Douglas McConnell

Douglas McConnell

Greater Chicago Area
2K followers 500+ connections

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About

As an investment banker for over twenty-five years, I have deep experience in all types…

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Experience

Education

  • W. P. Carey School of Business – Arizona State University Graphic

    Arizona State University, W. P. Carey School of Business

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    Activities and Societies: Captain of Men's Swim Team (most valuable two years) and Member of Sigma Chi Fraternity

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    Activities and Societies: Captain of Men's Swim Team (most valuable two years) and Member of Sigma Chi Fraternity

Licenses & Certifications

Volunteer Experience

  • Founder

    A Long Swim

    - Present 13 years 2 months

    Science and Technology

    A Long Swim is a nonprofit that uses open water and marathon-distance swimming to raise funds for collaborative ALS research. I am one of the top marathon swimmers in the world, and with the A Long Swim team, we host a number of swimming fundraisers. To date, A Long Swim has raised $750,000 for the ALS researchers at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine.

  • Member Board Of Directors

    YMCA Camp Edwards

    - 35 years

    Children

    Camp Edwards has had a meaningful impact on the lives of an uncountable number of children since it was founded in 1929. I attended Edwards as a youngster in the 1960s, and served on the Board and as its representative on the Finance Committee of the YMCA of the Greater Elgin Area for more than 30 years.

  • Les Turner ALS Foundation Graphic

    Member Board Of Directors

    Les Turner ALS Foundation

    - 4 years 6 months

    Science and Technology

    For 40 years, the Les Turner ALS Foundation has been Chicagoland's leader in research, patient services and education about Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) serving the vast majority of people with ALS in the area.

Honors & Awards

  • Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming

    International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame

    The International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame has created Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming, a special distinction for those swimmers who have completed certain designated swims. The Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming is our equivalent of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, and includes three swims as the cherished goal of marathon swimmers:

    (1) 21 miles across the English Channel between England and France.

    (2) 21 miles across the Catalina Channel between Santa…

    The International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame has created Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming, a special distinction for those swimmers who have completed certain designated swims. The Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming is our equivalent of the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing, and includes three swims as the cherished goal of marathon swimmers:

    (1) 21 miles across the English Channel between England and France.

    (2) 21 miles across the Catalina Channel between Santa Catalina Island and the Palos Verdes Peninsula west of Long Beach, California.

    (3) 28.5 miles around Manhattan Island in New York.

    I became the 89th person in history to complete the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming when we completed MIMS in June 2014. Since then, the list has grown to 126. I am humbled to be included on the same list with some real icons of marathon swimming, many of whom I have known and admired for many years.

    Marathon swimming is one of the only endurance sports where men and women complete at parity. In fact, the average woman is faster than the average man. Forty-seven of the Triple Crowners are women and, based on trends in the sport, women will become greater than 50% of the list within a few years.

    Irrespective of gender, a swimmer's age is also a factor. Someone once said, "Youth is wasted on the young," but the age range of the list of Triple Crowners is surprisingly diverse. Having said that, the list of swimmers who are part of the "Half Century Club," having completed all three legs of the Triple Crown over the age of 50 is pretty short. I am 15th on that list, which holds special importance to the A Long Swim Team.

    I didn't start with marathon swimming to win awards, and the honor of the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming is just a milestone along a much longer road. The Earth is two-thirds water, so we aren't going to run out of channels, rivers, lakes or estuaries to swim any time soon.

  • Volunteer of the Year

    Les Turner ALS Foundation

    Through marathon open water swimming I have raised $500,000 for collaborative ALS research, Loug Gehrig's Disease.

  • English Channel Swimmer

    Channel Swimming and Pilot Federation of England

    The English Channel - the busiest shipping channel in the world - topping out at 62 degrees. Half of the swim is in pitch darkness and the other half in 5 foot waves. The time was 14 hours and 18 minutes and we crossed 32 miles. The stroke count was 40,538. Read more at www.ALongSwim.org.


  • University of Illinois Men's Swimming Captain 1978-1979

    University of Illinois

  • University of Illinois Men's Swimming Most Valuable Swimmer 1978 and 1979

    University of Illinois

    Most Valuable Swimmer - University of Illinois - 1978 and 1979

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