20 under 40 2015

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EXECUTIVE MBA PROGRAM

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CONGRATULATIONS TO MILLIKIN’S OWN Amanda Podeschi Senior Director of Development

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Business Journal’s 20 Under 40

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who make a difference in Central Illinois

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he Business Journal of MidCentral Illinois is proud to present this annual special publication to honor members of our community who make a difference in many ways.

We realize it takes a special combination of individuals to make a difference in any community, but we wanted to take this opportunity to honor those under the age of 40 who are making a difference.

The process wasn’t easy. We asked for nominations from the community and received an overwhelming response.

Each nominee was very impressive, and our selection committee had the daunting task of narrowing the field to 20.

These selected individuals represent the best our community has to offer. From education, nonprofit, health care and more, our selections are from diverse backgrounds and offer many talents.

Each 20 Under 40 has a unique story and offers his or her wisdom and advice on what it takes to be successful. You’ll read about what they do, what they like about the community, what they still hope to accomplish and more.

We hope you enjoy reading about these special individuals. Their profiles also can be found online at our website, www.thebusinessjournal.com.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank those community members who were a part of the selection committee. We appreciate your hard work.

For those of you who wish to nominate someone next year, look for our call for nominations in March 2016 •

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index Christina Baker ......................................3 Brandi Binkley ........................................4 Rashanda Bond-Partee ............................5 Megan Breheny-Bennett ..........................6 Bredina Coale..........................................7 Keith Creighton ......................................8 Jennifer Michelle Dahn ..........................9 Justin Eichenauer..................................10 Devin Forden ........................................11 Olivia Heisner........................................12 Wes Hillen..............................................13 Shane Major ..........................................14 Prescott Paulin ......................................16 Tony Piraino ..........................................17 Mandi (Landacre) Podeschi ..................18 Julia Roundtree Livingston ....................19 Josh Sapp ..............................................20 Wes Shade..............................................21 Kelli Smith Runyon ................................22 Brian Zuber ..........................................23

STAFFLIST PUBLISHER Julie Bechtel EDITOR Scott Perry ADVERTISING Joel Fletcher LAYOUT & DESIGN Steve Wetherholt

The Business Journal of MidCentral Illinois is printed monthly and is a publication of Lee Enterprises, Inc. Information published in the Business Journal of MidCentral Illinois is responsibility of the author and does not reflect the opinions of the Business Journal. To submit articles, please mail your information typewritten and 500 words or less to: The Business Journal, 601 E. William St., Decatur, IL 62523. Submitted articles will not be returned.

Any editorial content or advertising published is the property of Lee Enterprises, Inc. DBA The Business Journal of MidCentral Illinois. ©2015 Herald & Review All rights reserved for entire content.

Brian Zuber Age: 38 Family: Wife, Noelle; sons, Tyler and Braden

Current position/responsibilities: Vice president of operations at Staley Credit Union.

What do you like best about what you do? I enjoy helping our members solve their financial needs and preparing them for their financial future. At Staley Credit Union, we build relationships with people to help their individual needs instead of trying to profit from each transaction. This helps build a solid foundation for a lasting relationship.

People Helping People is the credit union philosophy and it is still going strong today after more than 80 years.

What do you like best about working or living in the community? Being a devoted father of two sons, I enjoy working with activities and groups that are dedicated to improving the quality of life for our children. I work with the Mount Zion Pack 43 Cub Scouts, commissioner on the Mount Zion Parks and Recreation Commission and have coached programs for the Decatur Family YMCA, Decatur Park District, Mount Zion Youth and Upwards Sports.

What should the community be doing to attract more young people to live and work in the Decatur area? I think it all revolves around kids.

Give families plenty of options for affordable and enjoyable activities for their children and the entire community will benefit. The community needs more year-round activities to keep people active in the winter months as well. Thinking big is great at times but more often we need to think small. Instead of focusing only on how profitable an activity is or liability concerns, we should consider the value it brings in quality of life for the community.

A high quality of life will generally pay for itself in the long run.

The person who has had the biggest influence on you and why:: My dad. He taught me that hard work pays off and excuses won’t help solve your problems. Most people will choose the easiest option. Try to choose the best option no matter how difficult that may be.

What do you still hope to accomplish? For the community, I am working with the Mount Zion Parks and Recreation Commission to bring this area the first of its kind splash pad to Fletcher Park that will benefit all kids in Macon County. Professionally, I would like to manage a credit union someday as CEO. Personally, I would like to travel to all seven continents in my lifetime trying as many unique food items as I can.

Your favorite stress reliever: Cooking

Your favorite movie: “Gladiator.” I love a good epic piece.

Your favorite book: “Unbroken” by Laura Hillenbrand

Quote to live by: "All great change in America begins at the dinner table." -Ronald Reagan

If you were a fictional character, which one would you be? Why? Tony Stark. To have the resources, knowledge and ability to solve many of the world’s problems would be difficult to pass up.

Congratulations to

Brian Zuber on his achievement as one of this year’s 20 under 40!

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Kelli Smith Runyon Age: 32 Family: I was married May 16 to Craig Runyon, who works next door to my office as an attorney at Samuels Miller law firm. We have a 10-year-old Yorkie named Jackie.

Current position/responsibilities: I currently work as an account executive with DCC Marketing. I have a diverse client load with responsibilities ranging from project management, strategy development and implementation, brand development and more.

What do you like best about what you do? Everyday is different for me, which I love. One day I may be helping a client develop a website and the next day I’m on location for a video shoot.

What do you like best about working or living in the community? My job allows me to really make a difference in our community. I was recently a part of the account team that developed the new community brand for Decatur and Macon County, “City Limitless.” I loved

seeing the entire community come together to move forward in a positive direction. The community's strong support and loyalty to locally-owned businesses is also commendable.

What should the community be doing to attract more young people to live and work in the Decatur area? I think we are already doing it. We have a fun downtown restaurant scene, numerous events to attend and parks and trails that rival large cities. I think what we need to do is improve on how we speak of our city to outside communities and newcomers.

“I was recently a part of the account team that developed the new community brand for Decatur and Macon County, “City Limitless.” I loved seeing the entire community come together to move forward in a positive direction.

The community's strong support and loyalty to locally-owned businesses is also commendable.”

Your favorite stress reliever: Hot yoga! It does wonders for your entire being.

The person who has had the biggest influence on you and why: My mother, Ronda Smith, has

Your favorite movie: “The Sound of

shown me what it's like to truly give selflessly to your family. Witnessing that kind of sacrifice makes you want to give to others in return.

Your favorite book: Jacqueline

What you still hope to accomplish? I hope to grow in my career as well as start a family when the time is right.

Music”

Kennedy Onassis never wrote a memoir, so I’m doing my best to know her story through the hundreds published. I’ve read close to 40 of her biographies and my favorite thus far has been “Mrs. Kennedy and Me” written by her personal secret service agent.

Quote to live by: “For in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's futures. And we are all mortal.” – John F. Kennedy

If you were a fictional character, which one would you be? Why? Alicia Florrick from “The Good Wife.”

Although her television character has many flaws and you may not personally identify with her, she is extraordinarily smart and ambitious. She also has the best work wardrobe, ever.

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Christina Baker Age: 29 Family: Husband, Bart; daughter, Penelope; son, Ezra

Current position/responsibilities: Assistant vice president corporate cash management, Hickory Point Bank. I work with our managers in the Decatur and Peoria markets to develop, maintain and grow cash management relationships with businesses and institutions headquartered in those geographies, including deposit accounts, Internet banking, electronic funds transfer services, remote deposit capture and other cash management services.

What do you like best about what you do? Building rapport and creating lasting relationships with clients and prospects provides me immense satisfaction.

What do you like best about working or living in the community? As an employee of Hickory Point Bank, I am connected to the community of Decatur, and what a thriving community it is! Opportunities to volunteer and support organizations on

behalf of Hickory Point Bank seem endless, and as a board member for the Children’s Museum of Illinois and Decatur Rotary 180, I am awarded the benefits of creating memorable experiences alongside some of the most key decision makers for Decatur. What this means is when a child succeeds in school, we all win. When a family receives a helping hand so a temporary setback doesn’t result in homelessness, we all win. Hickory Point Bank is invested, and as an employee, I am invested and that’s the best thing about being a part of this organization and community.

What should the community be doing to attract more young people to live and work in the Decatur area? The current steps and ideas in motion from the Economic Development Corporation of Decatur and Macon County and newly created efforts from Grow Decatur are making great strides in doing just that! Creating interest in our parks, events, Lake Decatur, Millikin University, Richland Community College, Children’s Museum, Scovill Zoo and schools draws interest in our community. Example, Hickory Point Bank is locally owned, so

the decisions we make have a positive impact on Decatur, and especially on the people and businesses who call it home. By the current businesses investing in our community, future businesses will choose to invest as well, which ultimately leads to families investing in Decatur, too!

The person who has had the biggest influence on you and why: For a large portion of my life, my answer would have been my parents. And and while they’re an influence on my career and goals, I now believe my two young children are the biggest influence on my life. I see their innocence and youth and can’t help but wonder what they’re thinking and how they’re taking in the world. I strive to provide them both an example each and every day on how they should live their lives and what ambitions and choices they should make and follow.

If at the end of the day they smile and say “I love you” then I find I’ve been successful.

What you still hope to accomplish: I am currently finishing my degree at Millikin University, which allows for a great sense of pride and achievement.

Looking into the future, I hope to accomplish growth within my career at Hickory Point Bank and involvement in

the community. As a mom of two, I also hope to accomplish a sense of balance between work and home … let me know if anyone figures that one out.

Your favorite stress reliever: Spending my springs, summers and fall at the Ski Klub of Decatur! There is nothing more relaxing than spending my weekends with family and friends camping and boating on our amazing lake.

Your favorite movie: John Carpenter's “Halloween”

Your favorite book: “Where the Sidewalk Ends” by Shel Silverstein

Quote to live by: “It is easy to dodge our responsibilities, but we cannot dodge the consequences of dodging our responsibilities.” --Josiah Charles Sharp If you were a fictional character, which one would you be? Why? Eliza Doolittle from “My Fair Lady” because at a time when Eliza has nothing, she’s given an opportunity to better herself, become something she’s always dreamed of and achieve ultimate happiness through education and support from someone believing in her. Everyone deserves to be the best they can be and when someone believes in you, your successes shine.

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with the privilege and responsibility of raising two extraordinary men.

What do you still hope to accomplish? Since I have become a mother, my absolute priority is to work with my husband to build a strong family and foundation for our sons. One of our primary goals is to teach them to be extraordinary, strong, kind, diverse, informed, thoughtful men who will make the world a better place throughout their lives. In my career, I plan to continue to positively impact the lives and health of others. I have an amazing team at the Macon County Health Department and we have a lot of big plans for marketing the health department and everything we do (#mchdeverywhere!). I also want to continue in and potentially grow my role as a community leader in Macon County.

On a personal level, I am also particularly dedicated to teaching people about the importance of eating healthy, natural foods and avoiding processed foods. There are many myths about healthy eating to which I and many others have fallen victim and I want to help others get out of that confusing, vicious cycle.

Brandi Binkley Age: 33 Family: Husband, Nate Sr.; sons, Nathen Jr. and Maddex; and fur babies, Crème and Amora make up Team Binkley Current Position/Responsibilities: As the director of health promotion and public relations, I represent the Macon County Health Department in public and community relations initiatives including, but not limited to: media response, marketing, advertising, website and social media development and management, committee representation, health education, public speaking and event planning; partner with community agencies, businesses and volunteers to implement healthy living activities; conduct community health assessments; and serve as the public information offices for the health department.

What do you like best about what you do? I cannot imagine a better public relations career than one in which I can market healthy living on a daily basis. I could not ethically promote something in which I did not believe, and healthy living for all people is not only a passion of mine, but also a top priority. I strive to lead by example and spread the word about the Macon County Health Department and preventive practices that can improve the health of our future. Not only do I get to sell healthy

living every day, but also have the privilege of doing so in partnership with co-workers and colleagues who work diligently and passionately to improve the health of our community every day. I also take pride in developing and fostering progressive relationships on behalf of the health department. I believe our community relations partnerships and initiatives have grown significantly and have improved our image, reputation and the value the community places on our services.

What do you like best about working or living in the community? I moved to Decatur 11 years ago, and have since built an amazing family, fulfilling career and priceless friendships. The collaboration and work ethic here among community agencies, workers and volunteers is unmatched. It has been a pleasure and honor to work side-by-side with so many people from a variety of agencies throughout our community. It is also amazing to live in a community where my husband also serves in an important role. We have worked hard for our professional achievements and it feels so powerful to show up at community events with him not only supporting me, but also by my side.

What should the community be doing to attract more young professionals to live and work in the Decatur area? I think there is always an opportunity for discussion

Your favorite stress reliever: about what can be done to improve our community. However, to see the progress that has been made in our community and the plans that have been laid out is amazing and impressive. The people here, the work they have done, and the vision for the future have honestly caused me to fall in love with, and take pride in, a place I never thought I would live.

The person who has had the biggest influence on you and why? I feel strongly that it is God’s plan for me to meet and learn from everyone I encounter, so I intentionally focus on what I can learn from each person whether it is a friend, family member, mentor, colleague or even a stranger. My parents and brothers provided invaluable guidance and love that helped mold who I was as a young woman. Since meeting my husband and building a family with him, he and my sons have absolutely been my biggest influences. My husband has overcome obstacles, worked hard and used his life experiences to mentor and help others.

He has supported and encouraged me in my personal and professional life; given and shown me unconditional, reliable love and acceptance; helped me find my voice when it was hard to speak up; and grown and changed with me as a team mate for more than 12 years. My children have influenced me by not only reminding me to “slow down and enjoy the journey” and cherish the simple things in life, but also by providing me

At the end of a stressful day, I LOVE seeing and being with my family. Their faces alone can improve a day faster than anything else. I also like to powerlift, read, go out to eat, walk our dogs, spend time with friends, ride my bike, sing and watch TV with my feet up.

Your favorite movie: My favorite movie is “Selena,” the movie based on the life of Selena Quintanilla Perez.

When I was younger, I sang and danced and seeing Selena do so was inspirational. She was beautiful, talented, open-minded, innovative, diverse and reached audiences with her music who had never heard anything like it. She was active in her community, loved her family and worked hard to overcome obstacles and achieve her goals.

Wes Shade Age: 32 Family: Parents, Molly and Jeff; sister, Lauren

Current position/ responsibilities: Broker placement specialist for Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

Your favorite book: Anything I have the privilege of hearing my boys read to me and “The Paleo Solution.”

Quote to live by: “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s learning to dance in the rain.”

If you were a fictional character, which one would you be? Why? I asked my sons for help on this one and they chose April O’Neill from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Some of their reasons were that she “is brave, powerful, smart, a spy, speaks a lot, gets information out, has fun, takes pictures, helps the turtles, and goes onto buildings and into sewers.”

What do you like best about what you do? I enjoy working collaboratively with our account teams to find solutions that meet the needs of our clients’ unique risks.

What do you like best about working or living in the community? What I like about Decatur is that it is large enough to have many unique offerings (dining, entertainment, sports) yet it still has small-town charm.

people to live and work in the Decatur area? I think the community has recognized that it needs to attract and keep young people in the Decatur area and local leaders and various community groups have undertaken efforts to make Decatur an attractive place to live and work.

The person who has had the biggest influence on you and why: The biggest influence on me has been my parents. They have always supported me in all of my endeavors and have always been there for me.

What do you still hope to accomplish? I want to continue to grow personally and professionally, and also work with Josh Rohrscheib to bring a laser tag coliseum to Decatur.

