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McClelland

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Forsyth Rotary, 7 a.m., Homewood Suites

by Hilton, 333 W. Marion Ave., Forsyth.

Kiwanianne Club of Decatur, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility, 3909 W. Main St. Prairieland Kiwanis, 9:30 a.m., Decatur Civic Center.

Decatur AMBUCS, noon, Decatur Club, 158 W. Prairie Ave. Noon Kiwanis Club, Decatur Club.

Noon Sertoma, Decatur Club.

Blue Mound Rotary, 6:30 p.m., Pleasantview Township shed.

Wednesday, July 2 Decatur Golden K Kiwanis Club, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet Facility.

Thursday, July 3 Earlybird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon, Decatur Club.

Human Service Agency Consortium (HSAC), noon, Central Christian Church, 650 W. William St. Thursday Noon Toastmasters, Greater Decatur Y, 220 W. McKinley Ave. American Business Women’s Association (Amacita), 6 p.m., location varies.

Lincolnland AMBUCS, 6:30 p.m., Easter Seals’ Building, 2715 N. 27th St.

Monday, July 7 Decatur Noon Lions Club, St. Nicholas Grille (formerly Main Place Bar & Grill), 101 S. Main St. Decatur Rotary 180, noon, Decatur Club.

Women’s Progressive Club, 6 p.m., Greater Northside Baptist Church.

Tuesday, July 8 Forsyth Rotary, 7 a.m., Homewood Suites

by Hilton.

Kiwanianne Club of Decatur, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Prairieland Kiwanis, 9:30 a.m., Decatur Civic Center.

Decatur Building Construction Trades Council, 10 a.m., IBEW Local 146 Hall, 3390 N. Woodford St. Central Illinois Ad Club, 11:30 a.m., Decatur Club.

Decatur AMBUCS, noon, Decatur Club.

Noon Kiwanis Club, Decatur Club.

Noon Sertoma, Decatur Club.

Mount Zion Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours, 5-8 p.m., Unique Boutique Salon and Spa, 1515 Illinois 121, Mount Zion. Entertainment by Third Shift.

Blue Mound Rotary, 6:30 p.m., Pleasantview Township shed.

Wednesday, July 9 Decatur Golden K Kiwanis Club, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Mount Zion Chamber of Commerce Luncheon, 11:30 a.m., Main Hangar, Decatur Airport. Scheduled speaker is state Sen. Andy Manar.

Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet Facility.

Thursday, July 10 Earlybird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

GFWC Decatur Woman’s Club, 11:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Senior Resources Network (formerly Mature Resources Network), 11:45 a.m., Keystone Gardens, 1455 W. Mound Road.

Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon, Decatur Club.

Decatur Area Women’s Network (DAWN), 5:30 p.m., location varies.

Lincolnland AMBUCS, 6:30 p.m., Easter Seals’ Building.

Decatur Camera Club, 7 p.m., Rock Springs Environmental Center, 3939 Nearing Lane.

Friday, July 11 Decatur Breakfast Sertoma, 7 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Monday, July 14 Decatur Noon Lions Club, St. Nicholas Grille (formerly Main Place Bar & Grill).

Decatur Rotary 180, noon, Decatur Club.

Tuesday, July 15 Forsyth Rotary, 7 a.m., Homewood Suites

by Hilton.

Kiwanianne Club of Decatur, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Noon Kiwanis Club, Decatur Club.

Noon Sertoma, Decatur Club.

Blue Mound Rotary, 6:30 p.m., Pleasantview Township shed.

Monday, July 21

Thursday, July 31

Decatur Noon Lions Club, St. Nicholas Grille (formerly Main Place Bar & Grill).

Decatur Rotary 180, noon, Decatur Club.

Women’s Progressive Club, 6 p.m., Greater Northside Baptist Church.

Earlybird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon, Decatur Club.

Tuesday, July 22 Forsyth Rotary, 7 a.m., Homewood Suites

by Hilton.

Kiwanianne Club of Decatur, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Building Construction Trades Council, 10 a.m., IBEW Local 146 Hall.

Decatur AMBUCS, noon, Decatur Club.

Noon Kiwanis Club, Decatur Club.

Noon Sertoma, Decatur Club.

Blue Mound Rotary, 6:30 p.m., Pleasantview Township shed.

Wednesday, July 23 Decatur Golden K Kiwanis Club, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet Facility.

Thursday, July 24 Earlybird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon, Decatur Club.

Decatur Camera Club, 7 p.m., Rock Springs Environmental Center.

Friday, July 25 Decatur Breakfast Sertoma, 7 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

American Business Women’s Association (Monarch), noon, location varies.

Wednesday, July 16

Monday, July 28

Decatur Golden K Kiwanis Club, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Christian Women’s Network, noon, Decatur Club.

Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Noon Lions Club, St. Nicholas Grille (formerly Main Place Bar & Grill).

Decatur Rotary 180, noon, Decatur Club.

Thursday, July 17 Earlybird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Christian Women’s Club, 11:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon, Decatur Club.

Decatur AMBUCS, 6 p.m., Decatur Club.

Tuesday, July 29 Forsyth Rotary, 7 a.m., Homewood Suites

by Hilton.

Kiwanianne Club of Decatur, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Noon Kiwanis Club, Decatur Club.

Noon Sertoma, Decatur Club.

Blue Mound Rotary, 6:30 p.m., Pleasantview Township shed.

Friday, July 18

Wednesday, July 30

Decatur Breakfast Sertoma, 7 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Noon Women’s Network, 11:45 a.m., Decatur Club.

Decatur Golden K Kiwanis Club, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet Facility.

BUSINESS JOURNAL

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YOUR MONEY

YOUR CALENDAR

Tuesday, July 1

July 2014

Friday, Aug. 1 Breakfast Sertoma, 7 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Black Chamber of Commerce First Friday Luncheon, noon, Main Street Church Tea Room, 2000 N. Main St.

Monday, Aug. 4 Decatur Noon Lions Club, St. Nicholas Grille (formerly Main Place Bar & Grill).

Decatur Rotary 180, noon, Decatur Club.

Women’s Progressive Club, 6 p.m., Greater Northside Baptist Church.

Tuesday, Aug. 5 Forsyth Rotary, 7 a.m., Homewood Suites

by Hilton.

Kiwanianne Club of Decatur, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Prairieland Kiwanis, 9:30 a.m., Decatur Civic Center.

Decatur AMBUCS, noon, Decatur Club.

Noon Kiwanis Club, Decatur Club.

Noon Sertoma, Decatur Club.

Blue Mound Rotary, 6:30 p.m., Pleasantview Township shed.

Wednesday, Aug. 6 Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce Breakfast, 7 a.m., Decatur Club.

Decatur Golden K Kiwanis Club, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet Facility.

Thursday, Aug. 7 Earlybird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

American Business Women’s Association (Amacita), 11:30 a.m., location varies.

Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon, Decatur Club.

Human Service Agency Consortium (HSAC), noon, Central Christian Church, 650 W. William St. Thursday Noon Toastmasters, Greater Decatur Y. Metro Decatur Home Builder’s Association, 6 p.m., Beach House.

Lincolnland AMBUCS, 6:30 p.m., Easter Seals’ Building.

To submit items for Your Calendar, contact Scott Perry at (217) 421-7976, at sperry@heraldreview.com, or click the “Submit an Event” link at www.thebusiness-journal.com

BUSINESS JOURNAL Printed with environmentally safe water-based ink

Young adults need saving strategy Experts suggest plan for future

By Leslie Mann TCA News Service

She is only 27 years old. But she has a list of “somedays” to check off her list.

“Someday, I hope to be married and have kids,” said Shekinah Monee, a model and publicist in New York City.

“And, someday I want to retire and be able to play.”

To reach the first goal, she dates men “with the intention of finding someone for a long-term relationship.” To achieve her retirement goal, she contributes monthly to a SEP 401(k) and a Roth individual retirement account.

Unfortunately, financial planners say, not every young adult has such foresight. “In fact, according to Hollywood, it’s cool to be irresponsible and in debt,” said Judy McNary, a Broomfield, Colo.-based certified financial planner and author of “Coin: The Irreverent Yet Practical Guide to Money Management for Recent College Graduates.”

Despite the recession and the high college costs that drowned so many with debt, 20-somethings can retire comfortably if they plan ahead, planners say.

Experts suggest taking these steps, for 20-somethings and the parents they may be living with: Bunk with mom and dad: Monee said she is fortunate that she lives rent-free with her mother and stepfather. “I couldn’t find a place near my work for less than $1,200 a month,” she said. For young people such as Monee, the easiest way to save money is to delay leaving the nest.

“Let your kid keep living at home,” said Beth Kobliner, author of “Get a Financial Life: Personal Finance in Your Twenties and Thirties.”

“But that doesn’t mean a free ride.”

Acknowledge that jobs are hard to find, she added, but do not tolerate the grown child “sitting on the couch watching Netflix reruns of ‘Scandal’ while waiting for the ideal position to come along.” Your young adult should at least pay his or her credit card, cellphone and car insurance bills, she said, and help cover groceries.

“Talk about financial priorities with your kid,” Kobliner said. “If she has lots of credit card debt, talk about the fact that living ... rent-free offers an opportunity to pay it off.”

Ditch the debt: It’s tough to make retirement contributions when loan payments eat your expendable income, especially when they include a complicated tangle of auto, college and credit card debt.

“First, add up your debts,” said Jana Castanon, outreach manager with Apprisen, a national credit counseling

agency. “This might give you an ‘Oh, my gosh’ moment. Then, make a plan.”

For help, call one of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling member agencies such as Apprisen. They offer free, 90-minute counseling sessions online, in person or by phone.

If you have federal student loans, you may qualify for programs that allow you to make payments based on your income, not your loan balance. (See studentaid.ed.gov.) You can even have your loan forgiven if you follow the government’s criteria.

“If it’s a private loan through a bank, though, you’re at the mercy of the bank’s terms,” Castanon said.

Note to parents with children in college: “Do not be tempted to co-sign a college loan,” Castanon said. “If the student is late on his payments, it may affect your credit score.”

Make a budget: Sounds simple? Not to many 20-somethings, McNary said.

“It’s not only their fault,” she said.

“We parents are partially to blame.

Growing up, we had three pairs of shoes: sneakers, school and church.

Now, kids have shoes for every outfit.”

Seeing expenses on paper helps a person understand the difference between “wants” and “needs,” McNary said. “If you can use public transportation, for example, a car is a ‘want.’ You don’t have to spend money on a car and car insurance,” she said.

Parents, instead of a frivolous birthday gift, give your 20-something a session with a “fee only” financial planner, who does not sell products on commission. The planner will help your young adult make a financial road map.

If your employer deducts your retirement contribution from your paycheck, you will not be tempted to spend it, the advisers said. If you are self-employed, arrange for automatic payments from your checking account.

If your employer offers a 401(k) match, consider it icing on the cake. A 50 percent match, for example, elevates your $5,500 contribution to $8,250.

Stay on budget: McNary encourages her young clients, “Make a sport of spending less. You can still have fun with your friends.” Brown-bag your lunches. Shop thrift stores. Get a roommate. Trade your sporty car for one that costs less to insure. Live rent-free as a property manager. Decline the invitation to be a bridesmaid at the pricey destination wedding.

“Write down your retirement goal and put it in your wallet,” Castanon said.

“The next time you go to buy something you don’t really need, it will be there.”

Monee’s trick: “I tell myself I’m splurging when I buy something I need anyway, like some new black shoes for work.”

Enjoy the miracle of compounding: The sooner saving for retirement starts, the more time money has to

snowball. The money tucked away and the interest it earns both earn interest.

Tape a compounding chart, like the one in “Coin,” to your wall. It shows that if you put $5,500 a year in an IRA that makes 5 percent, starting at age 22, you have $1,003,325 at age 60. If you wait until 40 to start, you will only have $222,978.

“It’s all about forming the savings habit early,” McNary said. “Then, when you’re in your 30s and want a bigger house, you’re not tempted to quit making those retirement payments. By then it’s a habit you won’t break.”

McNary helped accelerate the growth of her kids’ retirement funds by matching their contributions by 50 percent until they were on their own. “That helped them see how quickly the money adds up,” she said.

She looks forward to the day when “it is cool again to be financially OK,” McNary said. “I do have hope.”

In the meantime, young adults such as Monee surround themselves with others who “get it,” Monee said.

“When I date a guy, he has to be financially savvy. If he has to have all the latest clothes and gadgets, he’s not for me.”

Did you know?

According to the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances, 30-somethings carry the largest debt burdens of any age decade.

According to the triennial survey, 53 percent of households headed by 30-somethings fail to pay off their credit cards in full each month. In addition, the median balance carried on those cards is $3,000.

Compared with other age groups, 30-somethings have significant problems with debt, as the survey found that 9 percent of people in their 30s are more likely to be 60 days late on a bill than those in their 20s. In addition, people in their 30s are nearly twice as likely to carry credit card debt of $10,000 or more than people in their 20s.

Such figures suggest the notion that men and women become more financially savvy as they enter their 30s is largely mistaken.

However, many men and women tend to purchase their first homes in their 30s and have children for the first time in their 30s, both of which can stretch budgets and force men and women to rely too heavily on credit cards.

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BUSINESS JOURNAL

TECHTALK

Your employees can put company at risk Your employees have a huge impact on your company’s security.

If they choose easy-to-guess passwords or reuse the same password on personal and business accounts, you may be the one who pays for their poor choices.

The recent rash of security scares brings this risk to light more than ever.

Here are the steps you need to take to protect your business.

Password policies The first action to take is to create and roll out a strong password policy. The standard for strong passwords is at least 8 characters, with some combination of letters, numbers and symbols. Password changes should be required at least quarterly, and new passwords cannot be repeats or variTechnology ations on previous passwords.

Most companies with Windows servers have the ability to configure and roll this out very quickly. It’s largely an automatic process, aside from helping people when they forget their new passwords. This will happen, a lot! Be sure to educate your team so they know what’s happening and why.

Wendy Gauntt

Limit personal use Many companies are fairly relaxed about letting employees access the Internet and email for personal use.

There is a hidden downside: your employees may surf sites that are unsafe, they may download programs that contain malware (malicious software), or they may open attachments on personal email accounts that contain viruses. You can lock down company resources, but when an employee is free to access their own websites and accounts, you never know what they might bring into your company’s network. You can minimize this with strong antivirus protection, firewall security and Web filtering. However, your employee still may click the wrong link or open the wrong attachment. Just like that, their computer, and possibly more, can be infected.

Malware scans You should have antivirus software in place, with regular scans. Make sure you also scan for malware, which may be a separate program or security subscription. Malware is malicious software that runs on your computer in the background. It is usually fairly stealthy and

not obvious, although if your computer seems to be running slowly that is often a symptom. These programs quietly log keystrokes, gather financial information and/or collect passwords. This information can be used for a variety of purposes, none of them good.

If you want to be extremely strict you can set security policies that block employees from installing new programs on their computers. This will prevent the installation of malware. These policies tend to create other complications though, because then all software has to be installed by a system administrator.

Some programs even require administrative access to run, so this won’t be possible. If you go this route, your IT staff will have to be on the ball so that they can handle the extra work this will create for them.

Terminate credentials When employees leave, disable their user accounts immediately. If you need an account to remain active – for example, to forward their email to another employee – at least change the password so the former employee no longer has access. This applies to anyone else who has company access, including consultants, contractors, vendors, interns, etc.

Monitor failed logins Set your systems to track failed login attempts. This could be remote logins for people working from home, email access on mobile devices, logins to Web-based software applications, and any other core business systems. If you see a large number of failed attempts in a short period of time, either you have a very frustrated employee with a bad memory, or your company is under attack. You will need to assess the situation promptly and take steps to ensure that your security is not at risk.

check out two-factor authorization.

This requires both a password (the “first factor”) as well as a code or number that’s randomly generated by a second device, usually an electronic token. The code is entered at login, along with the password. Since the token changes values all the time, it cannot be written down or passed along to someone else. This greatly increases security, although it makes the login process slightly more timeconsuming.

Password tools A great way to discourage use of the same password on all systems is to use a password management tool. These are available for individuals as well as entire companies. There are Web-based applications, apps for your mobile device, and desktop programs. The whole idea is that by having a secure place to store passwords, you can use a greater number of them without fear that you will forget. Most include a random password generator and a cutand-paste feature that eliminates the need to retype each password every time.

FROM THE EDITOR I've often said I wouldn't be a good 20 under 40 honoree.

The current reason is simple. I'm 47. But I felt this way long before breaking the age barrier.

Most of the people selected for this honor go above and beyond when it comes to the community. They give freely of their time and talents to local groups, serving on various committees, and organizing and staffing events for the rest of us to enjoy.

While I'm no stranger to volunteering, most of my efforts have been linked to the activities of my kids. I've coached their teams, I've sold countless pull tabs (Butt Crack, who wants Butt Crack), popped mounds of popcorn, tracked stats, ran scoreboards, hustled band instruments onto numerous fields, among other things.

These are the things you do when you're a parent of active kids.

It's part of the job. But, in most cases, your connection to those activities end as your kids move on.

It takes a special person to step up and do those types of things for others, with whom they have no connection other than calling the same community home.

To these special people, join me in offering them a muchdeserved thanks.

Security training All the measures in the world won’t help if employees don’t take these policies seriously. Many people still think – mistakenly — that there is little chance their noncompliance could ever cause a problem. Recent outbreaks such as the Heartbleed Bug and Cryptolocker virus reveal that nothing is further from the truth. One employee’s weak password or accidental download can take down an entire company’s data network. Now that you understand this, you must train your employees so that they too can understand how important these policies are.

Wendy Gauntt is president of CIO Services LLC, a technology consulting company that specializes in small business solutions. Visit her Web site at www.cioservicesllc.com for more information, ideas and free resources.

BUSINESS JOURNAL

Your staff should never have full administrative access to your systems unless there is excellent reason for it.

Administrative rights, or credentials, mean that a given user can do anything they want inside a system. They can add, change or delete anything; they can even change other people’s security permissions. Outside the IT department, it is rare for anyone to have full rights. An individual may have administrative access to their own PC, but not to the network, to any of the servers, to your software systems, or anything else that’s not specific to them.

Authentication If you still have security concerns,

OF MIDCENTRAL ILLINOIS

VOLUME 20

ISSUE 7

601 E. William St. Decatur, IL 62523 217.421.7976 217.421.7965 (fax)

PUBLISHER: Julie Bechtel EDITOR: Scott Perry ADVERTISING: AnnaMarie Hanes

Reader Profile: n 30% are owner/partner of their business. n 27% have household income of $100,000 to $149,000.

LAYOUT & DESIGN: Ginger Wortman

Scott Perry, editor Business Journal of Midcentral Illinois

July2014Contents 22

Standing Features

ON THE DEFENSIVE

Biz Bites . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Protect your biz from cyber attacks

Business Clips . . . . . 15 Fred Spannaus . . . . . 11

Administrative access

BUSINESS JOURNAL

STORY IDEAS: Email sperry@herald-review.com or call 217.421.7976.

SUBSCRIPTIONS: To order additional copies call 217.421.7931 ADVERTISING: The deadline for ad and ad copy for the August issue is July 17. Call 217.421.7953 for rate information.

The Business Journal of MidCentral Illinois is printed monthly and is a publication of Lee Enterprises Inc.

Free Time calendar . . 16 Health calendar . . . . 21 Liz Reyer . . . . . . . . . . 18 Office Coach . . . . . . . 18 Professional profile . . 17 SCORE counselor . . . 11 Wendy Gauntt . . . . . . 22

Keep on truckin’ McLeod Express got its start in 1986 hauling grain. Today, grain is just one of the many things this growing trucking firm takes from here to there Page 9

17 GYRO KING 32 years of serving goodness

Information published is the responsibility of the author and does not reflect the opinions of The Business Journal of MidCentral Illinois. To submit articles, mail typewritten and 500 words or less to: The Business Journal, 601 E. William St., Decatur, IL 62523. 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.

Copyright 2014 Herald & Review All rights reserved for entire content.

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Screenings Bone density screening, 9-11 a.m.

Wednesday, July 2, Women’s Health and Breast Center, 302 W. Hay St., Suite 117A. Screening to check your risk for osteoporosis. Register online or call (217) 8764377.

Cholesterol screening, 7-10 a.m. Thursday, July 10, 3131 N. Water St. Cost is $20. To register, call (217) 876-4377.

Classes Cardiopulmonary rehab nutrition class, 11 a.m. Thursday, July 10, Decatur Memorial Hospital, Cafe DMH. Hospital dietitians share heart healthy eating tips.

For information, call (217) 876-2496.

In BeTWEEN for Girls, 10-11:30 a.m.

Saturday, July 12, Decatur Memorial Hospital, OB Classroom. Girls ages 9-12 learn about life issues that are important to teens. To register, call (217) 8763100.

This is the 10th year the Business Journal has recognized 20 individuals under the age of 40 for their contributions to the community.

munity is facing and hopefully making it a better place to live.”

Author

To mark the occasion, we decided to look back at the first class of honorees and see where they are today and how their commitment to serving the community has shaped their lives.

Alexandria Huber

Amanda Clark Director of special programs for School District 308 After serving as principal of Johns Hill Magnet School for five years, Clark continued her involvement in education throughout Northern Illinois.

In 2009, Clark became assistant principal at Frederick Nerge Elementary School in Schaumburg. A year later, she was named principal.

About a year ago, Clark joined Community Unit School District 308, which serves the communities of Aurora, Joliet, Montgomery, Oswego, Plainfield and Yorkville.

Clark As director of special programs of the district, she oversees English Language Learners along with programs for gifted students and parent outreach and empowerment initiatives.

Anthywon Taylor All the way up until his death Aug. 11, 2012, at the age of 46, Taylor was coming up with new ways to engage young people and helping them set life goals.

He was the founder and president of Youth Workshop Ministries, which involved networking, procurring funds, developing educational programs and providing instruction and activities for high school students, college students and young professionals. Activities included interaction with state and local government officials, professional devel-

opment mentoring and creation of a speakers bureau.

Bryan Smith Executive director of Township Officials of Illinois Smith has worked to keep the gears of local government turning smoothly for more than 25 years and doesn't plan to slow down anytime soon.

The 48-year-old has served as the executive director of the Township Officials of Illinois for 18 years. He is editor of the association's monthly magazine “Township Perspective” and the third executive director in the Smith association's history, which spans more than a century.

Smith has also been a Macon County Board member for the last 12 years.

“My involvement in the community has made me appreciate the many services provided within our community and the large number of people who willingly give of their time to help shape and make our community a better place,” he said. “I enjoy serving because it helps me be a part of solving issues our com-

Transitional specialist at Intercept Youth Services The youngest individual featured in the July 2005 special section, Huber at age 15 aspired for a career that involved helping others in need.

After receiving a bachelor's of human services from Milikin University in May, Huber moved to Fredericksburg, Va., to become a transitional specialist at Intercept Youth Services.

“I help at-risk youth and do one-onone mentoring,” the 24-year-old Decatur native said. “It takes a mental toughness to work with people who have been through so much, but I love the reward of it; helping people has always been my passion.”

Huber graduated from St. Teresa High School, and during her sophomore year, she raised $5,000 to bring a German family to the United States.

Brian Plummer Director of Milligan Academy Education has always been Plummer's passion, and he has recently transitioned from teaching a flock of students to directing an entire school.

After teaching high school mathematics at Futures Unlimited, where he taught for 11 years, Plummer became employed as a teacher at Milligan Academy: Regional Safe School Program in 2011.

Plummer

Eat Right to Help the Fight, 11 a.m.

Monday, July 14, Cancer Care Center of Decatur, 210 W. McKinley Ave. Nutrition class for cancer patients. Register online or call (217) 876-4750.

Sibling class, 5:15 p.m. Monday, July 14, St. Mary’s Hospital, OB Classroom.

BANQUET

Troy Taylor

We found that most of the individuals continue to apply their talents for the benefit of Macon County, while the others have moved on to make a difference in other communities.

BUSINESS JOURNAL

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Community health calendar

YOUR COMMUNITY

To date, the Decatur native has written 111 books, 75 within the last decade.

He has expanded from two tour companies to six, with one that travels to locations throughout the nation.

Taylor noted that his staff has quadrupled in size over the years, and the Haunted Decatur Tour has reached its 21st season.

“The overwhelming response that we got from the Haunted Decatur Tours when they started Taylor really gave me the confidence to sort of take the show on the road and expand into other towns,” he said. “I've used a lot of what we've done here as a model for other communities. I've always appreciated the support that I've received from people in Decatur.”

The 47-year-old has added companies in Jacksonville, Chicago and St. Louis with other locations to be added during the coming year. He usually divides his time living in Decatur and Chicago.

Taylor has also taken on about a dozen more authors at Whitechapel Press, a small publishing company he owns that specializes in books about ghosts and hauntings.

July 2014

Children 3-12 learn about being a big brother or sister. For more information or to register, call (217) 464-2334.

Infant CPR class, 7 p.m. Monday, July 14, Decatur Memorial Hospital, OB Classrooms, third floor. Register online or call (217) 876-3400.

of Decatur, Education Classrooms, 210 W. McKinley Ave. For cancer patients and their families. Register online or call (217) 876-4750.

