Alumni Feature - Jeff Adducci '92

After beginning his career with Illinois Bell 23 years ago, Jeff Adducci ’92 has held various positions since 1993 ranging from maintenance, Outside Plant Engineering, UVERSE Engineering, Area Manager Construction, and Project Management. In 2014, Jeff became the Director of External Affairs for AT&T Illinois which combined all of the skills he obtained from his previous roles.

In this new position, Jeff is responsible for connecting with the local communities that the company serves and overseeing policy decisions that impact AT&T as a whole. A large part of the work Jeff does every day revolves around philanthropy. AT&T focuses on funding programs that empower students to reach their fullest potential and has contributed over $350 million to education over the last decade through AT&T Aspire.

“AT&T Aspire is a philanthropic initiative to help equip students with the tools they need to succeed in school and beyond,” says Jeff. “We seek out programs in high schools, colleges, and universities that have aligning goals and offer a contribution to help provide students with unique learning opportunities.”

In fact, Jeff and two AT&T colleagues and Lewis alumni – Craig Mikalauski ’89, ‘91, senior market research analyst, and Chuck Stahulak ’91, senior network process manager – presented $45,000 to Lewis University’s Success program. The Bridge to Success Programprovides on-going mentoring and academic support services to first-year students at Lewis.

“Our goal for this program is to invest in these students’ futures and provide assistance during a very crucial time during their education.”

Jeff graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Aviation Maintenance and Non-destructive Testing from Lewis. He was a resident of Founder’s Hall and spent most of his time playing intramural basketball and football. Jeff found it difficult to land a job in the aviation industry after graduating, so decided to pursue a career in the Non-destructive Testing field taking x-rays of pipelines for a short period of time.

Now, as a professional in the telecommunications industry, Jeff is thankful for the unique skill set provided to him at Lewis.

“The teachers at Lewis do not just teach their area of study, but also provide students with techniques and tools to conquer the real world,” says Jeff. “I feel that the versatile skill set I obtained at the university has transitioned over to my many professional roles and helped my overall career.”

Jeff was particularly inspired by former President of Lewis University Brother James, FSC. “His ideas created such a large impact that influenced me and my classmates then, so I wanted to be able to do something similar for students attending Lewis now,” Jeff adds.

Jeff and his wife Heidi live in New Lenox, where they spend most of their time chasing around their eight-year old daughter. Jeff enjoys scuba diving, riding his Harley Davidson motorcycle, wood working, and any other adventure that comes his way.

Jeff’s field of study did not roll over into his professional career, but he has learned to take the skills he has and use them to make a true difference in the world. Jeff’s work allows him to impact the lives of those living in the communities that AT&T serves daily.

“No matter what career you end up with, be passionate about it. Passion is what helps you make a difference!”