Your favorite movie: “The Big Lebowski”

Quote to live by: : “In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.” – Albert Einstein

Your favorite book: “Hey Rube” by Hunter S. Thompson

If you were a fictional character, which one would you be? Why? Superman, who doesn’t want the ability to fly.

Something BIG IS HAPPENING here Congratulations to all Top 20 Under 40 Recipients.

Continue to

BE LIMITLESS.

Your favorite stress reliever: What should the community be doing to attract more young

Bicycle riding and golf.

DecaturCityLimitless.com

# DecaturCityLimitless

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Rashanda Bond Partee “I love helping members with their financial needs and wants. I love saving them money each month on their monthly loan payment. I love helping members rebuild their credit.”

Josh Sapp Age: 39 Family: Wife, Mary; children: Emily, 17, Madison, 11, and Jackson, 10

Age: 34 Family: Husband, Jason Partee; am part of the community. I think that people who feel like they are part of the community have a tendency to give back and try to make the community a better place to live.

Current position/responsibilities: Assistant business manager/organizer for IBEW Local 146. I also chair the Apprenticeship Committee for the Midstate Electrical Training Center. Too many responsibilities to list them all here.

What do you like best about what you do? The thing I like best about what I do is helping people succeed. My position allows me to recruit people working in the electrical field and help them realize their full potential in our industry. By joining the IBEW, individuals are given the opportunity to have more earning potential, a secure retirement and access to good health care. Also, being involved in our apprenticeship program gives me an opportunity to help train the next generation of electrical workers and help steer the direction of our industry.

What do you like best about working or living in the community? It feels like home. I was born and raised here and most of my family is still in the area, so it feels like I

What should the community be doing to attract more young people to live and work in the Decatur area? I think it starts with having good paying jobs. Until we can start retaining some of the young talent that is born and raised here, we are going to have trouble attracting people. Too often our graduates leave the area in search of better job opportunities. There is always this discussion about not having anything for young people to do. I think the focus on having “fun” things for young people to do is missing the bigger problem. We can have all of the recreational activities in the world for young people to participate in, but if they don’t have good paying jobs to support those activities, it doesn’t matter. I do believe that the lakefront development plan of the Decatur Park District is a step in the right direction toward improving our recreational options. I am hopeful that the development of the Midwest Inland Port and intermodal facility will help attract new businesses to the area. Continuing to improve our infrastructure will also help

with jobs in the short term and development down the road.

The person who has had the biggest influence on you and why: I would have to say that my parents have had the biggest influence in my life. I don’t think I could pick one over the other and survive family gatherings. When I was younger, my mom had the greatest impact on my life, instilling confidence in me and teaching me to always treat others how you wish to be treated. It's something that sticks with me to this day. I always try to put myself in someone else’s shoes before jumping to conclusions and I think I owe that to my mom. My father has had the greatest impact on my life as I have gotten older. My dad was always giving back to the community and was dedicated to public service. My views on community involvement, politics and social issues, as well as my love of the St. Louis Cardinals certainly comes from my dad. I would definitely not be the person I am today without the love and support of my parents.

What do you still hope to accomplish? Retirement. Life is full of accomplishments. If you work hard at your career, at being a parent, giving back to

the community, your life will be full of accomplishments and sometimes the best ones are unexpected. Seriously, I try not to get too caught up in individual accomplishments, just do what I can while I can and make it to retirement.

Your favorite stress reliever: Fishing is probably my biggest stress reliever. I just don’t get to do it enough.

Your favorite movie: It is hard to pick just one. “Braveheart” is one of my favorite movies. The amount of courage portrayed by William Wallace is hard to imagine in this day and age. We are so spoiled.

Your favorite book: I don’t read a lot of books, no fiction at all. I do like just about anything written by Robert Reich, former U.S. Labor Secretary.

Quote to live by: It’s not really a quote, but try to live by the Golden Rule If you were a fictional character, which one would you be? Why? Robin Hood. He took from the rich to help the poor and was considered a hero. I don’t think people would accept this as heroic in today’s world.

children, Majaya, Majaleus, Jayda

Current position/responsibilities: Assistant consumer loan operation manager/credit manager for Land of Lincoln Credit Union. Liaison between members and the credit union interviews and take applications for loans. Approve and disburse loans daily. Assist members with IRA transactions. Establish repayment schedule, interest rates, etc.

What do you like best about what you do? I love helping members with their financial needs and wants. I love saving them money each month on their monthly loan payment. I love helping members rebuild their credit.

What you do like best about working or living in the community? As far as working in the community, my place of employment gives me the opportunity to help the underserved. Even as big as Decatur is, it still feels like a small-town community, whether I am at work, church or at a school function, I still have requests about financial education.

What should the community be doing to attract more young people to live and work in the Decatur

area? We need to have more safe activities/places for the younger generation to be able to attend. They always say there is nothing to do in Decatur.

Congratulations, Rashanda!

The person who has had the biggest influence on you and why: Bishop Glenn Livingston. He lives and breathes trying to improve the community and his congregation. I strive to be more like him. He is always positive and pushing you to the next level.

What do you still hope to accomplish? I would like to look into getting a degree.

Your favorite stress reliever: Going to my children's sporting events.

Rashanda Bond-Partee

Assistant Consumer Loan Manager Your outstanding service to our members and the community has been highly appreciated.

Your favorite movie: “Love & Basketball”

Your favorite book: Bible

We are proud to have you as part of the LLCU team.

Quote to live by: “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.”

If you were a fictional character, which one would you be? Why? Super mom, ready to speed away from work to any sporting/school event where I am needed.

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biggest influence on you and why: God, first and foremost, has given me everything that is good in my life. My faith in God keeps me believing that all things are possible. Both my mother and father have influenced my life in such an awesome way that I can only hope and aspire to have the same influence for my daughter, Elizabeth.

Matt has been my best friend since I was 17 years old. As my husband, he influences me by being a great partner and father to our daughter. He is constantly encouraging me and always pushes me to strive for my dreams.

What do you still hope to accomplish? I believe the best is yet to come. I would like to think I have a future in politics, but time will tell. If I can give back and make a positive impact in people's lives I would say my mission will be accomplished.

“I feel responsible for helping to improve and maintain our community. I love that with every volunteer activity that I do, I know that I’m making a direct impact. I am helping to feed families who are trying to pay bills, but don’t have enough money each week.”

Your favorite stress reliever: I enjoy exercising at the YMCA, running in local 5K races and walking to our neighborhood parks with Elizabeth.

I also enjoy a good book or movie while enjoying my mom’s homemade popcorn.

Your favorite movie: I can honestly

Megan Breheny-Bennett Age: 31 Family: I have been married to my husband, Matt Bennett, for six years.

We have a 2-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, and a Maltese named Gracie.

I am also very fortunate to have my parents, Kevin and Sue Breheny, along with my brother, Michael, living in the Decatur area. I am very close to my sister, Molly Breheny, who currently resides in Dallas, Texas. My family is everything to me and I am very blessed to have them all.

Current position/responsibilities: I am fortunate to have the opportunity to stay home and take care of my daughter. This job alone has been one of the most rewarding, yet challenging, roles I have ever taken on.

Prior to having Elizabeth, I worked for the state of Illinois as a legislative liaison for the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. I was then recruited by the HSHS Medical Group to work as the marketing and communication coordinator based at St. Mary’s Hospital. Both of these positions

enabled me to exercise my external communication skills and work with wonderful people on a daily basis.

What do you like best about what you do? I love knowing that I can spend the entire day with my daughter to help her learn and grow.

This opportunity allows me to focus on Elizabeth, but also stay engaged in the community as a volunteer in a way that I was not able to while working full time. I currently serve on the board of Baby TALK, co-chair the Leadership Illinois Power of the Individual Conference that will be held in Decatur in July, and serve as a parish council member at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. I also enjoy the opportunity to co-host “Pharmacy Facts with Friends” on WSOY once a month with my good friend, Lauren ColeeYoung.

What do you like best about working or living in the community? I love living in a community where people are generous, supportive and everyone knows your

name. As a lifelong resident of this area, I often found myself being teased while away at college for being a “Decatur cheerleader.” I always hoped that I would end up here after graduating from Quincy University and I am thrilled that Matt and I have had the chance to start our family in this community. I am excited about all of the new growth and changes in Decatur and am so happy to see it is only getting better.

What should the community be doing to attract more young people to live and work in the area? I think that the community leaders are doing an outstanding job in making big things happen here. I would recommend always keeping communication going; especially with the young professionals in this area. I encourage the continued and expanded use of focus groups to consistently have discussions about the countless future possibilities for this community.

The person who has had the

not pick a single favorite movie. The following are some of my lifetime favorites: “The Sound of Music,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Good Will Hunting,” “As Good as it Gets,” “Meet The Parents,” the “Harry Potter” series and “Forrest Gump.”

Your favorite book: I have been an avid reader all my life, and I have always loved fictional stories. Right now, I am very into reading autobiographies. I enjoy learning the personal stories of people I find fascinating that were written in their own words.

Quote to live by: “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” --Abraham Lincoln “In everyone’s life a little rain must fall.” --My dad “If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make a change.” --Michael Jackson

If you were a fictional character, which one would you be? Why? I would like to be a character in Harry Potter. Who wouldn't like to be a part of that magical world for a day?

Julia Roundtree Livingston Age: 34 Family: Mother, Janet; father, Joe; husband, Stan Livingston II; daughter, Joella, 8; sons, Stanford Livingston III, 2, and Silas, 1.

Current position/responsibilities: Stay-at-home mom to our three children. President of Junior Welfare Association (JWA), with a current membership of 64 women. This women’s volunteer organization has been around for 76 years in Decatur. We are committed to improving the community for women and children in need here; we do fundraising, donate funds to other organizations doing good in our community, have Signature programs in which we give vouchers to kids in the Macon County public schools for shoes and sports bras, and we volunteer our time in order to assist other great things going on in our community. Just last year, in our 75th year, we donated 7,500 hours of our time to the community. I also am coordinator of the Judy Mason Thanksgiving Basket Project. This project, which began 17 years ago, now provides 4,000 boxes of food for families in need in Macon County the week of Thanksgiving. I volunteer at AMELCA Food Pantry. We are open every Wednesday for families to receive food to help supplement what they already have. I place the food orders each week

for the pantry from different stores and food banks in the area. Previously a college English instructor, most recently at the University of Illinois, UrbanaChampaign (2008-2012) and at Richland Community College (2008-2012).

What do you like best about what you do? I feel responsible for helping to improve and maintain our community. I love that with every volunteer activity that I do, I know that I’m making a direct impact. I am helping to feed families who are trying to pay bills, but don’t have enough money each week. I’m fundraising to put shoes on kids and sports bras on girls in the Macon County public schools who cannot otherwise afford them. I am fundraising to provide other programs in Decatur with necessary funds to make a positive difference.

What do you like best about working or living in the community? I love living in the Decatur community because I am so proud of how giving all of the people are. For all of the needs there are in our community, there are also always people willing to help. In every fundraising effort I’ve done here, people, groups, organizations and companies have continuously been accommodating once the need is known.

What should the community be doing to attract more young people to live and work in the Decatur area? I think that Decatur is already doing many great things to attract and keep young families with kids. We offer so many kid-friendly activities and broadcast them very well to the community. We have great parks, a constantly improving zoo and a wonderfully interactive children’s museum. I do believe that Decatur should continue to work on bringing jobs to Decatur and keeping them here in order to continue to attract and retain these young families.

The person who has had the biggest influence on you and why: My parents have always lived by essential traits that they’ve taught me as well: hard work, loyalty, the need to help and the importance of education.

My mom, especially, has taught me how to be a strong woman. These are all tools that I value and use on a daily basis. They are also traits that I’m consciously teaching to my children as well.

What do you still hope to accomplish: Each day I strive to make a positive impact. I certainly still, and will always, seek to do so in our community. I’d love to eventually help politically here in our Decatur

community. I know that I can further help to see, plan and execute the positive direction that our local government has already begun to take.

Your favorite stress reliever: I like to run, to read, to play sports, to spend time with my family.

Your favorite movie: I don’t have a specific favorite movie, but I enjoy drama, comedy and action genres.

Your favorite book: I love to read authors such as Charles Chesnutt, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston and Maya Angelou.

Quote to live by: “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.” — Author unknown If you were a fictional character, which one would you be? Why? I often feel like Virginia Woolf in that I’m a constant thinker and evaluator. I’m always plotting what’s next in terms of my efforts in regards to my family, my life, the community and activities. I constantly seek improvement and I definitely ascribe to the concept of creating bigger and better.

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puts this community first in this kind of an event.

What should the community be doing to attract more young people to live and work in the Decatur area: The Decatur community has a lot to offer, I think we just need to make sure those opportunities are advertised in ways that will reach those young people. Great dining and local shops in downtown Decatur are another asset to the area, and the community needs to support those shops so they will continue to thrive. More than anything, we need to encourage employers to start and maintain businesses here, so there are opportunities for economic growth in this community.

The person who has had the biggest influence on you and why: My mom and dad, Mike and Cindy Landacre. My dad has coached youth cross country and track for Johns Hill Middle School and the Decatur Park District's Staley Strider programs for more than 20 years. He teaches youth about the value of hard work, dedication and fitness, and encourages it as lifestyle, not just for a few years. My mom and dad encouraged me and my sisters, Lisa and Lori, to start running very early in our lives, and we are all still a running family 30 years later.

What you do still hope to accomplish? Continue to travel nationally and internationally, and enjoy life with my family and friends.

Your favorite stress reliever: Running, biking, hiking and traveling with my husband.

Mandi (Landacre) Podeschi

Your favorite movie: “The Last of the Mohicans,” provided inspiration (and musical background) as a history student at Millikin and grad student at UIS.

Your favorite book: I have a lot of Age: 35 Family: Husband, RJ Current position/responsibilities: Senior director of Development, Alumni and Development Office, Millikin University. Supervise our development team and our efforts to raise support for our Millikin Fund for Student Scholarships campaign and Transform MU capital campaign.

What do you like best about what you do? Working with Millikin's alumni,

friends, students, faculty and staff. It is a pleasure to work at my alma mater, providing opportunities for our constituents to support Millikin students, and the valuable education they receive here with talented faculty and staff who truly encourage performance learning involving third-party stakeholders. It is great to be able to show our constituents the impact our students and alumni have on the Decatur area community.

What do you like best about working or living in the community? People who work hard to

make the community a better place, not to benefit themselves, but mostly to make it better, healthier and more interesting for others. As a part of the race committee for the Penguin in the Park 5k, which attracted about 1,000 people in March, the goal is to have a race that encourages people to get healthy after the long winter, celebrates great locations in Decatur (Fairview Park and Millikin University), raises funds for youth at Millikin and the DISC, and provides a great venue for people to come together. I am pleased to be part of a committee that

favorites, but right now it is “The Nine Tailors,” from late British mystery writer Dorothy L. Sayers

Quote to live by: From Millikin alum and running guru John "the Penguin" Bingham, "The miracle isn't that I finished, it is that I had the courage to start."

If you were a fictional character, which one would you be? Why? Probably a Muppet, as life is simple, fun, witty and an adventure.

Bredina Coale Age: 33 Family: Husband, Bret; fur-child, Mr. Stuart Peanut Coale, a Pomeranian/Chihuahua mix we adopted from the Macon County Animal Shelter.

Current position/responsibilities: I am currently the marketing project manager at Hagerman & Company in Mount Zion, a CAD software supplier to manufacturing companies, industrial, AEC and civil design firms, and government agencies across the Midwest, South and California. I have my hands in many aspects of marketing – event planning and execution (tradeshows, meetings, sales and learning events both live and online), advertising, social media, communications – writing and editing, etc. My other “job” is serving as the vice president of the Prairieland Punishers Roller Derby League, where I am part of a five-person board that manages the business side of the organization. The Punishers are focused on promoting health, wellness, fitness, competition, self-growth, community outreach and sisterhood. We place a high value on personal character and community involvement.