Pink Link breast cancer support group, 6 p.m. Thursday, July 10. To register, call (217) 876-4377.

Cardiopulmonary risk factors education, 1-3 p.m. Friday, July 18, Decatur Memorial Hospital, Cafe 1 and 2. For more information, call (217) 876-2496.

Breastfeeding support group, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Monday, July 14 and July 21, Baby TALK, 500 E. Lake Shore Dr. To register, call Flo Folami at (217) 464-2334.

Support groups

SHARE support group, 7 p.m. Monday, July 14, St. Mary’s Hospital, Room G24.

Support group for those who have experienced the death of a baby during pregnancy, at birth or early infancy. For more information, call (217) 464-2045.

TOPS Club IL 49 Decatur, 5:30 p.m.

Tuesdays, Main Street Church of God, 2000 N. Main St. (enter from Garfield Street). Support group for Real People seeking Real Results with weight loss.

For more information, go to www.topsclub.org or call Chris Granda at (217) 521-2420.

Growing Through Grief, 6-7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, July 8, Cancer Care Center of Decatur, Education Classrooms, 210 W. McKinley Ave. To register, call 876-4735.

Epilepsy support group, 5 p.m. Tuesday, July 8, St. Mary’s Hospital, Assisi Room.

For more information, call (217) 853-1655.

Facing Cancer Together, 1:30 p.m.

Wednesday, July 9, Cancer Care Center

GUIDE

(217) 820-3096.

Essential tremor support group, 2 p.m.

Sunday, July 20, St. Mary’s Hospital, Assisi Room. For more information, call Don Klinker at (217) 423-9667.

Post partum emotional support group, 6:30 p.m. Monday, July 21, St. Mary’s Hospital, Assisi Room. For more information, call (217) 464-2334.

Us TOO prostate cancer support group, 4:30-6 p.m. Tuesday, July 22, Cancer Care Center of Decatur, Education Classroom, 210 W. McKinley Ave. Register online or call (217) 876-4750.

Widowed support group, 6 p.m. Thursday, July 24. Monthly dinner gathering. For location or to register, call (217) 428-7733.

Breath of Life support group, noon Tuesday, July 15, St. Mary’s Hospital, Room 561.

Speakers available to answer questions from those with breathing problems. For information, call (217) 464-2603.

Renewal bereavement support group, 6-7:30 p.m. Monday, July 28, Cancer Care Center of Decatur, Education Classroom, 210 W. McKinley Ave. Register online or call (217) 876-4750.

Diabetes support group, 11 a.m. to noon Thursday, July 17, DMH Specific Performance Enhancement Center, 2122 N, 27th St. Call (217) 876-4249.

More

Parkinson’s disease support group, 1:30 p.m.

Thursday, July 17, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1360 W. Main St. For information, call Kathy Broaddus at

Featured Business:

Community Health Lecture Series, 6 p.m.

Tuesday, July 15, Decatur Public Library. The St. Mary’s Hospital community health lecture service provides lectures from local health care providers. For more information, call (217) 464-5125.

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July 2014

YOUR HEALTH

He taught for a year and was then named director of the academy.

“The hardest part about going from a teacher to an administrator was the separation from the kids, even though I still get to see them on a daily basis,” he said. “However, I think I have a better affect on the education system as an administrator, and I couldn't pick a better job.”

Kickstarting your fitness plan Apps, squads help participants train

F. Todd McClelland

By EMILY STEELE Business Journal Writer

DECATUR — The answers to why beginner fitness programs such as the local Shoreline Squads or Couch to 5K app are so popular vary.

Some are just for fun, such as Decatur Running Club's free Learn to Run program which finished last month, while others such as Thursday night open water swims are reserved for those training for the Rodney T. Miller Lakeside Triathlon or another event.

But they're all about developing a community that learns to love the challenge.

The triathlon has special permission from the park district to open up the small stretch of beach in Nelson Park once a week before race day so swimmers can feel the difference between a pool and the lake.

As a safety precaution, a kayaker did loops in the choppy water and Race Director Gene Mueller did head counts.

Swimmers did laps around two neon green buoys which had drifted 250 yards apart in the wind.

“It's nice to have chop slapping them in the face before race day,” Mueller said.

Often first-time lake swimmers will panic or struggle to find a rhythm when they can't see the bottom and start fighting the waves. Swimming is the first event in a triathlon, which Mueller said sets the tone for the whole race.

“That's the one we get the most requests for help,” Mueller said.

Abby Coers and Cory Hosier bobbed in the water off the promenade to glean some advice off seven-year triathlon veteran Diane Grubb.

Coers had downtime between training for marathons and signed up because she was looking for a fun challenge.

Swimming is hardest for her and she's still learning to find a good pace.

“That's a big thing, starting slow,” Coers said.

As swimmers entered the water, a group of runners went past after picking up registration packets at the kickoff for Shoreline Squads. The squads are a training program to help runners and walkers complete the 5K or 15K course of the Shoreline Classic.

“Nobody is ever left behind,” said Squad Director Michelle Espy, who said more than 700 people have signed up so far.

She said the squads create a sense of community where everyone is welcome and the word “only” is never used to describe runs. Those who've participated in the past have come back as squad

www.thebusiness-journal.com

Pastor of City of Praise Church In his 11th year as pastor and founder of City of Praise Church, McClelland continues to expand the church's outreach in the community.

City of Praise began in a hotel ballroom as New Millennium Faith Ministries in 2003 and moved to its current location in summer 2004 after members raised $20,000 in three months.

Recently, McClelland developed Millennium Sound Recording Group, an independent gospel label branching from FTM Records, which he has operated for the past 15 years. The label aims to provide a resource for talented individuals who wouldn't be able to afford professional recordings.

“In the Decatur community, I meet people with all kinds of different gifts, and with a little help, they can really bring change to Decatur,” he said.

His congregation has expanded to about 175 members, and he looks to establish partnerships with community organizations such as Dove Inc. He said he hopes to offer a GED program and finance classes for the community in the future.

Business Journal/Jim Bowling

No Boundaries 5K training program participants start off their run heading south on Oakland Avenue. leaders.

“Shoreline Squad is whatever you want to make it,” Espy said.

Athletic trainer Dustin Finks led the most recent Decatur Public Library lecture series on Fitness for Beginners to help those new to a fitness routine prepare for a 5K run or walk.

“You always know the right thing,” Finks said. “You just don't always do the right thing.”

Finks, a St. Mary's Hospital trainer who works at Mount Zion schools, said the biggest barrier to someone starting out is lofty goals.

“That's typically where the biggest pitfalls come from, is people who have the best intention, but they overdo it,” Finks said.

While many fitness goals are driven by outward appearance such as weight loss and muscle definition, the health benefits of a wholesome diet and exercise can lessen risks for disease such as cancer, heart disease and high blood pressure. In a county where 32 percent of adults are obese and 10 percent of residents are diabetic according to County Health Rankings, physical activity can lessen complications and lengthen life.

“External motivators shouldn't be

Tips & barriers Common fitness barriers and tips to overcome them: Goal setting: Start small. “Realize it took somebody a lot of years to get where they're at,” said Athletic Trainer Dustin Finks Time: “You don't find time, you make time and that's all it really boils down to,” Finks said.

Lack of progress: Finks reminds people “don't be a slave to the scale,” and commit to an exercise for six weeks.

Perfection: You don't have to be perfect all the time, splurge days are OK but don't use them as an excuse to your primary reason,” Finks said.

While people with previous injuries or chronic conditions may use that as an opportunity to quit, Finks said any activity, as advised by a doctor, is better than none.

“There aren't many conditions in which exercise is bad for you, so it's really about modifying,” Finks said.

Finks attributes the popularity and success of community and online training programs, such as the Couch to 5K app, to their slow buildup and access to a tool that serves as a digital personal trainer.

“They're accessible and running and walking is free,” Finks said.

Tuesdays evenings at Fleet Feet, a running store that opened in May, you can find the No Boundaries 5K training program stretching out before they pound the pavement.

The group of 25 is the store's first of many sponsored by New Balance and run through Fleet Feet franchises. Most are first-time runners and they're aiming for the Odd Fellows 5K on July 26.

“They like the idea of a group to keep them going,” said Donna May. May, whose husband, Kyle, owns the franchise and the connecting Spin City Cycles, is one of the program leaders.

Every week a local health professionals leads a different discussion topic on hydration, running injuries or stretching techniques. May said the program is more about helping people think they can and building a community of runners rather than a customer base.

“It really can be life changing,” May said.

Holly Crotty Executive director of Tazewell Animal Protective Society After about four and a half years serving as community impact director at the United Way of Decatur and MidIllinois, Crotty became chief operating officer of the Girl Scouts of Central Illinois.

Though Crotty attributes her interest in community involvement to the encouragement she received from co-workers and supporters of United Crotty Way and Girl Scouts, her affinity for helping others started long before that.

Before joining the United Way, she worked as a domestic violence caseworker and a court advocate for the Center for Prevention of Abuse in Peoria, victim advocate for the Peoria Police Department and the Tazewell County State's Attorney's Office, and program officer at the Community Foundation of Central Illinois.

About two years ago, Crotty relocated to her hometown of Pekin to care for her parents where she accepted the position of executive director of the Tazewell Animal Protective Society no-

July 2014 kill shelter.

“Because of my 10 years in Decatur, I understand that you can make positive change by getting involved,” she said.

“No matter your passion, there is always a role to play to make a difference.”

Melinda Hawbaker City of Decatur comptroller After serving as executive director for United Way of Decatur and Mid-Illinois, Hawbaker continued her work to improve the quality of life in the local community.

At United Way, she led annual campaigns that exceeded $18 million during her seven years as executive director.

Hawbaker moved on to be finance director for the Community Health Improvement Center in 2007 and became senior accounting analyst at Archer Daniels Midland Co. a year later.

In April 2013, she combined her passions of serving the community and accounting when she accepted the position of city of Decatur comptroller.

Scott Pointon Director of White Oak Library District Pointon's position as assistant city librarian of the Decatur Public Library allowed him the experience to move to a southwest suburb of Chicago and carry management responsibility over a district containing three libraries.

He said that during his time at the library from 2002 to 2006, their team was able to attract new audiences and increase cultural and educational programming efforts.

“I believe that working on a team that constantly Pointon strives to make everything better helped me in my current position, where we passed a building bond referendum in 2010 and have since rebuilt and modernized all three of our library facilities,” he said.

Pointon moved to Crest Hill, Ill., in 2006 and became director of the White Oak Library District, which consists of facilities in Crest Hill, Lock Port and Romeoville.

“Because of my experiences working in Decatur, I find myself constantly striving to improve, push boundaries and try new things at my current library.”

Lisa Holder White 4th District Appellate Court judge Since age 12, Holder White knew her future would involve law and the justice system.

Her career began as an assistant state's attorney with the Macon County State's Attorney's Office, and then she became an assistant public defender and partner at a former firm with James

Brinkoetter Jr. Holder White became an associate judge in the 6th Judicial Circuit in 2001, making her the first black judge in Macon County.

In 2008, the Illinois Supreme Court appointed her circuit judge to fill the vacancy left by retiring Judge John Greanias, and she was elected to the position in 2010.

In January 2013, Holder White became the first black appellate justice of the 4th District Illinois Appellate Court in Springfield, which oversees cases from 30 different counties.

Chris Bullock Regional manager for Cromwell Radio Group Being in radio for more than 25 years, Bullock knows the importance of boosting one's community.

He currently serves as the regional manager for Cromwell Radio Group, overseeing stations in Decatur, Mattoon, Effingham and Vandalia. Bullock is also the general manager of the Cromwell stations in Decatur.

Bullock “I feel like we get to make a difference every day with what we do,” he said. “With the community being so supportive, it makes you apt to want to do more, and we are always looking for ways to help and boost-up our community.”

Sonja Chargois Program specialist Girl Scouts of Central Illinois Working for the Girl Scouts of Central Illinois for the past 15 years has allowed Chargois to see the many challenges community youth face on a daily basis, giving her more and more drive to provide programs that benefit the lives of children and parents.

During her tenure at the Girl Scouts, she has served as outreach specialist, community coordinator, membership specialist and program specialist.

Chargois provides programs for many community partners including the Decatur School District.

“I love the fact that I am able to work with youth that I am confident will grow into amazing adults, and most importantly, I am blessed to be employed with an organization who inspires girls today to be tomorrow's leaders,” she said.

Kendall Briscoe Director of community engagement for the Decatur School District Briscoe's proudest accomplishment during the past 10 years is to not fear change.

“I see many people stay in situations that they are not truly thriving in

BUSINESS JOURNAL

5

because of their fear of change, and I never want to be that person,” she said.

Briscoe worked at Richland Community College for seven years and served as director of marketing and public information from 2004 to 2005.

She then became director of marketing and public information at Black Hawk College in Moline.

She returned to Briscoe Decatur as senior account manager for DCC Marketing and then returned to her role in education by becoming director of community engagement for the Decatur School District, where she is responsible for public and media relations and serves as spokesperson for the district.

Rhonda Glidewell Volleyball coach at MacArthur High School Though Glidewell no longer spends her days restoring homes, she still stays active in the community.

Before the housing market crashed five years ago, she had restored more than 100 local homes in 20 years.

Now, Glidewell focuses on a different passion she has carried for 20 years, volleyball. She coached at Lutheran School Association and Our Lady of Lourdes before joining the staff at MacArthur High School three years ago.

In late June, the MacArthur volleyball team won the Parkland Junior College Consolation Championship Challenge.

“I love being involved in giving girls the opportunity to go to college and to help them be a part of a family outside of school or work where they can connect and have positive role models,” she said.

Patrick Hoban City of Decatur economic development officer Hoban refers to himself as Decaturmade.

After two years working as senior designer for Nichols Advertizing, Hoban was recruited by the Decatur Economic Development Corp. He served as vice president of business development from 2007 to 2013 and became economic development officer in October.

He said serving the Decatur community has Hoban taught him the importance of work ethic, dreams and resilience.

“There are a lot of great people and great products made, sold and shipped in Decatur,” he said. “I don't take for granted that the better we are at what we do, the better Decatur will be for generations to come.”

Hoban has lived in Decatur his entire life.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

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Continued from page 5

Scott Bushey Human resources manager at Simon Property Group After spending most of his 35 years living in the Decatur area, Bushey relocated to Indianapolis.

Bushey worked at Archer Daniels Midland Co. for 12 years. He served in different positions including labor relations representative and human resources manager.

In 2007, he received his master's of business administration from Millikin University.

Before leaving Decatur in 2011, Bushey was involved in the United Way of Decatur and Mid-Illinois for eight years, including serving as chairman.

In Indianapolis, he became human

resources manager for Carrier Corp. for about two and a half years. In February, Bushey became human resources manager at Simon Property Group's corporate headquarters in Indianapolis.

Cesar Arguelles Assistant director of SIU Decatur Family Medicine Residency Program During his 16 years at SIU Family Medicine, Arguelles has valued the variety and enrichment he receives from his job.

In addition to caring for patients, he oversees the educational program and manages recruitment and interviews of students Arguelles looking to enroll in the

residency program.

From his role interacting with students, he said he is kept active by seeing the growth of young doctors and staying up-to-date on the advancements of medicine. As a practitioner, he finds helping members of the community, especially the under-served, fulfilling.

In 2007, Arguelles played an integral role in developing and guiding the implementation of the facility’s electronic health record. Currently, he is coauthoring a chapter in a medical textbook.

Dane Bragg Village manager of Buffalo Grove Experience Bragg gained through his role as assistant city manager of Economic and Urban Development for

Decatur allowed him to manage other communities in the state.

In 2007, after three years as assistant city manager, Bragg became city manager of Galesburg.

In 2010, he moved to the northwest Chicago suburb Buffalo Grove and became village manager, implementing financial and asset management practices.

“From my formal eduBragg cation at Millikin University to the lasting business and personal relationships in the Decatur community, as well as the outstanding work experience I gained while working for the city, I carry many of those values with me and use them in my leadership role on a daily basis,” he said.

Attempts to contact Julie Morris were unsuccessful.

Other 20 under 40 honorees 2006

2008

Jill Applebee Debbie Bogle Lori Brown Mike and Megan Comerford Jamie Duies Ginger Edwards Brad Franz Chris Harrison Kelly Hazenfield Kyle May Chad Mitchell Christine Pinckard Mark Putnam Bartley Rose Melinda Rueter Lori Sturgill Brad Swartz Anthony Walker Sherry White Karylle Wike

2007

Jeff Abbott Amber D. Anderson Brooke Ballard Adam Brown Lisa Campbell Kristin Crim Roxie K. Dotson Shad Etchason Jamie Gower Carey A. Grady Carrie Hogue Damian Jones Sr. Dan Martini Tara Nickerson Zach Shields Ryan Spurlock Sarah Sylvester Megan Timmons Lawrence Trimble Shalen Walker

2009

Matthew D. Bennett Cindy Breitwieser Brandy Brown Chris Ellis Tami D. Gharst Lauren Hunt Jeff Ingle Jimmy La Rose Wayne Lackie Eric B. Leonard Daniel M. Lightner Cathy Mansur Todd Mason Rick McCoy Shannen Ray Kimberly Sheppard Pattie Smith-Phillips Tia D. White Brad Wike Lindsey (Daggett) Wise

Erica Alford Melanie Brown Rev. Robert Bushey Jr. Andy Cave Michael Couch Beth Mason Creighton Jason Fisher John and Lisa Flora Bill Francisco Joe Havis Cordell Montez Ingram Misty Lee Chris Phillips John Renfro Chris J. Smith Katherine Smith Zac Sowa Wendy Tohill Melissa Watson Daylyn Wells

2010 Nicole Bateman Bruce T. Bennett Mercedes C. Benz Nathen “Nate” L. Binkley Sr. Trevor Brothers Jody Cox Amanda Denno George J. Johns Caleb Jump Kristy Kitterman Jerald “Chef LJ Klink” Klinkenberg Erica Lange Aric Lee Anastasia Lingle Megan R. Mayrick Keturah Owens Keyria Rodgers Melanie Schelling Denise Smith Chantel Thompson

2011 Kim Amsalem Stephanie Ashe Brown Keith Brown Jamie Davis Chris Funk Amanda Havener Ron Ingram Lonni Lay Amanda Lewis Ashley Littrell Eissa McGlaughlin Gretchen Nollman Betsy Osman Emily Roush Christopher Rooney Amy Schneider Leann Schuering Cheryl Warner Andrew Weatherford Tasha Ziemer

2012 Liz Adeola Jennifer Bennett Michelle Bovyn Matt Brown Todd Cyrulik Brad Doran Chris Herbert Julie Koshinski Hovis Hillarie Ryann Hudson Bruce Wayne Jeffery Brandon Mandernach Kimberly Mangan Brittney McLaughlin Becky Newton Mindy Peterson-Lindsey Dana Ray Kylee (Flider) Roney Megan Towner Rodney “Sky” Walker Sara Zarndt

2013 Colin Bonner Michael Breheny Erica Colee Carl Draper Kim Fields Johnathon R. Fluker Kelly M. Gagnon Paco Greenwell Jeana Nicole Griffiths Wes Heinkel Drew Jacobus Mary E. Koll Tonya Kowa Morelli Jason Queen Josh Rohrscheib Katrina “Kat” Smalley Michael Stewart Reed Sullivan Claire Taylor Blake Wallace

For the Class of 2014, see the special section inside this month’s Business Journal

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July 2014

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Marriage, kids change job picture for young adults Study: Women more educated

By ANN BELSER TCA News Service

Young married men are more likely to be in the labor force than men who are single or living with a partner, but marital status has no relationship to whether young women are working.

The presence of children in the home is what changes it all for women.

If a young woman has a child living with her, whether she is married, unmarried with a partner or single, she is more likely not to be employed. For men, the opposite was true, children drove them to work.

Those were some of the findings by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics from a longitudinal study of Americans born in the early 1980s, as the government agency seeks to understand the factors that affect a generation of citizens and its relationship to the job market.

In 1997, the bureau found a cohort of 9,000 people who were 12 to 17 years old – born from 1980 to 1984 and interviewed them for the first time. The latest round of data comes from the group’s 15th round of interviews conducted in 2011 and 2012 and focused on the year they turned 27.

What the researchers found was that the women in the group — all of them are among the generation called millennials — tended to be more educated by the time they were 27 than were the men.

The young people who did finish college worked an average of 4.5 jobs from when they were 18 through when they were 22, the years they would typically have also been in college, and they were out of the labor force less than a third of the time.

“I was surprised by the amount of work effort they all seem to be putting in,” said Heidi Hartmann, the president of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, a Washington, D.C., policy group.

Thirty-two percent of the women held bachelor’s degrees while 23.9 percent of men had finished college. Meanwhile, a slightly higher percentage of men (9.3 percent) were high school dropouts than women (8.1 percent).

Even among those who started college, women were more likely to graduate. Seventy percent of the women in the group started college, with 46 percent of them receiving a bachelor’s degree by the time they were 27. For men, 61 percent started college with 39 percent finishing their degree by the time they were 27.

There also was a disparity of educational attainment along racial lines.

While 7.1 percent of white respondents dropped out of high school, 12.4 percent of black 27-year-olds had, as had 13.6

percent of Hispanics. On the other end of the educational scale, whites were more than twice as likely to have finished college (32.7 percent) than blacks (15.3 percent) or Hispanics (14.5 percent).

As with in every generation before them, the arrival of children made a huge difference in the lives of the millennials.

Men and women without children were found in the labor force at almost the same rate, with men at a rate of 79.1 percent and women at 80.6 percent. For people with children, men’s labor force participation rate was 86.4 percent and women’s was 71.7 percent.

Hartman said the reason many women with children drop out of the

labor force is the lack of paid leave or paid child care in the U.S. Women who have to leave work to care for newborn children are out of the work force longer than those who have paid leave. And countries that have state-sponsored child care have higher working rates for women.

For low-income women, she said, it doesn’t make economic sense to go back to work and pay for child care.

The millennials are also seeing other similarities with generations that have gone before them. For years, demographers have been saying that workers have to be prepared to hold several different jobs in their lifetimes. That has held true for those in the BLS survey.

By the time they were 27, participants had worked an average of 6.2 jobs. The members of the cohort with a college degree had worked an average of 6.5 jobs.

Members of the generation who had started but not completed college or who held an associate’s degree had worked 76.5 percent of the time since they turned 18. Those who finished college worked 74.5 percent of the time.

The group who had given up on working the most, and were out of the labor market the longest, were those who did not finish high school. They spent more than a third of the time from ages 18 to 26 neither working nor looking for work.

(also online at www.thebusiness-journal.com) Nominees must be 50 years of age or older as ofAugust 1,2014.

You may nominate more than one person, and you may nominate yourself. Nominees can either work OR live in Macon County. Nominations must be submitted by July 15, 2014 online at www.thebusiness-journal.com.

NominationsmayalsobesubmittedviamailincareofThe Business Journal, 601 E.William St., Decatur, IL 62523 or e-mailed to: sperry@herald-review.com

Nominator’s Name: Nominator’s Work Phone: Nominator’s E-mail: Nominator’s Mailing Address: Candidate’s Name: Candidate’s Gender: M F Candidate’s E-mail: Candidate’s Mailing Address: Candidate’s Work/Home Phone: Candidate’s Age: Candidate’s Occupation & Company: Awards/Honors Candidate has Received:

Why You Think He/She Should be Selected:

18

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Make job choice based on your goals Q: I feel as though I’m trapped in the family business. For the past 10 years, I have worked for my father-in-law, “Frank.” My wife’s brother and sister are also employed here. When Frank retires, the three of us are supposed to take over the company.

My fear is that this arrangement will not work out well.

For one thing, I’m not sure that three people can actually run a business together. Also, Frank tends to be very controlling and may have a hard time letting go. These issues could adversely affect the company’s success.

Office Coach I left the corporate world to join this family firm, and I sometimes regret that decision. I know I have the potential to do more, but with a wife and three kids to support, changing jobs seems risky. When I once mentioned that possibility, Frank angrily threatened to sabotage my career.

Although I think about this constantly, I can’t make up my mind. Should I stay and do my best to help the business succeed? Or should I get up my nerve and quit, hoping that my wife will back me up?

A: If you quit the family business without consulting your wife, you will have a whole new set of problems. Your career choice affects her in many ways, so don’t make this decision unilaterally.

Instead, the two of you must carefully weigh the pros and cons.

Marie McIntyre

As you ponder your options, try to imagine your desired future five years down the road. What kind of work would be most fulfilling? What sort of lifestyle do you hope to have? What is most important for your children? See which path seems more likely to lead to your ideal scenario.

Because your father-in-law is something of a bully, either choice will require some careful planning. If you elect to stay, you need a legal agreement describing Frank’s eventual transition to retirement and the subsequent partnership with your in-laws. But if you choose to leave, you must prepare for the inevitable family drama.

Even though the decision is difficult, you need to make a conscious choice based on your goals. Don’t stay just because leaving is hard, and don’t leave just because the family is frustrating.

