Since earning her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Illinois, Alison Dupre has managed a campus research lab, her family’s commercial poultry farm and a difference-making local nonprofit.
And if that’s not enough variety for one LinkedIn profile, let her tell you about her very first job.
“Training racehorses with my dad,” Dupre says. “I grew up in the industry but started helping out a lot more in my early teens through early 20s, before our family retired from racing horses. We raced standardbred horses all across the Midwest. It was a very rewarding experience that came with a lot of life lessons but I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
The same goes for her current gig — executive director of Feeding Our Kids, the Champaign-based nonprofit whose mission is to “provide nourishing food to food-insecure children (at 40-plus schools and childhood programs) on weekends and school holidays throughout the school year,” a largely volunteer effort that “takes many hands and a great deal of generosity.”
The helping hands have included Dupre’s own husband of 25 years, David, and now-adult children, Rachel and Jake, members of a family that takes volunteerism seriously.
Says Dupre, who also gives her time to Catsnap, TM Horse Haven and CU Kiwanis: “I enjoy being able to help animals and children so that is where I focus my efforts, both professionally and personally.”
In 2025, Dupre took part in News-Gazette Editor Jeff D’Alessio's Beyond the Boardroom feature, spotlighting leaders of local organizations big and small.
My professional role model is ... my dad. He has been involved in livestock operations for over 50 years and I’ve been a big part of that. Learning alongside him has helped me in all of my professional experiences.
He showed how to be resilient in the face of some pretty difficult times. He taught me to keep a positive attitude, learn to pivot a lot, not give up and figure out a new plan if what you have isn’t working.
And, of course, patience and a lot of humor. Sometimes, it is the only way to get through trying moments.
My one unbreakable rule of the workplace is … be kind — always. You never know what someone else is going through.
My philosophy on meetings is ... they’re helpful when collaborative discussion is needed and as a way for the team to connect with each other.
The hardest thing about being a leader is … making the best/hard decisions with the information you have at the time — and sometimes that information is changing daily.
I utilize my team, board members and volunteers to get input so while I still have to make the decision, I am well-informed by those closely involved.
I read a quote the other day: “Being a leader doesn’t get easier, you just get better at it.” I continue to try my best every day.
When it comes to my favorite moments in this job … two come to mind.
One was very recent, when we weren’t sure if weather was going to impact our volunteer operations so we were making contingency plans just in case.
But everyone showed up and we were humbled by the dedication that our volunteers have to Feeding Our Kids and all the bags got packed that day. We have the most wonderful volunteers.
The other was a couple of Decembers ago. We received a donation of fancy holiday cookies that we sent home with the kids. A few weeks later, one of our social workers mentioned that when one of the kids opened the bag and saw the cookies, he remarked: “Are these just for me?” Having something special just for him made his whole day, she said.
These moments make our jobs so fulfilling, knowing we can make a kid’s day and have this amazing volunteer base that helps Feeding Our Kids provide food to so many kids.
I can’t live without my … family. Cats and coffee come in a close second.
The three adjectives I hope my staff would use to describe me are … kind, resourceful and collaborative.
I’m frugal in that … I keep some clothes for a very long time.
I have always known this but I was at a family event with a slideshow and I was wearing the same blouse that was in the picture — from many years before.
The single-most important question I ask job candidates during interviews is … what is your volunteer experience?
Being a volunteer yourself is key to coordinating hundreds of volunteers each year.
The first thing I do when I get to work most days is … write a list of tasks, start answering emails and try to get organized for the day. All while drinking coffee.
For lunch … if I am working from home, I just go to the fridge and grab something. Otherwise, I usually bring leftovers from home.
I wind down after work by … making dinner and in the nicer weather, taking long walks with my husband or spending time in my flower garden. Then we will usually watch a little TV — we follow a few series — before bed.
We both have a lot of commitments so we enjoy the days we get to relax together.
As far as the last luxury in which I indulged goes … we are pretty frugal so there aren’t a lot of these. But I would have to say buying a new minivan in 2022. Everyone else in the family has really old cars but we have one newer vehicle and I get to drive it.
The most beneficial college class I took was … an anatomy and physiology class here at UIUC. The content of the class didn’t hold any special meaning but the professor always told us to park farther away from wherever we were going so we would have a longer distance to walk and therefore be healthier from getting more exercise.
That has stuck with me for the last 27 years. So, when I have to park really far away, I look on the bright side and remember I’m getting exercise.
I’m up and at ’em every day by … 6:30. Go downstairs, make coffee and breakfast and then start the day.
When it comes to my career calling … I don’t think there was ever an “aha” moment but I enjoy program management, especially one that is mission-driven.
It has been the theme of my varied career path — from managing a psychology research lab, then managing our family’s commercial poultry farm, to where I am now.
I have spent time in leadership roles, both professionally and personally, over the years and always found a lot of joy in working with others who make each organization thrive.