What do you like best about what you do? At Hagerman & Company, I

enjoy working on multiple projects with colleagues from around the country. With the Punishers, my favorite part is the impact we make in the community. We donate money made from our home games to various community and charitable organizations in Macon County. The team is made up of skaters from across Central Illinois who are passionate, hardworking and dedicated to self and community improvement.

What do you like best about working or living in the community? The generosity. Decatur and Macon county residents are some of the most generous people I have met. A great example of this is the WSOY Food Drive. The number of volunteers and the amount of food collected is remarkable. It is easy to get involved with the community and give back. There are a number of philanthropic groups including my favorite, Junior Welfare Association.

I’m also a pretty big fan of the West End. I love driving around to look at the older homes.

What should the community be doing to attract more young people to live and work in the Decatur area? Aside from the obvious, more jobs, I think initiatives like the new Decatur City Limitless campaign are

exactly what we need to be doing. We need to showcase the assets we have such as great parks, great local restaurants and merchants, theater, higher education, etc. We also need to help instill and foster a sense of pride among residents.

The people who have had the biggest influence on you and why: My parents. They have always encouraged and supported my desire to live life to the fullest, from skydiving to roller derby and a few other interests in between. They taught me the importance of hard work and the value of a dollar. My mom taught me to listen to my heart and follow my dreams and my dad taught me to not sweat the small things. I’m still working on the latter.

What do you still hope to accomplish? Professionally I feel as though I am just getting started. In August, I will be stepping down from my role at Hagerman & Company, a position I have held for going on eight years, to pursue a career in public service, I will work for the Illinois Department of Human Services as a youth services program coordinator while working full time on a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Illinois at Springfield. Personally, I want to be able to keep houseplants alive

(other than succulents), to cook a complete Thanksgiving dinner by myself and to deadlift 300 pounds.

Your favorite stress reliever: Roller derby, weightlifting, iced nonfat lattes (with extra ice) and petting my dog.

Your favorite movie: “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” I’m fairly confident I can recite the entire movie. I can definitely recite all of the songs.

Your favorite book: I don’t have a favorite but I have always been attracted to the self-help aisle at bookstores.

Quote to live by: “Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections once a year, but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in.” -Author unknown If you were a fictional character, which one would you be? Why? She-Ra, the Princess of Power. She is largely nonviolent, uses her wits and often prefers to outsmart her adversaries.

However, when necessary she can pick someone up and throw them.

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Keith Creighton

What do you still hope to accomplish? On the career side, I would like to eventually move into a role at Caterpillar that gets me even closer to the customer than I have been able to in my current job role. On the personal side, I have a pretty big bucket list full of adventures and my wife and I would like to continue to invest in our rental house business.

Age: 37 Family: Wife, Beth; daughter, Zoe, 8

Your favorite stress reliever: I love watching good action movies, even though I’m finding it increasingly harder to stay awake through a full movie anymore.

Current position/responsibilities: Middle school teacher and department head at Dennis Lab School

What you do like best about what you do? I find it exceptionally

Your favorite movie: This one is a no brainer, “Braveheart.”

rewarding to empower middle school students to take control of their

Your favorite book: “Rich Dad, Poor

learning. I find that being a victim is the

Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki

most powerless and helpless feeling in life. I want for my students to never feel like life is happening to them against their will. I am never more proud than when they identify and solve problems on their own.

What do you like best about working or living in the community? Decatur is a place where

our common experiences, challenges

arts programs that enrich the culture of

lead the development of the middle

and history band us together as a

the community. I like that, in Decatur, I

school so that we provide the best

family. The city has a long history of

am a part of something greater than

education to our students. I also hope

success built through a tireless and

myself.

that the lessons we have learned can be

creative work ethic. I enjoy the strong

Decatur Public Schools and Dennis-Lab School Congratulates

Keith Creighton as Top 20 Under 40 Recipient “Today you lead the classroom.

Tomorrow your students will lead the world.”

What should the community be doing to attract more young people to live and work in the Decatur area? We need to continue

in Decatur. It seems like we lose people

Family: Wife, Ashley; son, Colton;

so that our success can spread to other

daughter, Isabelle

schools. By accomplishing this, I hope that Dennis Lab School is recognized as one of the best schools in the nation.

Your favorite stress reliever: I enjoy playing hobby board games.

for someplace that seems more

When I have time, I like to organize

glamorous. I feel that when people are

game nights at my house and attend

involved in creating something new

social events. I also run an informal

there is excitement and commitment.

after-school game club at Dennis.

The person who has had the biggest influence on you and why: While many people have had a

Your favorite movie: The “Star

profound impact on my life over the

and made Greedo shoot first.

Wars” saga, primarily the first three before George Lucas messed with them

years, it is my wife who inspires and influences me on a daily basis. I have

Your favorite book: This is a tie

never met a more dedicated and

between “Ready Player One” by Ernest

passionate person. Her example of

Cline and “Pillars of the Earth” by Ken

strength, compassion and caring for

Follett

others is a blessing to my daughter and me.

Quote to live by: “You were born for such a time as this.” --Paraphrased from

What do you still hope to accomplish? Over the past three

the book of Esther

years, I have had the privilege and

If you were a fictional character, which one would you be? Why?

honor to be part of an amazing team of professionals who have expanded Dennis Lab School into a middle school. As the department head, I hope to continue to

101 W. Cerro Gordo Street | Decatur, IL 62523 | www.dps61.org

Age: 33

shared with other schools and teachers

to expand the opportunities, both professional and social, that are offered

Tony Piraino

I don’t have a good answer for this question.

Current position/responsibilities: Husband, father, new product introduction systems integration engineer for the Caterpillar motor grader product group.

What do you like best about what you do? I love learning how our customers use our machines and then using that information to come up with a better machine and ultimately to help them make more money. In my current role, I don’t get to do a lot of the detailed design work anymore, but I have my hand in many of the various designs of the machine in one fashion or another. It is very rewarding to walk around a fully-built machine and to be able to “see it in iron” after working on it in the virtual space for so long.

What do you like best about working or living in the community? To me, the Decatur area is a vibrant community full of people who are always willing to step up to help with whatever worthy cause is put in front of them. I personally value community service pretty highly and it seems to me that this community is full of people with that same value. We have a lot of people willing to step up to be part of the solution to make the community a better place to work and live, rather than sitting back and

complaining and being part of the problem.

What should the community be doing to attract more young people to live and work in the Decatur area? Maintain the positive momentum and continue to move forward. I really believe that the new community branding effort, Decatur City Limitless, will go a long way toward giving people, internal and external, a new perspective about our community. I was recently involved in one of Grow Decatur’s workshops where we reviewed their current strategic imperatives and discussed additional imperatives. They hit the nail on the head with several of their existing imperatives including education, lakefront development, vibrant and attractive, 20 to 40 and community marketing and branding imperatives. I’ve talked to a lot of young professionals about this in the past and if we were to land a nice set of condos and a Chipotle by the lake, we’d be hitting a home run!

Dutch Blitz. Both of these guys have had such a tremendous impact on so many other people as well over the years. My wife has had the biggest influence on me during my college and adult years as she has always been supportive of all of my crazy ideas while helping to talk me out of some of my really crazy ideas that seem ridiculous in hindsight. She has taught me patience, compassion and the importance of slowing down to enjoy the moment.

Quote to live by: “Life is all about the choices we make.” – Ashley Piraino. “Be a part of the solution instead of a part of the problem.”

If you were a fictional character, which one would you be? Why? Superman. Because at some point, my kids are going to be very disappointed when they find out that I’m not really Superman after all of these years of keeping it our little secret.

The person who has had the biggest influence on you and why: I’ve had many key mentors at various stages in my life and I would not be the person I am without them. Besides the obvious answers of parents and even my mother and father in-law, I have had three key influencers during separate phases of my life. John Schirle, who now works at the Decatur Public Library, had the biggest influence on my childhood years as he took my brother and I under his wings and made sure that we were growing as Christians. My biggest influence in my high school years was Tony Arseneau, my math teacher at Cerro Gordo, for very similar reasons. He also taught me how to win gracefully at card games such as

to

TONY PIRAINO for being named one of the 20 leaders under 40!

Celebrating 90 years! © 2015 Caterpillar. All Rights Reserved. CAT, CATERPILLAR, BUILT FOR IT, their respective logos, "Caterpillar Yellow", the "Power Edge" trade dress as well as corporate and product identity used herein, are trademarks of Caterpillar and may not be used without permission.

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1 6 2015 • 20 Under 40 t h e b u s i n e s s j o u r n a l

Prescott Paulin Age: 29 Family: Parents, Pete and Kit; brother, Parker.

Current position/responsibilities: International research consultant at 300 Below Inc.

What do you like best about what you do? I love that I get to explore the world, but still feel blessed to come home and spend time with a great family.

What do you like best about working or living in the community? Decatur is an underdog in America with so much potential for international growth. We were recently ranked No. 2 for agribusiness by Forbes, and No. 2 for affordable places to live by the Wall Street Journal. The thing I love best about our community is that you can pick up the phone to call any business owner in our community and they WILL take your call. We are a family focused community that is proud to support each other, just as we saw recently with our No. 2 ranking for becoming Kraft Hockeyville.

The thing about being second best is that we can always strive to do better. When you’re number one, your thinking goes toward sustaining actions and concern toward not falling behind. I would surmise that we are more prone to positive thinking and action in our community because we’re working on Decatur’s rebound. We’re a solid No. 2 choice with upward momentum.

What should the community be doing to attract more young people to live and work in the Decatur area? Our community should be connecting and empowering Decatur’s existing entrepreneurs and service organizations. Their work transforms Decatur into a place worth living and working. Volunteering should be organized into a fun activity, where you can make new friends and see different sections of our community. I personally disagree with the limitless marketing campaign for Decatur. The Marine Corps taught me to know the limits you’re working with in order to maximize your impact based on the capabilities you know you have at your disposal. Not knowing limits means

spending money we don’t have. Yes, we need reinforcements, but we already have $12 million invested in streetscaping downtown, $89 million in improving our lakefront, $76 million to renovate our high schools, $85 million to grow international education at Millikin, and $16 million to expand RCC and develop Decatur’s workforce, not to mention the Children’s Museum of Illinois and its recent fundraising. These are some real limits that we can work with in terms of growing Decatur because they are cornerstones to create the ideal place to raise a family. We have more churches per capita than any place I know, so spiritual exploration is ripe here when you look around. We have two exceptional hospitals and some of the best trained police officers and sheriff’s deputies in the nation who have unprecedented access to privately funded shooting ranges and other advanced training. Our next step is to figure out how to sustain our infrastructure when 22,000 people are commuting every day to jobs in our community but not paying taxes to maintain our roads. Commuters should be incentivized to buy locally so their money is increasingly spent in our economy. We must recognize our limits to create new restaurants and stores where they can visit on their way in, during lunch time, and after work. The Coffee Connection is one shining example of entrepreneurs who tap into this commuter traffic on U.S. 51 southbound.

The person who has had the biggest influence on you and why: Long term, my folks. Their honesty, trust and influence helped positively shape who I am as a person. Most recently though, it has been the Rev. Dr. Miley Palmer. He taught me that helping others doesn’t require special training or intimate Biblical knowledge; you just have to go and do it. He validated the calling I felt with reaching out to people in need, shared with me that a chaplain should never cry in front of people, but be emotional enough to shed a tear at home.

I’m not out in the world trying to convert anyone to be a Christian when I know I have lots of room to improve myself, but I do know what it feels like to be stuck in a hospital bed — that’s why I volunteer at DMH in my spare time. It’s amazing how spirits are lifted when you spend time in the ER. On busy nights, patients are stuck in there for hours before they are seen and treated. Having someone come in with a smile and a good attitude, even just to listen, helps pass the time. Prayer is pretty powerful, though. A woman came in completely unresponsive the other night, and with the prayers from her family, she

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t h e b u s i n e s s j o u r n a l 2015 • 20 Under 40 9

was out of her coma in a matter of hours.

I’ve held hands through miscarriage, death and decisions on whether or not to become a mother— never placing judgment in lieu of compassion. The people I’ve met give me great faith that there is greatness among us that must be loved and cared for, even when people don’t have their own family to sit beside them to encourage them through their healing in their greatest time of need.

What you do still hope to accomplish? I have a patent pending on a mobile emergency response platform, and I need to find an investor with $25,000 to get our international patents secured.

It’s sort of like the Uber app for 911. With nationwide 911 response times at 10 minutes on average, and up to an hour in rural areas, the average violent crime (or in my case, cardiac arrest) happens rapidly in a 90-second window. If we can close the gap to get a response closer to that timeframe, more lives will be saved. I hope to build that solution and scale it globally, provided I can find the right investors.

Your favorite stress reliever: Mike Lambdin’s MLCrossfit gym at 5 a.m. and any green smoothie coming out of my BlendTec for breakfast afterwards. In the evening, any piece of Vosges dark chocolate, plus strong hands upon my neck.

Your favorite movie: “Jiro Dreams of Sushi.” It reminds me that the struggle of a son in his father’s shadow is never easy, but is common, even around the world in another language. I also love cooking, and great sushi.

Your favorite book: “The Paleo Approach” by Dr. Sarah Ballantyne. No other book can single-handedly change the lives of people in Decatur through education on food. I see more people in the hospital with poor diets, and I truly believe if they ate healthier it would reduce the number of health issues we face in our community.

Quote to live by: “Do or do not. There is no try.” – Yoda (and my mom)

If you were a fictional character, which one would you be? Why? Christian Grey. I’d love having his helicopter, the wisdom to fly it, and the large bankroll for its fuel. Falling in love might be nice, too.

Jennifer Michelle Dahn Age: 36 Family: husband, Mike; daughter, Chloe, 13; son, Jordan, 9; chihuahua, Chico, 6; golden retriever, Payton, 1 Current position/responsibilities: Founder and executive director of PawPrint Ministries Comfort Dogs

What do you like best about what you do? Being able to take our comfort dog teams out into the community is very rewarding. It is awesome to watch our dogs interact with a variety of people on a daily basis. I love the smiles we receive or seeing the sparkle in someones eye as a dog approaches. Knowing that I have helped someone get through a rough moment in life is priceless.

What do you like best about working or living in the community? I love how our community will come together to support a cause. Without the amazing support of local individuals and businesses, our comfort dog ministry would not be thriving. It is exciting to be a part of changes and watch our community grow.

What should the community be doing to attract more young people to live and work in the Decatur area? To attract more young people to Decatur, we need to be cutting edge. We need to embrace change and growth and work together to continue to build a strong community that we are proud to be a part of.

The person who has had the biggest influence on you and why: My parents have had the biggest influence on me. They are a team and they have helped to shape the person I have become. My dad’s business knowledge, perseverance and words of wisdom are invaluable as I continue on my journey with PawPrint Ministries. I am thankful for my mom’s determination, driven personality and willingness to drop everything and help out at a moments notice. My parents have encouraged me to shoot for the stars and to never settle, and for that I am grateful.

What do you still hope to accomplish? I hope to be a role model for my children. My goal is to instill a passion inside of them to dream

“ I love the smiles we receive or seeing the sparkle in someones eye as a dog approaches. Knowing that I have helped someone get through a rough moment in life is priceless. ”

big and work hard to make it happen.

Your favorite stress reliever: It’s hard to pick just one. Cookouts with family and friends, the beach, working out, being on a boat and traveling with my family.

Your favorite movie: “Top Gun” has always been a favorite of mine.

