Disbarred Woodstock attorney previously asked to resign from Raue Center for the Arts board, CEO says

A Woodstock attorney who was disbarred last week had a "turbulent" run on the Raue Center for the Arts board before he was asked to leave several years ago, the center's CEO said.

Years before Jeffrey J. Keck, 67, was accused of mishandling of his mother's will, he served on the Raue Center for the Arts Board of Directors, Raue Center CEO Richard Kuranda said.

Keck's time with the board lasted from about 2010 until about 2013, Kuranda said. Other board members asked Keck twice to resign before the longtime attorney officially stepped down, he said.

"He was asked to resign after a couple of years, and the latter time of his time with us was pretty turbulent so the board asked him to resign," Kuranda said.

Keck eventually left willingly, Kuranda said.

"If anything, there were issues of conflict between [Keck] and other board members, and he and other staff members," Kuranda said.

Keck could not be reached for comment at his listed business phone number, which was disconnected Monday.

The Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission disbarred Keck on Sept. 21 in connection with alleged misconduct tied to his mother's will, records show.

Keck was accused in 2019 of naming himself as the sole beneficiary of his mother's estate. In doing so, he prevented his only brother from receiving an inheritance, according to a news release the commission issued last week.

Keck also “dishonestly converted over $387,000 of his mother’s assets and presented false documents and failed to promptly deliver estate assets to the correct beneficiaries of the estate,” according to the disciplinary commission.