INA (RLC NEWS) — Like so many young adults, fresh out of high school, Lee Wyatt and Jaci Brown were unsure of how they wanted to begin the next phase of life. Jaci (Pinckneyville) knew she still wanted to cheer. Lee knew he wanted to keep playing the sports he loved at Steeleville High. They chased their dreams to Rend Lake College. What they found there was much more than they ever expected. 

They both started in 1971 at the brand new facilities in Ina. It wasn’t long before their paths crossed on campus and they began dating. In a recent interview, they playfully debated whether or not the ’71 Christmas Dance was their first or second date.

“It’s kind of blur. All I know is she asked me out,” Lee joked.

“It could have been the first one. I thought it was the second one,” she added with a laugh.

“I thought you said you needed a date for the Christmas Dance and that’s why you asked me,” he replied. “I thought that was the first one.”

“I think it was,” Jaci conceded through a grin.  

There’s one thing Lee can’t forget. 

“A sleeveless, long, purple dress,” he said.

The Wyatts will return to the scene Dec. 12 when they are honored as RLC’s 2024 Alumni of the Year. The theme of this year’s RLCF Annual Dinner is Sweet Success: A Night of Chocolate & Champions. It could not be more fitting with their story.  

“[RLC] was just such a positive experience,” he said. “We started to build momentum there. Academically, it was good — challenging but manageable. It was a lot of fun. We accomplished some things and built confidence. We realized, especially for me, this was a foundation, which made me motivated.”

When thinking about the people and places that helped him the most, Lee says RLC is at the top of the list – specifically the people there. Folks like James “Hummer” Waugh, Mike McClure and Wayne Arnold from the athletics department.

Lee recalled a basketball practice in his first semester. Coach Waugh gathered the players together to make an announcement. He remembered Waugh saying, “Well, sports fans! We have two members of the team who made the dean’s list!” Lee “Sonny” Wyatt was one of those names. 

“That was kind of a reinforcement,” Lee said. “I remember that distinctly when he said that. I thought, you know, I could continue this and do well.” 

There were inspirations like B.J. “Skip” Witunski (Business Manager and Board/Foundation Treasurer 1970-1981) and Dr. James Snyder (President 1967-75) from the business and administrative corners of campus.

“I had decided I’m never going to be Division I, so I was going to get more focused on business and school,” Lee said. “Skip Witunski, just out of the blue, came up to me and said there are scholarships you can get if you’re going to go to Carbondale. He said just fill this out. He took care of filing it for me.” 

“Wayne Arnold was the biggest [RLC] impact on my life,” Jaci shared. “I talked to him on the phone about a year before his passing and I still called him ‘Mr. Arnold.’ He was very special in my life. I met a lot of friends from other towns who came to Rend Lake. It was fun for me. I enjoyed it.”

After RLC, Jaci entered the workforce and Lee went on to pursue a BS in Accounting from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. Before he had even graduated, a St. Louis company offered him his first accounting job. He moved there and worked while earning an MBA from Washington University.

His career spanned major corporations including Sealy Corporation, Sonic Automotive, and the Sara Lee Corporation (Chicago) where he spent five years and helped spearhead the very successful spinoff of Hanesbrands Inc. (HBI). 

“I was getting ready to retire early and got a call from a company in Chicago called Fortune Brands and they wanted me to do kind of the same thing.”

When Lee joined Fortune Brands as its senior vice president and chief financial officer in 2011, the company had three divisions: golf products with brands like Titleist and Foot Joy; Beam Global Spirits; and its Home & Security division that boasted a portfolio of businesses and brands like Moen, Kitchen Craft, and Master Lock. 

Lee honed a remarkable expertise in guiding private companies through the complex process of going public. In 2014, Financial Executives International Chicago presented him with its 2014 Large Public CFO of the Year Award.

When he retired in 2017, the options he earned helping create those spinoffs over the years led to great blessings for him and Jaci. Those shares became a vehicle for starting their own nonprofit foundation a year later. They named it the Three Palms Foundation after the palm trees that grace the coastal view at their home in Naples, Fla. 

They had a new dream — creating opportunities for others.

“It’s easy to write a check,” Lee says, “but we are thoughtful about who and what we give to. … So often, how you finish is how you start. If we can help people in Southern Illinois … take that first step and get a little momentum. Rend Lake’s really good at that.”

Amy Newell, RLC Foundation Assistant Director of Development, said the Wyatts have given back to RLC through multiple scholarships.

“Together, they have embodied the spirit of generosity by establishing scholarships dedicated to RLC coaches, administrators and their family who have shaped their journey,” Newell said. 

Scholarships created by the Wyatts include the Jim Waugh Memorial Scholarship, Mike McClure Memorial Scholarship, Wayne Arnold Memorial Scholarship, Wyatt Family Scholarship for Steeleville students and the Brown Family Scholarship for Pinckneyville students.

“I have had the privilege of visiting and working with Lee and Jaci on several occasions,” said Dawn Johnson, RLC Foundation Major Gifts Office. “The one thing that remains both true and consistent, as I learn more about their journey, is their authenticity. I can see how their faithfulness, gratitude and generosity are all linked.”

Their advice to future Warriors is akin to getting braces put on, Lee said.

“The braces may not be fun in the moment, but you have the rest of your life with a perfect smile. Give college a try. It doesn’t have to be a 4 year college, but invest in yourself. It’s not about the results you get, it’s about the potential you gain. It’s going to take work and patience, but it’s about the long view. Don’t take the easy path.”

“It is humbling that, after all their success and blessings, Jaci and Lee continue to honor RLC and the impact it had on their lives,” said Newell. “Their journey has come full circle, enabling them to help students from the Rend Lake College communities invest in themselves.” 

The Wyatts will be recognized as RLC’s 2024 Alumni of the Year at the 45th RLCF Annual Dinner, Dec. 12, at the RLC Event Center. The Annual Dinner is one of the many ways the Foundation raises money for the school and student scholarships.