Your favorite book: The last book I read was: “The Mountain Between Us”

by Charles Martin. I enjoyed this book because the main characters demonstrated when faced with tough times and struggle, perseverance and determination can help sustain you.

plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” --Jeremiah 29:11

If you were a fictional character, which one would you be? Why? I would choose Annie. She is generous, compassionate and optimistic. She is smart and savvy in the ways of the world. I love her determination to get things done and her compassionate heart to help others. Her motto is short and sweet. “Tell the truth, work hard, save your money, and keep your nose tidy.” Little Orphan Annie may have been a young girl, but she had a good head on her shoulders and was not afraid to stand up for what she believed

Quote to live by: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord,

in.

a few guys in a group chat going to lunch every Friday. A few years later, we have more than 25 guys and we are putting together social gatherings as well as donating time to charity. Now if someone comes to the group with an event or if one of us is involved in a charity, we all are.

As well as relying on the young leaders, I think the larger employers of Decatur need to be enticed to bring in young professionals. Not just working in Decatur and commuting but that they live in the community as well. We need these young professionals involved in the community 24/7 not 40 hours a week.

TOP 20 UNDER 40

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-CongratulationsKelli [Smith] Runyon

Family: Dad, Lee; mom, Toni; sister, Amanda; brother, Tommy.

Current position/responsibilities: I am currently the operations manager at Eichenauer Services Inc., which my family has owned and operated since 1946.

We are a nationally recognized service company that repairs commercial kitchen equipment (refrigeration, cooking, dishwashing, etc.) and also distributes replacement parts nationwide. I am personally responsible for all of our HR and IT related issues, help direct the distribution and customer service departments, in charge of asset

the from

20 under 40 PROFESSIONALS have been announced

What do you still hope to accomplish? Professionally, I hope to

What do you like best about what you do? Wearing as many hats as I do, it provides me with different challenges on a daily basis and I get a chance to work with family (father and brother).

My brother and I are actually the fourth generation to come through the family business, so it is extremely cool to carry on that tradition since most family businesses don’t make it that far.

What do you like best about working or living in the community? Decatur has always been a special place to me because I was born and raised here.

What should the community be doing to attract more young people to live and work in the Decatur area? Attracting young adults

Eichenauer Services, Inc. is proud to announce

Justin Eichenauer as one of the honored professionals!

is extremely hard. Most young adults are not going to commit to anything until they see a peer, one they respect, commit. You basically run into the whole chicken and the egg conundrum until you have a leader or group of leaders step forward and say “Let’s do this!” The more we can get young adults involved in decision making, whether it’s what band is coming to the Decatur Celebration or ideas for developing the lakefront, the more invested the young leaders of Decatur will be. Once you get the snowball moving downhill full of momentum, it’s hard to stop. A great example of this is a group of guys I am part of called the Platinum Club. It started out as nothing more than

continue to carry on the family business and keep it strong for generations to come. Personally, I am big on life experiences so I have a long bucket list of places and events I want to experience.

Last summer I crossed a few off by completing a Tough Mudder and traveling to Croatia. The next big trip I am hoping to take is going to Oktoberfest in Munich.

Your favorite stress reliever: I would probably say going to gym.

Nice to get away for a few hours and listen to some music. A beer or two at happy hour always helps a little, too.

Josh Sapp Union by Choice Proud to call Decatur home for over 100 years.

Buy Local and Use Local workers!

It’s the easy answer but I would have to go with my parents. I can’t really say one or the other because they have both made me who I am.

management (inventory control, fleet management, purchasing, etc.), and handle vendor/industry relations.

to our Union Brother

dccmarketing.com

Kelli is the cream of the crop when it comes to moving the needle for our clients.

De

s catur, Illinoi

IBEW

Serving Central Illinois for more than

Interactive [marketing] Agency

June 26, 19 red te

12

Age:: 31

Congratulations

on being chosen for this year’s “20 under 40”.

The person who has had the biggest influence on you and why::

Justin Eichenauer

t h e b u s i n e s s j o u r n a l 2015 • 20 Under 40 1 5

Ch ar

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100

Local 146 AFL-CIO

YEARS

www.ibew146.com

Well Trained and Highly Skilled Professionals Within a Community Minded Organization

Congratulations Christina!

Your favorite movie: I don’t know if I could pick one because all of the Marvel movies are great, then there are classics such as “Tombstone” and “Caddy Shack,” but if I had to pick one it would probably be the original “Hangover.”

Your favorite book: I am not a huge reader outside of when I am traveling so I don’t have a ton to pick from. I liked all the Dan Brown books and James Rollins is a similar author I like. Of all of theirs, I probably like James Rollins book “Black Order” the best, although I have almost finished a really interesting book by Yaval Harari called “Sapiens.”

Quote to live by: “Life is not about surviving the storm but how you dance it in rain”

If you were a fictional character, which one would you be? Why?

Christina Baker Assistant Vice President, Corporate Cash Management

For bankers that know where you are, understand where you want to be and promise to invest in you.

Hickory Point Bank. Invested.

I would have to go with Tony Stark (Ironman).

HICKORYPOINTBANK.COM

MEMBER FDIC

CHAMPAIGN

DECATUR

PEORIA

SPRINGFIELD

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Devin Forden “ The human-animal bond is so special and so powerful. I do all I can to educate my clients so they and their pets can live together happy and healthy, as long as possible. ”

Age: 32 Family: Jerri Forden is my amazing

become an adviser they look to for

mother. Ryan is the best big brother ever. I am also very close with my sister, Megan Law, and her husband, Eric. They have a beautiful daughter named Cora, that I enjoy spoiling. Of course, my pets are family, too! I have three cats and three dogs.

insurance guidance and risk control.

Current position/responsibilities: I

“ I get the opportunity to learn about

Shane Major Age: 33 Family: Wife, Molly; daughters, Ruby, 2, and Dixie, 3 months.

ever be in.” This is true in many ways. The area offers many bigger city amenities, yet you can also get the small town welcome by a simple wave or hello on the streets from a passerby.

Current position/responsibilities: Agency co-owner at Richland Insurance Services Inc. I am the managing partner at our firm, conducting day-to-day operations while also conducting outside agency sales.

What do you like best about what you do? I get the opportunity to learn about someone’s commercial business and become an adviser they look to for insurance guidance and risk control. I essentially become a trusted team member of their business along the way.

On the personal insurance lines side (home/auto), I also help families in guiding them to the best products for their needs.

What you like best about working or living in the community: As someone once put it, “Decatur (Macon County) is the biggest small town you will

What should the community be doing to attract more young people to live and work in the Decatur area? There have been many great

someone’s commercial business and

I essentially become a trusted team member of their business along the way. ”

things done already in the past few years to help attract younger people to Decatur, such as the expansion of the running/bike trails, downtown Decatur renovations, renovations and restaurant expansions in the Oakwood area and business growth in the Mount Zion area by the convention center. These are all positive factors to help keep the community more welcoming and definitely help with recruiting young, talented individuals in the workplace arena.

person. She is also a great motivator to me. In my business life there are two gentlemen that I seem to always lean on or run ideas by: my brother-in-law, Pete Pistorius, and my good friend, David Falk.

These two men have been great advisers and mentors to me and I am truly grateful for their guidance.

around our home with yard work or other “honey-do” jobs.

What do you still hope to accomplish? I would like to continue

Quote to live by: “Don’t pet the sweaty things and don’t sweat the petty things.”

The person who has had the biggest influence on you and why:

growing my business and continue helping those working with me as well as our clients.

If you were a fictional character, which one would you be? Why?

Your favorite stress reliever:

Marty McFly from “Back to the Future.”

I’ve always wanted to drive a DeLorean.

In my personal life I would definitely say my wife, Molly. She’s a great example of a kind, godly, loyal and integrity-driven

Anything outdoors. I enjoy working

Your favorite movie: “Tommy Boy” Your favorite book: Anything my daughter Ruby picks out. We have fun reading together.

am an associate veterinarian at Northgate Pet Clinic. I have formed amazing relationships with my patients and their owners over the last five years. I also have represented the clinic at community events such as the Special Olympics Polar Plunge and rabies clinics.

What do you like best about what you do? Above all, I became a veterinarian to help animals and that is what I get to do every single day. The human-animal bond is so special and so powerful. I do all I can to educate my clients so they and their pets can live together happy and healthy, as long as possible.

What do you like best about working or living in the community? I think I have the best of both worlds. I live in a small town outside of Decatur, but come to work in town every day. I enjoy the quiet and easy pace of the small town and country life. But I am close to the amenities and opportunities

available in Decatur. Macon County is so much more than Decatur, and I’m thankful I get to be a part of both sides of that.

What should the community be doing to attract more young people to live and work in the Decatur area? I love music and entertainment, so I would love to see more of that here. Live entertainment such as musicals, concerts, theater and comedy could draw a younger crowd. I also wish there were more cultural dining opportunities and an outlet for safe, healthy nightlife. I know they have existed before, but a community organization specifically for young adults can always be beneficial. Perhaps that could be community gardens? Or leading a 4-H club? The educational and volunteer opportunities for young adults to be a part of could be endless.

The person who has had the biggest influence on you and why: I first have to credit my mother, Jerri. She molded me into the woman I am today. She taught me to be strong-willed and to never give up. She’s the strongest woman I know.

I also have to credit a second person, Dr. Larry Baker. I have known him for years, working at Northgate Pet Clinic while in high school and now as a veterinarian. He is my mentor for my professional life and a great sounding board for difficult cases.

day, I always find myself going to my sister’s house so I can play with my niece.

She can brighten any day.

Your favorite movie: My team of assistants and veterinary technicians had to answer this question for me. They say my favorite movie is, “Elf.” Of course, I love watching it at Christmas time, but it is a favorite year-round. I quote lines from it every day.

Your favorite book: I loved the What do you still hope to accomplish? As a veterinarian, I am

“Hunger Games” trilogy.

always learning, always researching. I look forward to furthering my education in veterinary medicine.

Quote to live by:: “Live life to the

Your favorite stress reliever: I love music. There is nothing better than relaxing at my piano. I even play for my church. Also, if I have a particularly bad

fullest.”

If you were a fictional character, which one would you be? Why? I would be Dorothy from “The Wizard of Oz.” She is a simple country girl who knows there is no place like home.

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“ I hope to continue to make more contacts, which not only helps my business, but also helps me meet more people who are excited to see how Decatur improves over the next few years. ”

Olivia Heisner Age: 24 Family: I grew up in Columbia, Mo., and recently got engaged on Earth Day this year.

position with DIGG, I see a heart that not many other cities have. There are so many social service organizations here, and limitless support from the public. We are able to rally in ways that rival much larger cities.

Current position/responsibilities: Executive director of DIGG (Decatur Is Growing Gardeners). We only have two year-round staff (including myself). So, I do PR, marketing, volunteer coordination, fundraising, grant writing and a little bit of everything else.

What do you like best about what you do? I love the community of goodhearted people who gather around you in this line of work. In my job, I get to go outdoors, eat delicious farm-fresh food, and help people all at the same time. Who wouldn’t enjoy it?

What do you like best about working or living in the community? Some people may say negative things about Decatur, but since graduating college here and really getting to know the community through my

What should the community be doing to attract more young people to live and work in the Decatur area? I think Decatur is already on the right track. My age group wants: hiking trails, farmers markets, bike lanes, independent movie theaters, gastropubs featuring local fare, concert venues, large health food grocers, affordable housing and safe public spaces.

Rock Springs Nature Center has wonderful bike paths and hiking trails, DIGG and many of our partners are working on expanding farmers markets, restaurants such as Taproot, Bizou and Pacos are offering new, attractive cuisine with fresh ingredients, Donnie’s and Oakwood Street Festival host wonderful concerts, the Avon shows independent movies, the U of I Extension can teach you how to brew your own beer, and

Wes Hillen

Lockhart’s can give you a fresh cut.

outdoors when the sun is shining helps.

The person who has had the biggest influence on you and why:

Your favorite movie: Most recently, “The Grand Budapest Hotel.” But I also really love “The Fountain and The Village.”

Age: 24

Your favorite book: “Ishmael, An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit.” I had to read this book in my freshman seminar class, and it changed my life.

Current position/responsibilities:

Quote to live by: This one’s been a

What do you like best about what you do? Financial services side: I like

Having just gotten engaged, I have to say my fiance, Nick Rousseau. He has taught me to be happy and calm. He never gets angry and never loses sight of himself to fit in. Instead, he shines his light on every person he comes in contact with. If everyone lived like that, the world would be a much better place. I’m just trying to model my life after what he’s taught me.

What do you still hope to accomplish? Honestly, I want what everyone else wants. I want to be happy.

That can look like a lot of different things, but I know that change starts from within.

If you want to lead a life of service, you must first serve yourself. I’d love to have children, get further education and have my own little homestead.

Your favorite stress reliever: I’m actually a registered yoga teacher as well, so yoga is my go-to. But really, anything

favorite since I was a kid. “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” -Margaret Mead

If you were a fictional character, which one would you be? Why? I can really only think of real people I’d like to be, like Anthony Bourdain because he gets to travel and eat wonderful food, or part of “The Little House on the Prairie” family because they lived so close to the land, Kathryn Budig, my favorite yogi, or Lucius, my favorite band.

Family: Parents, Terry and Kathy; brother, Jake; sister, Whitney

Financial services representative at Foster Financial Services Assistant men’s golf coach for Millikin University.

being able to help young professionals and families with life insurance and disability income insurance needs. Even if sometimes it’s not the most fun conversation in the world, I know that I am helping clients make the right decisions. Assistant golf coach side: Playing golf is my favorite thing to do, so this job comes natural to me. I enjoy helping our players work on their golf games. Being a Millikin golf alum, I try to show the players how to have a lot of fun on the course while still staying focused on winning golf tournaments.

What do you like best about working or living in the community? I like that even though it is a bigger city, there is still a small-town feeling. I grew up and went to high school in a town of 10,000 people, with a graduating class of 160 students. The adjustment to living here has been very easy.

What do you still hope to accomplish? I hope to continue to make

was much better than the movie.

more contacts, which not only helps my business, but also helps me meet more people who are excited to see how Decatur improves over the next few years. I also plan on playing more golf and taking a couple more city amateur titles.

Quote to live by: “The secret of concentration is the secret of self discovery. You reach inside yourself to discover your personal resources, and what it takes to match them to the challenge.” – Arnold Palmer

Your favorite stress reliever: My

If you were a fictional character, which one would you be? Why? I

What should the community be doing to attract more young people to live and work in the Decatur area? First things first, I think that the

favorite stress reliever is being on the golf course. Sometimes it can also be a stress builder.

Decatur City Limitless community marketing and branding campaign will help tremendously. Other than that I think the continued effort to improve and increase available dining and entertainment will only help bring more young professionals to town and keep them here.

Your favorite movie: Impossible to

The person who has had the biggest influence on you and why: My mom. She has always been there for me, and is never afraid to tell me how it is.

provide just one answer here, so I will give three. “The Sandlot,” “The Goonies” and “Happy Gilmore.” All classics for someone my age.

Your favorite book: This is a tough question because my main hobby is following all sports, and I don’t do a whole lot of reading. “Unbroken” would probably be my most recent favorite book. I saw the movie before I read the book (mistake) and agree with most people that the book

think a good fictional character for me would be Ty Webb from “Caddyshack” (Chevy Chase). He enjoys playing golf, is sort of a jokester on occasion, and mentors Danny Noonan with his golf game while he caddies for him. We’re similar in those ways because I love to golf, I’ve been known to crack a joke or 10 on my friends and family, and I also try to mentor our golfers at Millikin to improve their golf games. The only difference is that I don’t put a blind fold over their eyes.

