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Back to school The new school year brings a host of changes for students of all ages
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BUSINESS JOURNAL
September 2015
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YOUR
CALENDAR
Tuesday, Sept. 1
Wednesday, Sept. 16
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. Decatur AMBUCS, noon, Decatur Club, 158 W. Prairie Ave. Noon Kiwanis Club, Decatur Club. Noon Sertoma, Decatur Club.
Decatur Golden K Kiwanis Club, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility. Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet Facility.
Thursday, Sept. 17
Early Bird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility. Decatur Christian Women’s Connection, 11:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility. Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon, Decatur Club.
Wednesday, Sept. 2
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.
Friday, Sept. 18
Decatur Breakfast Sertoma, 7 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.
Thursday, Sept. 3
Early Bird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility. Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon, Decatur Club. Human Services Agency Consortium, noon, Central Christian Church, 650 W. William St. Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours, 5 to 7 p.m., Brinkoetter and Associates, 1610 E. Pershing Road. Metro Decatur Home Builders Association, 6 p.m., Beach House, 2301 E. Lake Shore Dr. Lincolnland AMBUCS, 6:30 p.m., Independence Pointe Building, 2715 N. 27th St.
Friday, Sept. 4
Decatur Breakfast Sertoma, 7 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.
Saturday, Sept. 5
Decatur Frontiers Club, 10:30 a.m., Decatur Club.
Tuesday, Sept. 8
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, 3390 N. Woodford St. Decatur Area Society for Human Resource Management, 11 a.m., locaion varies. Decatur AMBUCS, noon, Decatur Club. Noon Kiwanis Club, Decatur Club. Noon Sertoma, Decatur Club.
Wednesday, Sept. 9
Decatur Golden K Kiwanis Club, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility. Mount Zion Chamber of Commerce Luncheon, 11:30 a.m., Crawford’s Pizza and Pub, 170 Debby Dr., Mount Zion. Scheduled speaker is Grant Bullock. Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet Facility. Decatur Real Estate Investors Association, 6:30 p.m., Perkins Family Restaurant, 2999 N. Monroe St.
Saturday, Sept. 19
Decatur Frontiers Club, 10:30 a.m., Decatur Club.
Thursday, Sept. 10
Early Bird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility. GFWC Decatur Woman’s Club, 11:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility. Senior Resources Network, noon, Keystone Meadows, 1455 W. Mound Road. Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon, Decatur Club. Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours, 5 to 7 p.m., Decatur Earthmover Credit Union, 2600 E. Dividend Drive. Decatur Area Women’s Network (DAWN), 5:30 p.m., Decatur Club. Lincolnland AMBUCS, 6:30 p.m., Independence Pointe Building. Mount Zion Lions Club, 6:30 p.m., Lions Club Community Center. Decatur Camera Club, 7 p.m., Rock Springs Nature Center, 3939 Nearing Lane.
Friday, Sept. 11
Decatur Breakfast Sertoma, 7 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.
Saturday, Sept. 12
Monday, Sept. 21
Decatur Noon Lions Club, Diamonds Family Restaurant. Decatur Rotary 180, noon, Decatur Club. Women’s Progressive Club, 6 p.m., Greater Northside Baptist Church.
Tuesday, Sept. 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. Noon Kiwanis Club, Decatur Club. Noon Sertoma, Decatur Club. Coalition of Neighborhood Organizations Board of Directors, 5:30 p.m., Decatur Public Library.
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.
Wednesday, Sept. 30
Decatur Golden K Kiwanis Club, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility. Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet Facility.
Thursday, Oct. 1
Early Bird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility. Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon, Decatur Club. Human Service Agency Consortium, noon, Central Christian Church, 650 W. William St. Metro Decatur Home Builders Association, 6 p.m., Beach House. Lincolnland AMBUCS, 6:30 p.m., Independence Pointe Building.
Friday, Oct. 2
Breakfast Sertoma, 7 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.
Saturday, Oct. 3
Decatur Frontiers Club, 10:30 a.m., Decatur Club.
Monday, Oct. 5
Decatur Noon Lions Club, Diamonds Family Restaurant. Decatur Rotary 180, noon, Decatur Club. Women’s Progressive Club, 6 p.m., Greater Northside Baptist Church.
