Meet the Laureates: Jeff Bogdan

Author: Sally Eastman
Corporate Responsibility
Published: Wednesday, 01 Mar 2023

Sharing

Image caption: Jeff Bogdan

Jeff Bogdan is a first-generation American citizen whose parents immigrated from Poland in the late 1950’s. While he was born in Harvey, Illinois, Jeff spent his upbringing in Gary, Indiana where he attended Calumet High School. Aside from his studies, he played football and baseball, and was a 4-year letterman - serving as team captain and awarded most valuable player.

Jeff went on to receive a Bachelor of Science degree from Indiana State University in Finance, Management, and Business Administration. He received the Alan C. Rankin Distinguished Senior Award, and is recognized on Indiana State’s Wall of Excellence. Jeff also received a Master’s in Business Administration from Northern Illinois University.

He started his career in the moving and storage industry working for Mayflower Transit headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana as a Pricing and Operation Manager in their International division. After 5 years, Jeff was recruited by Allied Van Lines world headquarters in Naperville, Illinois, accepting the role of Manager of International Distribution services, and was later promoted to Regional Director of Sales.

Over the course of 10 years, Jeff met his future wife, Sue, a pricing/cost analyst at Allied and the two of them started a family that would include 3 sons. Jeff (after flying over 1 million miles with Allied) decided to “get off the road” after being recruited by the Ullman family to work at the Glendale Heights Federal Warehouse Company in 2002. There, he began his role as Manager in their Record Storage Division and Director of Marketing for the company. After four years, he was promoted to Vice President of Sales and Marketing, and relocated to Germantown Hills. In March of 2009, Jeff along with senior managers Randall Schrock and Bill Cirone, purchased Federal from the Ullman family. In May 2016, Randall and Jeff purchased Bill Cirone’s portion of the company, and Jeff was promoted to President and CEO.

Aside from Jeff’s education, career path, and family life, he has never forgotten the risks his parents and grandmother took to leave Communist controlled Poland. They came to America so their kids could have a better life. Their belief that the chance to live the American dream was a gift resulted in Jeff learning that nothing should be taken for granted. This motivated him to serve his country for eight years in the United States Navy, during which he became a veteran of Operation Desert Storm.

Giving back to the community - especially initiatives that support kids - has been another extension of the motivation and inspiration he adopted as a result of his parents and grandmother’s influence. For ten years, Jeff was the President of the Metamora Junior Football league. In the past he has served on the WD Boyce Council, Boys Scouts of America and Quality Quest for Health. Currently, he serves on the board for the Heart of Illinois United Way and is a past Chairperson for Junior Achievement of Central Illinois.

Today, Jeff and his wife Sue enjoy spending time with their three adult sons, Jason, a BSN at OSF Children’s Hospital, Steven, a 2^nd Lieutenant in the United States Air Force, and Ryan, who is a Freshmen attending Iowa State University. They are parishioners at Saint Mary of Lourdes Catholic Church in Germantown Hills. In their spare time, Jeff and Sue like to garden, travel - having been blessed to see all 50 states and over 60 countries - and playing with their “other two boys”, Ty and Leo, their Rough Collies.