E. Burton Mercier Alumni Service Award
Norris Porter '88, M.S. '89
Development director for McLean County Museum of History; Bloomington
Through varied roles in higher education, one thing has remained central to Norris Porter’s career: an emphasis on community.
A two-time graduate of Illinois State University who earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business teacher education, Porter has never strayed too far from Illinois State’s College of Business. After teaching at Jacksonville High School, Porter returned to his alma mater to serve as a College of Business academic advisor beginning in 1990. He added instructor duties in 1992. In 1994, he became the internship coordinator for the Business Teacher Education Department.
Porter was named assistant to the dean for student services in 1997 and continued in that role for more than a decade before being named a senior director for development within the College of Business. Porter earned a certificate in fundraising management from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at Indiana University in 2009, a year after his shift to higher education fundraising.
From 2008 to 2016, Illinois State’s endowment grew by 89%, and Porter was personally responsible for securing one endowed professorship, 23 endowed scholarships, three endowed faculty development funds, six restricted scholarships, one restricted family fund, 15 estate commitments, and seven naming opportunities. Porter initiated and negotiated the formal naming of the State Farm Hall of Business.
Porter retired from Illinois State in 2017. He has since served in fundraising roles for two community-centered organizations: the Baby Fold and the McLean County Museum of History. He served as acting executive director of the latter for several months during a coworker’s medical leave.
His community involvement doesn’t stop there. Porter is active in his church and is a past member of the Bloomington Golden Kiwanis, the WGLT Friends Council, and has volunteered at the Simpkins Military History Museum. He’s a former trustee of the Village of Heyworth and former assistant cross-country coach at University High School.
Porter is a three-time recipient of the Student Affairs Star Award, in 2000, 2003, and 2007, respectively. In 2014, he earned the Administrative Professionals Distinguished Service Award.
He and his wife, Beth (Davis) Porter ’90, remain closely connected to their alma mater. Beth is an administrative aide at Illinois State’s Center for Civic Engagement, and the Porters are members of Illinois State’s Heritage Society, Legacy Society, and President’s Circle.