Q: Six weeks ago, I requested a meeting with my boss to discuss my performance and ask for a raise. She made positive comments about my work and said she would get back to me about the salary increase. After sending her two email reminders, I have still not heard anything. Even if my request is denied, I would appreciate the courtesy of a reply.

Should I send another email?

A: In reality, your manager’s silence on the subject probably answers the question, at least for now. Nevertheless, you do deserve a response, so the key is to get one without annoying your boss. A third email might brand you as a nag, so try a more subtle approach.

The next time you have a face-to-face meeting with her, casually pose your question at the end of the conversation.

For example: “By the way, I assume my request for a raise didn’t come at a con-

Q: My co-worker’s perfume is driving me crazy. Whenever I’m near “Brittany,” my eyes water, and I start to get a headache. After I talked with human resources, Brittany was moved to a different cubicle, but I still have to walk past her several times a day. I went to HR again, but nothing changed. What should I do?

A: No one should wear perfume to work. Ever. There is no reason to do so, and many people find the smell offensive.

For those who are allergic to the ingredients, perfume feels like office air pollution.

Instead of relocating your fragrant colleague, the HR manager should have simply told Brittany to ditch the scents.

But since that didn’t happen, just be thankful that she is no longer nearby and walk quickly whenever you have to pass her desk.

I don’t have the authority to manage her, even though I clearly do. Her negativity has made my job much more difficult.

When Sarah was in charge of this group, she coddled the staff and ignored performance issues. One employee who has not met his goals frequently complains that I’m being too hard on him. I am actually trying to help him succeed, but Sarah undermines my efforts by sympathizing with him. How can I get this situation under control?

A: Sarah is undoubtedly suffering from a bruised ego, but that’s no excuse for her rebellious attitude. Regardless of how she feels about her demotion, she still needs to behave in a mature, professional manner. Getting that message across, however, will probably require some assistance.

Because Sarah refuses to acknowledge your authority, anything you tell her will automatically be disregarded. She is more likely to pay attention to someone higher up, so try asking your boss for help.

For example: “Sarah seems to resent the fact that I am now her supervisor.

She repeatedly says I have no authority over her, and she tries to undermine my relationship with other employees. I understand her feelings, but her behavior is creating problems. If the three of us could meet to clarify expectations, I think that would help.”

Remember that your boss’s role in this scenario is simply to establish ground rules. Once those are in place, you must rely on your own managerial skills to keep Sarah in line.

Q: When I joined this company a few weeks ago, I discovered that the person who previously held my position is now working for me. “Sarah” obviously resents my presence and frequently says

Marie G. McIntyre is a workplace coach and the author of “Secrets to Winning at Office Politics.”

Send in questions and get free coaching tips at www.yourofficecoach.com, or follow her on Twitter @officecoach.

WEEKLY TIPS Can’t get enough advice from the Office Coach. Get weekly column updates at www.thebusiness-journal.com. venient time. Could we discuss it again in a few months?”

If your increase is in the approval pipeline, your boss can explain how that process works. But if it was rejected, hopefully she will agree to revisit the topic at a later date.

Learning a coach approach to managing Q: I’ve gotten feedback that, as a manager, I’m not very good at helping people develop their own solutions. It’s hard — it’s really easy for me to see what they should do, and it seems more efficient to just tell them. How can I start to shift my style?

A: Ask questions, then be quiet and listen.

It’s a common situation: People who are good at what they do are promoted. But they often do not receive much help in the transition between doing and helping others succeed. That’s the situation you’re in, and you should be proud of yourself for being willing to develop out of this rut.

Give yourself a break. Relax, take

Liz Reyer

some deep breaths and let go of any anxiety over the situation. You’ll be able to learn the new skills you need, and being stressed about it will just hold you back.

There are a number of skills that go with having a more coach-style approach, including asking good questions and probing to help team members come up with their own solutions. You also need to be able to assess the risk of letting people make some mistakes.

Assess your skills in these areas so you can plan your skill development.

Consider your current team culture. If you currently solve everyone’s problems, or even overrule their solutions with your own suggestions, you’ll all have some habits to break. Team members will need to relearn a certain amount of autonomy, and you’ll need to learn to back off and to push them to identify solutions before they even come to you.

This is a great opportunity to practice transparency as a leader. Let your team know what you’re up to and why. They won’t be confused, and it can build a lot

WEEKLY TIPS Get weekly career tips from Liz Reyer at www.thebusiness-journal.com. of engagement.

Put some time into skills development.

If you need to learn to create dialogue instead of giving orders, develop a list of go-to questions you could use. There are plenty of ways to find good coaching questions. One hint: Avoid the word “why”; it shuts people down. Use “how” or “what” instead.

If you’re a talker, use the WAIT system: Why Am I Talking. It’s a chatty coach’s best friend and can help you remember to let your team members work things out for themselves.

Model your behavior on someone you admire, or get a mentor or coach for yourself. Watching someone else in action is a great way to learn these

skills.

Being able to let others learn the hard way through trial and error can be very challenging. If this is tough for you, ask for support from your boss, especially in learning to assess risks realistically.

There’s a big difference between a $500 risk and a $50,000 risk, and misjudging won’t serve you or your team member well.

Track your progress, and celebrate your successes. Give yourself feedback, and request it from your team. Find some small team or personal rewards to help build momentum.

Building your coaching skills will benefit you, your team, and your company as a whole.

Liz Reyer is a credentialed coach with more than 20 years of business experience. Her company, Reyer Coaching & Consulting, offers services for organizations of all sizes. Submit questions or comments about this column at www.deliverchange.com/coachscorner or email her at liz@deliverchange.com.

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July 2014

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BIZ BITES

Now open The Heroic Age Art Center continues to grow with the addition of CenterEarth Studio and L&L Studio.

Former art teacher Terry Beer said the CenterEarth Studio name references the act of throwing clay onto the wheel. “If it’s not completely centered, there’s no hope of good results,” he said.

Beer said the idea for his pottery studio grew out of the limited options in the Decatur area to rent “wheel time” and that he hopes to have a symbiotic relationship with Next of Kiln, which specializes in slip cast pottery, glazing and firing and moved into Heroic Age this spring.

He plans to offer pottery classes and digital graphic services and sell original pottery and acrylic paintings.

Hours will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Monday through Wednesday, 10 am. to 1 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and other times by appointment.

For more, visit www.centerearth studio.com or call (217) 520-7582.

The owners of L&L Studio are a mother-daughter team, with Laura Harrison transforming empty wine bottles into faux stained-glass lamps and daughter Lindsey creating handmade jewelry out of shell casings, rocks seashells and other finds.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Saturday. Call (217) 201-0593 or (217) 2017141.

Heroic Age is located in the former Mount Zion Grade School at 143 S. Henderson St. nnn Jacque Danneberger started an interest in baking as a teenager and began making wedding cakes in her hometown of Shelbyville.

She moved to Decatur about 10 years ago, but it wasn’t until recently putting a commercial level kitchen in her house that she began baking again. As a result, Danneberger has started a business, The Cake House.

“I am so excited,” Danneberger said.

“I never thought I’d get back into cake decorating.”

She enjoys the artistic side of the experience and making specialty cakes.

“It’s a passion,” Danneberger said.

Danneberger, who also works as an insurance agent, tries to make sure everything that goes on a cake is edible.

Cakes can be made for weddings and other special occasions, she said.

For more information and to see samples of her work, go to www.thecakehouse.1hwy.com. Call (217) 358-2423. nnn Christie Clinic’s Department of Dermatology has expanded its practice to Decatur.

The office opened Monday at 100 S. Water St. Dr. Jeremy Youse and nurse Jenny Hinegardner evaluate and treat patients with problems of the skin, including warts, benign and malignant skin growths (such as moles and skin cancer), rashes, hives, eczema, and psoria-

sis. Common treatments may involve medication, surgery, or use of phototherapy facilities.

Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call (217) 362-0661. nnn Dollar General has open a new store at 561 S. Wood St. in Maroa.

The store’s size and format is identical to the Dollar General that opened in Cerro Gordo two years ago and is just a bit smaller than the one under construction in Decatur at 969 E. Eldorado St. Crystal Ghassemi, spokeswoman for Dollar General, said that store is scheduled to have its grand opening in late July.

The Maroa store’s hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Call (21) 794-2333. nnn Hannah Medley has officially opened Lady Pines Cupcakes in her Mount Zion home.

“There’s nothing more fun for me than to be part of other people’s celebrations and making people happy,” said Medley, administrative assistant in the farm department of Busey Ag Services.

“In the next 18 months or so I’m hoping to buy a food truck to hit up the festival circuit, too.”

The name “Lady Pines” is a variation on a reference from “The Golden Girls,” a television show beloved by Medley and her sister, Holly Guy. “Dorothy is constantly threatening to send her mother (Sophia) to Shady Pines,” Medley said.

Chocolate chip cookie dough so far has been her most-requested cupcake flavor but her featured flavor for May — Peaches and Camilla Cream — has been so popular, she plans to add it to her regular menu’s 15 other flavors.

And that doesn’t even include her special spring/summer menu of more than a dozen other choices.

For more, visit ladypinescupcakes.com or call (217) 520-4060.

where we go,” Sam Babich said.

Hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Call (217) 330-8939.

Changing A familiar Decatur eating and drinking spot has served itself up a new image as the St. Nicholas Grille.

The location at 101 S. Main Street in the city’s downtown was previously known as Main Place Bar & Grill and Jimmy Ryan’s before that. Now the new name comes with a new menu, a fresh look and a bar stocked with craft beers.

General manager Chris Durham said the menu emphasis is on gourmet halfpound burgers ranging from barbecue bacon with cheddar cheese and onion rings to a Hawaiian burger with sliced pineappple and a teriyaki glaze, all served on brioche buns. The menu also has a dash of Germanic flavoring, too, with schnitzel, red cabbage, German potato salad and pretzels.

Durham said the menu revamp came after he took over in February and the business was shutdown for about a month earlier this year to allow for a decor facelift. The resurrection of a storied name from the past — last carried by the St. Nicholas Hotel — is complemented by an interior styling full of photographs from Decatur’s past.

Durham says the aim is a casual atmosphere that makes diners feel com-

FREE S TE A M I EST

fortable. “And we’re putting a heavy focus on our beer garden, a large outdoor covered patio area that can comfortably seat 60 or 70,” he added. “We will be featuring live bands out there Friday nights.”

The St. Nicholas Grille is open 11 a.m to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, and closed between the hours of 2 to 4 p.m., and open 4 to 9 p.m. Saturday. Call (217) 422-4700. nnn Willie Sutton has closed her Rummage Room on East Wood Street and reopened in the former Salvation Army thrift store at 932 E. Wood St. While the focus remains on furniture and home decor, the business deserved a name that better reflects its new and improved home — so Sutton is calling it Willie’s Thrift Shop.

“This place is clean and nice,” she said. “The old name didn’t fit.”

The building most recently was used

by National Pipe Trades as a training school and hasn’t been a thrift store in more than a dozen years.

Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Call (217) 330-7359.

Biz Bites highlight businesses that are opening, closing, expanding … you get the picture. If you have information for our Biz Bites column, contact Tony Reid at treid@herald-review.com, Chris Lusvardi at clusvardi@herald-review.com, Theresa Churchill at tchurchill@heraldreview.com or call them at (217) 421-6979.

Scott CUSTOM CEILINGS

On the move Babich Skin Care is settling into what practice manager Sam Babich describes as feeling like its own home.

The business recently completed a move to 2880 N. Monroe St. in the former cancer care center after about 15 years on the Decatur Memorial Hospital campus, Babich said. The move allows more space for Dr. Debra Babich and her staff to care for patients.

“This is going to be so nice for them,” Sam Babich said. “We’ve got a street location. Parking is great. All the patients love it. They can pull up to the front door.”

The new facility includes 10,000 square feet of space, which Sam Babich said they’re still thinking about what to do with all of it. Their primary focus is on medical services including acne, mole removal and skin cancer, although the move provides the opportunity to expand asthetic services such as chemical peels, laser hair removal and wrinkle reduction, he said.

“We’ve got the wheels turning to see

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July 2014

Police department moves to new facility Larger station to help recruitment

By ALLISON PETTY Business Journal Writer

DECATUR – City leaders celebrated the opening of the Decatur Police Department’s new facility last month, acknowledging as they did so that officers had worked in cramped conditions for too long.

At nearly 47,000 square feet, the facility at 707 South Side Drive will more than double the space the department occupies at the Law Enforcement Center.

Police Chief Todd Walker said the larger police station will help with recruitment and retention of new officers, who had sometimes chosen to work for other cities because they had nicer facilities. It will also help current officers do their jobs more efficiently, he said.

“This facility is going to match the exceptional ability of the men and women of the Decatur Police Department,” Walker said. “It’s going to allow them to utilize their skills and their talents, and I’ll take this department up against anybody in the state.”

Business Journal/Danny Damiani

Residents walk through the common room in the Decatur Police Department's new police station at 707 South Side Drive during an open house.

The building represents a solution that council members had sought for more than a decade. It was previously occupied by auto parts manufacturer ZexelValeo Corp., which left in 2002.

The space was heavily renovated as part of the city’s agreement with B.W. of

Inland Port exceeds hopes Additional capacity plans in the works

By CHRIS LUSVARDI Business Journal Writer

DECATUR — The growth of the Midwest Inland Port in Decatur has started to exceed the expectations of its developers.

The development of the port with the Archer Daniels Midland Co. intermodal rail facility as its centerpiece continues to have tremendous potential, said Larry Altenbaumer, interim president of the Economic Development Corporation of Decatur and Macon County, which oversees the business entity of the Midwest Inland Port.

Altenbaumer and representatives from ADM led a tour last month to explain the possibilities of the port and rail facility to a group organized by the Champaign County Economic Development Corporation.

“It has grown at least by the rate we had hoped,” Altenbaumer said. “This is the biggest economic development catalyst we’ve had in 50 years. We’ve just scratched the surface.”

The intermodal ramp has started to approach its current capacity, so plans are in the works to create additional capacity for using shipping containers, said Mark Schweitzer, ADM managing

More info Still trying to figure out what the Midwest Inland Port is and how it will benefit Macon County? Check out our video at www. herald-review.com/video to learn more. director of intermodal and international freight. The ramp provides a direct link between three of the country’s seven Class I railroads, Schweitzer said.

About 600 containers are stored on site waiting to be shipped to destinations around the world with trucks bringing in more from around Central Illinois, Schweitzer said. Trains on two railroad tracks at the ADM facility can be stacked with containers destined for ports on both coasts of the country, Schweitzer said.

It currently uses one side of the tracks to haul containers in and out of the 280-acre facility, he said. The company hopes to have an expansion operational in August on the other side of the tracks that could potentially double the capacity of the facility, Schweitzer said.

The goal is to increase commerce downstate by finding more businesses that can use the infrastructure that is in place, Schweitzer said.

“It’s not just about Decatur,” Schweitzer said. “What we have in Central Illinois is unique.”

Decatur LLC, of which Tony Romano is the managing partner. The council voted in September to enter into a 20-year lease, with an option for extension to 40 years. Rent will start at roughly $500,000 per year.

City Manager Ryan McCrady called

the building “functional and attractive,” and said it was exciting to give the police department a facility that the officers could be proud of. He was also happy that the city did so without raising taxes or breaking its budget.

McCrady and the police command staff led tours through the building, which provides much more space for officers to work, to store and process evidence, and to meet for training and briefings.

There are 10 interview rooms in the new facility, as opposed to five in the Law Enforcement Center, said Deputy Chief James Chervinko. There are four restrooms instead of one. Officers will have access to multiple conference rooms, including one devoted to major cases.

“We made sure one unit doesn’t have to wait for the other unit,” he said.

There will be no more storing evidence on the roof, which required officers to walk through a boiler room and take a freight elevator up. Instead, evidence will have dedicated space, including a room that ventilates outward to keep the smell of marijuana from wafting into the building.

The building even includes a place to inspect vehicles for evidence, a task that officers used to perform in a garage at a local towing company.

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July 2014

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YOUR CAREER

Meet Chris Droukas the Gyro King Hometown: Paradisia, Arcadia, Greece Family: A brother and two sisters, three nephews and three nieces and six greatnieces and six great-nephews. Also the gyro-eating population of Central and Southern Illinois.

Occupation: I am the Gyro King and owner and operator of the Gyro King since 1982.

Education: High school diploma in Greece and certificate in electronics from Richland Community College in 1978.

My “I’d rather be …” bumper sticker would read: “I’d rather be in Greece eating some fresh fish and drinking some good Greek wine.” I love Greece and their fresh fish is the best in the world.

Eating gyros here is very good too, of course.

Hobbies/interests: Most sports. I like to follow the European League in soccer.

Greek teams, too. I also like the Chicago Fire.

My first job: Working retail in a department store in Athens, Greece.

Why I do what I do: I like to see customers smile when they know they have purchased the best gyros around and that they will enjoy their sandwich and be happy about their choice.

Personal approaches to challenges: The best way to look at a challenge is to face it and do what is right and necessary to take care of it. It was not easy to come to a new country, learn a new language or start a new business. But just try your best and if you work hard and show others that you are there and serious, it will work. You also need to have a good touch.

Community involvement: Proud member of the Decatur business community, member of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Decatur for more than 40 years and provider of the best gyros sandwich to people of Central and Southern Illinois since 1982.

How did you get involved in the summer food vendor business? In 1982, gyros was an unknown product here in Decatur and Central Illinois but I knew it was something that people liked. We had something similar in Greece and they loved it in Chicago. So instead of opening a restaurant I thought it would be better to take the product out to the people because people would be more willing to try it. We started at the Macon County Fair and many smaller fairs throughout Central Illinois, but soon we moved to larger fairs such as the Illinois State Fair

Business Journal/Danny Damiani

Chris Droukas, owner of Gyro King, has been in business for 32 years and at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Pershing Road since 1997. in Springfield due to popular demand.

At what point did it become a full-time job? It was a full time job very soon because once people began to try gyros, they enjoyed it. Our gyros are very good and juicy and fresh. The gyros are not under a lamp. We made the gyros in front of the customer with fresh product and in the 1980s, food was not really prepared that way.

We got a lot of word of mouth about the product. Once the Decatur Celebration started in 1986, I was asked to be one of the original vendors in the most prime location so we had popularity by then but the Celebration took it further. The Gyro King is consistently the top vendor at the Decatur Celebration for a long time now and that is why we are there every year. This is also true with the Illinois State Fair in Springfield and DuQuoin and the Broom Corn Festival in Arcola, which we will be attending for the 32nd year this year.

Did you ever think you’d be doing this for 32 years? Any plans to stop? I thought that I would be doing this as long as I was successful and people enjoyed it. I knew that people would enjoy gyros when we start-

ed because people like food that is good and made well consistently. Over the years, we have added fries, drinks and baklava. People like quality and they will always come back if they know you provide quality food. Right now I do not have any plans to stop but you never know when the right offer will come to you.

How has your business changed over the years? At first it was small and we had to work to get people to even try gyros. We had to convince people that it was a good sandwich with good value. Now I don’t have to do that anymore. Usually people who have not tried gyros before have a friend bring them to me. So, now we have that recognition and people are familiar with the product and mine in particular.

It seems like there are more street food vendors now than ever before. Is that the case? If so, what’s prompting the trend? Is it good or bad for the trade? I don’t know if there are more or less street food vendors than before. Many come and go. If there are new vendors maybe it is because The Gyro King has been successful for so many years and others feel they can do it, too. It is not easy and they find out

why. As long as you are serious about the business and want to put out a quality product and be consistent about it, it will work. I am very thankful and grateful to my customers for giving me the honor of making their food choice a good one.

What are the benefits of the job? Meeting and getting to know so many wonderful people and their families over the years.

I like to see their kids and their grandkids coming over to have some gyros for the first time and they always come back. I also like how everything is always a little different at all the locations I visit. The places and some people are the same but it is never exactly the same. I always meet new people.

What are the downsides of the job?

Sometimes the hours can be a little long but that means I am busy.

Describe a typical week. During the fair season, we start early and set up the machines for the day, start cooking and once we open we are busy, especially for the state fairs and Decatur Celebration.

It keeps going until we close, about 18 hours later.

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YOUR FREE TIME

The Arts Anne Lloyd Gallery: International arts experience featuring Native American culture. Enjoy presentations of Native American dancing, beadwork and weaving during a reception from 5-7:30 p.m.

Friday, July 11.

Gallery 510: Soft pastels by Helen Hamilton. Opening reception from 5-8 p.m. Friday, July 11. Call (217) 422-1509.

Decatur Airport: Works by Pam Marty.

Decatur Public Library: Oil paintings by Barbara Dove.

Blue Connection: Stop by and view the work of Water Xin Zhao, summer artist in residence. Also on display is the artwork created by SMASH Camp participants.

Watch or play Rodney T. Miller Lakeside Triathlon, Sunday, July 13, Nelson Park. Athletes gather to swim, bike, run and remember Rodney T. Miller, a state police officer killed in the line of duty. The kids race will be held July 12. www.decatur triathlon.com USTA/Ursula Beck Pro Tennis Classic, July 25Aug. 3, Fairview Park Tennis Classic.

Players from around the world converge on Decatur to compete. www.ursulabeck tennis.com

Calendar of events For a complete list of events, go to www.herald-review.com/go/ Mondays from 7-9 p.m. in Central Park.

CHILL on the HILL in Fletcher Park, Mount Zion: July 10, Rosetta Stone; July 17, Kilborne Alley; July 24, Plan B and Slant 6; and July 31, Feudin’ Hillbillies.

Gates open at 6:30 p.m. Band plays from 7-10 p.m.

Blues in Central Park: Thursday, July 17, Sugar Ray and The Bluetones. Vendors open at 6 p.m. Band plays from 7-10 p.m.

Sounds of Summer Concerts, Thursday, July 24, Soul Purpose. Shows are held at the Swartz Pavilion at the Hickory Point Golf Course and begin at 7 p.m. Adult beverages and concessions available.

Here Come the Mummies return to Decatur for a special Celebration Kick Off Concert at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 31, in the Decatur Civic Center Arena. Cost is $20 to $50. For tickets, go to www.decaturcelebration.com.

Charity events Relay for Life Macon County, Friday, July 18, at Richland Community College. An overnight event to celebrate cancer survivors and to raise money for research and programs of the American Cancer Society. www.relayforlife.org/maconil

Macon Speedway. Dirt track racing at its very best every Saturday night. Special events include Night of NASCAR Stars, featuring Tony Stewart, date to be announced, and the Herald & Review 100, July 10. www.maconracing.com

Miranda Jess Softball Outing, to benefit Easter Seals, will be Saturday, July 19, at the Northwest Graceland fields. There is a double elimination tournament and a noncompetitive fun games format. For more information, call Easter Seals at (217) 429-1052.

On Stage

Gus Macker 3-on-3 basketball tournament, Saturday and Sunday, July 19-20, at the SkyWalker International Sports Complex, Decatur. For more information, go to www.macker.com.

Josh Blue Comedy Show, 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 9, at the Decatur Civic Center. For tickets, go to www.decaturciviccenter.org Best of Summer Stock: Musical theater performance by area students at the Decatur Civic Center. B.O.S.S. Jr. participants (grades 1-4) will present “Willy Wonka KIDS” at 7 p.m. Friday, July 25, and 2 p.m. Saturday, July 26. B.O.S.S. Sr. participants (grades 5-9) will perform “Hairspray Jr.” at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 26, and 2 p.m. Sunday, July 27. A free preview performance will be a noon Friday, July 11, in Hess Park.

Little Theatre-On the Square: “Little Shop of Horrors,” July 2-13; “The Sound of Music,” July 16-27; and “Legally Blonde,” July 30-Aug 10. www.thelittle theatre.org.

Music Decatur Municipal Band: Weekly concerts featuring contemporary and traditional music Sundays from 6-7 p.m. in the Fairview Park Large Pavilion and

Emmett Sefton Memorial Drive, to benefit the Macon County Farm Bureau Foundation’s Emmett Sefton Memorial Scholarship, from 7:30-9 a.m. Sunday, July 20. The drive will begin at the Mount Zion Pony Express grounds and will cover 27 miles of southeast Macon County. For more information, contact the Tim Stock at (217) 877-2436.

Obesity Prevention Coalition Family Fun Run/Walk at 9:45 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 2, in downtown Decatur. Consists of a 1-mile walk around downtown. For more information, call Brandi Binkley at (217) 4236988 ext. 1114.

For the kids Children’s Museum of Illinois is host to a variety of activities throughout the summer, including Family Science Sunday, summer camps on Friday. There also will be Kidstock, an arts, crafts and

music festival featuring Little Miss Ann from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 26.

For information, go to www.cmofil.com or call (217) 423-5437.

Scovill Zoo: Ice Cream Safari, 1-4 p.m.

Sunday, July 20. Find all the ice cream stations hidden around the zoo. Call 4217435.

Misc.

The Rock Springs Nature Center hosts a long list of mini camps, family adventures and classes. So many, in fact, that there are too many to list. Go to www.maconcountyconservation.org and click on the Programs and Activities tab for a complete listing.