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“ I hope to continue to make more contacts, which not only helps my business, but also helps me meet more people who are excited to see how Decatur improves over the next few years. ”

Olivia Heisner Age: 24 Family: I grew up in Columbia, Mo., and recently got engaged on Earth Day this year.

position with DIGG, I see a heart that not many other cities have. There are so many social service organizations here, and limitless support from the public. We are able to rally in ways that rival much larger cities.

Current position/responsibilities: Executive director of DIGG (Decatur Is Growing Gardeners). We only have two year-round staff (including myself). So, I do PR, marketing, volunteer coordination, fundraising, grant writing and a little bit of everything else.

What do you like best about what you do? I love the community of goodhearted people who gather around you in this line of work. In my job, I get to go outdoors, eat delicious farm-fresh food, and help people all at the same time. Who wouldn’t enjoy it?

What do you like best about working or living in the community? Some people may say negative things about Decatur, but since graduating college here and really getting to know the community through my

What should the community be doing to attract more young people to live and work in the Decatur area? I think Decatur is already on the right track. My age group wants: hiking trails, farmers markets, bike lanes, independent movie theaters, gastropubs featuring local fare, concert venues, large health food grocers, affordable housing and safe public spaces.

Rock Springs Nature Center has wonderful bike paths and hiking trails, DIGG and many of our partners are working on expanding farmers markets, restaurants such as Taproot, Bizou and Pacos are offering new, attractive cuisine with fresh ingredients, Donnie’s and Oakwood Street Festival host wonderful concerts, the Avon shows independent movies, the U of I Extension can teach you how to brew your own beer, and

Wes Hillen

Lockhart’s can give you a fresh cut.

outdoors when the sun is shining helps.

The person who has had the biggest influence on you and why:

Your favorite movie: Most recently, “The Grand Budapest Hotel.” But I also really love “The Fountain and The Village.”

Age: 24

Your favorite book: “Ishmael, An Adventure of the Mind and Spirit.” I had to read this book in my freshman seminar class, and it changed my life.

Current position/responsibilities:

Quote to live by: This one’s been a

What do you like best about what you do? Financial services side: I like

Having just gotten engaged, I have to say my fiance, Nick Rousseau. He has taught me to be happy and calm. He never gets angry and never loses sight of himself to fit in. Instead, he shines his light on every person he comes in contact with. If everyone lived like that, the world would be a much better place. I’m just trying to model my life after what he’s taught me.

What do you still hope to accomplish? Honestly, I want what everyone else wants. I want to be happy.

That can look like a lot of different things, but I know that change starts from within.

If you want to lead a life of service, you must first serve yourself. I’d love to have children, get further education and have my own little homestead.

Your favorite stress reliever: I’m actually a registered yoga teacher as well, so yoga is my go-to. But really, anything

favorite since I was a kid. “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has.” -Margaret Mead

If you were a fictional character, which one would you be? Why? I can really only think of real people I’d like to be, like Anthony Bourdain because he gets to travel and eat wonderful food, or part of “The Little House on the Prairie” family because they lived so close to the land, Kathryn Budig, my favorite yogi, or Lucius, my favorite band.

Family: Parents, Terry and Kathy; brother, Jake; sister, Whitney

Financial services representative at Foster Financial Services Assistant men’s golf coach for Millikin University.

being able to help young professionals and families with life insurance and disability income insurance needs. Even if sometimes it’s not the most fun conversation in the world, I know that I am helping clients make the right decisions. Assistant golf coach side: Playing golf is my favorite thing to do, so this job comes natural to me. I enjoy helping our players work on their golf games. Being a Millikin golf alum, I try to show the players how to have a lot of fun on the course while still staying focused on winning golf tournaments.

What do you like best about working or living in the community? I like that even though it is a bigger city, there is still a small-town feeling. I grew up and went to high school in a town of 10,000 people, with a graduating class of 160 students. The adjustment to living here has been very easy.

What do you still hope to accomplish? I hope to continue to make

was much better than the movie.

more contacts, which not only helps my business, but also helps me meet more people who are excited to see how Decatur improves over the next few years. I also plan on playing more golf and taking a couple more city amateur titles.

Quote to live by: “The secret of concentration is the secret of self discovery. You reach inside yourself to discover your personal resources, and what it takes to match them to the challenge.” – Arnold Palmer

Your favorite stress reliever: My

If you were a fictional character, which one would you be? Why? I

What should the community be doing to attract more young people to live and work in the Decatur area? First things first, I think that the

favorite stress reliever is being on the golf course. Sometimes it can also be a stress builder.

Decatur City Limitless community marketing and branding campaign will help tremendously. Other than that I think the continued effort to improve and increase available dining and entertainment will only help bring more young professionals to town and keep them here.

Your favorite movie: Impossible to

The person who has had the biggest influence on you and why: My mom. She has always been there for me, and is never afraid to tell me how it is.

provide just one answer here, so I will give three. “The Sandlot,” “The Goonies” and “Happy Gilmore.” All classics for someone my age.

Your favorite book: This is a tough question because my main hobby is following all sports, and I don’t do a whole lot of reading. “Unbroken” would probably be my most recent favorite book. I saw the movie before I read the book (mistake) and agree with most people that the book

think a good fictional character for me would be Ty Webb from “Caddyshack” (Chevy Chase). He enjoys playing golf, is sort of a jokester on occasion, and mentors Danny Noonan with his golf game while he caddies for him. We’re similar in those ways because I love to golf, I’ve been known to crack a joke or 10 on my friends and family, and I also try to mentor our golfers at Millikin to improve their golf games. The only difference is that I don’t put a blind fold over their eyes.

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Devin Forden “ The human-animal bond is so special and so powerful. I do all I can to educate my clients so they and their pets can live together happy and healthy, as long as possible. ”

Age: 32 Family: Jerri Forden is my amazing

become an adviser they look to for

mother. Ryan is the best big brother ever. I am also very close with my sister, Megan Law, and her husband, Eric. They have a beautiful daughter named Cora, that I enjoy spoiling. Of course, my pets are family, too! I have three cats and three dogs.

insurance guidance and risk control.

Current position/responsibilities: I

“ I get the opportunity to learn about

Shane Major Age: 33 Family: Wife, Molly; daughters, Ruby, 2, and Dixie, 3 months.

ever be in.” This is true in many ways. The area offers many bigger city amenities, yet you can also get the small town welcome by a simple wave or hello on the streets from a passerby.

Current position/responsibilities: Agency co-owner at Richland Insurance Services Inc. I am the managing partner at our firm, conducting day-to-day operations while also conducting outside agency sales.

What do you like best about what you do? I get the opportunity to learn about someone’s commercial business and become an adviser they look to for insurance guidance and risk control. I essentially become a trusted team member of their business along the way.

On the personal insurance lines side (home/auto), I also help families in guiding them to the best products for their needs.

What you like best about working or living in the community: As someone once put it, “Decatur (Macon County) is the biggest small town you will

What should the community be doing to attract more young people to live and work in the Decatur area? There have been many great

someone’s commercial business and

I essentially become a trusted team member of their business along the way. ”

things done already in the past few years to help attract younger people to Decatur, such as the expansion of the running/bike trails, downtown Decatur renovations, renovations and restaurant expansions in the Oakwood area and business growth in the Mount Zion area by the convention center. These are all positive factors to help keep the community more welcoming and definitely help with recruiting young, talented individuals in the workplace arena.

person. She is also a great motivator to me. In my business life there are two gentlemen that I seem to always lean on or run ideas by: my brother-in-law, Pete Pistorius, and my good friend, David Falk.

These two men have been great advisers and mentors to me and I am truly grateful for their guidance.

around our home with yard work or other “honey-do” jobs.

What do you still hope to accomplish? I would like to continue

Quote to live by: “Don’t pet the sweaty things and don’t sweat the petty things.”

The person who has had the biggest influence on you and why:

growing my business and continue helping those working with me as well as our clients.

If you were a fictional character, which one would you be? Why?

Your favorite stress reliever:

Marty McFly from “Back to the Future.”

I’ve always wanted to drive a DeLorean.

In my personal life I would definitely say my wife, Molly. She’s a great example of a kind, godly, loyal and integrity-driven

Anything outdoors. I enjoy working

Your favorite movie: “Tommy Boy” Your favorite book: Anything my daughter Ruby picks out. We have fun reading together.

am an associate veterinarian at Northgate Pet Clinic. I have formed amazing relationships with my patients and their owners over the last five years. I also have represented the clinic at community events such as the Special Olympics Polar Plunge and rabies clinics.

What do you like best about what you do? Above all, I became a veterinarian to help animals and that is what I get to do every single day. The human-animal bond is so special and so powerful. I do all I can to educate my clients so they and their pets can live together happy and healthy, as long as possible.

What do you like best about working or living in the community? I think I have the best of both worlds. I live in a small town outside of Decatur, but come to work in town every day. I enjoy the quiet and easy pace of the small town and country life. But I am close to the amenities and opportunities

available in Decatur. Macon County is so much more than Decatur, and I’m thankful I get to be a part of both sides of that.

What should the community be doing to attract more young people to live and work in the Decatur area? I love music and entertainment, so I would love to see more of that here. Live entertainment such as musicals, concerts, theater and comedy could draw a younger crowd. I also wish there were more cultural dining opportunities and an outlet for safe, healthy nightlife. I know they have existed before, but a community organization specifically for young adults can always be beneficial. Perhaps that could be community gardens? Or leading a 4-H club? The educational and volunteer opportunities for young adults to be a part of could be endless.

The person who has had the biggest influence on you and why: I first have to credit my mother, Jerri. She molded me into the woman I am today. She taught me to be strong-willed and to never give up. She’s the strongest woman I know.

I also have to credit a second person, Dr. Larry Baker. I have known him for years, working at Northgate Pet Clinic while in high school and now as a veterinarian. He is my mentor for my professional life and a great sounding board for difficult cases.

day, I always find myself going to my sister’s house so I can play with my niece.

She can brighten any day.

Your favorite movie: My team of assistants and veterinary technicians had to answer this question for me. They say my favorite movie is, “Elf.” Of course, I love watching it at Christmas time, but it is a favorite year-round. I quote lines from it every day.

Your favorite book: I loved the What do you still hope to accomplish? As a veterinarian, I am

“Hunger Games” trilogy.

always learning, always researching. I look forward to furthering my education in veterinary medicine.

Quote to live by:: “Live life to the

Your favorite stress reliever: I love music. There is nothing better than relaxing at my piano. I even play for my church. Also, if I have a particularly bad

fullest.”

If you were a fictional character, which one would you be? Why? I would be Dorothy from “The Wizard of Oz.” She is a simple country girl who knows there is no place like home.

a few guys in a group chat going to lunch every Friday. A few years later, we have more than 25 guys and we are putting together social gatherings as well as donating time to charity. Now if someone comes to the group with an event or if one of us is involved in a charity, we all are.

As well as relying on the young leaders, I think the larger employers of Decatur need to be enticed to bring in young professionals. Not just working in Decatur and commuting but that they live in the community as well. We need these young professionals involved in the community 24/7 not 40 hours a week.

TOP 20 UNDER 40

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-CongratulationsKelli [Smith] Runyon

Family: Dad, Lee; mom, Toni; sister, Amanda; brother, Tommy.

Current position/responsibilities: I am currently the operations manager at Eichenauer Services Inc., which my family has owned and operated since 1946.

We are a nationally recognized service company that repairs commercial kitchen equipment (refrigeration, cooking, dishwashing, etc.) and also distributes replacement parts nationwide. I am personally responsible for all of our HR and IT related issues, help direct the distribution and customer service departments, in charge of asset

the from

20 under 40 PROFESSIONALS have been announced

What do you still hope to accomplish? Professionally, I hope to

What do you like best about what you do? Wearing as many hats as I do, it provides me with different challenges on a daily basis and I get a chance to work with family (father and brother).

My brother and I are actually the fourth generation to come through the family business, so it is extremely cool to carry on that tradition since most family businesses don’t make it that far.

What do you like best about working or living in the community? Decatur has always been a special place to me because I was born and raised here.

What should the community be doing to attract more young people to live and work in the Decatur area? Attracting young adults

Eichenauer Services, Inc. is proud to announce

Justin Eichenauer as one of the honored professionals!

is extremely hard. Most young adults are not going to commit to anything until they see a peer, one they respect, commit. You basically run into the whole chicken and the egg conundrum until you have a leader or group of leaders step forward and say “Let’s do this!” The more we can get young adults involved in decision making, whether it’s what band is coming to the Decatur Celebration or ideas for developing the lakefront, the more invested the young leaders of Decatur will be. Once you get the snowball moving downhill full of momentum, it’s hard to stop. A great example of this is a group of guys I am part of called the Platinum Club. It started out as nothing more than

continue to carry on the family business and keep it strong for generations to come. Personally, I am big on life experiences so I have a long bucket list of places and events I want to experience.

Last summer I crossed a few off by completing a Tough Mudder and traveling to Croatia. The next big trip I am hoping to take is going to Oktoberfest in Munich.

Your favorite stress reliever: I would probably say going to gym.

Nice to get away for a few hours and listen to some music. A beer or two at happy hour always helps a little, too.

Josh Sapp Union by Choice Proud to call Decatur home for over 100 years.

Buy Local and Use Local workers!

It’s the easy answer but I would have to go with my parents. I can’t really say one or the other because they have both made me who I am.

management (inventory control, fleet management, purchasing, etc.), and handle vendor/industry relations.

to our Union Brother

dccmarketing.com

Kelli is the cream of the crop when it comes to moving the needle for our clients.

De

s catur, Illinoi

IBEW

Serving Central Illinois for more than

Interactive [marketing] Agency

June 26, 19 red te

12

Age:: 31

Congratulations

on being chosen for this year’s “20 under 40”.

The person who has had the biggest influence on you and why::

Justin Eichenauer

t h e b u s i n e s s j o u r n a l 2015 • 20 Under 40 1 5

Ch ar

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100

Local 146 AFL-CIO

YEARS

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Well Trained and Highly Skilled Professionals Within a Community Minded Organization

Congratulations Christina!

Your favorite movie: I don’t know if I could pick one because all of the Marvel movies are great, then there are classics such as “Tombstone” and “Caddy Shack,” but if I had to pick one it would probably be the original “Hangover.”

Your favorite book: I am not a huge reader outside of when I am traveling so I don’t have a ton to pick from. I liked all the Dan Brown books and James Rollins is a similar author I like. Of all of theirs, I probably like James Rollins book “Black Order” the best, although I have almost finished a really interesting book by Yaval Harari called “Sapiens.”

Quote to live by: “Life is not about surviving the storm but how you dance it in rain”

If you were a fictional character, which one would you be? Why?

Christina Baker Assistant Vice President, Corporate Cash Management

For bankers that know where you are, understand where you want to be and promise to invest in you.

Hickory Point Bank. Invested.

I would have to go with Tony Stark (Ironman).

HICKORYPOINTBANK.COM

MEMBER FDIC

CHAMPAIGN

DECATUR

PEORIA

SPRINGFIELD

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Prescott Paulin Age: 29 Family: Parents, Pete and Kit; brother, Parker.

Current position/responsibilities: International research consultant at 300 Below Inc.

What do you like best about what you do? I love that I get to explore the world, but still feel blessed to come home and spend time with a great family.

What do you like best about working or living in the community? Decatur is an underdog in America with so much potential for international growth. We were recently ranked No. 2 for agribusiness by Forbes, and No. 2 for affordable places to live by the Wall Street Journal. The thing I love best about our community is that you can pick up the phone to call any business owner in our community and they WILL take your call. We are a family focused community that is proud to support each other, just as we saw recently with our No. 2 ranking for becoming Kraft Hockeyville.

The thing about being second best is that we can always strive to do better. When you’re number one, your thinking goes toward sustaining actions and concern toward not falling behind. I would surmise that we are more prone to positive thinking and action in our community because we’re working on Decatur’s rebound. We’re a solid No. 2 choice with upward momentum.

