Key Staff

Gary C. Smith

President/CEO

Gary is the son of NAEIR founder, Norbert Smith. Before officially joining NAEIR, Gary spent seven years working in various management positions at the Austin Company. In 1980 he accepted a position as NAEIR’s Warehouse Manager. He was appointed Vice President of Membership/Corporate Relations in 1983 and took over as NAEIR’s President and CEO in 1999. Gary has served on various non-profit boards including YMCA, Galesburg Chamber of Commerce and Galesburg Cottage Hospital. He was the Chairman of the Galesburg Regional Economic Development Association from 2010 to 2012 and even served as the Mayor of Galesburg from 2005 to 2009.

Gary lives in Galesburg with his wife Stephanie, where he is an elder at First Presbyterian Church. He has three children, Autumn, David and Bennett.

Robert B. Gilstrap

Vice President/CFO

Bob started working for NAEIR in 1991 as Manager of the direct mail programs for the Marketing Department. In 1994 he was promoted to Controller and, in 1996, took on his current position as Vice President and CFO. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management and a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Bradley University. Bob is currently pursuing a Doctorate at St. Ambrose.

He and his wife of 25 years, Paula, are the proud parents of two children, Leslie and Colin. Bob is an accomplished pianist and enjoys reading and traveling with Paula whenever he gets the chance.

Cruz A. Ramos

Vice President of Public Affairs

Cruz came to NAEIR all the way from New York City. He studied Political Science and Latin American Literature at Yale University and went on to work as the Curator and Development Director at the Museum of Spanish Harlem. He later accepted positions as the Director of Communications for the Latino Institute in Chicago, IL and Associate Director of Development for the Chicago Boys & Girls Clubs. He joined NAEIR as the Vice President of Public Affairs in 1986.

Cruz and his wife Tanna are the proud parents of five children–Al, Hilary, David, Talia and Arron and have seven grandchildren. His many interests include nutrition and fitness, ancient civilizations, world religions, politics, science, literature and cycling.

Paula R. DeJaynes

Vice President of Corporate Relations

Paula was born and raised in the Galesburg, IL area. She joined the NAEIR family in 1990 as the Corporate Relations Secretary, and within four years, was promoted to Administrative Assistant to the President/CEO. In 2005, Paula became the Supervisor of Corporate Relations while maintaining her function as Administrative Assistant and, in 2009 she was named Director of Corporate Relations. She is now NAEIR’s Vice President of Corporate Relations and an officer of the company. She still resides in her hometown of Oneida, IL with her husband Rob, two sons and a stepdaughter.

Tim L. Randall

Vice President of Distribution

Tim was born and raised in St. Augustine, IL. He started working at the age of 17 as a farm hand and expanded experience in production through positions in welding and manufacturing. In 1986, Tim came to NAEIR as a Material Handler in the warehouse. Four years later he became a Fork Truck Operator and, in 1997, Tim was named Shipping Supervisor. He was later promoted to NAEIR’s Distribution Manager and then to Warehouse General Manager. He was named Vice President of Distribution and an officer of the company in 2008. Tim has been married to his wife Paula since 1979, has two adult daughters and a two-year-old grandson.

John J. Hattery

Chairman of the Board

John J. Hattery has been Chairman of the Board of NAEIR since 2011 and a Director of the company since 1999. He is a graduate of the University of Iowa (BA) and the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana (JD). John began his career in banking before practicing law in Galesburg, Illinois for over 30 years. He became Managing Partner of Hattery, Simpson and West and was counsel to NAEIR for ten years before joining the Board. Since retiring from practice, he has been engaged in studying trombone and Geography at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. He is also qualified as a certified Rule 13 Civil Mediator in Tennessee. John currently resides in Knoxville, Tennessee with his wife Trish, who also is a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Law.

Jerry R. McCoy

Vice Chairman of the Board

Jerry’s affiliation with NAEIR began in 1977 when he helped found our organization. He officially joined NAEIR as the Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors in 2011. He is an independent attorney in Washington, D.C., specializing in charitable tax planning, tax-exempt organizations and estate planning. He holds law degrees from Duke University and New York University.

A Member of the American Law Institute and a Fellow of both the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel and the American College of Tax Counsel, Jerry is listed in Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in American Law, Washington D.C. Super Lawyers, and (for twenty years running) The Best Lawyers in America. He is also the co-author of the Family Foundation Handbook and the editor of several charitable newsletters.

Jerry and his wife Alexandra have three children. He originally hails from Pennsylvania, but has lived in D.C. for 40 years.