Thursday, Sept. 24
Tuesday, Oct. 6
Tuesday, Sept. 15
Friday, Sept. 25
Forsyth Rotary, 7 a.m., Homewood Suites by Hilton. Kiwanianne Club of Decatur, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility. Decatur AMBUCS, noon, Decatur Club. Noon Kiwanis Club, Decatur Club. Noon Sertoma, Decatur Club.
Tuesday, Sept. 29
Decatur Golden K Kiwanis Club, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility. Decatur Shrine Club, noon, Scovill Banquet Facility.
Decatur Noon Lions Club, Diamonds Family Restaurant, 2959 N. Oakland Ave. Decatur Rotary 180, noon, Decatur Club. Altrusa International of Decatur, 6 p.m., location varies.
Monday, Sept. 14
Decatur Noon Lions Club, Diamonds Family Restaurant. Decatur Rotary 180, noon, Decatur Club.
Wednesday, Sept. 23
Early Bird Kiwanis, 6:45 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility. Decatur Metropolitan Rotary Club, noon, Decatur Club. Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce Business After Hours, 5 to 7 p.m., Hickory Point Bank, 225 N. Water St. Mount Zion Lions Club, 6:30 p.m., Lions Club Community Center. Decatur Camera Club, 7 p.m., Rock Springs Nature Center.
Decatur Frontiers Club, 10:30 a.m., Decatur Club.
Monday, Sept. 28
Decatur Breakfast Sertoma, 7 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility.
Saturday, Sept. 26
Decatur Frontiers Club, 10:30 a.m., Decatur Club.
Forsyth Rotary, 7 a.m., Homewood Suites by Hilton. Kiwanianne Club of Decatur, 9:30 a.m., Scovill Banquet Facility. Decatur AMBUCS, noon, Decatur Club. Noon Kiwanis Club, Decatur Club. Noon Sertoma, Decatur Club.
Wednesday, Oct. 7
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. To submit items for Your Calendar, contact Scott Perry at (217) 421-7976, at sperry@herald-review.com, or click the “Submit an Event” link at www.thebusinessjournal.com
September 2015
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FROM THE EDITOR A few months back, my son called and said his truck wouldn’t start. He said it had been running fine, but when he got in it after a short pitstop it wouldn’t do anything when he turned the key. Without hesitation I asked if he had jiggled the gear shifter. A few seconds later I heard the
BUSINESS JOURNAL 3
BUSINESS JOURNAL OF MIDCENTRAL ILLINOIS
truck roar to life. “You’re a genius,” he proclaimed. We all know I’m not a genius. Far from it. But it was nice to be appreciated.
Volume 21
Issue 9
Chalk that solution up to one of those been-there-done-that moments. We’ve had more of these conversations lately as he begins to venture out more and more on his own. I’m glad to play teacher when I can. Whether it comes from a textbook or just daily living, we’re always learning. Class is always in session, and that’s especially true in today’s workplace.
601 E. William St. Decatur, IL 62523 217.421.7976 217.421.7965 (fax)
Dealing with the new technololgy and doing more with less has proven to be a bigger challenge than any college test. Wait. That’s not true. Nothing’s worse than a math test. I’ve given up on learning anything beyond basic math. Lucky for me I have my math genius wife and math genius kids to bail me out of any math trouble.
PUBLISHER: Julie Bechtel GENERAL MANAGER: Gary Sawyer EDITOR: Scott Perry ADVERTISING: AnnaMarie Hanes
Scott Perry, editor Business Journal of Midcentral Illinois
COVER PHOTO: Jim Bowling
September2015Contents Standing FEATURES Biz Bites
10
Business Clips
17
Fred Spannaus
16
Vote of confidence Julie Moore-Wolfe is Decatur’s new mayor
Free Time calendar 22 Health calendar
21
Liz Reyer
14
Office Coach
14
23 Money lessons
Professional Profile 13 SCORE counselor
17
Wendy Gauntt
18
11
Welcome back
New buildings, new technology, new teachers and administrators among the changes greeting area students. Your Community section
School shopping can be a teaching opportunity
ADVERTISING: The deadline for ad and ad copy for the October issue is Sept. 15. Call 217.421.7953 for rate information. STORY IDEAS: Email sperry@herald-review.com or call 217.421.7976 SUBSCRIPTIONS: To order additional copies, call 217.421.7931
The Business Journal of MidCentral Illinois is printed monthly and is a publication of Lee Enterprises, Inc. 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. Herald & Review All rights reserved for entire content.