Blue Ribbon Night, Thursday, July 3, Fletcher Park, Mount Zion. Celebrate the holiday with free music beginning at 6 p.m. and fireworks at dusk. Call (217) 864-5424 for more information.

Spend the Fourth of July in Nelson Park. The day begins with the Staley Firecracker Road Run/Walk at 8 a.m. Then, from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., the park will be filled with cars of all makes and models as

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YOUR BUSINESS part of the Richie Hammel Fore on the Floor Car Show. The day ends with The Congregation performing at 7 p.m. and fireworks at dusk. www.decatur-parks.org Precision Aerial Ag Show, Wednesday and Thursday, July 9 and 10, at Progress City USA. Event will include demonstrations and information about unmanned aerial vehicles. For more information, go to www.PAAS2014.com or call (217) 877-9660.

Decatur Celebration, Aug. 1-3, downtown Decatur. The 29th edition of the free family street festival will include performances by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Jo Dee Messina, Salt ‘n Pepa, Jamie Grace, Royal Taylor, Ruben Studdard, Space Capone and Led Zepplica. Hot dog eating contest, Macon County Pageants, 4-H Block Party and much more. www.decaturcelebration.com

Got an item you’d like considered for publication in the Your Free Time calendar? Send the information to Scott Perry at sperry@heraldreview.com or 601 E. William St., Decatur, IL 62523.

BUSINESS JOURNAL Reader Profile: n 48% share their copy of the Business Journal with others. n 23% are 35 to 44 years old.

McLeod Express steering to success Company rides economic tides

By TONY REID Business Journal Writer

DECATUR — Learning to survive and thrive in the economic ups and downs of the trucking business means knowing when to slow down and when to hit the gas in pursuit of opportunity.

That’s the message from the Decaturbased McLeod Express trucking firm, and they should know. McLeod has grown in 28 years from a handful of trucks to a fleet of 340 semi units, 775 trailers and 425 employees, 345 of those being drivers and the whole team hauling in multimillion revenues.

“When I look back, I was probably pretty bold,” said company founder, CEO and sole owner Mark McLeod, 52, recalling his efforts to hunt up customers in the early years.

MARK MCLEOD “I was also young and dumb but knew I had a service to offer and wanted to get my name out in front of it.”

McLeod Express got rolling in 1986, an outgrowth of hauling grain for his father, Jim, down on the family farm in the Assumption/Moweaqua area. Mark McLeod had left college intending to go into farming, but he soon heard the honk-honk of opportunity in the trucking field and decided to focus on that.

“For about the first dozen years, I was the only salesman and concentrated on Central Illinois customers,” he recalled.

“And I developed it from there.”

Slowly winning the trust of big firms such as Archer Daniels Midland Co. and Tate & Lyle turned out to be a shrewd road maneuver. McLeod has dozens of customers now, but those two Decaturbased firms are still two of the largest clients, although they have been joined by such names as Anheuser-Busch and Procter & Gamble.

The recession of 2008 had swept through the trucking industry like a winter storm on a freeway, leaving many overextended companies jack-knifed in bankruptcy. But not McLeod, where lessons of fiscal discipline learned from his father kept Mark McLeod’s foot on the brakes of careful cost controls and his firm on the straight and narrow.

“We’ve always taken a fiscally conservative approach,” he said.

‘It’s time to take it to the next level.’

Business Journal/Danny Damiani

Dave Gibbs, McLeod Express president, and Joey Palmer, vice president of operations, stand in front of their new Freightliner road units.

The company will have 100 of these trucks in service within the year.

“And we were in a good position to weather the downturn. Trucking is a cyclical business, and even in the good years you always have to be prepared for downturns; it’s the lesson you learn and the key to survival in this business.

But then you have also got to be a risk taker when the opportunity is there.”

And it’s there now. Customers are moving product, and McLeod Express is accelerating right along with them and expanding its capacity. The founder’s 26year-old son, Colt, now manages a new brokerage and logistics operation for the company in St. Louis that oversees complex freight-moving operations.

And experienced experts from outside the family have been brought on board to run and expand the core company business. Those hires include a new McLeod Express president, Dave Gibbs, who arrived in 2013 and was previously an executive vice president with a larger carrier. Mark McLeod wants him to steer a company that now appears to have no upper limits on how far it could grow.

“It’s time to take it to the next level,” the founder said.

Gibbs has a lot more to deal with, however, that just worrying about which piece of the trucking gravy train he

Business Journal/Lisa Morrison

Mike McLain makes preparations to fill one of the McLeod Express trucks at the warehouse. The facility loads dozens of trucks every day. wants to go after next. Job one for anyone in the business is finding more truckers because, as the industry expands and baby boomer drivers pull off into retirement, a driver shortage is becoming acute.

Gibbs said trucking is not easy work,

and the fine art of piloting a massive machine in all weather in places you don’t know certainly isn’t for everybody.

“It’s a very difficult job, and it has had a high turnover rate,” he said.

McLeod Express is part of a leading

CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

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15

BUSINESS CLIPS

Continued from page 9 trend in the industry to make trucking more appealing. Rates of pay are up, and Gibbs said loads are being arranged to give drivers more frequent home time. The company has also come up with a system that smooths out the ups and downs of payment-per-mile wages, so that drivers' paychecks are more consistent.

Expenses associated with the vehicles those truckers drive are also moving in a consistent direction: upward. Aside from volatile fuel costs, increased environmental regulations are calling for ever-cleaner trucks that cost a lot more to buy. McLeod Express is purchasing 100 new trucks that will cost about $130,000 each, replacing previous models that cost $90,000 each.

Gibbs doesn't have a problem driving toward a cleaner world, but he wishes the federal government that bombards the trucking industry with new rules would also recognize its importance and do more to encourage and support it. He points out that manufacturers creating a few dozen jobs are universally applauded, and yet trucking firms collectively hiring hundreds of workers get no respect.

“In all the discussion about the shrinking middle class and all the manufacturing jobs that have gone, just look at the trucking industry,” he said. “A brand new driver is possibly going to earn $35,000 to $37,000 and we have guys that earn $60,000 and the average is in the

July 2014

Joyce Trotter has joined the loan department of Staley Credit Union.

Liz Arndt has joined Diane Sullivan, State Farm Insurance.

Kernan

Bragg

Brandon M. Burdick has joined Burdick Plumbing & Heating Co.

Lee

Promotions Mary Sulser has been promoted to president and CEO of Buena Vista National Bank.

Reid

Nicholls

Lindsay

Sluser

Achievements First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust as has been named Community Lender of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Illinois District Office.

Trumbold

Bliefnick

Niebrugge

Amy Hagen, U.S. Bank market president in Taylorville, has won the Pinnacle Award, U.S. Bank’s highest employee achievement honor.

Business Journal/Lisa Morrison

McLeod Express Trucking maintains its own fleet of trucks on the northeast side of Decatur. It moves everything from grain to beer. $40,000 to $50,000 range,” he added.

“These are middle class occupations with full benefits, health care and whatnot. McLeod and other firms are in a trucking industry with a crying need to

add hundreds of thousands of those jobs, and yet we get almost zero support from the government.”

Gibbs said the trucking industry can't idle too long licking its wounds because

it's servicing a recovering economy picking up speed again, and customers are calling. “The vast majority of everything in this country, ultimately, gets moved by a truck,” he said.

Trotter

Arndt

Burdick

New staff members Wendy Kernan has joined Town and Country Bank as branch director for its Mount Zion facility.

Ryan Bragg has joined Illini Supply as a sales consultant.

Douglas Lee has joined Busey Wealth Management as a senior vice president and managing director of Private Wealth Advisory.

Steve Reid has joined BKD, LLP as managing director, leading the manufacturing, distribution and commercial practice.

Diana Nicholls and Denise Lindsay have joined Busey as mortgage originators in Decatur.

Greg Trumbold has joined Cromwell Group Inc. of Illinois in Mattoon as its local sales manager.

Ray Bliefnick has joined Hickory Point Bank and Trust and will lead its new Dealer Services team.

Danielle Niebrugge has joined First MidIllinois Bank and Trust as senior vice president, director of human resources.

First Mid-Illinois Bancshares Hagen Inc. was again ranked by American Banker magazine as one of the Top 200 community banks within the United States.

First Busey Corporation has been named

by Forbes as one of America’s most trustworthy companies for the second consecutive year.

Tania Diaz-Macken of Heritage Behavioral Health Center is the recipient of the 2014 Emerging Leader Award from the Illinois chapter of the National Association of Social Workers.

Eichenauer Service Inc. is the recipient of the Commitment to First Time Fix Initiative award from Manitowoc KitchenCare.

Announcements Stephen R. Colyer, senior director of gas operations and services for Ameren Illinois, has been elected chairman of the Midwest ENERGY Association Board of Directors.

Reiss Financial Group recently celebrated five years in business.

Business Clips are abbreviated versions of paid Business Achievements which appear on Mondays in the Herald & Review. For more information about Business Achievements, go to www.herald-review.com/app/secure/businessach/

BUSINESS JOURNAL Reader Profile: n 72% read The Business Journal monthly. n 17% are 34 and under.

H&R receives media awards DECATUR — The Herald & Review captured several awards in its circulation category at the annual Illinois Associated Press Media Editors Association and Illinois Press Association awards banquets.

Top honors went to Chief Photographer Jim Bowling for three photographs.

The Associated Press Editors singled out his sports feature, “State Track Jubilation,” and pictorial photo, “Labor Day Parade Reflection,” while the IPA recognized his feature, “Baptism Embrace.”

Bowling's “State Track Jubilation” also earned a second place for sports photo from the IPA. Other first-place awards from the AP went to photographer Lisa Morrison for her feature “Celebration Riders” and to staff writer Chris Lusvardi for business reporting for his story, “ADM to move world headquarters.”

The IPA awarded first place to the newspaper's Life section, edited by Jeana Matherly, and Sports Section, edited by Mike Albright.

Managing Editor Dave Dawson said he is pleased with the Herald & Review's showing and made special note of the photography and section honors.

“The individual awards are terrific, but those that recognize collaborative efforts are especially nice,” Dawson said. “Credit is due to the editors for their hard work in coordinating and planning their sections.”

Second-place finishers in Associated Press competition were Bowling for his portrait of Will Coulombe, Entertainment Editor Tim Cain in entertainment writing for “Missing Piece,” and Graphics Editor Jean Zerfowski for her page design for “Drawn Out.” The newspaper captured two prizes for multimedia storytelling, a second place for “Affordable Care Act” and a third place for “JFK Remembered.”

Third-place awards also went to Cain for a column or blog and to Executive Sports Editor Mark Tupper for a sports column or blog.

In the Illinois Press Association contest, photographer Danny Damiani took second for his feature, “Arts in the Park,” and the Herald & Review received third place in newspaper design.

The IPA also gave honorable mentions to staff writer Tony Reid in business/economic reporting for “Aiding a Movement” and to the newspaper for general excellence and for its website.

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July 2014

Keeping Decatur Bee-utiful

By RACHEL RODGERS Business Journal Writer

DECATUR — The many hours master gardener Tresa Borero and her daughter spent tending the spacious grounds at Imboden Creek Gardens gave the business the “wow” factor needed to win first place in the large-business division of the Let’s Keep Decatur Bee-Utiful business beautification contest.

Wanting to provide the elderly residents with a relaxing and pleasant atmosphere, Borero and her 23-year-old daughter, Koren Buchen, incorporated more than 100 varieties of plants throughout the courtyard and pond area.

“To the residents who call this place home, this is their yard, and it’s wonderful that (the scenery) gets them out and about and makes them happy,” Borero said. “If they’re happy, I’m happy.”

In addition to the residents, the landscaping also catches the eyes of many community members looking for a wedding venue or a location for prom or homecoming photos, she said.

“The colors from all of the flowers, the landscape; it just makes you smile,” said Rhonda Luther, chief operating officer at Imboden Creek who accepted the

Business Journal/Jim Bowling

Imboden Creek Gardens was among the first place winners in the 2014 ‘Let’s Keep Decatur Bee-utiful!’ Contest. Pictured here is a fountain and flowers on the Imboden Creek Gardens property. award during a ceremony last month.

“We strive to provide beautiful surroundings to our residents, and I think the award shows that we’ve achieved that.”

In its fourth year, the Let’s Keep Decatur Bee-Utiful business contest had three categories based upon number of employees, and each business was judged on the level of effort put into the land-

scape, hardscape and facade. This year, 88 businesses registered for the contest, up from 82 last year and 66 in 2012.

Jill Davis, contest founder and cochairwoman of the Beautify Decatur Coalition’s business beautification task force, said the judges encountered many close point totals, making the overall “wow” factor crucial for determining the

rankings.

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church won first place in the medium-business, and Coffee Connection received first place in the small-business division. First-place winners each received a $350 gift certificate for From the Ground Up Landscapes.

Culver’s on East Aldi Drive, which won first-place large business last year, received the Speed Lube Continued Excellence Award, a new addition to the contest. The Culver’s exterior took some damage from the past winter, but owner Dan Delatte said making extra expense for the landscape is worth attracting more customers.

Second-place winners receiving $200 were Land of Lincoln Credit Union on North Oakland Avenue for large business, Tanglewood Village for medium business and The Reserve for small business.

Third-place winners receiving $100 consisted of McDonald’s on North Water Street for large business, the Macon County Animal Control and Care Center for medium business and Coney McKane’s for small business.

“It’s very exciting that beautification is really catching on and is contagious in the community,” Davis said. “It doesn’t take much time, energy or money to spruce up a little bit and put forth a beautiful place for the Decatur community to enjoy.”

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July 2014

BUSINESS JOURNAL

11

There are many causes of bad bosses What’s causes the most anxiety in your job? Is it pressure? Deadlines?

Dealing with risks? Heavy responsibilities? Boredom? Gossipy co-workers?

When the Hogan Assessment Systems firm asked that question of employees in several different industries, an astounding 75 percent said that the most stressful part of their jobs was their immediate supervisor. You read that right: three-fourths of employees are more stressed out by their bosses than by anything else.

Human Resources Asked what was so stressful about their supervisors, 52 percent described them as arrogant, 50 percent said manipulative, and nearly as many (48 percent) termed their bosses as passive aggressive. Put all those nasty adjectives together and you get an ugly picture of people who happily use their positions of authority to intimidate

Fred Spannaus

and cow others. Seems as if a lot of bosses lack those “people skills” that companies are always looking for.

Bad bosses do damage far beyond the groups those whom they supervise. You know that it can be difficult and careerthreatening to confront a bad boss, so you probably don’t channel your feelings toward him or her. No, you are much more likely to take out your frustration on others — on co-workers, customers, underlings, family members, even yourself. A 2008 Swedish study claimed that workers with incompetent or secretive managers were more prone to suffer heart problems and other stress-related diseases.

What’s going on here? Why are there so many bad bosses?

There are many causes of bad bossism. Three stand out.

First, many organizations select their supervisors the wrong way. They automatically choose top performers to become supervisors. A car salesperson outsells her colleagues month after month, so she becomes the sales manager. An elementary teacher receives rave reviews; every year her students make incredible academic gains, so she is promoted to principal. A mechanic

has the knack of diagnosing problems and making swift and effective repairs, and he is asked to become a shop foreman.

But there’s the problem with that. The skill sets that made for amazing success in one position may not be what’s needed in a manager. The salesperson’s competitive nature, which served her so well on the showroom floor, may prevent her from building team spirit. The teacher’s rapport with children might not translate to adult relationships. The mechanic’s spatial talents could indicate that he works better with things than with people.

The second problem is that most organizations fail to train their first-time supervisors. Oh, they may warn them of a few legal issues such as avoiding racially discriminatory or sexually suggestive remarks. And yes, the legalities and compliance issues surely need to be attended to.

There is a huge body of KSA (knowledge, skills and abilities) that go into being a good supervisor, and few people come by these talents naturally.

Only a minority of first-time supervisors are taught about theories of motivation. Few are exposed to effective

methods of conveying praise and criticism. Few of them learn how to monitor and evaluate performance. They have trouble distinguishing between perceived attitudes and observable behaviors. On and on.

The third problem is that their bosses, the ones who made them managers, hate to be wrong, almost as much as they abhor admitting that they are wrong. They are extremely reluctant to realize that the person they hired to be a manager is floundering. Organizations tend to stand by their managers far too long even as mounds of evidence of incompetence pile up.

I can understand that. The unfortunate human tendency is to deny that a problem exists, then to ignore it and hope it goes away. When it gets too big to disregard, we blame others, especially those who are supervised by our new manager. The very last thing we want to do is accept that the person whom we carefully selected has turned out to be a terrible boss.

Fred W. Spannaus, principal of Spannaus Consulting, is a senior professional in human resources. He loves feedback to his columns. Fred can be contacted by email at spannaus@ ameritech.net or by phone at (217) 425-2635.

ASK THE SCORE COUNSELOR Q: What are the costs of getting an SBA loan?

A: Ann Mehlum and Valerie Ross of the U.S. Small Business Administration in Springfield provided the information to answer this question.

In order for small businesses to remain viable in a recovering economy, access to capital must remain an SBA priority. At the same time, applying for and getting a commercial loan involves certain costs that may make borrowers think twice before making that commitment. Often times, small businesses that need loans with smaller dollar amounts – $350,000 and under – are usually either just starting or in their early stages. Attention to the bottom line is paramount at this critical time, and a lack of adequate financial resources may become an obstacle to growth.

Mindful of this situation and consistent with the mission to help small businesses start, grow and succeed, the SBA recently introduced two initiatives aimed at eliminating certain borrower fees, thus making it cheaper and easier for small businesses to obtain much needed financing.

One of the initiatives, launched at the end of fiscal year 2013, set borrower fees to zero on all 7(a) loans $150,000 and under originated on or after Oct. 1. This initiative is among SBA’s latest efforts to make sure they’re reaching more business owners and entrepreneurs to help them to tackle the next challenge in their businesses.

The 7(a) Loan Program is the SBA’s

GOT A QUESTION? For more information about U.S. Small Business Administration loan programs and services or to find an SBA lender, visit www.sba.gov, or the SBA district office nearest you.

To submit a question for the “Ask the SCORE Counselor” column, contact SCORE Chapter 296, Millikin University, 1184 W. Main St., Decatur, IL 62522 or call (217) 424-6296.

primary program to help start-up and existing small businesses obtain financing when they may not be eligible for conventional business loans. In just three months after its implementation, fee elimination on loans $150,000 and under have saved small businesses nationwide more than $5 million. A small business obtaining a $150,000 loan now saves more than $2,500 in fees, which can be used for other business expenses.

The SBA has begun a similar effort to help small-business owners who are veterans. On Jan. 1, the SBA launched the Veterans Advantage initiative, which has zero borrower fees on all loans $350,000 and under made through this program. This program is expected to yield significant savings for veterans looking to start or grow a business. Of all SBA loans made to veterans during the past 5 years, 73 percent were below $350,000.

In the first 10 days (Jan. 1 – Jan. 10), this initiative saved veterans business owners almost $179,000.

While it is still too early to gauge the impact these initiatives will have on the success of small businesses, the initial numbers seem to indicate that savings will be significant. These two initiatives are in place through Sept. 30.

-- Carol Harding, SCORE counselor

Meet a SCORE counselor

Avis

Duane Avis is retired from Caterpillar Inc., where he worked as a buyer. His counseling specialties include manufacturing and purchasing. Duane has been a SCORE counselor for 18 years.

WINDOWS ROOFING DECKS KITCHENS RESTORATIONS DOORS SIDING REMODELING PORCHES BATHS

BUSINESS JOURNAL Reader Profile: n 63% have household incomes of $60,000 or greater. 36% have household incomes of $80,000 or greater.

LICENSE# 104.016085 105.005542 PROMAXCONSTRUCTION.COM

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217 / 450-8500 Buy Sell Lease

Former Wagner Castings/ Intermet Foundry 800 N Clinton

2980 N Main

1.45 acres fenced Large storage building needs work Only $60,000

1200 & 1500 SF offices available Could be leased as one unit Good traffic count & visibility

3131 N Charles For Sale/Lease (Broker Owned) Over 26,000 sq ft. of Warehouse Dock and Drive in O.H. Doors, M-1 Zoning

1495 W Main St., Mt Zion Car Wash For Sale

1900 E Eldorado

3198 E. Mueller Ave. (former StripMasters)

This is a fantastic office building with great traffic & visibility. 5000 Sq Ft finished up & down. ONLY $445,000

Plus 2 great tenants Call for details!

Just off Brush College Rd. 8,000 sq. ft.

Warehouse/Office Zoned M-2, 1.75 Acre Lot - Reduced to $250,000

340 N Martin Luther King

190 N Merchant St

Great downtown office & warehouse.

Approx 8400 Sq Ft. 12’ overhead door with interior dock lift. Completely heated, cooled & sprinklered. For lease or sale.

This one of a kind building offers small offices spaces for Lease on the 3rd Floor (elevator) Call for details.

Park 101 Industrial Park Bldg #1 Office & warehouse spaces 1800- 14,000 SF Available Close to ADM, CAT, I-72 & the Midwest Inland Port

1343 N. Gulick

220 N Rt 121, Mt Zion For Sale or Lease

1441-1455 Woodland Dr., Mt. Zion 8-1 bedroom apartments on one level. Very nice condition! 100% occupied. This will not last. Call today!

370 W Eldorado

225-237 S. Main - Downtown Office Building

840 Sq Ft of office/retail space available for lease on one of the busiest streets in Decatur. Call today!

For Lease. Convenient location west of Court House. Call for more info.

2728 N. Main

2003 N 22nd St

225 S. Main St. - Suite LL• Decatur, iL 62523

Steel Building with 22’ clear span.

(Approx 19,000 Sq Ft.) For Lease or Purchase.

Professional & Confidential Service

Park 101 Industrial Park

32+/- Acres of M-2 Demo and Clean up almost complete

2 story office building with 33,000 Sq Ft. For Sale/Lease (Broker owned) Lots of Parking

Bldg #8 - 3,600 SF of Office available now!

Bldg #3 - office/warehouse space available 2,700 SF-office & shop with dock 3,600 SF-all office 2,700 SF-office & shop with drive-in door

Former Ace Hardware Building

1120 SF of office & shop Lots of parking

16-1 Bedroom apartments.

Just listed - $245,000 Great Investment Opportunity NOI $25K+

4000 Sq. Ft. Space For Lease “Only $1600 mth” Shop & Retail or Office Great visibility- high traffic counts

1330 Beth Blvd. (former K’s Corp)

1120 S. Jasper

Teen Challenge Bldg

Nice, multi-tenant office bldg.

4,000 sq. ft. - $170,000 Rental units also available

151 W. Prairie Ave. 4 story w/ basketball courts, pool, etc.

Former Busey Bank Facility

Former Hostess Bakery FOR SALE OR LEASE

550 E. Prairie Ave. Great downtown location, corner lot 1,074 sq. ft./Only $149,000

40,000+ S.F. 9 dock door & trailer parking

2350 Mt. Zion Rd

Forsyth Commons

Bldg for Sale// NOT Business Great Visibility Good Traffic Counts Call for more info!

2,450 sq. ft. available.

Call for Details

Courtyard Plaza - 2950 N. Water St. 750 sq. ft. available High Traffic & High Visibility

370 W Eldorado

200 Spitler Park Plaza Dr, Mt Zion Asking price $995,000/ $8.00 sq ft.

12,900 square feet on 3.99 acres

840 Sq Ft of office/retail space available for lease on one of the busiest streets in Decatur. This will not last. Call today!

1520-1530 McBride Ave

998 ½ W Harrison Ave FOR LEASE

For Lease Secure Warehouse Space Fenced 1500 & 3000 S.F. Available

University Plaza 2 Units Available for Lease Close to Milikin University CALL for DETAILS

FOR ALL OF YOUR REAL ESTATE NEEDS!

40 x 60 Office/Shop 12’ Eave Height 12 x 10 O.H.Door

135 E Prairie Business Condo Downtown Owner/User or Investment One of a kind!

Hurry, this won’t last

12

BUSINESS JOURNAL

www.thebusiness-journal.com

July 2014

www.thebusiness-journal.com

July 2014

BUSINESS JOURNAL

13

217 / 450-8500 Buy Sell Lease

Former Wagner Castings/ Intermet Foundry 800 N Clinton

2980 N Main

1.45 acres fenced Large storage building needs work Only $60,000

1200 & 1500 SF offices available Could be leased as one unit Good traffic count & visibility

3131 N Charles For Sale/Lease (Broker Owned) Over 26,000 sq ft. of Warehouse Dock and Drive in O.H. Doors, M-1 Zoning

1495 W Main St., Mt Zion Car Wash For Sale

1900 E Eldorado

3198 E. Mueller Ave. (former StripMasters)

This is a fantastic office building with great traffic & visibility. 5000 Sq Ft finished up & down. ONLY $445,000

Plus 2 great tenants Call for details!

Just off Brush College Rd. 8,000 sq. ft.

Warehouse/Office Zoned M-2, 1.75 Acre Lot - Reduced to $250,000

340 N Martin Luther King

190 N Merchant St

Great downtown office & warehouse.

