J. Michael Durnil

J. Michael Durnil is the President and CEO of the Simon Youth Foundation (SYF). Durnil is the former Senior Vice President and Interim President of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), and the former Executive Vice President for Governmental Affairs & University Outreach and Assistant Secretary to the Board of Trustees at Roosevelt University in Chicago, Illinois. He has been nationally recognized for his service in the field of higher education and for his advocacy of LGBT rights. Durnil serves on the executive board of the American Council on Education Council of Fellows. Durnil is also an ordained Elder in the Presbyterian Church and a member of the International Order of DeMolay. Durnil currently lives in Indianapolis, Indiana. He has two adult children, Lauren Durnil and J. Andrew Durnil, who is a professional artist and creates under the pen name Andrew Gouwen. Durnil married Lynn Burnside Smith II on 25 November 2015 in a private ceremony in New York City's Bethesda Terrace Arcade. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/29/fashion/weddings/lynn-smith-ii-and-michael-durnil.html?_r=0

Durnil was born in Decatur, Illinois to D. Dean Durnil, a sheet metal worker, and Patricia Lawler Durnil. From 1975 to 1979, he attended Eisenhower High School where he showed an interest in biological sciences. A first-generation college student, Durnil graduated from Illinois State University (ISU) in 1983 with a bachelor's degree in biology. Influenced by his experiences in student government, residence life, and admissions activities at ISU, Durnil graduated a year later with his Master's of Sciences from ISU's Educational Administration and Foundations graduate program.

In 1991, Durnil was admitted to Loyola University Chicago to pursue his Ph.D. in higher education. Inspired by his professional work on HIV/AIDS, Durnil completed his doctorate 18 months later, successfully defending his dissertation entitled, "More than red ribbons: Student affairs professionals who advocate for HIV/AIDS issues in higher education." He continued on to Harvard University and completed his post-doctorate certificate in Educational Management in 2003. In 2004, Durnil was selected as a Fellow of the American Council on Education, spending his residency year at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey, and working with the United Nations Ambassador Corp.

Durnil began his full-time career in higher education as an Assistant Director of "the Preview ISU" orientation and Residence Hall Director at Illinois State University. In 1985, he moved to San Antonio, Texas and continued working in Student life at St. Mary's University. In 1986, Elmhurst College invited Durnil to become their Assistant Dean of Students; a position he held until 1993. During his tenure at Elmhurst, the landscape of higher education swiftly changed due to social and political issues. One such issue was the emergence of a new, deadly virus, HIV/AIDS. Affected by the stories of fellow students and staff, Durnil chaired a Chicago-based American Red Cross task force that would later create a national model for HIV/AIDS peer facilitators at colleges and universities.

In 1992, Roosevelt University announced plans to restructure its division of student affairs. In 1993, Durnil became the inaugural Dean in a newly formed area of student life and served as the Senior Student Affairs Officer. He continued serving at Roosevelt in various administrative capacities, including CEO of the Schaumburg Campus, where he oversaw the master-planning and buildout of the campus; the Vice President for Administration; and Vice President for Governmental Affairs and University Outreach. Beginning in 2005, Durnil led Roosevelt University's initiatives to become more engaged in civic life. Through Durnil's efforts, Roosevelt University established ties with the International Consular Corp. of Chicago and Save the Children and was recognized for their leadership on immigration issues by the American Immigration Law Center in 2008.

In 2002, Roosevelt University appointed Chuck Middleton as President. Middleton was the first openly gay President of any major national college or university. Working with Durnil, Middleton used this position to forward the University's agenda on social justice. In 2006, Roosevelt University assisted with the logistics and provided space for the Gay Games VII.

In 2008, Durnil was recruited by then-President Neil Giuliano to become the Senior Vice President of GLAAD. GLAAD is dedicated to promoting and ensuring fair, accurate and inclusive representation of people and events in the media as a means of eliminating homophobia and discrimination based on gender identity and sexual orientation. GLAAD advocates for full equality for the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community in television and news outlets. As Interim President for several months of 2009, Durnil successfully directed GLAAD through the leadership transition from Giuliano to Jarrett Barrios. Durnil stepped down from all of his positions at GLAAD on June 30, 2010.

On December 13, 2010, the Simon Youth Foundation (SYF) announced that its new CEO would be J. Michael Durnil, Ph.D. Following the announcement, Durnil moved to Indianapolis and assumed his leadership role.

In 2008, Durnil was recognized by both the city of Chicago and by the Governor of the State of Illinois for his service to higher education. That same year, the 110th Congress of the United States bestowed upon Durnil Congressional Recognition, presented by the Hon. Danny K. Davis. In 2010, his doctoral alma mater, Loyola University Chicago, recognized Durnil with the "Distinguished Alumni Award." Durnil was similarly recognized by his K-12 school system, Decatur (IL) Public School District #61 in 2005 as an outstanding alum.