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BUSINESS JOURNAL
September 2015
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YOUR
COMMUNITY
Center of attention
Mt. Zion officials hope facility will attract events, students AREN DOW
Business Journal Writer
MOUNT ZION — The Braves are going big at home. With the addition of the 50,000 square foot field house on the north side of the school, Mount Zion is putting its facilities into a class of its own come late November. There are schools in Central Illinois that have an indoor track or that hold other amenities, but few compare to what Mount Zion is erecting now. “As far as I know, we may be one of the only districts in Illinois that has all three of the major items in that we have a major auditorium, field house and artificial surface,” Mount Zion superintendent Travis Roundcount said. “I haven’t found one yet. If you find one, let me know.” “I think everybody I talked to said, if you’re going to build it, you always want to build it bigger,” Mount Zion athletics director Mike Mose said. “Ours is definitely bigger than theirs.” The completion is still a few months away — Nov. 30 is the current target date — and construction will have been going on for a year come October. The field house is part of the $20 million in construction and renovations Mount Zion is in the midst of completing this year. The high school addition also includes an auditorium that will contain main-level and balcony seating to accommodate up to 1,500 people. Including standing room, the capacity will be 2,000. The auditorium will get extensive use, especially during the holiday performance season and the annual Midwest Show Choir Invitational. The construction project also included an addition to Mount Zion Grade School, completed last year, that replaced a mobile classroom with three classrooms and two bathrooms. The mobile classrooms had been in place for 20 years. When the field house is done, the Braves will have a facility that has a six-lane, 200-meter indoor track that expands to eight on a straightaway, enough full-length basketball courts for four games to be played simultaneously and several batting cages. While the main purpose for the field house will be to hold physical education classes and offer more practice space for athletics, there’s also hope it will become a destination spot for a variety of
Business Journal, Jim Bowling
Journeyman sheet metal worker John Moessner wraps up another day of work in the Mount Zion High School field house/auditorium that is part of a $20 million construction/renovation project.
summer tournaments. “I think it’s going to have a huge impact,” Mose said. “We’ve talked to other places that have a facility like this and they’ve said you’re able to hold more AYBT (American Youth Basketball Tour) tournaments, high school (basketball) shootouts for boys and girls, volleyball invitationals. “You’re going to bring more people to the community. They’re going to hit the restaurants, they’re going to go to the gas stations, maybe stay in the hotels if it’s a weekend tournament. I just think it’s a huge advantage for our community, and I’m excited to get this thing done.” The field house will be the home to much of the school’s varsity sports practices, but only track will use it for actual meets. A net that drapes along the inside of the track can drop down to keep sports practicing on the inside from interfering with those on the outside. Track coach Bill Harbeck, who coached for three decades at MacArthur before another decade at Mount Zion, can barely believe his eyes. “It’s unbelievable,” he said. “It’s going to make everything a lot better, a lot
easier. It’s a fantastic thing.” Harbeck loves little as much as training, and the field house is designed to do just that. Instead of working out in a 50to 60-meter hallway in the winter and early spring, he’ll have a full facility and plenty of space. Roundcount said he didn’t know what the field house specifically cost because the entire construction and renovation projects on the Mount Zion campus was packaged together for the $20 million price tag. Bringing outside programs in will start this spring as the indoor track season starts. There are plans to move the Decatur Area Indoor Invitational from the Decatur Indoor Sports Center to Mount Zion, and the Braves are looking to host a few other meets as well. Mose said there’s already a lengthy list of schools looking to come to Macon County. With the 200-meter track, it’s an easy sell. No high school in the area has an indoor track of that size as it’s something usually reserved for colleges and universities. Most high schools have indoor tracks around 165 meters, giving runners the feeling they are constantly turning.
Mount Zion wants to open their newest project up to the community as well. Mose and Roundcount said they plan to open the field house doors at certain times for those that want to walk a track with a roof overhead. Mount Zion used to have the outdoor track available for the public, but that changed after the turf was installed last year. The basketball courts will be available during the open track hours to give children of visiting parents another exercise option. “I don’t know how much better (the field house) will make our teams,” Roundcount said. “But I think the field house will encourage participation and give athletic opportunities.” They’re hoping it’s a selling point for new families who move into the area as well. “And I think now — Maroa’s got a brand new school, but it’s a small school. They got turf, now we have turf and now we have this huge field house, huge auditorium and the school’s still in good shape,” Mose said. “I think it’s a huge advantage when parents pull in this parking lot. They’re going to go, ‘Wow!’
September 2015
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BUSINESS JOURNAL 5
Meridian improvements hit home stretch District opening two new buildings, renovations ongoing EMILY STEELE
Business Journal Writer
MACON – Looking out at level patch of dirt where the football field will go, Meridian schools Superintendent Dan Brue knows there’s still work to be done before school opens. But they’ve also come a long way on the $45 million overhaul and an end to three years of construction is in sight. Plastic sheeting divides and protects the finished portion from ongoing construction. Workers walk on cardboard covering the new floors at Meridian High School. While the students were on break, Brue and high school Principal Eric Hurelbrink visited the construction site almost daily over the summer. “It’ll be done. It doesn’t look like it some days, but it will be,” Hurelbrink said. Although the walls were still bare during a tour last month – they’ll be painted green for the school colors – he already knew where everything will be and can easily point out each department. Along with the new high school in Macon, Phase II of the project is transforming the old high school into a middle school and constructing a new grade school in Blue Mound. Of 27 classrooms in the high school, 22 were expected to be ready on Sept. 8, the first day on school. The section that contains the library, the auditorium, band, choir and art rooms won’t be ready until the middle of October, Brue said. The grade school was set to open Sept. 8, too. The new facility has 32 classrooms and will house all of the district’s kindergarten through fifth grade students. It is adjacent to the current middle school, which will be torn down once the students move to their remodeled building in January, Brue said. Phase I of construction, completed last year, included a new gymnasium, kitchen, culinary lab and main hallway at the high school. Besides a 1 percent increase to the local sales tax, most of the funding for the project, $29 million, is coming from an Illinois school construction grant program. Brue said the latest $3.6 million payment from the state covering furniture and new athletic fields had been verbally approved when Gov. Bruce Rauner said in June that the state wouldn’t release any more funds due to an impasse over the budget. “We wouldn’t have had any place for the kids to sit,” Hurelbrink said. “We had just gotten rid of the old furniture when we got that letter saying weren’t going to get the money.” The school would be done, but they wouldn’t have been able to purchase any furniture or finish the athletic fields.
Business Journal photos, Jim Bowling
Painter and drywall finisher John Fritz sands a wall in a new classroom with a view of what will be the new football field as part of the new facilities under construction in the Meridian School District.
Iron worker Nick Pritchett, left, and carpenter Rick Sifford work on the high school auditorium.
“I spoke with State Sen. Andy Manar, State Sen. Chapin Rose and State Rep. Bill Mitchell to help get that payment paid,” Brue said. Almost all of the work, 90 percent, is paid for and they’ll request the last $2.6 million from the state when middle school
students move into the renovated old high school building. Phase III of the construction project includes a new football field, all-weather track and soccer field and upgrades to the softball and baseball diamonds. Excessive rain put the football field behind
schedule, forcing the first home game to be moved to Millikin University. The schedule now calls for the first game on the new field to be played on Sept. 18 against St. Teresa. 18. That’s also homecoming. “We moved it just a shade,” Hurelbrink said of football field’s location. “If you walked up to it you wouldn’t even notice it had moved.” But the facility won’t be recognizable. In addition to new sod and irrigation, there are new bleachers, press box, lights and concession stand. The softball field will be getting a new outfield and both the baseball and softball fields will have new lights and dugouts. The all-weather track will surround the soccer field. The complex will be located east of the softball field toward U.S. 51. The track will be ready in the spring, but the debut of the soccer field is still in question, Brue said. Field Superintendent Jeff Collins is excited for people to finally see all the pieces the construction project come together. “A lot of the preparation construction isn’t visually exciting until the later stages,” Collins said. “When you start seeing flooring going down, that’s the stuff people like to see.” