Karen Atwood, president of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois (BCBSIL), and Larry R. Rogers Sr., a founding partner of the Chicago law firm of Power, Rogers & Smith, have been named to DePaul University’s Board of Trustees. Both are alumni of the university.

“Karen and Larry bring a wealth of experience and impressive track records to our Board of Trustees,” said the Rev. Dennis H. Holtschneider, C.M., president. “Their expertise will be invaluable as DePaul continues to grow and raise its sights.”

Atwood, 54, joined BCBSIL in 1979. Prior to becoming president, she served as divisional senior vice president of the company’s national division, which manages more than 350 major national, municipal and labor accounts, representing nearly 4 million members.  Before that, she served as Health Care Service Corp.’s (HCSC) chief underwriter and held positions in financial operations, cost and budgets, and financial reporting.  HCSC operates BCBSIL. 

Atwood received her MBA from DePaul and her bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. A certified public accountant, she also serves on the boards of Consortium Health Plans and Chicago’s Silk Road Theatre Project. 

Rogers, 62, is a founding partner of Power, Rogers & Smith, P.C., a leading personal injury firm. Rogers was elected president of both the Cook County Bar Association and the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association, serving as the latter's first African-American president.

He was appointed by Gov. Pat Quinn to the Board of Trustees of the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority and was later elected its vice chairman. He has been named as one of the top ten national litigators by the National Law Journal and is listed in the book, “The Best Lawyers in America.” Rogers received his J.D. from the DePaul College of Law and a B.A. from St. Xavier University. 

With more than 25,000 students, DePaul University is the largest Catholic university in the United States and the largest private, non-profit university in the Midwest, The university offers approximately 275 graduate and undergraduate programs of study on two Chicago campuses, four suburban campuses and several international locations. Founded in 1898, DePaul remains committed to providing a quality education through personal attention to students from a wide range of backgrounds. For more information, visit www.depaul.edu