assist Jason with our Envision U Summer Career Camps. When she is not working with our students, you will find her with her mini sidekicks as a stay-at-home mom. She will never turn down Mexican food and loves a good book!
Bekah DeMent
Student Cafe Manager
Bekah began volunteering in the café and became the student manager in June 2024. She is starting her junior year of homeschooling and enjoys crocheting, anime, listening to Taylor Swift, and traveling to the Outer Banks. She has three older siblings, a cat named Romeo and a dog named Warren (who is a very good boy).
Daisy
Director of Cuddles and Snuggles
Daisy, the Vault’s comfort dog, joined our team in April 2021. At six weeks old, she began training with trainer David Dodd and then with Tammy Wilson, our Executive Director, who became her handler and “mom.” She is part of PawPrint Ministries and received her Comfort Dog Certification in January 2023.
Daisy is a sweet, energetic pup who brings joy and smiles to our Vault students. She has also been a source of comfort for students having a bad day. In addition to her presence during Hangouts, she is part of our Student Dog Handler’s Program, where, each year, two students learn dog-handling skills and can assist Tammy by taking Daisy potty, feeding her, and ensuring she’s behaving! Daisy’s favorite activity is playing fetch with her ball; she would play for hours if she could! She has been a fun, furry addition to The Vault!
Our Board Members
Rob Spickard
President
Chief Deputy Spickard served 11 years as an Illinois Army National Guard medic and over 20 years with the DeWitt County Sheriff's Office occupying K9, General Criminal Detective, Inspector with the Illinois State Police Task Force, Patrol Sergeant, Chief of Jail Operations, and currently serves as the Chief Deputy. Additionally, Rob serves as a board member for the local Clinton Youth Initiative Program.
Vice President
Tim Holl
Tim is the Public Defender for DeWitt County. He attended Southern Illinois University, where he completed the dual-degree JD/MBA program, and has been a licensed attorney in Illinois since 2016. He has been a mentor at the Vault since the 2022-2023 school year and a member of the Clinton Rotary, serving as president during the 2023-2024 term.
Ann Anderson
Secretary
Ann has a degree in Business from Colorado State University. She and her husband, Randy, have owned Anderson Ford since 1988 where she retired from her position as Office Manager in May of 2019. She previously volunteered with Bible Study Fellowship as a children's leader for 4 years and a women's group leader for 7 years. She is also co-founder of Fan the Flame Christian Concerts, a 501(c)3 created in 2013 to promote Christian concerts and help local charities.
Connie Unruh
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Treasurer
Connie is a licensed CPA and the Financial Literacy Coordinator at TS Institute, an affiliate of First National Bank & Trust of Clinton. Connie worked as a financial advisor for a Christian not-for-profit before joining TS Institute. Before this, she worked as an accountant for several non-profits and a public accounting firm. Connie received her BS degree in Finance from​ Northern Illinois University.
Jim Peck
Jim has been an educator in Central Illinois for the past 11 years, beginning as a classroom teacher at Mt. Pulaski Grade School before moving to Maroa Forsyth Grade School and Middle School. He has served as an administrator at Clinton Junior High School since 2018 and is currently the Principal at CJHS. Jim graduated from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and earned his masters in Educational Leadership from Eastern Illinois University.
Bob Svencner
Bob has been an educator for 29 years and has served as the Clinton High School Assistant Principal for the last 9. He taught for 12 years in a middle school classroom in Lansing, IL., before moving into school administration. He earned his undergraduate degree in Biology from Aurora University and his Master's degree in Curriculum and Instruction from Olivet Nazarene University. He also earned a Master's degree in School Leadership from Concordia University.
Paul Stroup
Paul Stroup is currently serving as the pastor of the Clinton Presbyterian Church. Paul earned a B.A. in Bible Theology from Moody Bible Institute in 1992, a hospitality/culinary degree from Triton College in 1993, and a M. Div. from Lincoln Christian Seminary in 2006. While completing his Masters, he started a culinary education program to train and mentor underemployed and homeless students. He became an ordained minister in 2018.
Ginny Carter
As a 1972 graduate from Clinton High School, Ginny has been a champion for children of all ages for over 40 years. She is currently employed in the Clinton schools and serves faithfully in leadership positions with organizations such as Youth Initiative, Project Grad, Habitat for Humanity, and as a support for school athletics.
Tammy Wilson
Tammy currently serves as The Vault's Executive Director. Before joining The Vault, she worked 6 years in adult education for Richland Community College where she taught reading and math. During that time, she received her ESL Certification from Lincoln Christian University and also taught English to speakers of other languages. She received her BA in Theatre from Illinois State University and served as Theatre Director for both Clinton High School (2008-2012) and Decatur Christian School (2012-2013).
