Former Catlin resident, Krista McMasters, made national and international headlines when she succeeded her mentor, Carl George, as CEO of Clifton Gunderson, LLP, Certified Accountants and Consultants. Clifton Gunderson has a staff of more than 2,000 professionals serving clients from 45 offices across the country. When she took the reins in June 2009, Kris became the firm’s fourth CEO in its 60-year history; she also became the first and only female CEO in the history of the accounting profession among the top 15 firms.

Before she made headlines, Kris made the decision to enroll at Danville Area Community College, then Danville Junior College. In 1976, she graduated Summa Cum Laude from DJC, with a perfect 5.0 GPA, and delivered the class address at Commencement. From DJC, Kris transferred to the University of Illinois where she graduated with highest honors in 1978 with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting.

Kris recognizes the value of her community college roots. “Aside from the cost benefits a community college provides, for me, it was more about how enrolling in a two year program helped prepare me for my continuing education aspirations. I was very fortunate to have been afforded a quality education at Danville Junior College. That quality education included a great curriculum, experienced instructors, small class size, but most important to me was the one-on-one interaction I had with my professors – something I knew couldn’t be matched at a four-year institution.”