What should the community be doing to attract more young people to live and work in the Decatur area? Our community should be connecting and empowering Decatur’s existing entrepreneurs and service organizations. Their work transforms Decatur into a place worth living and working. Volunteering should be organized into a fun activity, where you can make new friends and see different sections of our community. I personally disagree with the limitless marketing campaign for Decatur. The Marine Corps taught me to know the limits you’re working with in order to maximize your impact based on the capabilities you know you have at your disposal. Not knowing limits means

spending money we don’t have. Yes, we need reinforcements, but we already have $12 million invested in streetscaping downtown, $89 million in improving our lakefront, $76 million to renovate our high schools, $85 million to grow international education at Millikin, and $16 million to expand RCC and develop Decatur’s workforce, not to mention the Children’s Museum of Illinois and its recent fundraising. These are some real limits that we can work with in terms of growing Decatur because they are cornerstones to create the ideal place to raise a family. We have more churches per capita than any place I know, so spiritual exploration is ripe here when you look around. We have two exceptional hospitals and some of the best trained police officers and sheriff’s deputies in the nation who have unprecedented access to privately funded shooting ranges and other advanced training. Our next step is to figure out how to sustain our infrastructure when 22,000 people are commuting every day to jobs in our community but not paying taxes to maintain our roads. Commuters should be incentivized to buy locally so their money is increasingly spent in our economy. We must recognize our limits to create new restaurants and stores where they can visit on their way in, during lunch time, and after work. The Coffee Connection is one shining example of entrepreneurs who tap into this commuter traffic on U.S. 51 southbound.

The person who has had the biggest influence on you and why: Long term, my folks. Their honesty, trust and influence helped positively shape who I am as a person. Most recently though, it has been the Rev. Dr. Miley Palmer. He taught me that helping others doesn’t require special training or intimate Biblical knowledge; you just have to go and do it. He validated the calling I felt with reaching out to people in need, shared with me that a chaplain should never cry in front of people, but be emotional enough to shed a tear at home.

I’m not out in the world trying to convert anyone to be a Christian when I know I have lots of room to improve myself, but I do know what it feels like to be stuck in a hospital bed — that’s why I volunteer at DMH in my spare time. It’s amazing how spirits are lifted when you spend time in the ER. On busy nights, patients are stuck in there for hours before they are seen and treated. Having someone come in with a smile and a good attitude, even just to listen, helps pass the time. Prayer is pretty powerful, though. A woman came in completely unresponsive the other night, and with the prayers from her family, she

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was out of her coma in a matter of hours.

I’ve held hands through miscarriage, death and decisions on whether or not to become a mother— never placing judgment in lieu of compassion. The people I’ve met give me great faith that there is greatness among us that must be loved and cared for, even when people don’t have their own family to sit beside them to encourage them through their healing in their greatest time of need.

What you do still hope to accomplish? I have a patent pending on a mobile emergency response platform, and I need to find an investor with $25,000 to get our international patents secured.

It’s sort of like the Uber app for 911. With nationwide 911 response times at 10 minutes on average, and up to an hour in rural areas, the average violent crime (or in my case, cardiac arrest) happens rapidly in a 90-second window. If we can close the gap to get a response closer to that timeframe, more lives will be saved. I hope to build that solution and scale it globally, provided I can find the right investors.

Your favorite stress reliever: Mike Lambdin’s MLCrossfit gym at 5 a.m. and any green smoothie coming out of my BlendTec for breakfast afterwards. In the evening, any piece of Vosges dark chocolate, plus strong hands upon my neck.

Your favorite movie: “Jiro Dreams of Sushi.” It reminds me that the struggle of a son in his father’s shadow is never easy, but is common, even around the world in another language. I also love cooking, and great sushi.

Your favorite book: “The Paleo Approach” by Dr. Sarah Ballantyne. No other book can single-handedly change the lives of people in Decatur through education on food. I see more people in the hospital with poor diets, and I truly believe if they ate healthier it would reduce the number of health issues we face in our community.

Quote to live by: “Do or do not. There is no try.” – Yoda (and my mom)

If you were a fictional character, which one would you be? Why? Christian Grey. I’d love having his helicopter, the wisdom to fly it, and the large bankroll for its fuel. Falling in love might be nice, too.

Jennifer Michelle Dahn Age: 36 Family: husband, Mike; daughter, Chloe, 13; son, Jordan, 9; chihuahua, Chico, 6; golden retriever, Payton, 1 Current position/responsibilities: Founder and executive director of PawPrint Ministries Comfort Dogs

What do you like best about what you do? Being able to take our comfort dog teams out into the community is very rewarding. It is awesome to watch our dogs interact with a variety of people on a daily basis. I love the smiles we receive or seeing the sparkle in someones eye as a dog approaches. Knowing that I have helped someone get through a rough moment in life is priceless.

What do you like best about working or living in the community? I love how our community will come together to support a cause. Without the amazing support of local individuals and businesses, our comfort dog ministry would not be thriving. It is exciting to be a part of changes and watch our community grow.

What should the community be doing to attract more young people to live and work in the Decatur area? To attract more young people to Decatur, we need to be cutting edge. We need to embrace change and growth and work together to continue to build a strong community that we are proud to be a part of.

The person who has had the biggest influence on you and why: My parents have had the biggest influence on me. They are a team and they have helped to shape the person I have become. My dad’s business knowledge, perseverance and words of wisdom are invaluable as I continue on my journey with PawPrint Ministries. I am thankful for my mom’s determination, driven personality and willingness to drop everything and help out at a moments notice. My parents have encouraged me to shoot for the stars and to never settle, and for that I am grateful.

What do you still hope to accomplish? I hope to be a role model for my children. My goal is to instill a passion inside of them to dream

“ I love the smiles we receive or seeing the sparkle in someones eye as a dog approaches. Knowing that I have helped someone get through a rough moment in life is priceless. ”

big and work hard to make it happen.

Your favorite stress reliever: It’s hard to pick just one. Cookouts with family and friends, the beach, working out, being on a boat and traveling with my family.

Your favorite movie: “Top Gun” has always been a favorite of mine.

Your favorite book: The last book I read was: “The Mountain Between Us”

by Charles Martin. I enjoyed this book because the main characters demonstrated when faced with tough times and struggle, perseverance and determination can help sustain you.

plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” --Jeremiah 29:11

If you were a fictional character, which one would you be? Why? I would choose Annie. She is generous, compassionate and optimistic. She is smart and savvy in the ways of the world. I love her determination to get things done and her compassionate heart to help others. Her motto is short and sweet. “Tell the truth, work hard, save your money, and keep your nose tidy.” Little Orphan Annie may have been a young girl, but she had a good head on her shoulders and was not afraid to stand up for what she believed

Quote to live by: “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord,

in.

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Keith Creighton

What do you still hope to accomplish? On the career side, I would like to eventually move into a role at Caterpillar that gets me even closer to the customer than I have been able to in my current job role. On the personal side, I have a pretty big bucket list full of adventures and my wife and I would like to continue to invest in our rental house business.

Age: 37 Family: Wife, Beth; daughter, Zoe, 8

Your favorite stress reliever: I love watching good action movies, even though I’m finding it increasingly harder to stay awake through a full movie anymore.

Current position/responsibilities: Middle school teacher and department head at Dennis Lab School

What you do like best about what you do? I find it exceptionally

Your favorite movie: This one is a no brainer, “Braveheart.”

rewarding to empower middle school students to take control of their

Your favorite book: “Rich Dad, Poor

learning. I find that being a victim is the

Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki

most powerless and helpless feeling in life. I want for my students to never feel like life is happening to them against their will. I am never more proud than when they identify and solve problems on their own.

What do you like best about working or living in the community? Decatur is a place where

our common experiences, challenges

arts programs that enrich the culture of

lead the development of the middle

and history band us together as a

the community. I like that, in Decatur, I

school so that we provide the best

family. The city has a long history of

am a part of something greater than

education to our students. I also hope

success built through a tireless and

myself.

that the lessons we have learned can be

creative work ethic. I enjoy the strong

Decatur Public Schools and Dennis-Lab School Congratulates

Keith Creighton as Top 20 Under 40 Recipient “Today you lead the classroom.

Tomorrow your students will lead the world.”

What should the community be doing to attract more young people to live and work in the Decatur area? We need to continue

in Decatur. It seems like we lose people

Family: Wife, Ashley; son, Colton;

so that our success can spread to other

daughter, Isabelle

schools. By accomplishing this, I hope that Dennis Lab School is recognized as one of the best schools in the nation.

Your favorite stress reliever: I enjoy playing hobby board games.

for someplace that seems more

When I have time, I like to organize

glamorous. I feel that when people are

game nights at my house and attend

involved in creating something new

social events. I also run an informal

there is excitement and commitment.

after-school game club at Dennis.

The person who has had the biggest influence on you and why: While many people have had a

Your favorite movie: The “Star

profound impact on my life over the

and made Greedo shoot first.

Wars” saga, primarily the first three before George Lucas messed with them

years, it is my wife who inspires and influences me on a daily basis. I have

Your favorite book: This is a tie

never met a more dedicated and

between “Ready Player One” by Ernest

passionate person. Her example of

Cline and “Pillars of the Earth” by Ken

strength, compassion and caring for

Follett

others is a blessing to my daughter and me.

Quote to live by: “You were born for such a time as this.” --Paraphrased from

What do you still hope to accomplish? Over the past three

the book of Esther

years, I have had the privilege and

If you were a fictional character, which one would you be? Why?

honor to be part of an amazing team of professionals who have expanded Dennis Lab School into a middle school. As the department head, I hope to continue to

101 W. Cerro Gordo Street | Decatur, IL 62523 | www.dps61.org

Age: 33

shared with other schools and teachers

to expand the opportunities, both professional and social, that are offered

Tony Piraino

I don’t have a good answer for this question.

Current position/responsibilities: Husband, father, new product introduction systems integration engineer for the Caterpillar motor grader product group.

What do you like best about what you do? I love learning how our customers use our machines and then using that information to come up with a better machine and ultimately to help them make more money. In my current role, I don’t get to do a lot of the detailed design work anymore, but I have my hand in many of the various designs of the machine in one fashion or another. It is very rewarding to walk around a fully-built machine and to be able to “see it in iron” after working on it in the virtual space for so long.

What do you like best about working or living in the community? To me, the Decatur area is a vibrant community full of people who are always willing to step up to help with whatever worthy cause is put in front of them. I personally value community service pretty highly and it seems to me that this community is full of people with that same value. We have a lot of people willing to step up to be part of the solution to make the community a better place to work and live, rather than sitting back and

complaining and being part of the problem.

What should the community be doing to attract more young people to live and work in the Decatur area? Maintain the positive momentum and continue to move forward. I really believe that the new community branding effort, Decatur City Limitless, will go a long way toward giving people, internal and external, a new perspective about our community. I was recently involved in one of Grow Decatur’s workshops where we reviewed their current strategic imperatives and discussed additional imperatives. They hit the nail on the head with several of their existing imperatives including education, lakefront development, vibrant and attractive, 20 to 40 and community marketing and branding imperatives. I’ve talked to a lot of young professionals about this in the past and if we were to land a nice set of condos and a Chipotle by the lake, we’d be hitting a home run!

Dutch Blitz. Both of these guys have had such a tremendous impact on so many other people as well over the years. My wife has had the biggest influence on me during my college and adult years as she has always been supportive of all of my crazy ideas while helping to talk me out of some of my really crazy ideas that seem ridiculous in hindsight. She has taught me patience, compassion and the importance of slowing down to enjoy the moment.

Quote to live by: “Life is all about the choices we make.” – Ashley Piraino. “Be a part of the solution instead of a part of the problem.”

If you were a fictional character, which one would you be? Why? Superman. Because at some point, my kids are going to be very disappointed when they find out that I’m not really Superman after all of these years of keeping it our little secret.

The person who has had the biggest influence on you and why: I’ve had many key mentors at various stages in my life and I would not be the person I am without them. Besides the obvious answers of parents and even my mother and father in-law, I have had three key influencers during separate phases of my life. John Schirle, who now works at the Decatur Public Library, had the biggest influence on my childhood years as he took my brother and I under his wings and made sure that we were growing as Christians. My biggest influence in my high school years was Tony Arseneau, my math teacher at Cerro Gordo, for very similar reasons. He also taught me how to win gracefully at card games such as

to

TONY PIRAINO for being named one of the 20 leaders under 40!

Celebrating 90 years! © 2015 Caterpillar. All Rights Reserved. CAT, CATERPILLAR, BUILT FOR IT, their respective logos, "Caterpillar Yellow", the "Power Edge" trade dress as well as corporate and product identity used herein, are trademarks of Caterpillar and may not be used without permission.

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puts this community first in this kind of an event.

What should the community be doing to attract more young people to live and work in the Decatur area: The Decatur community has a lot to offer, I think we just need to make sure those opportunities are advertised in ways that will reach those young people. Great dining and local shops in downtown Decatur are another asset to the area, and the community needs to support those shops so they will continue to thrive. More than anything, we need to encourage employers to start and maintain businesses here, so there are opportunities for economic growth in this community.

The person who has had the biggest influence on you and why: My mom and dad, Mike and Cindy Landacre. My dad has coached youth cross country and track for Johns Hill Middle School and the Decatur Park District's Staley Strider programs for more than 20 years. He teaches youth about the value of hard work, dedication and fitness, and encourages it as lifestyle, not just for a few years. My mom and dad encouraged me and my sisters, Lisa and Lori, to start running very early in our lives, and we are all still a running family 30 years later.

What you do still hope to accomplish? Continue to travel nationally and internationally, and enjoy life with my family and friends.

Your favorite stress reliever: Running, biking, hiking and traveling with my husband.

Mandi (Landacre) Podeschi

Your favorite movie: “The Last of the Mohicans,” provided inspiration (and musical background) as a history student at Millikin and grad student at UIS.

Your favorite book: I have a lot of Age: 35 Family: Husband, RJ Current position/responsibilities: Senior director of Development, Alumni and Development Office, Millikin University. Supervise our development team and our efforts to raise support for our Millikin Fund for Student Scholarships campaign and Transform MU capital campaign.

What do you like best about what you do? Working with Millikin's alumni,

friends, students, faculty and staff. It is a pleasure to work at my alma mater, providing opportunities for our constituents to support Millikin students, and the valuable education they receive here with talented faculty and staff who truly encourage performance learning involving third-party stakeholders. It is great to be able to show our constituents the impact our students and alumni have on the Decatur area community.

What do you like best about working or living in the community? People who work hard to

make the community a better place, not to benefit themselves, but mostly to make it better, healthier and more interesting for others. As a part of the race committee for the Penguin in the Park 5k, which attracted about 1,000 people in March, the goal is to have a race that encourages people to get healthy after the long winter, celebrates great locations in Decatur (Fairview Park and Millikin University), raises funds for youth at Millikin and the DISC, and provides a great venue for people to come together. I am pleased to be part of a committee that

favorites, but right now it is “The Nine Tailors,” from late British mystery writer Dorothy L. Sayers

Quote to live by: From Millikin alum and running guru John "the Penguin" Bingham, "The miracle isn't that I finished, it is that I had the courage to start."

If you were a fictional character, which one would you be? Why? Probably a Muppet, as life is simple, fun, witty and an adventure.

Bredina Coale Age: 33 Family: Husband, Bret; fur-child, Mr. Stuart Peanut Coale, a Pomeranian/Chihuahua mix we adopted from the Macon County Animal Shelter.