Approx 8400 Sq Ft. 12’ overhead door with interior dock lift. Completely heated, cooled & sprinklered. For lease or sale.

This one of a kind building offers small offices spaces for Lease on the 3rd Floor (elevator) Call for details.

Park 101 Industrial Park Bldg #1 Office & warehouse spaces 1800- 14,000 SF Available Close to ADM, CAT, I-72 & the Midwest Inland Port

1343 N. Gulick

220 N Rt 121, Mt Zion For Sale or Lease

1441-1455 Woodland Dr., Mt. Zion 8-1 bedroom apartments on one level. Very nice condition! 100% occupied. This will not last. Call today!

370 W Eldorado

225-237 S. Main - Downtown Office Building

840 Sq Ft of office/retail space available for lease on one of the busiest streets in Decatur. Call today!

For Lease. Convenient location west of Court House. Call for more info.

2728 N. Main

2003 N 22nd St

225 S. Main St. - Suite LL• Decatur, iL 62523

Steel Building with 22’ clear span.

(Approx 19,000 Sq Ft.) For Lease or Purchase.

Professional & Confidential Service

Park 101 Industrial Park

32+/- Acres of M-2 Demo and Clean up almost complete

2 story office building with 33,000 Sq Ft. For Sale/Lease (Broker owned) Lots of Parking

Bldg #8 - 3,600 SF of Office available now!

Bldg #3 - office/warehouse space available 2,700 SF-office & shop with dock 3,600 SF-all office 2,700 SF-office & shop with drive-in door

Former Ace Hardware Building

1120 SF of office & shop Lots of parking

16-1 Bedroom apartments.

Just listed - $245,000 Great Investment Opportunity NOI $25K+

4000 Sq. Ft. Space For Lease “Only $1600 mth” Shop & Retail or Office Great visibility- high traffic counts

1330 Beth Blvd. (former K’s Corp)

1120 S. Jasper

Teen Challenge Bldg

Nice, multi-tenant office bldg.

4,000 sq. ft. - $170,000 Rental units also available

151 W. Prairie Ave. 4 story w/ basketball courts, pool, etc.

Former Busey Bank Facility

Former Hostess Bakery FOR SALE OR LEASE

550 E. Prairie Ave. Great downtown location, corner lot 1,074 sq. ft./Only $149,000

40,000+ S.F. 9 dock door & trailer parking

2350 Mt. Zion Rd

Forsyth Commons

Bldg for Sale// NOT Business Great Visibility Good Traffic Counts Call for more info!

2,450 sq. ft. available.

Call for Details

Courtyard Plaza - 2950 N. Water St. 750 sq. ft. available High Traffic & High Visibility

370 W Eldorado

200 Spitler Park Plaza Dr, Mt Zion Asking price $995,000/ $8.00 sq ft.

12,900 square feet on 3.99 acres

840 Sq Ft of office/retail space available for lease on one of the busiest streets in Decatur. This will not last. Call today!

1520-1530 McBride Ave

998 ½ W Harrison Ave FOR LEASE

For Lease Secure Warehouse Space Fenced 1500 & 3000 S.F. Available

University Plaza 2 Units Available for Lease Close to Milikin University CALL for DETAILS

FOR ALL OF YOUR REAL ESTATE NEEDS!

40 x 60 Office/Shop 12’ Eave Height 12 x 10 O.H.Door

135 E Prairie Business Condo Downtown Owner/User or Investment One of a kind!

Hurry, this won’t last

14

BUSINESS JOURNAL

www.thebusiness-journal.com

July 2014

Keeping Decatur Bee-utiful

By RACHEL RODGERS Business Journal Writer

DECATUR — The many hours master gardener Tresa Borero and her daughter spent tending the spacious grounds at Imboden Creek Gardens gave the business the “wow” factor needed to win first place in the large-business division of the Let’s Keep Decatur Bee-Utiful business beautification contest.

Wanting to provide the elderly residents with a relaxing and pleasant atmosphere, Borero and her 23-year-old daughter, Koren Buchen, incorporated more than 100 varieties of plants throughout the courtyard and pond area.

“To the residents who call this place home, this is their yard, and it’s wonderful that (the scenery) gets them out and about and makes them happy,” Borero said. “If they’re happy, I’m happy.”

In addition to the residents, the landscaping also catches the eyes of many community members looking for a wedding venue or a location for prom or homecoming photos, she said.

“The colors from all of the flowers, the landscape; it just makes you smile,” said Rhonda Luther, chief operating officer at Imboden Creek who accepted the

Business Journal/Jim Bowling

Imboden Creek Gardens was among the first place winners in the 2014 ‘Let’s Keep Decatur Bee-utiful!’ Contest. Pictured here is a fountain and flowers on the Imboden Creek Gardens property. award during a ceremony last month.

“We strive to provide beautiful surroundings to our residents, and I think the award shows that we’ve achieved that.”

In its fourth year, the Let’s Keep Decatur Bee-Utiful business contest had three categories based upon number of employees, and each business was judged on the level of effort put into the land-

scape, hardscape and facade. This year, 88 businesses registered for the contest, up from 82 last year and 66 in 2012.

Jill Davis, contest founder and cochairwoman of the Beautify Decatur Coalition’s business beautification task force, said the judges encountered many close point totals, making the overall “wow” factor crucial for determining the

rankings.

St. Paul’s Lutheran Church won first place in the medium-business, and Coffee Connection received first place in the small-business division. First-place winners each received a $350 gift certificate for From the Ground Up Landscapes.

Culver’s on East Aldi Drive, which won first-place large business last year, received the Speed Lube Continued Excellence Award, a new addition to the contest. The Culver’s exterior took some damage from the past winter, but owner Dan Delatte said making extra expense for the landscape is worth attracting more customers.

Second-place winners receiving $200 were Land of Lincoln Credit Union on North Oakland Avenue for large business, Tanglewood Village for medium business and The Reserve for small business.

Third-place winners receiving $100 consisted of McDonald’s on North Water Street for large business, the Macon County Animal Control and Care Center for medium business and Coney McKane’s for small business.

“It’s very exciting that beautification is really catching on and is contagious in the community,” Davis said. “It doesn’t take much time, energy or money to spruce up a little bit and put forth a beautiful place for the Decatur community to enjoy.”

www.thebusiness-journal.com

July 2014

BUSINESS JOURNAL

11

There are many causes of bad bosses What’s causes the most anxiety in your job? Is it pressure? Deadlines?

Dealing with risks? Heavy responsibilities? Boredom? Gossipy co-workers?

When the Hogan Assessment Systems firm asked that question of employees in several different industries, an astounding 75 percent said that the most stressful part of their jobs was their immediate supervisor. You read that right: three-fourths of employees are more stressed out by their bosses than by anything else.

Human Resources Asked what was so stressful about their supervisors, 52 percent described them as arrogant, 50 percent said manipulative, and nearly as many (48 percent) termed their bosses as passive aggressive. Put all those nasty adjectives together and you get an ugly picture of people who happily use their positions of authority to intimidate

Fred Spannaus

and cow others. Seems as if a lot of bosses lack those “people skills” that companies are always looking for.

Bad bosses do damage far beyond the groups those whom they supervise. You know that it can be difficult and careerthreatening to confront a bad boss, so you probably don’t channel your feelings toward him or her. No, you are much more likely to take out your frustration on others — on co-workers, customers, underlings, family members, even yourself. A 2008 Swedish study claimed that workers with incompetent or secretive managers were more prone to suffer heart problems and other stress-related diseases.

What’s going on here? Why are there so many bad bosses?

There are many causes of bad bossism. Three stand out.

First, many organizations select their supervisors the wrong way. They automatically choose top performers to become supervisors. A car salesperson outsells her colleagues month after month, so she becomes the sales manager. An elementary teacher receives rave reviews; every year her students make incredible academic gains, so she is promoted to principal. A mechanic

has the knack of diagnosing problems and making swift and effective repairs, and he is asked to become a shop foreman.

But there’s the problem with that. The skill sets that made for amazing success in one position may not be what’s needed in a manager. The salesperson’s competitive nature, which served her so well on the showroom floor, may prevent her from building team spirit. The teacher’s rapport with children might not translate to adult relationships. The mechanic’s spatial talents could indicate that he works better with things than with people.

The second problem is that most organizations fail to train their first-time supervisors. Oh, they may warn them of a few legal issues such as avoiding racially discriminatory or sexually suggestive remarks. And yes, the legalities and compliance issues surely need to be attended to.

There is a huge body of KSA (knowledge, skills and abilities) that go into being a good supervisor, and few people come by these talents naturally.

Only a minority of first-time supervisors are taught about theories of motivation. Few are exposed to effective

methods of conveying praise and criticism. Few of them learn how to monitor and evaluate performance. They have trouble distinguishing between perceived attitudes and observable behaviors. On and on.

The third problem is that their bosses, the ones who made them managers, hate to be wrong, almost as much as they abhor admitting that they are wrong. They are extremely reluctant to realize that the person they hired to be a manager is floundering. Organizations tend to stand by their managers far too long even as mounds of evidence of incompetence pile up.

I can understand that. The unfortunate human tendency is to deny that a problem exists, then to ignore it and hope it goes away. When it gets too big to disregard, we blame others, especially those who are supervised by our new manager. The very last thing we want to do is accept that the person whom we carefully selected has turned out to be a terrible boss.

Fred W. Spannaus, principal of Spannaus Consulting, is a senior professional in human resources. He loves feedback to his columns. Fred can be contacted by email at spannaus@ ameritech.net or by phone at (217) 425-2635.

ASK THE SCORE COUNSELOR Q: What are the costs of getting an SBA loan?

A: Ann Mehlum and Valerie Ross of the U.S. Small Business Administration in Springfield provided the information to answer this question.

In order for small businesses to remain viable in a recovering economy, access to capital must remain an SBA priority. At the same time, applying for and getting a commercial loan involves certain costs that may make borrowers think twice before making that commitment. Often times, small businesses that need loans with smaller dollar amounts – $350,000 and under – are usually either just starting or in their early stages. Attention to the bottom line is paramount at this critical time, and a lack of adequate financial resources may become an obstacle to growth.

Mindful of this situation and consistent with the mission to help small businesses start, grow and succeed, the SBA recently introduced two initiatives aimed at eliminating certain borrower fees, thus making it cheaper and easier for small businesses to obtain much needed financing.

One of the initiatives, launched at the end of fiscal year 2013, set borrower fees to zero on all 7(a) loans $150,000 and under originated on or after Oct. 1. This initiative is among SBA’s latest efforts to make sure they’re reaching more business owners and entrepreneurs to help them to tackle the next challenge in their businesses.

The 7(a) Loan Program is the SBA’s

GOT A QUESTION? For more information about U.S. Small Business Administration loan programs and services or to find an SBA lender, visit www.sba.gov, or the SBA district office nearest you.

To submit a question for the “Ask the SCORE Counselor” column, contact SCORE Chapter 296, Millikin University, 1184 W. Main St., Decatur, IL 62522 or call (217) 424-6296.

primary program to help start-up and existing small businesses obtain financing when they may not be eligible for conventional business loans. In just three months after its implementation, fee elimination on loans $150,000 and under have saved small businesses nationwide more than $5 million. A small business obtaining a $150,000 loan now saves more than $2,500 in fees, which can be used for other business expenses.

The SBA has begun a similar effort to help small-business owners who are veterans. On Jan. 1, the SBA launched the Veterans Advantage initiative, which has zero borrower fees on all loans $350,000 and under made through this program. This program is expected to yield significant savings for veterans looking to start or grow a business. Of all SBA loans made to veterans during the past 5 years, 73 percent were below $350,000.

In the first 10 days (Jan. 1 – Jan. 10), this initiative saved veterans business owners almost $179,000.

While it is still too early to gauge the impact these initiatives will have on the success of small businesses, the initial numbers seem to indicate that savings will be significant. These two initiatives are in place through Sept. 30.

-- Carol Harding, SCORE counselor

Meet a SCORE counselor

Avis

Duane Avis is retired from Caterpillar Inc., where he worked as a buyer. His counseling specialties include manufacturing and purchasing. Duane has been a SCORE counselor for 18 years.

WINDOWS ROOFING DECKS KITCHENS RESTORATIONS DOORS SIDING REMODELING PORCHES BATHS

BUSINESS JOURNAL Reader Profile: n 63% have household incomes of $60,000 or greater. 36% have household incomes of $80,000 or greater.

LICENSE# 104.016085 105.005542 PROMAXCONSTRUCTION.COM

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BUSINESS CLIPS

Continued from page 9 trend in the industry to make trucking more appealing. Rates of pay are up, and Gibbs said loads are being arranged to give drivers more frequent home time. The company has also come up with a system that smooths out the ups and downs of payment-per-mile wages, so that drivers' paychecks are more consistent.

Expenses associated with the vehicles those truckers drive are also moving in a consistent direction: upward. Aside from volatile fuel costs, increased environmental regulations are calling for ever-cleaner trucks that cost a lot more to buy. McLeod Express is purchasing 100 new trucks that will cost about $130,000 each, replacing previous models that cost $90,000 each.

Gibbs doesn't have a problem driving toward a cleaner world, but he wishes the federal government that bombards the trucking industry with new rules would also recognize its importance and do more to encourage and support it. He points out that manufacturers creating a few dozen jobs are universally applauded, and yet trucking firms collectively hiring hundreds of workers get no respect.

“In all the discussion about the shrinking middle class and all the manufacturing jobs that have gone, just look at the trucking industry,” he said. “A brand new driver is possibly going to earn $35,000 to $37,000 and we have guys that earn $60,000 and the average is in the

July 2014

Joyce Trotter has joined the loan department of Staley Credit Union.

Liz Arndt has joined Diane Sullivan, State Farm Insurance.

Kernan

Bragg

Brandon M. Burdick has joined Burdick Plumbing & Heating Co.

Lee

Promotions Mary Sulser has been promoted to president and CEO of Buena Vista National Bank.

Reid

Nicholls

Lindsay

Sluser

Achievements First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust as has been named Community Lender of the Year by the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Illinois District Office.

Trumbold

Bliefnick

Niebrugge

Amy Hagen, U.S. Bank market president in Taylorville, has won the Pinnacle Award, U.S. Bank’s highest employee achievement honor.

Business Journal/Lisa Morrison

McLeod Express Trucking maintains its own fleet of trucks on the northeast side of Decatur. It moves everything from grain to beer. $40,000 to $50,000 range,” he added.

“These are middle class occupations with full benefits, health care and whatnot. McLeod and other firms are in a trucking industry with a crying need to

add hundreds of thousands of those jobs, and yet we get almost zero support from the government.”

Gibbs said the trucking industry can't idle too long licking its wounds because

it's servicing a recovering economy picking up speed again, and customers are calling. “The vast majority of everything in this country, ultimately, gets moved by a truck,” he said.

Trotter

Arndt

Burdick

New staff members Wendy Kernan has joined Town and Country Bank as branch director for its Mount Zion facility.

Ryan Bragg has joined Illini Supply as a sales consultant.

Douglas Lee has joined Busey Wealth Management as a senior vice president and managing director of Private Wealth Advisory.

Steve Reid has joined BKD, LLP as managing director, leading the manufacturing, distribution and commercial practice.

Diana Nicholls and Denise Lindsay have joined Busey as mortgage originators in Decatur.

Greg Trumbold has joined Cromwell Group Inc. of Illinois in Mattoon as its local sales manager.

Ray Bliefnick has joined Hickory Point Bank and Trust and will lead its new Dealer Services team.

Danielle Niebrugge has joined First MidIllinois Bank and Trust as senior vice president, director of human resources.

First Mid-Illinois Bancshares Hagen Inc. was again ranked by American Banker magazine as one of the Top 200 community banks within the United States.

First Busey Corporation has been named

by Forbes as one of America’s most trustworthy companies for the second consecutive year.

Tania Diaz-Macken of Heritage Behavioral Health Center is the recipient of the 2014 Emerging Leader Award from the Illinois chapter of the National Association of Social Workers.

Eichenauer Service Inc. is the recipient of the Commitment to First Time Fix Initiative award from Manitowoc KitchenCare.

Announcements Stephen R. Colyer, senior director of gas operations and services for Ameren Illinois, has been elected chairman of the Midwest ENERGY Association Board of Directors.

Reiss Financial Group recently celebrated five years in business.

Business Clips are abbreviated versions of paid Business Achievements which appear on Mondays in the Herald & Review. For more information about Business Achievements, go to www.herald-review.com/app/secure/businessach/

BUSINESS JOURNAL Reader Profile: n 72% read The Business Journal monthly. n 17% are 34 and under.

H&R receives media awards DECATUR — The Herald & Review captured several awards in its circulation category at the annual Illinois Associated Press Media Editors Association and Illinois Press Association awards banquets.

Top honors went to Chief Photographer Jim Bowling for three photographs.

The Associated Press Editors singled out his sports feature, “State Track Jubilation,” and pictorial photo, “Labor Day Parade Reflection,” while the IPA recognized his feature, “Baptism Embrace.”

Bowling's “State Track Jubilation” also earned a second place for sports photo from the IPA. Other first-place awards from the AP went to photographer Lisa Morrison for her feature “Celebration Riders” and to staff writer Chris Lusvardi for business reporting for his story, “ADM to move world headquarters.”

The IPA awarded first place to the newspaper's Life section, edited by Jeana Matherly, and Sports Section, edited by Mike Albright.

Managing Editor Dave Dawson said he is pleased with the Herald & Review's showing and made special note of the photography and section honors.

“The individual awards are terrific, but those that recognize collaborative efforts are especially nice,” Dawson said. “Credit is due to the editors for their hard work in coordinating and planning their sections.”

Second-place finishers in Associated Press competition were Bowling for his portrait of Will Coulombe, Entertainment Editor Tim Cain in entertainment writing for “Missing Piece,” and Graphics Editor Jean Zerfowski for her page design for “Drawn Out.” The newspaper captured two prizes for multimedia storytelling, a second place for “Affordable Care Act” and a third place for “JFK Remembered.”

Third-place awards also went to Cain for a column or blog and to Executive Sports Editor Mark Tupper for a sports column or blog.

In the Illinois Press Association contest, photographer Danny Damiani took second for his feature, “Arts in the Park,” and the Herald & Review received third place in newspaper design.

The IPA also gave honorable mentions to staff writer Tony Reid in business/economic reporting for “Aiding a Movement” and to the newspaper for general excellence and for its website.

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YOUR FREE TIME

The Arts Anne Lloyd Gallery: International arts experience featuring Native American culture. Enjoy presentations of Native American dancing, beadwork and weaving during a reception from 5-7:30 p.m.

Friday, July 11.

Gallery 510: Soft pastels by Helen Hamilton. Opening reception from 5-8 p.m. Friday, July 11. Call (217) 422-1509.

Decatur Airport: Works by Pam Marty.

Decatur Public Library: Oil paintings by Barbara Dove.

Blue Connection: Stop by and view the work of Water Xin Zhao, summer artist in residence. Also on display is the artwork created by SMASH Camp participants.

Watch or play Rodney T. Miller Lakeside Triathlon, Sunday, July 13, Nelson Park. Athletes gather to swim, bike, run and remember Rodney T. Miller, a state police officer killed in the line of duty. The kids race will be held July 12. www.decatur triathlon.com USTA/Ursula Beck Pro Tennis Classic, July 25Aug. 3, Fairview Park Tennis Classic.

Players from around the world converge on Decatur to compete. www.ursulabeck tennis.com

Calendar of events For a complete list of events, go to www.herald-review.com/go/ Mondays from 7-9 p.m. in Central Park.

CHILL on the HILL in Fletcher Park, Mount Zion: July 10, Rosetta Stone; July 17, Kilborne Alley; July 24, Plan B and Slant 6; and July 31, Feudin’ Hillbillies.

Gates open at 6:30 p.m. Band plays from 7-10 p.m.

Blues in Central Park: Thursday, July 17, Sugar Ray and The Bluetones. Vendors open at 6 p.m. Band plays from 7-10 p.m.

Sounds of Summer Concerts, Thursday, July 24, Soul Purpose. Shows are held at the Swartz Pavilion at the Hickory Point Golf Course and begin at 7 p.m. Adult beverages and concessions available.

Here Come the Mummies return to Decatur for a special Celebration Kick Off Concert at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 31, in the Decatur Civic Center Arena. Cost is $20 to $50. For tickets, go to www.decaturcelebration.com.

Charity events Relay for Life Macon County, Friday, July 18, at Richland Community College. An overnight event to celebrate cancer survivors and to raise money for research and programs of the American Cancer Society. www.relayforlife.org/maconil

Macon Speedway. Dirt track racing at its very best every Saturday night. Special events include Night of NASCAR Stars, featuring Tony Stewart, date to be announced, and the Herald & Review 100, July 10. www.maconracing.com

Miranda Jess Softball Outing, to benefit Easter Seals, will be Saturday, July 19, at the Northwest Graceland fields. There is a double elimination tournament and a noncompetitive fun games format. For more information, call Easter Seals at (217) 429-1052.

On Stage

Gus Macker 3-on-3 basketball tournament, Saturday and Sunday, July 19-20, at the SkyWalker International Sports Complex, Decatur. For more information, go to www.macker.com.

Josh Blue Comedy Show, 7:30 p.m. Friday, July 9, at the Decatur Civic Center. For tickets, go to www.decaturciviccenter.org Best of Summer Stock: Musical theater performance by area students at the Decatur Civic Center. B.O.S.S. Jr. participants (grades 1-4) will present “Willy Wonka KIDS” at 7 p.m. Friday, July 25, and 2 p.m. Saturday, July 26. B.O.S.S. Sr. participants (grades 5-9) will perform “Hairspray Jr.” at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 26, and 2 p.m. Sunday, July 27. A free preview performance will be a noon Friday, July 11, in Hess Park.

Little Theatre-On the Square: “Little Shop of Horrors,” July 2-13; “The Sound of Music,” July 16-27; and “Legally Blonde,” July 30-Aug 10. www.thelittle theatre.org.

Music Decatur Municipal Band: Weekly concerts featuring contemporary and traditional music Sundays from 6-7 p.m. in the Fairview Park Large Pavilion and

Emmett Sefton Memorial Drive, to benefit the Macon County Farm Bureau Foundation’s Emmett Sefton Memorial Scholarship, from 7:30-9 a.m. Sunday, July 20. The drive will begin at the Mount Zion Pony Express grounds and will cover 27 miles of southeast Macon County. For more information, contact the Tim Stock at (217) 877-2436.

Obesity Prevention Coalition Family Fun Run/Walk at 9:45 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 2, in downtown Decatur. Consists of a 1-mile walk around downtown. For more information, call Brandi Binkley at (217) 4236988 ext. 1114.

For the kids Children’s Museum of Illinois is host to a variety of activities throughout the summer, including Family Science Sunday, summer camps on Friday. There also will be Kidstock, an arts, crafts and

music festival featuring Little Miss Ann from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, July 26.

For information, go to www.cmofil.com or call (217) 423-5437.

Scovill Zoo: Ice Cream Safari, 1-4 p.m.

Sunday, July 20. Find all the ice cream stations hidden around the zoo. Call 4217435.

Misc.

The Rock Springs Nature Center hosts a long list of mini camps, family adventures and classes. So many, in fact, that there are too many to list. Go to www.maconcountyconservation.org and click on the Programs and Activities tab for a complete listing.

Blue Ribbon Night, Thursday, July 3, Fletcher Park, Mount Zion. Celebrate the holiday with free music beginning at 6 p.m. and fireworks at dusk. Call (217) 864-5424 for more information.

Spend the Fourth of July in Nelson Park. The day begins with the Staley Firecracker Road Run/Walk at 8 a.m. Then, from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., the park will be filled with cars of all makes and models as

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YOUR BUSINESS part of the Richie Hammel Fore on the Floor Car Show. The day ends with The Congregation performing at 7 p.m. and fireworks at dusk. www.decatur-parks.org Precision Aerial Ag Show, Wednesday and Thursday, July 9 and 10, at Progress City USA. Event will include demonstrations and information about unmanned aerial vehicles. For more information, go to www.PAAS2014.com or call (217) 877-9660.

Decatur Celebration, Aug. 1-3, downtown Decatur. The 29th edition of the free family street festival will include performances by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts, Jo Dee Messina, Salt ‘n Pepa, Jamie Grace, Royal Taylor, Ruben Studdard, Space Capone and Led Zepplica. Hot dog eating contest, Macon County Pageants, 4-H Block Party and much more. www.decaturcelebration.com

Got an item you’d like considered for publication in the Your Free Time calendar? Send the information to Scott Perry at sperry@heraldreview.com or 601 E. William St., Decatur, IL 62523.

BUSINESS JOURNAL Reader Profile: n 48% share their copy of the Business Journal with others. n 23% are 35 to 44 years old.

McLeod Express steering to success Company rides economic tides

By TONY REID Business Journal Writer

DECATUR — Learning to survive and thrive in the economic ups and downs of the trucking business means knowing when to slow down and when to hit the gas in pursuit of opportunity.

That’s the message from the Decaturbased McLeod Express trucking firm, and they should know. McLeod has grown in 28 years from a handful of trucks to a fleet of 340 semi units, 775 trailers and 425 employees, 345 of those being drivers and the whole team hauling in multimillion revenues.

