Greg Else (’97) received the Luminary Award as a testament to his outstanding contributions to his community and for being an inspiration to others in his roles of mentorship, service and philanthropy.
“Greg is an inspiration for others in their roles of mentorship, service and leadership to help make our world a better place. He’s demonstrated service and philanthropy to UW-Stout and organizations at the city, community and neighborhood levels,” said UW-Stout Foundation & Alumni Association Board of Directors President Linda Funk.
Else has a B.S. in business administration, with a concentration in risk management. He is the director of Monitoring and Controls, Individual and Family Markets, with Health Care Service Corporation, headquartered in Chicago.
His career within the health care industry has spanned management and consulting, information technology, project implementation and process improvement, sales and account management, and regulatory compliance roles.
Greg has been active in the community since he was a child. Growing up in Watertown, Wisconsin, he and his family volunteered at soup kitchens, nursing homes and food pantries. His volunteerism began through church service projects and then school- and job-based opportunities.
His sense of service carried over into his time at UW-Stout, when he volunteered each week at the Dunn County Food Pantry, now known as Stepping Stones of Dunn County, as well as on community service projects through the American Marketing Association.
Else is co-founder of In-Abled Disability Business Resource Group, an affinity group for people with disabilities, their caregivers and supporters.
His philanthropy also includes serving as:
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois' corporate lead for Chicago Cares Serve-a-thon, the city’s largest day of service.
- Co-lead of the Employee Volunteerism committee, which coordinates more than 60 volunteer projects each year.
- Coordinator of BCBSIL United Way Celebration of Caring events.
In 2015, Else received the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois Volunteer of the Year award. At the time, he had been with Health Care Service Corporation for 13 years and had logged more than 1,000 volunteer hours in Blue Corps Volunteer Program.
After residing in Chicago for 22 years, he now lives in Watertown and continues to support his community at weekly Loaves and Fishes community meals and other service opportunities.
“For me, it’s important to give back to the communities that helped shape who I am. This includes my hometown, UW-Stout and Chicago,” Else said. “My time at UW-Stout helped direct the course of my life and enabled me to have a successful career, which inspires me to support students.”
Else has served on UW-Stout’s Foundation & Alumni Association Board for 15 years and was elected treasurer in 2021. During his time with the Foundation, its assets have grown from $31 million to $91 million. Through the Foundation, he has established an endowed scholarship.
Else thinks that UW-Stout’s hands-on approach to learning and the internship requirement provided him with the real-world experience to position him well for professional success.
“My advice to young students planning on going into business administration is to say, ‘Yes!,’ to new opportunities whenever possible,” he said. “Business administration opens up a wide variety of opportunities. Take advantage of professional development activities and pursue professional designations, like those offered online at UW-Stout.
“Develop an intellectual curiosity to figure things out and have a problem-solving mindset. In whatever role you’re taking on, jump right in and ask questions to become knowledgeable and help find solutions to business problems. Stay focused, keep moving forward and never quit. When challenges arise, evaluate the options, develop an action plan and hold yourself accountable to evaluate how things are going,” he added.