Current position/responsibilities: I am currently the marketing project manager at Hagerman & Company in Mount Zion, a CAD software supplier to manufacturing companies, industrial, AEC and civil design firms, and government agencies across the Midwest, South and California. I have my hands in many aspects of marketing – event planning and execution (tradeshows, meetings, sales and learning events both live and online), advertising, social media, communications – writing and editing, etc. My other “job” is serving as the vice president of the Prairieland Punishers Roller Derby League, where I am part of a five-person board that manages the business side of the organization. The Punishers are focused on promoting health, wellness, fitness, competition, self-growth, community outreach and sisterhood. We place a high value on personal character and community involvement.

What do you like best about what you do? At Hagerman & Company, I

enjoy working on multiple projects with colleagues from around the country. With the Punishers, my favorite part is the impact we make in the community. We donate money made from our home games to various community and charitable organizations in Macon County. The team is made up of skaters from across Central Illinois who are passionate, hardworking and dedicated to self and community improvement.

What do you like best about working or living in the community? The generosity. Decatur and Macon county residents are some of the most generous people I have met. A great example of this is the WSOY Food Drive. The number of volunteers and the amount of food collected is remarkable. It is easy to get involved with the community and give back. There are a number of philanthropic groups including my favorite, Junior Welfare Association.

I’m also a pretty big fan of the West End. I love driving around to look at the older homes.

What should the community be doing to attract more young people to live and work in the Decatur area? Aside from the obvious, more jobs, I think initiatives like the new Decatur City Limitless campaign are

exactly what we need to be doing. We need to showcase the assets we have such as great parks, great local restaurants and merchants, theater, higher education, etc. We also need to help instill and foster a sense of pride among residents.

The people who have had the biggest influence on you and why: My parents. They have always encouraged and supported my desire to live life to the fullest, from skydiving to roller derby and a few other interests in between. They taught me the importance of hard work and the value of a dollar. My mom taught me to listen to my heart and follow my dreams and my dad taught me to not sweat the small things. I’m still working on the latter.

What do you still hope to accomplish? Professionally I feel as though I am just getting started. In August, I will be stepping down from my role at Hagerman & Company, a position I have held for going on eight years, to pursue a career in public service, I will work for the Illinois Department of Human Services as a youth services program coordinator while working full time on a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Illinois at Springfield. Personally, I want to be able to keep houseplants alive

(other than succulents), to cook a complete Thanksgiving dinner by myself and to deadlift 300 pounds.

Your favorite stress reliever: Roller derby, weightlifting, iced nonfat lattes (with extra ice) and petting my dog.

Your favorite movie: “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.” I’m fairly confident I can recite the entire movie. I can definitely recite all of the songs.

Your favorite book: I don’t have a favorite but I have always been attracted to the self-help aisle at bookstores.

Quote to live by: “Volunteering is the ultimate exercise in democracy. You vote in elections once a year, but when you volunteer, you vote every day about the kind of community you want to live in.” -Author unknown If you were a fictional character, which one would you be? Why? She-Ra, the Princess of Power. She is largely nonviolent, uses her wits and often prefers to outsmart her adversaries.

However, when necessary she can pick someone up and throw them.

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biggest influence on you and why: God, first and foremost, has given me everything that is good in my life. My faith in God keeps me believing that all things are possible. Both my mother and father have influenced my life in such an awesome way that I can only hope and aspire to have the same influence for my daughter, Elizabeth.

Matt has been my best friend since I was 17 years old. As my husband, he influences me by being a great partner and father to our daughter. He is constantly encouraging me and always pushes me to strive for my dreams.

What do you still hope to accomplish? I believe the best is yet to come. I would like to think I have a future in politics, but time will tell. If I can give back and make a positive impact in people's lives I would say my mission will be accomplished.

“I feel responsible for helping to improve and maintain our community. I love that with every volunteer activity that I do, I know that I’m making a direct impact. I am helping to feed families who are trying to pay bills, but don’t have enough money each week.”

Your favorite stress reliever: I enjoy exercising at the YMCA, running in local 5K races and walking to our neighborhood parks with Elizabeth.

I also enjoy a good book or movie while enjoying my mom’s homemade popcorn.

Your favorite movie: I can honestly

Megan Breheny-Bennett Age: 31 Family: I have been married to my husband, Matt Bennett, for six years.

We have a 2-year-old daughter, Elizabeth, and a Maltese named Gracie.

I am also very fortunate to have my parents, Kevin and Sue Breheny, along with my brother, Michael, living in the Decatur area. I am very close to my sister, Molly Breheny, who currently resides in Dallas, Texas. My family is everything to me and I am very blessed to have them all.

Current position/responsibilities: I am fortunate to have the opportunity to stay home and take care of my daughter. This job alone has been one of the most rewarding, yet challenging, roles I have ever taken on.

Prior to having Elizabeth, I worked for the state of Illinois as a legislative liaison for the Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. I was then recruited by the HSHS Medical Group to work as the marketing and communication coordinator based at St. Mary’s Hospital. Both of these positions

enabled me to exercise my external communication skills and work with wonderful people on a daily basis.

What do you like best about what you do? I love knowing that I can spend the entire day with my daughter to help her learn and grow.

This opportunity allows me to focus on Elizabeth, but also stay engaged in the community as a volunteer in a way that I was not able to while working full time. I currently serve on the board of Baby TALK, co-chair the Leadership Illinois Power of the Individual Conference that will be held in Decatur in July, and serve as a parish council member at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. I also enjoy the opportunity to co-host “Pharmacy Facts with Friends” on WSOY once a month with my good friend, Lauren ColeeYoung.

What do you like best about working or living in the community? I love living in a community where people are generous, supportive and everyone knows your

name. As a lifelong resident of this area, I often found myself being teased while away at college for being a “Decatur cheerleader.” I always hoped that I would end up here after graduating from Quincy University and I am thrilled that Matt and I have had the chance to start our family in this community. I am excited about all of the new growth and changes in Decatur and am so happy to see it is only getting better.

What should the community be doing to attract more young people to live and work in the area? I think that the community leaders are doing an outstanding job in making big things happen here. I would recommend always keeping communication going; especially with the young professionals in this area. I encourage the continued and expanded use of focus groups to consistently have discussions about the countless future possibilities for this community.

The person who has had the

not pick a single favorite movie. The following are some of my lifetime favorites: “The Sound of Music,” “The Little Mermaid,” “Good Will Hunting,” “As Good as it Gets,” “Meet The Parents,” the “Harry Potter” series and “Forrest Gump.”

Your favorite book: I have been an avid reader all my life, and I have always loved fictional stories. Right now, I am very into reading autobiographies. I enjoy learning the personal stories of people I find fascinating that were written in their own words.

Quote to live by: “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” --Abraham Lincoln “In everyone’s life a little rain must fall.” --My dad “If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make a change.” --Michael Jackson

If you were a fictional character, which one would you be? Why? I would like to be a character in Harry Potter. Who wouldn't like to be a part of that magical world for a day?

Julia Roundtree Livingston Age: 34 Family: Mother, Janet; father, Joe; husband, Stan Livingston II; daughter, Joella, 8; sons, Stanford Livingston III, 2, and Silas, 1.

Current position/responsibilities: Stay-at-home mom to our three children. President of Junior Welfare Association (JWA), with a current membership of 64 women. This women’s volunteer organization has been around for 76 years in Decatur. We are committed to improving the community for women and children in need here; we do fundraising, donate funds to other organizations doing good in our community, have Signature programs in which we give vouchers to kids in the Macon County public schools for shoes and sports bras, and we volunteer our time in order to assist other great things going on in our community. Just last year, in our 75th year, we donated 7,500 hours of our time to the community. I also am coordinator of the Judy Mason Thanksgiving Basket Project. This project, which began 17 years ago, now provides 4,000 boxes of food for families in need in Macon County the week of Thanksgiving. I volunteer at AMELCA Food Pantry. We are open every Wednesday for families to receive food to help supplement what they already have. I place the food orders each week

for the pantry from different stores and food banks in the area. Previously a college English instructor, most recently at the University of Illinois, UrbanaChampaign (2008-2012) and at Richland Community College (2008-2012).

What do you like best about what you do? I feel responsible for helping to improve and maintain our community. I love that with every volunteer activity that I do, I know that I’m making a direct impact. I am helping to feed families who are trying to pay bills, but don’t have enough money each week. I’m fundraising to put shoes on kids and sports bras on girls in the Macon County public schools who cannot otherwise afford them. I am fundraising to provide other programs in Decatur with necessary funds to make a positive difference.

What do you like best about working or living in the community? I love living in the Decatur community because I am so proud of how giving all of the people are. For all of the needs there are in our community, there are also always people willing to help. In every fundraising effort I’ve done here, people, groups, organizations and companies have continuously been accommodating once the need is known.

What should the community be doing to attract more young people to live and work in the Decatur area? I think that Decatur is already doing many great things to attract and keep young families with kids. We offer so many kid-friendly activities and broadcast them very well to the community. We have great parks, a constantly improving zoo and a wonderfully interactive children’s museum. I do believe that Decatur should continue to work on bringing jobs to Decatur and keeping them here in order to continue to attract and retain these young families.

The person who has had the biggest influence on you and why: My parents have always lived by essential traits that they’ve taught me as well: hard work, loyalty, the need to help and the importance of education.

My mom, especially, has taught me how to be a strong woman. These are all tools that I value and use on a daily basis. They are also traits that I’m consciously teaching to my children as well.

What do you still hope to accomplish: Each day I strive to make a positive impact. I certainly still, and will always, seek to do so in our community. I’d love to eventually help politically here in our Decatur

community. I know that I can further help to see, plan and execute the positive direction that our local government has already begun to take.

Your favorite stress reliever: I like to run, to read, to play sports, to spend time with my family.

Your favorite movie: I don’t have a specific favorite movie, but I enjoy drama, comedy and action genres.

Your favorite book: I love to read authors such as Charles Chesnutt, Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston and Maya Angelou.

Quote to live by: “Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.” — Author unknown If you were a fictional character, which one would you be? Why? I often feel like Virginia Woolf in that I’m a constant thinker and evaluator. I’m always plotting what’s next in terms of my efforts in regards to my family, my life, the community and activities. I constantly seek improvement and I definitely ascribe to the concept of creating bigger and better.

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Rashanda Bond Partee “I love helping members with their financial needs and wants. I love saving them money each month on their monthly loan payment. I love helping members rebuild their credit.”

Josh Sapp Age: 39 Family: Wife, Mary; children: Emily, 17, Madison, 11, and Jackson, 10

Age: 34 Family: Husband, Jason Partee; am part of the community. I think that people who feel like they are part of the community have a tendency to give back and try to make the community a better place to live.

Current position/responsibilities: Assistant business manager/organizer for IBEW Local 146. I also chair the Apprenticeship Committee for the Midstate Electrical Training Center. Too many responsibilities to list them all here.

What do you like best about what you do? The thing I like best about what I do is helping people succeed. My position allows me to recruit people working in the electrical field and help them realize their full potential in our industry. By joining the IBEW, individuals are given the opportunity to have more earning potential, a secure retirement and access to good health care. Also, being involved in our apprenticeship program gives me an opportunity to help train the next generation of electrical workers and help steer the direction of our industry.

What do you like best about working or living in the community? It feels like home. I was born and raised here and most of my family is still in the area, so it feels like I

What should the community be doing to attract more young people to live and work in the Decatur area? I think it starts with having good paying jobs. Until we can start retaining some of the young talent that is born and raised here, we are going to have trouble attracting people. Too often our graduates leave the area in search of better job opportunities. There is always this discussion about not having anything for young people to do. I think the focus on having “fun” things for young people to do is missing the bigger problem. We can have all of the recreational activities in the world for young people to participate in, but if they don’t have good paying jobs to support those activities, it doesn’t matter. I do believe that the lakefront development plan of the Decatur Park District is a step in the right direction toward improving our recreational options. I am hopeful that the development of the Midwest Inland Port and intermodal facility will help attract new businesses to the area. Continuing to improve our infrastructure will also help

with jobs in the short term and development down the road.

The person who has had the biggest influence on you and why: I would have to say that my parents have had the biggest influence in my life. I don’t think I could pick one over the other and survive family gatherings. When I was younger, my mom had the greatest impact on my life, instilling confidence in me and teaching me to always treat others how you wish to be treated. It's something that sticks with me to this day. I always try to put myself in someone else’s shoes before jumping to conclusions and I think I owe that to my mom. My father has had the greatest impact on my life as I have gotten older. My dad was always giving back to the community and was dedicated to public service. My views on community involvement, politics and social issues, as well as my love of the St. Louis Cardinals certainly comes from my dad. I would definitely not be the person I am today without the love and support of my parents.

What do you still hope to accomplish? Retirement. Life is full of accomplishments. If you work hard at your career, at being a parent, giving back to

the community, your life will be full of accomplishments and sometimes the best ones are unexpected. Seriously, I try not to get too caught up in individual accomplishments, just do what I can while I can and make it to retirement.

Your favorite stress reliever: Fishing is probably my biggest stress reliever. I just don’t get to do it enough.

Your favorite movie: It is hard to pick just one. “Braveheart” is one of my favorite movies. The amount of courage portrayed by William Wallace is hard to imagine in this day and age. We are so spoiled.

Your favorite book: I don’t read a lot of books, no fiction at all. I do like just about anything written by Robert Reich, former U.S. Labor Secretary.

Quote to live by: It’s not really a quote, but try to live by the Golden Rule If you were a fictional character, which one would you be? Why? Robin Hood. He took from the rich to help the poor and was considered a hero. I don’t think people would accept this as heroic in today’s world.

children, Majaya, Majaleus, Jayda

Current position/responsibilities: Assistant consumer loan operation manager/credit manager for Land of Lincoln Credit Union. Liaison between members and the credit union interviews and take applications for loans. Approve and disburse loans daily. Assist members with IRA transactions. Establish repayment schedule, interest rates, etc.

What do you like best about what you do? I love helping members with their financial needs and wants. I love saving them money each month on their monthly loan payment. I love helping members rebuild their credit.

What you do like best about working or living in the community? As far as working in the community, my place of employment gives me the opportunity to help the underserved. Even as big as Decatur is, it still feels like a small-town community, whether I am at work, church or at a school function, I still have requests about financial education.

What should the community be doing to attract more young people to live and work in the Decatur

area? We need to have more safe activities/places for the younger generation to be able to attend. They always say there is nothing to do in Decatur.

Congratulations, Rashanda!

The person who has had the biggest influence on you and why: Bishop Glenn Livingston. He lives and breathes trying to improve the community and his congregation. I strive to be more like him. He is always positive and pushing you to the next level.

What do you still hope to accomplish? I would like to look into getting a degree.

Your favorite stress reliever: Going to my children's sporting events.

Rashanda Bond-Partee

Assistant Consumer Loan Manager Your outstanding service to our members and the community has been highly appreciated.

Your favorite movie: “Love & Basketball”

Your favorite book: Bible

We are proud to have you as part of the LLCU team.

Quote to live by: “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.”

If you were a fictional character, which one would you be? Why? Super mom, ready to speed away from work to any sporting/school event where I am needed.

www.llcu.org

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with the privilege and responsibility of raising two extraordinary men.

What do you still hope to accomplish? Since I have become a mother, my absolute priority is to work with my husband to build a strong family and foundation for our sons. One of our primary goals is to teach them to be extraordinary, strong, kind, diverse, informed, thoughtful men who will make the world a better place throughout their lives. In my career, I plan to continue to positively impact the lives and health of others. I have an amazing team at the Macon County Health Department and we have a lot of big plans for marketing the health department and everything we do (#mchdeverywhere!). I also want to continue in and potentially grow my role as a community leader in Macon County.

On a personal level, I am also particularly dedicated to teaching people about the importance of eating healthy, natural foods and avoiding processed foods. There are many myths about healthy eating to which I and many others have fallen victim and I want to help others get out of that confusing, vicious cycle.