“When I look back, I was probably pretty bold,” said company founder, CEO and sole owner Mark McLeod, 52, recalling his efforts to hunt up customers in the early years.

MARK MCLEOD “I was also young and dumb but knew I had a service to offer and wanted to get my name out in front of it.”

McLeod Express got rolling in 1986, an outgrowth of hauling grain for his father, Jim, down on the family farm in the Assumption/Moweaqua area. Mark McLeod had left college intending to go into farming, but he soon heard the honk-honk of opportunity in the trucking field and decided to focus on that.

“For about the first dozen years, I was the only salesman and concentrated on Central Illinois customers,” he recalled.

“And I developed it from there.”

Slowly winning the trust of big firms such as Archer Daniels Midland Co. and Tate & Lyle turned out to be a shrewd road maneuver. McLeod has dozens of customers now, but those two Decaturbased firms are still two of the largest clients, although they have been joined by such names as Anheuser-Busch and Procter & Gamble.

The recession of 2008 had swept through the trucking industry like a winter storm on a freeway, leaving many overextended companies jack-knifed in bankruptcy. But not McLeod, where lessons of fiscal discipline learned from his father kept Mark McLeod’s foot on the brakes of careful cost controls and his firm on the straight and narrow.

“We’ve always taken a fiscally conservative approach,” he said.

‘It’s time to take it to the next level.’

Business Journal/Danny Damiani

Dave Gibbs, McLeod Express president, and Joey Palmer, vice president of operations, stand in front of their new Freightliner road units.

The company will have 100 of these trucks in service within the year.

“And we were in a good position to weather the downturn. Trucking is a cyclical business, and even in the good years you always have to be prepared for downturns; it’s the lesson you learn and the key to survival in this business.

But then you have also got to be a risk taker when the opportunity is there.”

And it’s there now. Customers are moving product, and McLeod Express is accelerating right along with them and expanding its capacity. The founder’s 26year-old son, Colt, now manages a new brokerage and logistics operation for the company in St. Louis that oversees complex freight-moving operations.

And experienced experts from outside the family have been brought on board to run and expand the core company business. Those hires include a new McLeod Express president, Dave Gibbs, who arrived in 2013 and was previously an executive vice president with a larger carrier. Mark McLeod wants him to steer a company that now appears to have no upper limits on how far it could grow.

“It’s time to take it to the next level,” the founder said.

Gibbs has a lot more to deal with, however, that just worrying about which piece of the trucking gravy train he

Business Journal/Lisa Morrison

Mike McLain makes preparations to fill one of the McLeod Express trucks at the warehouse. The facility loads dozens of trucks every day. wants to go after next. Job one for anyone in the business is finding more truckers because, as the industry expands and baby boomer drivers pull off into retirement, a driver shortage is becoming acute.

Gibbs said trucking is not easy work,

and the fine art of piloting a massive machine in all weather in places you don’t know certainly isn’t for everybody.

“It’s a very difficult job, and it has had a high turnover rate,” he said.

McLeod Express is part of a leading

CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

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Police department moves to new facility Larger station to help recruitment

By ALLISON PETTY Business Journal Writer

DECATUR – City leaders celebrated the opening of the Decatur Police Department’s new facility last month, acknowledging as they did so that officers had worked in cramped conditions for too long.

At nearly 47,000 square feet, the facility at 707 South Side Drive will more than double the space the department occupies at the Law Enforcement Center.

Police Chief Todd Walker said the larger police station will help with recruitment and retention of new officers, who had sometimes chosen to work for other cities because they had nicer facilities. It will also help current officers do their jobs more efficiently, he said.

“This facility is going to match the exceptional ability of the men and women of the Decatur Police Department,” Walker said. “It’s going to allow them to utilize their skills and their talents, and I’ll take this department up against anybody in the state.”

Business Journal/Danny Damiani

Residents walk through the common room in the Decatur Police Department's new police station at 707 South Side Drive during an open house.

The building represents a solution that council members had sought for more than a decade. It was previously occupied by auto parts manufacturer ZexelValeo Corp., which left in 2002.

The space was heavily renovated as part of the city’s agreement with B.W. of

Inland Port exceeds hopes Additional capacity plans in the works

By CHRIS LUSVARDI Business Journal Writer

DECATUR — The growth of the Midwest Inland Port in Decatur has started to exceed the expectations of its developers.

The development of the port with the Archer Daniels Midland Co. intermodal rail facility as its centerpiece continues to have tremendous potential, said Larry Altenbaumer, interim president of the Economic Development Corporation of Decatur and Macon County, which oversees the business entity of the Midwest Inland Port.

Altenbaumer and representatives from ADM led a tour last month to explain the possibilities of the port and rail facility to a group organized by the Champaign County Economic Development Corporation.

“It has grown at least by the rate we had hoped,” Altenbaumer said. “This is the biggest economic development catalyst we’ve had in 50 years. We’ve just scratched the surface.”

The intermodal ramp has started to approach its current capacity, so plans are in the works to create additional capacity for using shipping containers, said Mark Schweitzer, ADM managing

More info Still trying to figure out what the Midwest Inland Port is and how it will benefit Macon County? Check out our video at www. herald-review.com/video to learn more. director of intermodal and international freight. The ramp provides a direct link between three of the country’s seven Class I railroads, Schweitzer said.

About 600 containers are stored on site waiting to be shipped to destinations around the world with trucks bringing in more from around Central Illinois, Schweitzer said. Trains on two railroad tracks at the ADM facility can be stacked with containers destined for ports on both coasts of the country, Schweitzer said.

It currently uses one side of the tracks to haul containers in and out of the 280-acre facility, he said. The company hopes to have an expansion operational in August on the other side of the tracks that could potentially double the capacity of the facility, Schweitzer said.

The goal is to increase commerce downstate by finding more businesses that can use the infrastructure that is in place, Schweitzer said.

“It’s not just about Decatur,” Schweitzer said. “What we have in Central Illinois is unique.”

Decatur LLC, of which Tony Romano is the managing partner. The council voted in September to enter into a 20-year lease, with an option for extension to 40 years. Rent will start at roughly $500,000 per year.

City Manager Ryan McCrady called

the building “functional and attractive,” and said it was exciting to give the police department a facility that the officers could be proud of. He was also happy that the city did so without raising taxes or breaking its budget.

McCrady and the police command staff led tours through the building, which provides much more space for officers to work, to store and process evidence, and to meet for training and briefings.

There are 10 interview rooms in the new facility, as opposed to five in the Law Enforcement Center, said Deputy Chief James Chervinko. There are four restrooms instead of one. Officers will have access to multiple conference rooms, including one devoted to major cases.

“We made sure one unit doesn’t have to wait for the other unit,” he said.

There will be no more storing evidence on the roof, which required officers to walk through a boiler room and take a freight elevator up. Instead, evidence will have dedicated space, including a room that ventilates outward to keep the smell of marijuana from wafting into the building.

The building even includes a place to inspect vehicles for evidence, a task that officers used to perform in a garage at a local towing company.

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YOUR CAREER

Meet Chris Droukas the Gyro King Hometown: Paradisia, Arcadia, Greece Family: A brother and two sisters, three nephews and three nieces and six greatnieces and six great-nephews. Also the gyro-eating population of Central and Southern Illinois.

Occupation: I am the Gyro King and owner and operator of the Gyro King since 1982.

Education: High school diploma in Greece and certificate in electronics from Richland Community College in 1978.

My “I’d rather be …” bumper sticker would read: “I’d rather be in Greece eating some fresh fish and drinking some good Greek wine.” I love Greece and their fresh fish is the best in the world.

Eating gyros here is very good too, of course.

Hobbies/interests: Most sports. I like to follow the European League in soccer.

Greek teams, too. I also like the Chicago Fire.

My first job: Working retail in a department store in Athens, Greece.

Why I do what I do: I like to see customers smile when they know they have purchased the best gyros around and that they will enjoy their sandwich and be happy about their choice.

Personal approaches to challenges: The best way to look at a challenge is to face it and do what is right and necessary to take care of it. It was not easy to come to a new country, learn a new language or start a new business. But just try your best and if you work hard and show others that you are there and serious, it will work. You also need to have a good touch.

Community involvement: Proud member of the Decatur business community, member of the Annunciation Greek Orthodox Church in Decatur for more than 40 years and provider of the best gyros sandwich to people of Central and Southern Illinois since 1982.

How did you get involved in the summer food vendor business? In 1982, gyros was an unknown product here in Decatur and Central Illinois but I knew it was something that people liked. We had something similar in Greece and they loved it in Chicago. So instead of opening a restaurant I thought it would be better to take the product out to the people because people would be more willing to try it. We started at the Macon County Fair and many smaller fairs throughout Central Illinois, but soon we moved to larger fairs such as the Illinois State Fair

Business Journal/Danny Damiani

Chris Droukas, owner of Gyro King, has been in business for 32 years and at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Pershing Road since 1997. in Springfield due to popular demand.

At what point did it become a full-time job? It was a full time job very soon because once people began to try gyros, they enjoyed it. Our gyros are very good and juicy and fresh. The gyros are not under a lamp. We made the gyros in front of the customer with fresh product and in the 1980s, food was not really prepared that way.

We got a lot of word of mouth about the product. Once the Decatur Celebration started in 1986, I was asked to be one of the original vendors in the most prime location so we had popularity by then but the Celebration took it further. The Gyro King is consistently the top vendor at the Decatur Celebration for a long time now and that is why we are there every year. This is also true with the Illinois State Fair in Springfield and DuQuoin and the Broom Corn Festival in Arcola, which we will be attending for the 32nd year this year.

Did you ever think you’d be doing this for 32 years? Any plans to stop? I thought that I would be doing this as long as I was successful and people enjoyed it. I knew that people would enjoy gyros when we start-

ed because people like food that is good and made well consistently. Over the years, we have added fries, drinks and baklava. People like quality and they will always come back if they know you provide quality food. Right now I do not have any plans to stop but you never know when the right offer will come to you.

How has your business changed over the years? At first it was small and we had to work to get people to even try gyros. We had to convince people that it was a good sandwich with good value. Now I don’t have to do that anymore. Usually people who have not tried gyros before have a friend bring them to me. So, now we have that recognition and people are familiar with the product and mine in particular.

It seems like there are more street food vendors now than ever before. Is that the case? If so, what’s prompting the trend? Is it good or bad for the trade? I don’t know if there are more or less street food vendors than before. Many come and go. If there are new vendors maybe it is because The Gyro King has been successful for so many years and others feel they can do it, too. It is not easy and they find out

why. As long as you are serious about the business and want to put out a quality product and be consistent about it, it will work. I am very thankful and grateful to my customers for giving me the honor of making their food choice a good one.

What are the benefits of the job? Meeting and getting to know so many wonderful people and their families over the years.

I like to see their kids and their grandkids coming over to have some gyros for the first time and they always come back. I also like how everything is always a little different at all the locations I visit. The places and some people are the same but it is never exactly the same. I always meet new people.

What are the downsides of the job?

Sometimes the hours can be a little long but that means I am busy.

Describe a typical week. During the fair season, we start early and set up the machines for the day, start cooking and once we open we are busy, especially for the state fairs and Decatur Celebration.

It keeps going until we close, about 18 hours later.

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July 2014

Make job choice based on your goals Q: I feel as though I’m trapped in the family business. For the past 10 years, I have worked for my father-in-law, “Frank.” My wife’s brother and sister are also employed here. When Frank retires, the three of us are supposed to take over the company.

My fear is that this arrangement will not work out well.

For one thing, I’m not sure that three people can actually run a business together. Also, Frank tends to be very controlling and may have a hard time letting go. These issues could adversely affect the company’s success.

Office Coach I left the corporate world to join this family firm, and I sometimes regret that decision. I know I have the potential to do more, but with a wife and three kids to support, changing jobs seems risky. When I once mentioned that possibility, Frank angrily threatened to sabotage my career.

Although I think about this constantly, I can’t make up my mind. Should I stay and do my best to help the business succeed? Or should I get up my nerve and quit, hoping that my wife will back me up?

A: If you quit the family business without consulting your wife, you will have a whole new set of problems. Your career choice affects her in many ways, so don’t make this decision unilaterally.

Instead, the two of you must carefully weigh the pros and cons.

Marie McIntyre

As you ponder your options, try to imagine your desired future five years down the road. What kind of work would be most fulfilling? What sort of lifestyle do you hope to have? What is most important for your children? See which path seems more likely to lead to your ideal scenario.

Because your father-in-law is something of a bully, either choice will require some careful planning. If you elect to stay, you need a legal agreement describing Frank’s eventual transition to retirement and the subsequent partnership with your in-laws. But if you choose to leave, you must prepare for the inevitable family drama.

Even though the decision is difficult, you need to make a conscious choice based on your goals. Don’t stay just because leaving is hard, and don’t leave just because the family is frustrating.

Q: Six weeks ago, I requested a meeting with my boss to discuss my performance and ask for a raise. She made positive comments about my work and said she would get back to me about the salary increase. After sending her two email reminders, I have still not heard anything. Even if my request is denied, I would appreciate the courtesy of a reply.

Should I send another email?

A: In reality, your manager’s silence on the subject probably answers the question, at least for now. Nevertheless, you do deserve a response, so the key is to get one without annoying your boss. A third email might brand you as a nag, so try a more subtle approach.

The next time you have a face-to-face meeting with her, casually pose your question at the end of the conversation.

For example: “By the way, I assume my request for a raise didn’t come at a con-

Q: My co-worker’s perfume is driving me crazy. Whenever I’m near “Brittany,” my eyes water, and I start to get a headache. After I talked with human resources, Brittany was moved to a different cubicle, but I still have to walk past her several times a day. I went to HR again, but nothing changed. What should I do?

A: No one should wear perfume to work. Ever. There is no reason to do so, and many people find the smell offensive.

For those who are allergic to the ingredients, perfume feels like office air pollution.

Instead of relocating your fragrant colleague, the HR manager should have simply told Brittany to ditch the scents.

But since that didn’t happen, just be thankful that she is no longer nearby and walk quickly whenever you have to pass her desk.

I don’t have the authority to manage her, even though I clearly do. Her negativity has made my job much more difficult.

When Sarah was in charge of this group, she coddled the staff and ignored performance issues. One employee who has not met his goals frequently complains that I’m being too hard on him. I am actually trying to help him succeed, but Sarah undermines my efforts by sympathizing with him. How can I get this situation under control?

A: Sarah is undoubtedly suffering from a bruised ego, but that’s no excuse for her rebellious attitude. Regardless of how she feels about her demotion, she still needs to behave in a mature, professional manner. Getting that message across, however, will probably require some assistance.

Because Sarah refuses to acknowledge your authority, anything you tell her will automatically be disregarded. She is more likely to pay attention to someone higher up, so try asking your boss for help.

For example: “Sarah seems to resent the fact that I am now her supervisor.

She repeatedly says I have no authority over her, and she tries to undermine my relationship with other employees. I understand her feelings, but her behavior is creating problems. If the three of us could meet to clarify expectations, I think that would help.”

Remember that your boss’s role in this scenario is simply to establish ground rules. Once those are in place, you must rely on your own managerial skills to keep Sarah in line.

Q: When I joined this company a few weeks ago, I discovered that the person who previously held my position is now working for me. “Sarah” obviously resents my presence and frequently says

Marie G. McIntyre is a workplace coach and the author of “Secrets to Winning at Office Politics.”

Send in questions and get free coaching tips at www.yourofficecoach.com, or follow her on Twitter @officecoach.

WEEKLY TIPS Can’t get enough advice from the Office Coach. Get weekly column updates at www.thebusiness-journal.com. venient time. Could we discuss it again in a few months?”

If your increase is in the approval pipeline, your boss can explain how that process works. But if it was rejected, hopefully she will agree to revisit the topic at a later date.

Learning a coach approach to managing Q: I’ve gotten feedback that, as a manager, I’m not very good at helping people develop their own solutions. It’s hard — it’s really easy for me to see what they should do, and it seems more efficient to just tell them. How can I start to shift my style?

A: Ask questions, then be quiet and listen.

It’s a common situation: People who are good at what they do are promoted. But they often do not receive much help in the transition between doing and helping others succeed. That’s the situation you’re in, and you should be proud of yourself for being willing to develop out of this rut.

Give yourself a break. Relax, take

Liz Reyer

some deep breaths and let go of any anxiety over the situation. You’ll be able to learn the new skills you need, and being stressed about it will just hold you back.

There are a number of skills that go with having a more coach-style approach, including asking good questions and probing to help team members come up with their own solutions. You also need to be able to assess the risk of letting people make some mistakes.

Assess your skills in these areas so you can plan your skill development.

Consider your current team culture. If you currently solve everyone’s problems, or even overrule their solutions with your own suggestions, you’ll all have some habits to break. Team members will need to relearn a certain amount of autonomy, and you’ll need to learn to back off and to push them to identify solutions before they even come to you.

This is a great opportunity to practice transparency as a leader. Let your team know what you’re up to and why. They won’t be confused, and it can build a lot

WEEKLY TIPS Get weekly career tips from Liz Reyer at www.thebusiness-journal.com. of engagement.

Put some time into skills development.

If you need to learn to create dialogue instead of giving orders, develop a list of go-to questions you could use. There are plenty of ways to find good coaching questions. One hint: Avoid the word “why”; it shuts people down. Use “how” or “what” instead.

If you’re a talker, use the WAIT system: Why Am I Talking. It’s a chatty coach’s best friend and can help you remember to let your team members work things out for themselves.

Model your behavior on someone you admire, or get a mentor or coach for yourself. Watching someone else in action is a great way to learn these

skills.

Being able to let others learn the hard way through trial and error can be very challenging. If this is tough for you, ask for support from your boss, especially in learning to assess risks realistically.

There’s a big difference between a $500 risk and a $50,000 risk, and misjudging won’t serve you or your team member well.

Track your progress, and celebrate your successes. Give yourself feedback, and request it from your team. Find some small team or personal rewards to help build momentum.

Building your coaching skills will benefit you, your team, and your company as a whole.

Liz Reyer is a credentialed coach with more than 20 years of business experience. Her company, Reyer Coaching & Consulting, offers services for organizations of all sizes. Submit questions or comments about this column at www.deliverchange.com/coachscorner or email her at liz@deliverchange.com.

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July 2014

BUSINESS JOURNAL

7

BIZ BITES

Now open The Heroic Age Art Center continues to grow with the addition of CenterEarth Studio and L&L Studio.

Former art teacher Terry Beer said the CenterEarth Studio name references the act of throwing clay onto the wheel. “If it’s not completely centered, there’s no hope of good results,” he said.

Beer said the idea for his pottery studio grew out of the limited options in the Decatur area to rent “wheel time” and that he hopes to have a symbiotic relationship with Next of Kiln, which specializes in slip cast pottery, glazing and firing and moved into Heroic Age this spring.

He plans to offer pottery classes and digital graphic services and sell original pottery and acrylic paintings.

Hours will be 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Monday through Wednesday, 10 am. to 1 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and other times by appointment.

For more, visit www.centerearth studio.com or call (217) 520-7582.

The owners of L&L Studio are a mother-daughter team, with Laura Harrison transforming empty wine bottles into faux stained-glass lamps and daughter Lindsey creating handmade jewelry out of shell casings, rocks seashells and other finds.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Saturday. Call (217) 201-0593 or (217) 2017141.

Heroic Age is located in the former Mount Zion Grade School at 143 S. Henderson St. nnn Jacque Danneberger started an interest in baking as a teenager and began making wedding cakes in her hometown of Shelbyville.

She moved to Decatur about 10 years ago, but it wasn’t until recently putting a commercial level kitchen in her house that she began baking again. As a result, Danneberger has started a business, The Cake House.

“I am so excited,” Danneberger said.

“I never thought I’d get back into cake decorating.”

She enjoys the artistic side of the experience and making specialty cakes.

“It’s a passion,” Danneberger said.

Danneberger, who also works as an insurance agent, tries to make sure everything that goes on a cake is edible.

Cakes can be made for weddings and other special occasions, she said.

For more information and to see samples of her work, go to www.thecakehouse.1hwy.com. Call (217) 358-2423. nnn Christie Clinic’s Department of Dermatology has expanded its practice to Decatur.

The office opened Monday at 100 S. Water St. Dr. Jeremy Youse and nurse Jenny Hinegardner evaluate and treat patients with problems of the skin, including warts, benign and malignant skin growths (such as moles and skin cancer), rashes, hives, eczema, and psoria-

sis. Common treatments may involve medication, surgery, or use of phototherapy facilities.

Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. Call (217) 362-0661. nnn Dollar General has open a new store at 561 S. Wood St. in Maroa.

The store’s size and format is identical to the Dollar General that opened in Cerro Gordo two years ago and is just a bit smaller than the one under construction in Decatur at 969 E. Eldorado St. Crystal Ghassemi, spokeswoman for Dollar General, said that store is scheduled to have its grand opening in late July.

The Maroa store’s hours are 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Call (21) 794-2333. nnn Hannah Medley has officially opened Lady Pines Cupcakes in her Mount Zion home.

“There’s nothing more fun for me than to be part of other people’s celebrations and making people happy,” said Medley, administrative assistant in the farm department of Busey Ag Services.

“In the next 18 months or so I’m hoping to buy a food truck to hit up the festival circuit, too.”

The name “Lady Pines” is a variation on a reference from “The Golden Girls,” a television show beloved by Medley and her sister, Holly Guy. “Dorothy is constantly threatening to send her mother (Sophia) to Shady Pines,” Medley said.

Chocolate chip cookie dough so far has been her most-requested cupcake flavor but her featured flavor for May — Peaches and Camilla Cream — has been so popular, she plans to add it to her regular menu’s 15 other flavors.

And that doesn’t even include her special spring/summer menu of more than a dozen other choices.

For more, visit ladypinescupcakes.com or call (217) 520-4060.

where we go,” Sam Babich said.

Hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday. Call (217) 330-8939.

Changing A familiar Decatur eating and drinking spot has served itself up a new image as the St. Nicholas Grille.

The location at 101 S. Main Street in the city’s downtown was previously known as Main Place Bar & Grill and Jimmy Ryan’s before that. Now the new name comes with a new menu, a fresh look and a bar stocked with craft beers.

General manager Chris Durham said the menu emphasis is on gourmet halfpound burgers ranging from barbecue bacon with cheddar cheese and onion rings to a Hawaiian burger with sliced pineappple and a teriyaki glaze, all served on brioche buns. The menu also has a dash of Germanic flavoring, too, with schnitzel, red cabbage, German potato salad and pretzels.

Durham said the menu revamp came after he took over in February and the business was shutdown for about a month earlier this year to allow for a decor facelift. The resurrection of a storied name from the past — last carried by the St. Nicholas Hotel — is complemented by an interior styling full of photographs from Decatur’s past.

Durham says the aim is a casual atmosphere that makes diners feel com-

FREE S TE A M I EST

fortable. “And we’re putting a heavy focus on our beer garden, a large outdoor covered patio area that can comfortably seat 60 or 70,” he added. “We will be featuring live bands out there Friday nights.”

The St. Nicholas Grille is open 11 a.m to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, and closed between the hours of 2 to 4 p.m., and open 4 to 9 p.m. Saturday. Call (217) 422-4700. nnn Willie Sutton has closed her Rummage Room on East Wood Street and reopened in the former Salvation Army thrift store at 932 E. Wood St. While the focus remains on furniture and home decor, the business deserved a name that better reflects its new and improved home — so Sutton is calling it Willie’s Thrift Shop.

“This place is clean and nice,” she said. “The old name didn’t fit.”

The building most recently was used

by National Pipe Trades as a training school and hasn’t been a thrift store in more than a dozen years.

Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Call (217) 330-7359.

Biz Bites highlight businesses that are opening, closing, expanding … you get the picture. If you have information for our Biz Bites column, contact Tony Reid at treid@herald-review.com, Chris Lusvardi at clusvardi@herald-review.com, Theresa Churchill at tchurchill@heraldreview.com or call them at (217) 421-6979.

Scott CUSTOM CEILINGS

On the move Babich Skin Care is settling into what practice manager Sam Babich describes as feeling like its own home.

The business recently completed a move to 2880 N. Monroe St. in the former cancer care center after about 15 years on the Decatur Memorial Hospital campus, Babich said. The move allows more space for Dr. Debra Babich and her staff to care for patients.

“This is going to be so nice for them,” Sam Babich said. “We’ve got a street location. Parking is great. All the patients love it. They can pull up to the front door.”

The new facility includes 10,000 square feet of space, which Sam Babich said they’re still thinking about what to do with all of it. Their primary focus is on medical services including acne, mole removal and skin cancer, although the move provides the opportunity to expand asthetic services such as chemical peels, laser hair removal and wrinkle reduction, he said.

“We’ve got the wheels turning to see

TRANSFORM ANY ROOM WITH ACOUSTICAL CEILINGS!

Commercial and Residential Enhance appearance and sound performance New construction and remodels Finish your basement or give your commercial space a fresh new look Professional quality service

217.450.1910

301 N. Railroad St., Blue Mound, IL 62513

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Continued from page 5

Scott Bushey Human resources manager at Simon Property Group After spending most of his 35 years living in the Decatur area, Bushey relocated to Indianapolis.

Bushey worked at Archer Daniels Midland Co. for 12 years. He served in different positions including labor relations representative and human resources manager.

In 2007, he received his master's of business administration from Millikin University.

Before leaving Decatur in 2011, Bushey was involved in the United Way of Decatur and Mid-Illinois for eight years, including serving as chairman.

In Indianapolis, he became human

resources manager for Carrier Corp. for about two and a half years. In February, Bushey became human resources manager at Simon Property Group's corporate headquarters in Indianapolis.

Cesar Arguelles Assistant director of SIU Decatur Family Medicine Residency Program During his 16 years at SIU Family Medicine, Arguelles has valued the variety and enrichment he receives from his job.

In addition to caring for patients, he oversees the educational program and manages recruitment and interviews of students Arguelles looking to enroll in the

residency program.

From his role interacting with students, he said he is kept active by seeing the growth of young doctors and staying up-to-date on the advancements of medicine. As a practitioner, he finds helping members of the community, especially the under-served, fulfilling.

In 2007, Arguelles played an integral role in developing and guiding the implementation of the facility’s electronic health record. Currently, he is coauthoring a chapter in a medical textbook.

Dane Bragg Village manager of Buffalo Grove Experience Bragg gained through his role as assistant city manager of Economic and Urban Development for

Decatur allowed him to manage other communities in the state.

In 2007, after three years as assistant city manager, Bragg became city manager of Galesburg.

In 2010, he moved to the northwest Chicago suburb Buffalo Grove and became village manager, implementing financial and asset management practices.

“From my formal eduBragg cation at Millikin University to the lasting business and personal relationships in the Decatur community, as well as the outstanding work experience I gained while working for the city, I carry many of those values with me and use them in my leadership role on a daily basis,” he said.

Attempts to contact Julie Morris were unsuccessful.

Other 20 under 40 honorees 2006

2008

Jill Applebee Debbie Bogle Lori Brown Mike and Megan Comerford Jamie Duies Ginger Edwards Brad Franz Chris Harrison Kelly Hazenfield Kyle May Chad Mitchell Christine Pinckard Mark Putnam Bartley Rose Melinda Rueter Lori Sturgill Brad Swartz Anthony Walker Sherry White Karylle Wike

2007

Jeff Abbott Amber D. Anderson Brooke Ballard Adam Brown Lisa Campbell Kristin Crim Roxie K. Dotson Shad Etchason Jamie Gower Carey A. Grady Carrie Hogue Damian Jones Sr. Dan Martini Tara Nickerson Zach Shields Ryan Spurlock Sarah Sylvester Megan Timmons Lawrence Trimble Shalen Walker

2009

Matthew D. Bennett Cindy Breitwieser Brandy Brown Chris Ellis Tami D. Gharst Lauren Hunt Jeff Ingle Jimmy La Rose Wayne Lackie Eric B. Leonard Daniel M. Lightner Cathy Mansur Todd Mason Rick McCoy Shannen Ray Kimberly Sheppard Pattie Smith-Phillips Tia D. White Brad Wike Lindsey (Daggett) Wise

Erica Alford Melanie Brown Rev. Robert Bushey Jr. Andy Cave Michael Couch Beth Mason Creighton Jason Fisher John and Lisa Flora Bill Francisco Joe Havis Cordell Montez Ingram Misty Lee Chris Phillips John Renfro Chris J. Smith Katherine Smith Zac Sowa Wendy Tohill Melissa Watson Daylyn Wells

2010 Nicole Bateman Bruce T. Bennett Mercedes C. Benz Nathen “Nate” L. Binkley Sr. Trevor Brothers Jody Cox Amanda Denno George J. Johns Caleb Jump Kristy Kitterman Jerald “Chef LJ Klink” Klinkenberg Erica Lange Aric Lee Anastasia Lingle Megan R. Mayrick Keturah Owens Keyria Rodgers Melanie Schelling Denise Smith Chantel Thompson

2011 Kim Amsalem Stephanie Ashe Brown Keith Brown Jamie Davis Chris Funk Amanda Havener Ron Ingram Lonni Lay Amanda Lewis Ashley Littrell Eissa McGlaughlin Gretchen Nollman Betsy Osman Emily Roush Christopher Rooney Amy Schneider Leann Schuering Cheryl Warner Andrew Weatherford Tasha Ziemer

2012 Liz Adeola Jennifer Bennett Michelle Bovyn Matt Brown Todd Cyrulik Brad Doran Chris Herbert Julie Koshinski Hovis Hillarie Ryann Hudson Bruce Wayne Jeffery Brandon Mandernach Kimberly Mangan Brittney McLaughlin Becky Newton Mindy Peterson-Lindsey Dana Ray Kylee (Flider) Roney Megan Towner Rodney “Sky” Walker Sara Zarndt

2013 Colin Bonner Michael Breheny Erica Colee Carl Draper Kim Fields Johnathon R. Fluker Kelly M. Gagnon Paco Greenwell Jeana Nicole Griffiths Wes Heinkel Drew Jacobus Mary E. Koll Tonya Kowa Morelli Jason Queen Josh Rohrscheib Katrina “Kat” Smalley Michael Stewart Reed Sullivan Claire Taylor Blake Wallace

For the Class of 2014, see the special section inside this month’s Business Journal

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July 2014

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Marriage, kids change job picture for young adults Study: Women more educated

By ANN BELSER TCA News Service

Young married men are more likely to be in the labor force than men who are single or living with a partner, but marital status has no relationship to whether young women are working.

The presence of children in the home is what changes it all for women.

If a young woman has a child living with her, whether she is married, unmarried with a partner or single, she is more likely not to be employed. For men, the opposite was true, children drove them to work.

Those were some of the findings by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics from a longitudinal study of Americans born in the early 1980s, as the government agency seeks to understand the factors that affect a generation of citizens and its relationship to the job market.

In 1997, the bureau found a cohort of 9,000 people who were 12 to 17 years old – born from 1980 to 1984 and interviewed them for the first time. The latest round of data comes from the group’s 15th round of interviews conducted in 2011 and 2012 and focused on the year they turned 27.

What the researchers found was that the women in the group — all of them are among the generation called millennials — tended to be more educated by the time they were 27 than were the men.

The young people who did finish college worked an average of 4.5 jobs from when they were 18 through when they were 22, the years they would typically have also been in college, and they were out of the labor force less than a third of the time.

“I was surprised by the amount of work effort they all seem to be putting in,” said Heidi Hartmann, the president of the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, a Washington, D.C., policy group.

Thirty-two percent of the women held bachelor’s degrees while 23.9 percent of men had finished college. Meanwhile, a slightly higher percentage of men (9.3 percent) were high school dropouts than women (8.1 percent).

Even among those who started college, women were more likely to graduate. Seventy percent of the women in the group started college, with 46 percent of them receiving a bachelor’s degree by the time they were 27. For men, 61 percent started college with 39 percent finishing their degree by the time they were 27.

There also was a disparity of educational attainment along racial lines.

While 7.1 percent of white respondents dropped out of high school, 12.4 percent of black 27-year-olds had, as had 13.6

percent of Hispanics. On the other end of the educational scale, whites were more than twice as likely to have finished college (32.7 percent) than blacks (15.3 percent) or Hispanics (14.5 percent).

As with in every generation before them, the arrival of children made a huge difference in the lives of the millennials.

Men and women without children were found in the labor force at almost the same rate, with men at a rate of 79.1 percent and women at 80.6 percent. For people with children, men’s labor force participation rate was 86.4 percent and women’s was 71.7 percent.

Hartman said the reason many women with children drop out of the

labor force is the lack of paid leave or paid child care in the U.S. Women who have to leave work to care for newborn children are out of the work force longer than those who have paid leave. And countries that have state-sponsored child care have higher working rates for women.

For low-income women, she said, it doesn’t make economic sense to go back to work and pay for child care.

The millennials are also seeing other similarities with generations that have gone before them. For years, demographers have been saying that workers have to be prepared to hold several different jobs in their lifetimes. That has held true for those in the BLS survey.

By the time they were 27, participants had worked an average of 6.2 jobs. The members of the cohort with a college degree had worked an average of 6.5 jobs.

Members of the generation who had started but not completed college or who held an associate’s degree had worked 76.5 percent of the time since they turned 18. Those who finished college worked 74.5 percent of the time.

The group who had given up on working the most, and were out of the labor market the longest, were those who did not finish high school. They spent more than a third of the time from ages 18 to 26 neither working nor looking for work.

(also online at www.thebusiness-journal.com) Nominees must be 50 years of age or older as ofAugust 1,2014.

You may nominate more than one person, and you may nominate yourself. Nominees can either work OR live in Macon County. Nominations must be submitted by July 15, 2014 online at www.thebusiness-journal.com.

NominationsmayalsobesubmittedviamailincareofThe Business Journal, 601 E.William St., Decatur, IL 62523 or e-mailed to: sperry@herald-review.com

Nominator’s Name: Nominator’s Work Phone: Nominator’s E-mail: Nominator’s Mailing Address: Candidate’s Name: Candidate’s Gender: M F Candidate’s E-mail: Candidate’s Mailing Address: Candidate’s Work/Home Phone: Candidate’s Age: Candidate’s Occupation & Company: Awards/Honors Candidate has Received:

Why You Think He/She Should be Selected:

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YOUR HEALTH

He taught for a year and was then named director of the academy.

“The hardest part about going from a teacher to an administrator was the separation from the kids, even though I still get to see them on a daily basis,” he said. “However, I think I have a better affect on the education system as an administrator, and I couldn't pick a better job.”

Kickstarting your fitness plan Apps, squads help participants train

F. Todd McClelland

By EMILY STEELE Business Journal Writer

DECATUR — The answers to why beginner fitness programs such as the local Shoreline Squads or Couch to 5K app are so popular vary.

Some are just for fun, such as Decatur Running Club's free Learn to Run program which finished last month, while others such as Thursday night open water swims are reserved for those training for the Rodney T. Miller Lakeside Triathlon or another event.

But they're all about developing a community that learns to love the challenge.

The triathlon has special permission from the park district to open up the small stretch of beach in Nelson Park once a week before race day so swimmers can feel the difference between a pool and the lake.

As a safety precaution, a kayaker did loops in the choppy water and Race Director Gene Mueller did head counts.

Swimmers did laps around two neon green buoys which had drifted 250 yards apart in the wind.

“It's nice to have chop slapping them in the face before race day,” Mueller said.

Often first-time lake swimmers will panic or struggle to find a rhythm when they can't see the bottom and start fighting the waves. Swimming is the first event in a triathlon, which Mueller said sets the tone for the whole race.

“That's the one we get the most requests for help,” Mueller said.

Abby Coers and Cory Hosier bobbed in the water off the promenade to glean some advice off seven-year triathlon veteran Diane Grubb.

Coers had downtime between training for marathons and signed up because she was looking for a fun challenge.

Swimming is hardest for her and she's still learning to find a good pace.

“That's a big thing, starting slow,” Coers said.

As swimmers entered the water, a group of runners went past after picking up registration packets at the kickoff for Shoreline Squads. The squads are a training program to help runners and walkers complete the 5K or 15K course of the Shoreline Classic.

“Nobody is ever left behind,” said Squad Director Michelle Espy, who said more than 700 people have signed up so far.

She said the squads create a sense of community where everyone is welcome and the word “only” is never used to describe runs. Those who've participated in the past have come back as squad

www.thebusiness-journal.com

Pastor of City of Praise Church In his 11th year as pastor and founder of City of Praise Church, McClelland continues to expand the church's outreach in the community.

City of Praise began in a hotel ballroom as New Millennium Faith Ministries in 2003 and moved to its current location in summer 2004 after members raised $20,000 in three months.

Recently, McClelland developed Millennium Sound Recording Group, an independent gospel label branching from FTM Records, which he has operated for the past 15 years. The label aims to provide a resource for talented individuals who wouldn't be able to afford professional recordings.

“In the Decatur community, I meet people with all kinds of different gifts, and with a little help, they can really bring change to Decatur,” he said.

His congregation has expanded to about 175 members, and he looks to establish partnerships with community organizations such as Dove Inc. He said he hopes to offer a GED program and finance classes for the community in the future.

Business Journal/Jim Bowling

No Boundaries 5K training program participants start off their run heading south on Oakland Avenue. leaders.

“Shoreline Squad is whatever you want to make it,” Espy said.

Athletic trainer Dustin Finks led the most recent Decatur Public Library lecture series on Fitness for Beginners to help those new to a fitness routine prepare for a 5K run or walk.

“You always know the right thing,” Finks said. “You just don't always do the right thing.”

Finks, a St. Mary's Hospital trainer who works at Mount Zion schools, said the biggest barrier to someone starting out is lofty goals.

“That's typically where the biggest pitfalls come from, is people who have the best intention, but they overdo it,” Finks said.

While many fitness goals are driven by outward appearance such as weight loss and muscle definition, the health benefits of a wholesome diet and exercise can lessen risks for disease such as cancer, heart disease and high blood pressure. In a county where 32 percent of adults are obese and 10 percent of residents are diabetic according to County Health Rankings, physical activity can lessen complications and lengthen life.

“External motivators shouldn't be

Tips & barriers Common fitness barriers and tips to overcome them: Goal setting: Start small. “Realize it took somebody a lot of years to get where they're at,” said Athletic Trainer Dustin Finks Time: “You don't find time, you make time and that's all it really boils down to,” Finks said.

Lack of progress: Finks reminds people “don't be a slave to the scale,” and commit to an exercise for six weeks.

Perfection: You don't have to be perfect all the time, splurge days are OK but don't use them as an excuse to your primary reason,” Finks said.

While people with previous injuries or chronic conditions may use that as an opportunity to quit, Finks said any activity, as advised by a doctor, is better than none.

“There aren't many conditions in which exercise is bad for you, so it's really about modifying,” Finks said.

Finks attributes the popularity and success of community and online training programs, such as the Couch to 5K app, to their slow buildup and access to a tool that serves as a digital personal trainer.

“They're accessible and running and walking is free,” Finks said.

Tuesdays evenings at Fleet Feet, a running store that opened in May, you can find the No Boundaries 5K training program stretching out before they pound the pavement.

The group of 25 is the store's first of many sponsored by New Balance and run through Fleet Feet franchises. Most are first-time runners and they're aiming for the Odd Fellows 5K on July 26.

“They like the idea of a group to keep them going,” said Donna May. May, whose husband, Kyle, owns the franchise and the connecting Spin City Cycles, is one of the program leaders.

Every week a local health professionals leads a different discussion topic on hydration, running injuries or stretching techniques. May said the program is more about helping people think they can and building a community of runners rather than a customer base.

“It really can be life changing,” May said.

Holly Crotty Executive director of Tazewell Animal Protective Society After about four and a half years serving as community impact director at the United Way of Decatur and MidIllinois, Crotty became chief operating officer of the Girl Scouts of Central Illinois.

Though Crotty attributes her interest in community involvement to the encouragement she received from co-workers and supporters of United Crotty Way and Girl Scouts, her affinity for helping others started long before that.

Before joining the United Way, she worked as a domestic violence caseworker and a court advocate for the Center for Prevention of Abuse in Peoria, victim advocate for the Peoria Police Department and the Tazewell County State's Attorney's Office, and program officer at the Community Foundation of Central Illinois.

About two years ago, Crotty relocated to her hometown of Pekin to care for her parents where she accepted the position of executive director of the Tazewell Animal Protective Society no-

July 2014 kill shelter.

“Because of my 10 years in Decatur, I understand that you can make positive change by getting involved,” she said.

“No matter your passion, there is always a role to play to make a difference.”

Melinda Hawbaker City of Decatur comptroller After serving as executive director for United Way of Decatur and Mid-Illinois, Hawbaker continued her work to improve the quality of life in the local community.

At United Way, she led annual campaigns that exceeded $18 million during her seven years as executive director.

Hawbaker moved on to be finance director for the Community Health Improvement Center in 2007 and became senior accounting analyst at Archer Daniels Midland Co. a year later.

In April 2013, she combined her passions of serving the community and accounting when she accepted the position of city of Decatur comptroller.

Scott Pointon Director of White Oak Library District Pointon's position as assistant city librarian of the Decatur Public Library allowed him the experience to move to a southwest suburb of Chicago and carry management responsibility over a district containing three libraries.

He said that during his time at the library from 2002 to 2006, their team was able to attract new audiences and increase cultural and educational programming efforts.

“I believe that working on a team that constantly Pointon strives to make everything better helped me in my current position, where we passed a building bond referendum in 2010 and have since rebuilt and modernized all three of our library facilities,” he said.

Pointon moved to Crest Hill, Ill., in 2006 and became director of the White Oak Library District, which consists of facilities in Crest Hill, Lock Port and Romeoville.

“Because of my experiences working in Decatur, I find myself constantly striving to improve, push boundaries and try new things at my current library.”

Lisa Holder White 4th District Appellate Court judge Since age 12, Holder White knew her future would involve law and the justice system.

Her career began as an assistant state's attorney with the Macon County State's Attorney's Office, and then she became an assistant public defender and partner at a former firm with James

Brinkoetter Jr. Holder White became an associate judge in the 6th Judicial Circuit in 2001, making her the first black judge in Macon County.

In 2008, the Illinois Supreme Court appointed her circuit judge to fill the vacancy left by retiring Judge John Greanias, and she was elected to the position in 2010.

In January 2013, Holder White became the first black appellate justice of the 4th District Illinois Appellate Court in Springfield, which oversees cases from 30 different counties.

Chris Bullock Regional manager for Cromwell Radio Group Being in radio for more than 25 years, Bullock knows the importance of boosting one's community.

He currently serves as the regional manager for Cromwell Radio Group, overseeing stations in Decatur, Mattoon, Effingham and Vandalia. Bullock is also the general manager of the Cromwell stations in Decatur.

Bullock “I feel like we get to make a difference every day with what we do,” he said. “With the community being so supportive, it makes you apt to want to do more, and we are always looking for ways to help and boost-up our community.”

Sonja Chargois Program specialist Girl Scouts of Central Illinois Working for the Girl Scouts of Central Illinois for the past 15 years has allowed Chargois to see the many challenges community youth face on a daily basis, giving her more and more drive to provide programs that benefit the lives of children and parents.

During her tenure at the Girl Scouts, she has served as outreach specialist, community coordinator, membership specialist and program specialist.

Chargois provides programs for many community partners including the Decatur School District.

“I love the fact that I am able to work with youth that I am confident will grow into amazing adults, and most importantly, I am blessed to be employed with an organization who inspires girls today to be tomorrow's leaders,” she said.

Kendall Briscoe Director of community engagement for the Decatur School District Briscoe's proudest accomplishment during the past 10 years is to not fear change.

“I see many people stay in situations that they are not truly thriving in

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because of their fear of change, and I never want to be that person,” she said.

Briscoe worked at Richland Community College for seven years and served as director of marketing and public information from 2004 to 2005.

She then became director of marketing and public information at Black Hawk College in Moline.

She returned to Briscoe Decatur as senior account manager for DCC Marketing and then returned to her role in education by becoming director of community engagement for the Decatur School District, where she is responsible for public and media relations and serves as spokesperson for the district.

Rhonda Glidewell Volleyball coach at MacArthur High School Though Glidewell no longer spends her days restoring homes, she still stays active in the community.

Before the housing market crashed five years ago, she had restored more than 100 local homes in 20 years.

Now, Glidewell focuses on a different passion she has carried for 20 years, volleyball. She coached at Lutheran School Association and Our Lady of Lourdes before joining the staff at MacArthur High School three years ago.

In late June, the MacArthur volleyball team won the Parkland Junior College Consolation Championship Challenge.

“I love being involved in giving girls the opportunity to go to college and to help them be a part of a family outside of school or work where they can connect and have positive role models,” she said.

Patrick Hoban City of Decatur economic development officer Hoban refers to himself as Decaturmade.

After two years working as senior designer for Nichols Advertizing, Hoban was recruited by the Decatur Economic Development Corp. He served as vice president of business development from 2007 to 2013 and became economic development officer in October.

He said serving the Decatur community has Hoban taught him the importance of work ethic, dreams and resilience.

“There are a lot of great people and great products made, sold and shipped in Decatur,” he said. “I don't take for granted that the better we are at what we do, the better Decatur will be for generations to come.”

Hoban has lived in Decatur his entire life.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

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Screenings Bone density screening, 9-11 a.m.

Wednesday, July 2, Women’s Health and Breast Center, 302 W. Hay St., Suite 117A. Screening to check your risk for osteoporosis. Register online or call (217) 8764377.

Cholesterol screening, 7-10 a.m. Thursday, July 10, 3131 N. Water St. Cost is $20. To register, call (217) 876-4377.

Classes Cardiopulmonary rehab nutrition class, 11 a.m. Thursday, July 10, Decatur Memorial Hospital, Cafe DMH. Hospital dietitians share heart healthy eating tips.

For information, call (217) 876-2496.

In BeTWEEN for Girls, 10-11:30 a.m.

Saturday, July 12, Decatur Memorial Hospital, OB Classroom. Girls ages 9-12 learn about life issues that are important to teens. To register, call (217) 8763100.

This is the 10th year the Business Journal has recognized 20 individuals under the age of 40 for their contributions to the community.

munity is facing and hopefully making it a better place to live.”

Author

To mark the occasion, we decided to look back at the first class of honorees and see where they are today and how their commitment to serving the community has shaped their lives.

Alexandria Huber

Amanda Clark Director of special programs for School District 308 After serving as principal of Johns Hill Magnet School for five years, Clark continued her involvement in education throughout Northern Illinois.

In 2009, Clark became assistant principal at Frederick Nerge Elementary School in Schaumburg. A year later, she was named principal.

About a year ago, Clark joined Community Unit School District 308, which serves the communities of Aurora, Joliet, Montgomery, Oswego, Plainfield and Yorkville.

Clark As director of special programs of the district, she oversees English Language Learners along with programs for gifted students and parent outreach and empowerment initiatives.

Anthywon Taylor All the way up until his death Aug. 11, 2012, at the age of 46, Taylor was coming up with new ways to engage young people and helping them set life goals.

He was the founder and president of Youth Workshop Ministries, which involved networking, procurring funds, developing educational programs and providing instruction and activities for high school students, college students and young professionals. Activities included interaction with state and local government officials, professional devel-

opment mentoring and creation of a speakers bureau.

Bryan Smith Executive director of Township Officials of Illinois Smith has worked to keep the gears of local government turning smoothly for more than 25 years and doesn't plan to slow down anytime soon.

The 48-year-old has served as the executive director of the Township Officials of Illinois for 18 years. He is editor of the association's monthly magazine “Township Perspective” and the third executive director in the Smith association's history, which spans more than a century.

Smith has also been a Macon County Board member for the last 12 years.

“My involvement in the community has made me appreciate the many services provided within our community and the large number of people who willingly give of their time to help shape and make our community a better place,” he said. “I enjoy serving because it helps me be a part of solving issues our com-

Transitional specialist at Intercept Youth Services The youngest individual featured in the July 2005 special section, Huber at age 15 aspired for a career that involved helping others in need.

After receiving a bachelor's of human services from Milikin University in May, Huber moved to Fredericksburg, Va., to become a transitional specialist at Intercept Youth Services.

“I help at-risk youth and do one-onone mentoring,” the 24-year-old Decatur native said. “It takes a mental toughness to work with people who have been through so much, but I love the reward of it; helping people has always been my passion.”

Huber graduated from St. Teresa High School, and during her sophomore year, she raised $5,000 to bring a German family to the United States.

Brian Plummer Director of Milligan Academy Education has always been Plummer's passion, and he has recently transitioned from teaching a flock of students to directing an entire school.

After teaching high school mathematics at Futures Unlimited, where he taught for 11 years, Plummer became employed as a teacher at Milligan Academy: Regional Safe School Program in 2011.

Plummer

Eat Right to Help the Fight, 11 a.m.

Monday, July 14, Cancer Care Center of Decatur, 210 W. McKinley Ave. Nutrition class for cancer patients. Register online or call (217) 876-4750.

Sibling class, 5:15 p.m. Monday, July 14, St. Mary’s Hospital, OB Classroom.

BANQUET

Troy Taylor

We found that most of the individuals continue to apply their talents for the benefit of Macon County, while the others have moved on to make a difference in other communities.

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Community health calendar

YOUR COMMUNITY

To date, the Decatur native has written 111 books, 75 within the last decade.

He has expanded from two tour companies to six, with one that travels to locations throughout the nation.

Taylor noted that his staff has quadrupled in size over the years, and the Haunted Decatur Tour has reached its 21st season.

“The overwhelming response that we got from the Haunted Decatur Tours when they started Taylor really gave me the confidence to sort of take the show on the road and expand into other towns,” he said. “I've used a lot of what we've done here as a model for other communities. I've always appreciated the support that I've received from people in Decatur.”

The 47-year-old has added companies in Jacksonville, Chicago and St. Louis with other locations to be added during the coming year. He usually divides his time living in Decatur and Chicago.

Taylor has also taken on about a dozen more authors at Whitechapel Press, a small publishing company he owns that specializes in books about ghosts and hauntings.

July 2014

Children 3-12 learn about being a big brother or sister. For more information or to register, call (217) 464-2334.

Infant CPR class, 7 p.m. Monday, July 14, Decatur Memorial Hospital, OB Classrooms, third floor. Register online or call (217) 876-3400.

of Decatur, Education Classrooms, 210 W. McKinley Ave. For cancer patients and their families. Register online or call (217) 876-4750.

Pink Link breast cancer support group, 6 p.m. Thursday, July 10. To register, call (217) 876-4377.

Cardiopulmonary risk factors education, 1-3 p.m. Friday, July 18, Decatur Memorial Hospital, Cafe 1 and 2. For more information, call (217) 876-2496.

Breastfeeding support group, 10:30-11:30 a.m. Monday, July 14 and July 21, Baby TALK, 500 E. Lake Shore Dr. To register, call Flo Folami at (217) 464-2334.

Support groups

SHARE support group, 7 p.m. Monday, July 14, St. Mary’s Hospital, Room G24.

Support group for those who have experienced the death of a baby during pregnancy, at birth or early infancy. For more information, call (217) 464-2045.

TOPS Club IL 49 Decatur, 5:30 p.m.

Tuesdays, Main Street Church of God, 2000 N. Main St. (enter from Garfield Street). Support group for Real People seeking Real Results with weight loss.

For more information, go to www.topsclub.org or call Chris Granda at (217) 521-2420.

Growing Through Grief, 6-7:30 p.m.

Tuesday, July 8, Cancer Care Center of Decatur, Education Classrooms, 210 W. McKinley Ave. To register, call 876-4735.

Epilepsy support group, 5 p.m. Tuesday, July 8, St. Mary’s Hospital, Assisi Room.

For more information, call (217) 853-1655.

Facing Cancer Together, 1:30 p.m.

Wednesday, July 9, Cancer Care Center

GUIDE

(217) 820-3096.

Essential tremor support group, 2 p.m.

Sunday, July 20, St. Mary’s Hospital, Assisi Room. For more information, call Don Klinker at (217) 423-9667.

Post partum emotional support group, 6:30 p.m. Monday, July 21, St. Mary’s Hospital, Assisi Room. For more information, call (217) 464-2334.

Us TOO prostate cancer support group, 4:30-6 p.m. Tuesday, July 22, Cancer Care Center of Decatur, Education Classroom, 210 W. McKinley Ave. Register online or call (217) 876-4750.

Widowed support group, 6 p.m. Thursday, July 24. Monthly dinner gathering. For location or to register, call (217) 428-7733.

Breath of Life support group, noon Tuesday, July 15, St. Mary’s Hospital, Room 561.

Speakers available to answer questions from those with breathing problems. For information, call (217) 464-2603.

Renewal bereavement support group, 6-7:30 p.m. Monday, July 28, Cancer Care Center of Decatur, Education Classroom, 210 W. McKinley Ave. Register online or call (217) 876-4750.

Diabetes support group, 11 a.m. to noon Thursday, July 17, DMH Specific Performance Enhancement Center, 2122 N, 27th St. Call (217) 876-4249.

More

Parkinson’s disease support group, 1:30 p.m.

Thursday, July 17, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1360 W. Main St. For information, call Kathy Broaddus at

Featured Business:

Community Health Lecture Series, 6 p.m.

Tuesday, July 15, Decatur Public Library. The St. Mary’s Hospital community health lecture service provides lectures from local health care providers. For more information, call (217) 464-5125.

HICKORY POINT BANQUET FACILITY Accommodates: 225 w/additional seating on veranda Award-winning cuisine

DECATUR CIVIC CENTER

727 Weaver Rd., Decatur Contact: Tina McCarnen 421-6657

#1 Gary K Anderson Plaza, Decatur Contact: Shelly Gregg

Accommodates: 2 to 3,000 People Assistance with catering, cash bar, & Dj Service available

DECATUR CLUB Accommodates: 300 people Banquets & weddings

422-7300 158 W. Prairie Ave., Decatur Contact: Jeff Ingle 429-4200

DECATUR CONFERENCE CENTER & HOTEL Accommodates: 2,000 people 55,000 sq. ft. functional space, food service available

DOHERTY’S PUB & PINS Accommodates: up to 80 seating - 150 capacity

4191 U.S. 36 West Contact: 420-8711 242 E. William St., Decatur Contact: 428-5612

Full food & beverage service available

MT. ZION CONVENTION CENTER Accommodates: 1,100 people

MT. ZION LIONS CENTER Accommodates: up to 300 people Choose your own caterer, bring your own food Ask about our “value-added service”

SCOVILL BANQUET FACILITY Accommodates: up to 225 people Award-winning cuisine

ST. NICHOLAS GRILLE Accommodates: up to 100 people 101 Club, business/social functions Full food & beverage service available

1410 Mt. Zion Pkwy, Mt. Zion Contact: 864-5424 1595 W. Main St., Mt. Zion Contact: Sharon Spinner 864-3100 mtzionlionsclub.com 3909 W. Main St., Decatur Contact: Kevin Brewer 421-7470 101 S. Main St., Decatur Contact: Chris Durham 422-4700

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July 2014

BUSINESS JOURNAL

TECHTALK

Your employees can put company at risk Your employees have a huge impact on your company’s security.

If they choose easy-to-guess passwords or reuse the same password on personal and business accounts, you may be the one who pays for their poor choices.

The recent rash of security scares brings this risk to light more than ever.

Here are the steps you need to take to protect your business.

Password policies The first action to take is to create and roll out a strong password policy. The standard for strong passwords is at least 8 characters, with some combination of letters, numbers and symbols. Password changes should be required at least quarterly, and new passwords cannot be repeats or variTechnology ations on previous passwords.

Most companies with Windows servers have the ability to configure and roll this out very quickly. It’s largely an automatic process, aside from helping people when they forget their new passwords. This will happen, a lot! Be sure to educate your team so they know what’s happening and why.

Wendy Gauntt

Limit personal use Many companies are fairly relaxed about letting employees access the Internet and email for personal use.

There is a hidden downside: your employees may surf sites that are unsafe, they may download programs that contain malware (malicious software), or they may open attachments on personal email accounts that contain viruses. You can lock down company resources, but when an employee is free to access their own websites and accounts, you never know what they might bring into your company’s network. You can minimize this with strong antivirus protection, firewall security and Web filtering. However, your employee still may click the wrong link or open the wrong attachment. Just like that, their computer, and possibly more, can be infected.

Malware scans You should have antivirus software in place, with regular scans. Make sure you also scan for malware, which may be a separate program or security subscription. Malware is malicious software that runs on your computer in the background. It is usually fairly stealthy and

not obvious, although if your computer seems to be running slowly that is often a symptom. These programs quietly log keystrokes, gather financial information and/or collect passwords. This information can be used for a variety of purposes, none of them good.

If you want to be extremely strict you can set security policies that block employees from installing new programs on their computers. This will prevent the installation of malware. These policies tend to create other complications though, because then all software has to be installed by a system administrator.

Some programs even require administrative access to run, so this won’t be possible. If you go this route, your IT staff will have to be on the ball so that they can handle the extra work this will create for them.

Terminate credentials When employees leave, disable their user accounts immediately. If you need an account to remain active – for example, to forward their email to another employee – at least change the password so the former employee no longer has access. This applies to anyone else who has company access, including consultants, contractors, vendors, interns, etc.

Monitor failed logins Set your systems to track failed login attempts. This could be remote logins for people working from home, email access on mobile devices, logins to Web-based software applications, and any other core business systems. If you see a large number of failed attempts in a short period of time, either you have a very frustrated employee with a bad memory, or your company is under attack. You will need to assess the situation promptly and take steps to ensure that your security is not at risk.

check out two-factor authorization.

This requires both a password (the “first factor”) as well as a code or number that’s randomly generated by a second device, usually an electronic token. The code is entered at login, along with the password. Since the token changes values all the time, it cannot be written down or passed along to someone else. This greatly increases security, although it makes the login process slightly more timeconsuming.

Password tools A great way to discourage use of the same password on all systems is to use a password management tool. These are available for individuals as well as entire companies. There are Web-based applications, apps for your mobile device, and desktop programs. The whole idea is that by having a secure place to store passwords, you can use a greater number of them without fear that you will forget. Most include a random password generator and a cutand-paste feature that eliminates the need to retype each password every time.

FROM THE EDITOR I've often said I wouldn't be a good 20 under 40 honoree.

The current reason is simple. I'm 47. But I felt this way long before breaking the age barrier.

Most of the people selected for this honor go above and beyond when it comes to the community. They give freely of their time and talents to local groups, serving on various committees, and organizing and staffing events for the rest of us to enjoy.

While I'm no stranger to volunteering, most of my efforts have been linked to the activities of my kids. I've coached their teams, I've sold countless pull tabs (Butt Crack, who wants Butt Crack), popped mounds of popcorn, tracked stats, ran scoreboards, hustled band instruments onto numerous fields, among other things.

These are the things you do when you're a parent of active kids.

It's part of the job. But, in most cases, your connection to those activities end as your kids move on.

It takes a special person to step up and do those types of things for others, with whom they have no connection other than calling the same community home.

To these special people, join me in offering them a muchdeserved thanks.

Security training All the measures in the world won’t help if employees don’t take these policies seriously. Many people still think – mistakenly — that there is little chance their noncompliance could ever cause a problem. Recent outbreaks such as the Heartbleed Bug and Cryptolocker virus reveal that nothing is further from the truth. One employee’s weak password or accidental download can take down an entire company’s data network. Now that you understand this, you must train your employees so that they too can understand how important these policies are.

Wendy Gauntt is president of CIO Services LLC, a technology consulting company that specializes in small business solutions. Visit her Web site at www.cioservicesllc.com for more information, ideas and free resources.

BUSINESS JOURNAL

Your staff should never have full administrative access to your systems unless there is excellent reason for it.

Administrative rights, or credentials, mean that a given user can do anything they want inside a system. They can add, change or delete anything; they can even change other people’s security permissions. Outside the IT department, it is rare for anyone to have full rights. An individual may have administrative access to their own PC, but not to the network, to any of the servers, to your software systems, or anything else that’s not specific to them.

Authentication If you still have security concerns,

OF MIDCENTRAL ILLINOIS

VOLUME 20

ISSUE 7

601 E. William St. Decatur, IL 62523 217.421.7976 217.421.7965 (fax)

PUBLISHER: Julie Bechtel EDITOR: Scott Perry ADVERTISING: AnnaMarie Hanes

Reader Profile: n 30% are owner/partner of their business. n 27% have household income of $100,000 to $149,000.

LAYOUT & DESIGN: Ginger Wortman

Scott Perry, editor Business Journal of Midcentral Illinois

July2014Contents 22

Standing Features

ON THE DEFENSIVE

Biz Bites . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Protect your biz from cyber attacks

Business Clips . . . . . 15 Fred Spannaus . . . . . 11

Administrative access

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STORY IDEAS: Email sperry@herald-review.com or call 217.421.7976.

SUBSCRIPTIONS: To order additional copies call 217.421.7931 ADVERTISING: The deadline for ad and ad copy for the August issue is July 17. Call 217.421.7953 for rate information.

The Business Journal of MidCentral Illinois is printed monthly and is a publication of Lee Enterprises Inc.

Free Time calendar . . 16 Health calendar . . . . 21 Liz Reyer . . . . . . . . . . 18 Office Coach . . . . . . . 18 Professional profile . . 17 SCORE counselor . . . 11 Wendy Gauntt . . . . . . 22

Keep on truckin’ McLeod Express got its start in 1986 hauling grain. Today, grain is just one of the many things this growing trucking firm takes from here to there Page 9

17 GYRO KING 32 years of serving goodness

Information published is the responsibility of the author and does not reflect the opinions of The Business Journal of MidCentral Illinois. To submit articles, mail typewritten and 500 words or less to: The Business Journal, 601 E. William St., Decatur, IL 62523. 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.

Copyright 2014 Herald & Review All rights reserved for entire content.

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Forsyth Rotary, 7 a.m., Homewood Suites

by Hilton, 333 W. Marion Ave., Forsyth.

Kiwanianne Club of Decatur, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility, 3909 W. Main St. Prairieland Kiwanis, 9:30 a.m., Decatur Civic Center.

Decatur AMBUCS, noon, Decatur Club, 158 W. Prairie Ave. Noon Kiwanis Club, Decatur Club.

Noon Sertoma, Decatur Club.

Blue Mound Rotary, 6:30 p.m., Pleasantview Township shed.

Wednesday, July 2 Decatur Golden K Kiwanis Club, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet Facility.

Thursday, July 3 Earlybird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon, Decatur Club.

Human Service Agency Consortium (HSAC), noon, Central Christian Church, 650 W. William St. Thursday Noon Toastmasters, Greater Decatur Y, 220 W. McKinley Ave. American Business Women’s Association (Amacita), 6 p.m., location varies.

Lincolnland AMBUCS, 6:30 p.m., Easter Seals’ Building, 2715 N. 27th St.

Monday, July 7 Decatur Noon Lions Club, St. Nicholas Grille (formerly Main Place Bar & Grill), 101 S. Main St. Decatur Rotary 180, noon, Decatur Club.

Women’s Progressive Club, 6 p.m., Greater Northside Baptist Church.

Tuesday, July 8 Forsyth Rotary, 7 a.m., Homewood Suites

by Hilton.

Kiwanianne Club of Decatur, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Prairieland Kiwanis, 9:30 a.m., Decatur Civic Center.

Decatur Building Construction Trades Council, 10 a.m., IBEW Local 146 Hall, 3390 N. Woodford St. Central Illinois Ad Club, 11:30 a.m., Decatur Club.

Decatur AMBUCS, noon, Decatur Club.

Noon Kiwanis Club, Decatur Club.

Noon Sertoma, Decatur Club.

Mount Zion Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours, 5-8 p.m., Unique Boutique Salon and Spa, 1515 Illinois 121, Mount Zion. Entertainment by Third Shift.

Blue Mound Rotary, 6:30 p.m., Pleasantview Township shed.

Wednesday, July 9 Decatur Golden K Kiwanis Club, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Mount Zion Chamber of Commerce Luncheon, 11:30 a.m., Main Hangar, Decatur Airport. Scheduled speaker is state Sen. Andy Manar.

Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet Facility.

Thursday, July 10 Earlybird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

GFWC Decatur Woman’s Club, 11:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Senior Resources Network (formerly Mature Resources Network), 11:45 a.m., Keystone Gardens, 1455 W. Mound Road.

Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon, Decatur Club.

Decatur Area Women’s Network (DAWN), 5:30 p.m., location varies.

Lincolnland AMBUCS, 6:30 p.m., Easter Seals’ Building.

Decatur Camera Club, 7 p.m., Rock Springs Environmental Center, 3939 Nearing Lane.

Friday, July 11 Decatur Breakfast Sertoma, 7 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Monday, July 14 Decatur Noon Lions Club, St. Nicholas Grille (formerly Main Place Bar & Grill).

Decatur Rotary 180, noon, Decatur Club.

Tuesday, July 15 Forsyth Rotary, 7 a.m., Homewood Suites

by Hilton.

Kiwanianne Club of Decatur, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Noon Kiwanis Club, Decatur Club.

Noon Sertoma, Decatur Club.

Blue Mound Rotary, 6:30 p.m., Pleasantview Township shed.

Monday, July 21

Thursday, July 31

Decatur Noon Lions Club, St. Nicholas Grille (formerly Main Place Bar & Grill).

Decatur Rotary 180, noon, Decatur Club.

Women’s Progressive Club, 6 p.m., Greater Northside Baptist Church.

Earlybird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon, Decatur Club.

Tuesday, July 22 Forsyth Rotary, 7 a.m., Homewood Suites

by Hilton.

Kiwanianne Club of Decatur, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Building Construction Trades Council, 10 a.m., IBEW Local 146 Hall.

Decatur AMBUCS, noon, Decatur Club.

Noon Kiwanis Club, Decatur Club.

Noon Sertoma, Decatur Club.

Blue Mound Rotary, 6:30 p.m., Pleasantview Township shed.

Wednesday, July 23 Decatur Golden K Kiwanis Club, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet Facility.

Thursday, July 24 Earlybird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon, Decatur Club.

Decatur Camera Club, 7 p.m., Rock Springs Environmental Center.

Friday, July 25 Decatur Breakfast Sertoma, 7 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

American Business Women’s Association (Monarch), noon, location varies.

Wednesday, July 16

Monday, July 28

Decatur Golden K Kiwanis Club, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Christian Women’s Network, noon, Decatur Club.

Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Noon Lions Club, St. Nicholas Grille (formerly Main Place Bar & Grill).

Decatur Rotary 180, noon, Decatur Club.

Thursday, July 17 Earlybird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Christian Women’s Club, 11:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon, Decatur Club.

Decatur AMBUCS, 6 p.m., Decatur Club.

Tuesday, July 29 Forsyth Rotary, 7 a.m., Homewood Suites

by Hilton.

Kiwanianne Club of Decatur, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Noon Kiwanis Club, Decatur Club.

Noon Sertoma, Decatur Club.

Blue Mound Rotary, 6:30 p.m., Pleasantview Township shed.

Friday, July 18

Wednesday, July 30

Decatur Breakfast Sertoma, 7 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Noon Women’s Network, 11:45 a.m., Decatur Club.

Decatur Golden K Kiwanis Club, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet Facility.

BUSINESS JOURNAL

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YOUR MONEY

YOUR CALENDAR

Tuesday, July 1

July 2014

Friday, Aug. 1 Breakfast Sertoma, 7 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Black Chamber of Commerce First Friday Luncheon, noon, Main Street Church Tea Room, 2000 N. Main St.

Monday, Aug. 4 Decatur Noon Lions Club, St. Nicholas Grille (formerly Main Place Bar & Grill).

Decatur Rotary 180, noon, Decatur Club.

Women’s Progressive Club, 6 p.m., Greater Northside Baptist Church.

Tuesday, Aug. 5 Forsyth Rotary, 7 a.m., Homewood Suites

by Hilton.

Kiwanianne Club of Decatur, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Prairieland Kiwanis, 9:30 a.m., Decatur Civic Center.

Decatur AMBUCS, noon, Decatur Club.

Noon Kiwanis Club, Decatur Club.

Noon Sertoma, Decatur Club.

Blue Mound Rotary, 6:30 p.m., Pleasantview Township shed.

Wednesday, Aug. 6 Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce Breakfast, 7 a.m., Decatur Club.

Decatur Golden K Kiwanis Club, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet Facility.

Thursday, Aug. 7 Earlybird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.

American Business Women’s Association (Amacita), 11:30 a.m., location varies.

Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon, Decatur Club.

Human Service Agency Consortium (HSAC), noon, Central Christian Church, 650 W. William St. Thursday Noon Toastmasters, Greater Decatur Y. Metro Decatur Home Builder’s Association, 6 p.m., Beach House.

Lincolnland AMBUCS, 6:30 p.m., Easter Seals’ Building.

To submit items for Your Calendar, contact Scott Perry at (217) 421-7976, at sperry@heraldreview.com, or click the “Submit an Event” link at www.thebusiness-journal.com

BUSINESS JOURNAL Printed with environmentally safe water-based ink

Young adults need saving strategy Experts suggest plan for future

By Leslie Mann TCA News Service

She is only 27 years old. But she has a list of “somedays” to check off her list.

“Someday, I hope to be married and have kids,” said Shekinah Monee, a model and publicist in New York City.

“And, someday I want to retire and be able to play.”

To reach the first goal, she dates men “with the intention of finding someone for a long-term relationship.” To achieve her retirement goal, she contributes monthly to a SEP 401(k) and a Roth individual retirement account.

Unfortunately, financial planners say, not every young adult has such foresight. “In fact, according to Hollywood, it’s cool to be irresponsible and in debt,” said Judy McNary, a Broomfield, Colo.-based certified financial planner and author of “Coin: The Irreverent Yet Practical Guide to Money Management for Recent College Graduates.”

Despite the recession and the high college costs that drowned so many with debt, 20-somethings can retire comfortably if they plan ahead, planners say.

Experts suggest taking these steps, for 20-somethings and the parents they may be living with: Bunk with mom and dad: Monee said she is fortunate that she lives rent-free with her mother and stepfather. “I couldn’t find a place near my work for less than $1,200 a month,” she said. For young people such as Monee, the easiest way to save money is to delay leaving the nest.

“Let your kid keep living at home,” said Beth Kobliner, author of “Get a Financial Life: Personal Finance in Your Twenties and Thirties.”

“But that doesn’t mean a free ride.”

Acknowledge that jobs are hard to find, she added, but do not tolerate the grown child “sitting on the couch watching Netflix reruns of ‘Scandal’ while waiting for the ideal position to come along.” Your young adult should at least pay his or her credit card, cellphone and car insurance bills, she said, and help cover groceries.

“Talk about financial priorities with your kid,” Kobliner said. “If she has lots of credit card debt, talk about the fact that living ... rent-free offers an opportunity to pay it off.”

Ditch the debt: It’s tough to make retirement contributions when loan payments eat your expendable income, especially when they include a complicated tangle of auto, college and credit card debt.

“First, add up your debts,” said Jana Castanon, outreach manager with Apprisen, a national credit counseling

agency. “This might give you an ‘Oh, my gosh’ moment. Then, make a plan.”

For help, call one of the National Foundation for Credit Counseling member agencies such as Apprisen. They offer free, 90-minute counseling sessions online, in person or by phone.

If you have federal student loans, you may qualify for programs that allow you to make payments based on your income, not your loan balance. (See studentaid.ed.gov.) You can even have your loan forgiven if you follow the government’s criteria.

“If it’s a private loan through a bank, though, you’re at the mercy of the bank’s terms,” Castanon said.

Note to parents with children in college: “Do not be tempted to co-sign a college loan,” Castanon said. “If the student is late on his payments, it may affect your credit score.”

Make a budget: Sounds simple? Not to many 20-somethings, McNary said.

“It’s not only their fault,” she said.

“We parents are partially to blame.

Growing up, we had three pairs of shoes: sneakers, school and church.

Now, kids have shoes for every outfit.”

Seeing expenses on paper helps a person understand the difference between “wants” and “needs,” McNary said. “If you can use public transportation, for example, a car is a ‘want.’ You don’t have to spend money on a car and car insurance,” she said.

Parents, instead of a frivolous birthday gift, give your 20-something a session with a “fee only” financial planner, who does not sell products on commission. The planner will help your young adult make a financial road map.

If your employer deducts your retirement contribution from your paycheck, you will not be tempted to spend it, the advisers said. If you are self-employed, arrange for automatic payments from your checking account.

If your employer offers a 401(k) match, consider it icing on the cake. A 50 percent match, for example, elevates your $5,500 contribution to $8,250.

Stay on budget: McNary encourages her young clients, “Make a sport of spending less. You can still have fun with your friends.” Brown-bag your lunches. Shop thrift stores. Get a roommate. Trade your sporty car for one that costs less to insure. Live rent-free as a property manager. Decline the invitation to be a bridesmaid at the pricey destination wedding.

“Write down your retirement goal and put it in your wallet,” Castanon said.

“The next time you go to buy something you don’t really need, it will be there.”

Monee’s trick: “I tell myself I’m splurging when I buy something I need anyway, like some new black shoes for work.”

Enjoy the miracle of compounding: The sooner saving for retirement starts, the more time money has to

snowball. The money tucked away and the interest it earns both earn interest.

Tape a compounding chart, like the one in “Coin,” to your wall. It shows that if you put $5,500 a year in an IRA that makes 5 percent, starting at age 22, you have $1,003,325 at age 60. If you wait until 40 to start, you will only have $222,978.

“It’s all about forming the savings habit early,” McNary said. “Then, when you’re in your 30s and want a bigger house, you’re not tempted to quit making those retirement payments. By then it’s a habit you won’t break.”

McNary helped accelerate the growth of her kids’ retirement funds by matching their contributions by 50 percent until they were on their own. “That helped them see how quickly the money adds up,” she said.

She looks forward to the day when “it is cool again to be financially OK,” McNary said. “I do have hope.”

In the meantime, young adults such as Monee surround themselves with others who “get it,” Monee said.

“When I date a guy, he has to be financially savvy. If he has to have all the latest clothes and gadgets, he’s not for me.”

Did you know?

According to the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances, 30-somethings carry the largest debt burdens of any age decade.

According to the triennial survey, 53 percent of households headed by 30-somethings fail to pay off their credit cards in full each month. In addition, the median balance carried on those cards is $3,000.

Compared with other age groups, 30-somethings have significant problems with debt, as the survey found that 9 percent of people in their 30s are more likely to be 60 days late on a bill than those in their 20s. In addition, people in their 30s are nearly twice as likely to carry credit card debt of $10,000 or more than people in their 20s.

Such figures suggest the notion that men and women become more financially savvy as they enter their 30s is largely mistaken.

However, many men and women tend to purchase their first homes in their 30s and have children for the first time in their 30s, both of which can stretch budgets and force men and women to rely too heavily on credit cards.

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