If you’re facing a real crisis — say, the need to keep a 21,000-student college going through a global pandemic — it’s not a bad idea to have a guy like Brian Caputo in charge. Caputo started honing his leadership skills as a teen in the Chicago suburbs, earning his Boy Scouts of America Eagle Award, then attended the United States Military Academy at West Point.

He served in the active and reserve military, gaining a specialty in finance and human resources and eventually becoming a lieutenant colonel. Enjoying the precision of working in finance, he earned a master’s degree from DePaul and served in several suburban governments, eventually spending 19 years as chief financial officer (CFO) of the city of Aurora.