Brandi Binkley Age: 33 Family: Husband, Nate Sr.; sons, Nathen Jr. and Maddex; and fur babies, Crème and Amora make up Team Binkley Current Position/Responsibilities: As the director of health promotion and public relations, I represent the Macon County Health Department in public and community relations initiatives including, but not limited to: media response, marketing, advertising, website and social media development and management, committee representation, health education, public speaking and event planning; partner with community agencies, businesses and volunteers to implement healthy living activities; conduct community health assessments; and serve as the public information offices for the health department.

What do you like best about what you do? I cannot imagine a better public relations career than one in which I can market healthy living on a daily basis. I could not ethically promote something in which I did not believe, and healthy living for all people is not only a passion of mine, but also a top priority. I strive to lead by example and spread the word about the Macon County Health Department and preventive practices that can improve the health of our future. Not only do I get to sell healthy

living every day, but also have the privilege of doing so in partnership with co-workers and colleagues who work diligently and passionately to improve the health of our community every day. I also take pride in developing and fostering progressive relationships on behalf of the health department. I believe our community relations partnerships and initiatives have grown significantly and have improved our image, reputation and the value the community places on our services.

What do you like best about working or living in the community? I moved to Decatur 11 years ago, and have since built an amazing family, fulfilling career and priceless friendships. The collaboration and work ethic here among community agencies, workers and volunteers is unmatched. It has been a pleasure and honor to work side-by-side with so many people from a variety of agencies throughout our community. It is also amazing to live in a community where my husband also serves in an important role. We have worked hard for our professional achievements and it feels so powerful to show up at community events with him not only supporting me, but also by my side.

What should the community be doing to attract more young professionals to live and work in the Decatur area? I think there is always an opportunity for discussion

Your favorite stress reliever: about what can be done to improve our community. However, to see the progress that has been made in our community and the plans that have been laid out is amazing and impressive. The people here, the work they have done, and the vision for the future have honestly caused me to fall in love with, and take pride in, a place I never thought I would live.

The person who has had the biggest influence on you and why? I feel strongly that it is God’s plan for me to meet and learn from everyone I encounter, so I intentionally focus on what I can learn from each person whether it is a friend, family member, mentor, colleague or even a stranger. My parents and brothers provided invaluable guidance and love that helped mold who I was as a young woman. Since meeting my husband and building a family with him, he and my sons have absolutely been my biggest influences. My husband has overcome obstacles, worked hard and used his life experiences to mentor and help others.

He has supported and encouraged me in my personal and professional life; given and shown me unconditional, reliable love and acceptance; helped me find my voice when it was hard to speak up; and grown and changed with me as a team mate for more than 12 years. My children have influenced me by not only reminding me to “slow down and enjoy the journey” and cherish the simple things in life, but also by providing me

At the end of a stressful day, I LOVE seeing and being with my family. Their faces alone can improve a day faster than anything else. I also like to powerlift, read, go out to eat, walk our dogs, spend time with friends, ride my bike, sing and watch TV with my feet up.

Your favorite movie: My favorite movie is “Selena,” the movie based on the life of Selena Quintanilla Perez.

When I was younger, I sang and danced and seeing Selena do so was inspirational. She was beautiful, talented, open-minded, innovative, diverse and reached audiences with her music who had never heard anything like it. She was active in her community, loved her family and worked hard to overcome obstacles and achieve her goals.

Wes Shade Age: 32 Family: Parents, Molly and Jeff; sister, Lauren

Current position/ responsibilities: Broker placement specialist for Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

Your favorite book: Anything I have the privilege of hearing my boys read to me and “The Paleo Solution.”

Quote to live by: “Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s learning to dance in the rain.”

If you were a fictional character, which one would you be? Why? I asked my sons for help on this one and they chose April O’Neill from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Some of their reasons were that she “is brave, powerful, smart, a spy, speaks a lot, gets information out, has fun, takes pictures, helps the turtles, and goes onto buildings and into sewers.”

What do you like best about what you do? I enjoy working collaboratively with our account teams to find solutions that meet the needs of our clients’ unique risks.

What do you like best about working or living in the community? What I like about Decatur is that it is large enough to have many unique offerings (dining, entertainment, sports) yet it still has small-town charm.

people to live and work in the Decatur area? I think the community has recognized that it needs to attract and keep young people in the Decatur area and local leaders and various community groups have undertaken efforts to make Decatur an attractive place to live and work.

The person who has had the biggest influence on you and why: The biggest influence on me has been my parents. They have always supported me in all of my endeavors and have always been there for me.

What do you still hope to accomplish? I want to continue to grow personally and professionally, and also work with Josh Rohrscheib to bring a laser tag coliseum to Decatur.

Your favorite movie: “The Big Lebowski”

Quote to live by: : “In the middle of every difficulty lies opportunity.” – Albert Einstein

Your favorite book: “Hey Rube” by Hunter S. Thompson

If you were a fictional character, which one would you be? Why? Superman, who doesn’t want the ability to fly.

Something BIG IS HAPPENING here Congratulations to all Top 20 Under 40 Recipients.

Continue to

BE LIMITLESS.

Your favorite stress reliever: What should the community be doing to attract more young

Bicycle riding and golf.

DecaturCityLimitless.com

# DecaturCityLimitless

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Kelli Smith Runyon Age: 32 Family: I was married May 16 to Craig Runyon, who works next door to my office as an attorney at Samuels Miller law firm. We have a 10-year-old Yorkie named Jackie.

Current position/responsibilities: I currently work as an account executive with DCC Marketing. I have a diverse client load with responsibilities ranging from project management, strategy development and implementation, brand development and more.

What do you like best about what you do? Everyday is different for me, which I love. One day I may be helping a client develop a website and the next day I’m on location for a video shoot.

What do you like best about working or living in the community? My job allows me to really make a difference in our community. I was recently a part of the account team that developed the new community brand for Decatur and Macon County, “City Limitless.” I loved

seeing the entire community come together to move forward in a positive direction. The community's strong support and loyalty to locally-owned businesses is also commendable.

What should the community be doing to attract more young people to live and work in the Decatur area? I think we are already doing it. We have a fun downtown restaurant scene, numerous events to attend and parks and trails that rival large cities. I think what we need to do is improve on how we speak of our city to outside communities and newcomers.

“I was recently a part of the account team that developed the new community brand for Decatur and Macon County, “City Limitless.” I loved seeing the entire community come together to move forward in a positive direction.

The community's strong support and loyalty to locally-owned businesses is also commendable.”

Your favorite stress reliever: Hot yoga! It does wonders for your entire being.

The person who has had the biggest influence on you and why: My mother, Ronda Smith, has

Your favorite movie: “The Sound of

shown me what it's like to truly give selflessly to your family. Witnessing that kind of sacrifice makes you want to give to others in return.

Your favorite book: Jacqueline

What you still hope to accomplish? I hope to grow in my career as well as start a family when the time is right.

Music”

Kennedy Onassis never wrote a memoir, so I’m doing my best to know her story through the hundreds published. I’ve read close to 40 of her biographies and my favorite thus far has been “Mrs. Kennedy and Me” written by her personal secret service agent.

Quote to live by: “For in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's futures. And we are all mortal.” – John F. Kennedy

If you were a fictional character, which one would you be? Why? Alicia Florrick from “The Good Wife.”

Although her television character has many flaws and you may not personally identify with her, she is extraordinarily smart and ambitious. She also has the best work wardrobe, ever.

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Christina Baker Age: 29 Family: Husband, Bart; daughter, Penelope; son, Ezra

Current position/responsibilities: Assistant vice president corporate cash management, Hickory Point Bank. I work with our managers in the Decatur and Peoria markets to develop, maintain and grow cash management relationships with businesses and institutions headquartered in those geographies, including deposit accounts, Internet banking, electronic funds transfer services, remote deposit capture and other cash management services.

What do you like best about what you do? Building rapport and creating lasting relationships with clients and prospects provides me immense satisfaction.

What do you like best about working or living in the community? As an employee of Hickory Point Bank, I am connected to the community of Decatur, and what a thriving community it is! Opportunities to volunteer and support organizations on

behalf of Hickory Point Bank seem endless, and as a board member for the Children’s Museum of Illinois and Decatur Rotary 180, I am awarded the benefits of creating memorable experiences alongside some of the most key decision makers for Decatur. What this means is when a child succeeds in school, we all win. When a family receives a helping hand so a temporary setback doesn’t result in homelessness, we all win. Hickory Point Bank is invested, and as an employee, I am invested and that’s the best thing about being a part of this organization and community.

What should the community be doing to attract more young people to live and work in the Decatur area? The current steps and ideas in motion from the Economic Development Corporation of Decatur and Macon County and newly created efforts from Grow Decatur are making great strides in doing just that! Creating interest in our parks, events, Lake Decatur, Millikin University, Richland Community College, Children’s Museum, Scovill Zoo and schools draws interest in our community. Example, Hickory Point Bank is locally owned, so

the decisions we make have a positive impact on Decatur, and especially on the people and businesses who call it home. By the current businesses investing in our community, future businesses will choose to invest as well, which ultimately leads to families investing in Decatur, too!

The person who has had the biggest influence on you and why: For a large portion of my life, my answer would have been my parents. And and while they’re an influence on my career and goals, I now believe my two young children are the biggest influence on my life. I see their innocence and youth and can’t help but wonder what they’re thinking and how they’re taking in the world. I strive to provide them both an example each and every day on how they should live their lives and what ambitions and choices they should make and follow.

If at the end of the day they smile and say “I love you” then I find I’ve been successful.

What you still hope to accomplish: I am currently finishing my degree at Millikin University, which allows for a great sense of pride and achievement.

Looking into the future, I hope to accomplish growth within my career at Hickory Point Bank and involvement in

the community. As a mom of two, I also hope to accomplish a sense of balance between work and home … let me know if anyone figures that one out.

Your favorite stress reliever: Spending my springs, summers and fall at the Ski Klub of Decatur! There is nothing more relaxing than spending my weekends with family and friends camping and boating on our amazing lake.

Your favorite movie: John Carpenter's “Halloween”

Your favorite book: “Where the Sidewalk Ends” by Shel Silverstein

Quote to live by: “It is easy to dodge our responsibilities, but we cannot dodge the consequences of dodging our responsibilities.” --Josiah Charles Sharp If you were a fictional character, which one would you be? Why? Eliza Doolittle from “My Fair Lady” because at a time when Eliza has nothing, she’s given an opportunity to better herself, become something she’s always dreamed of and achieve ultimate happiness through education and support from someone believing in her. Everyone deserves to be the best they can be and when someone believes in you, your successes shine.

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2 2015 • 20 Under 40 t h e b u s i n e s s j o u r n a l

he Business Journal of MidCentral Illinois is proud to present this annual special publication to honor members of our community who make a difference in many ways.

We realize it takes a special combination of individuals to make a difference in any community, but we wanted to take this opportunity to honor those under the age of 40 who are making a difference.

The process wasn’t easy. We asked for nominations from the community and received an overwhelming response.

Each nominee was very impressive, and our selection committee had the daunting task of narrowing the field to 20.

These selected individuals represent the best our community has to offer. From education, nonprofit, health care and more, our selections are from diverse backgrounds and offer many talents.

Each 20 Under 40 has a unique story and offers his or her wisdom and advice on what it takes to be successful. You’ll read about what they do, what they like about the community, what they still hope to accomplish and more.

We hope you enjoy reading about these special individuals. Their profiles also can be found online at our website, www.thebusinessjournal.com.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank those community members who were a part of the selection committee. We appreciate your hard work.

For those of you who wish to nominate someone next year, look for our call for nominations in March 2016 •

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index Christina Baker ......................................3 Brandi Binkley ........................................4 Rashanda Bond-Partee ............................5 Megan Breheny-Bennett ..........................6 Bredina Coale..........................................7 Keith Creighton ......................................8 Jennifer Michelle Dahn ..........................9 Justin Eichenauer..................................10 Devin Forden ........................................11 Olivia Heisner........................................12 Wes Hillen..............................................13 Shane Major ..........................................14 Prescott Paulin ......................................16 Tony Piraino ..........................................17 Mandi (Landacre) Podeschi ..................18 Julia Roundtree Livingston ....................19 Josh Sapp ..............................................20 Wes Shade..............................................21 Kelli Smith Runyon ................................22 Brian Zuber ..........................................23

STAFFLIST PUBLISHER Julie Bechtel EDITOR Scott Perry ADVERTISING Joel Fletcher LAYOUT & DESIGN Steve Wetherholt

The Business Journal of MidCentral Illinois is printed monthly and is a publication of Lee Enterprises, Inc. Information published in the Business Journal of MidCentral Illinois is responsibility of the author and does not reflect the opinions of the Business Journal. To submit articles, please mail your information typewritten and 500 words or less to: The Business Journal, 601 E. William St., Decatur, IL 62523. Submitted articles will not be returned.

Any editorial content or advertising published is the property of Lee Enterprises, Inc. DBA The Business Journal of MidCentral Illinois. ©2015 Herald & Review All rights reserved for entire content.

Brian Zuber Age: 38 Family: Wife, Noelle; sons, Tyler and Braden

Current position/responsibilities: Vice president of operations at Staley Credit Union.

What do you like best about what you do? I enjoy helping our members solve their financial needs and preparing them for their financial future. At Staley Credit Union, we build relationships with people to help their individual needs instead of trying to profit from each transaction. This helps build a solid foundation for a lasting relationship.

People Helping People is the credit union philosophy and it is still going strong today after more than 80 years.

What do you like best about working or living in the community? Being a devoted father of two sons, I enjoy working with activities and groups that are dedicated to improving the quality of life for our children. I work with the Mount Zion Pack 43 Cub Scouts, commissioner on the Mount Zion Parks and Recreation Commission and have coached programs for the Decatur Family YMCA, Decatur Park District, Mount Zion Youth and Upwards Sports.

What should the community be doing to attract more young people to live and work in the Decatur area? I think it all revolves around kids.

Give families plenty of options for affordable and enjoyable activities for their children and the entire community will benefit. The community needs more year-round activities to keep people active in the winter months as well. Thinking big is great at times but more often we need to think small. Instead of focusing only on how profitable an activity is or liability concerns, we should consider the value it brings in quality of life for the community.

A high quality of life will generally pay for itself in the long run.

The person who has had the biggest influence on you and why:: My dad. He taught me that hard work pays off and excuses won’t help solve your problems. Most people will choose the easiest option. Try to choose the best option no matter how difficult that may be.

What do you still hope to accomplish? For the community, I am working with the Mount Zion Parks and Recreation Commission to bring this area the first of its kind splash pad to Fletcher Park that will benefit all kids in Macon County. Professionally, I would like to manage a credit union someday as CEO. Personally, I would like to travel to all seven continents in my lifetime trying as many unique food items as I can.

Your favorite stress reliever: Cooking

Your favorite movie: “Gladiator.” I love a good epic piece.

Your favorite book: “Unbroken” by Laura Hillenbrand

Quote to live by: "All great change in America begins at the dinner table." -Ronald Reagan

If you were a fictional character, which one would you be? Why? Tony Stark. To have the resources, knowledge and ability to solve many of the world’s problems would be difficult to pass up.

Congratulations to

Brian Zuber on his achievement as one of this year’s 20 under 40!

20

U N I V E R S I T Y® TA B O R S C H O O L O F BUS I N ES S

EXECUTIVE MBA PROGRAM

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» 17-month program » Two nights a week » Taught by experienced C-Suite faculty » International trip included » Professional networking opportunities » Access to Executive Lectures ( Fortune 500 companies )

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CONGRATULATIONS TO MILLIKIN’S OWN Amanda Podeschi Senior Director of Development

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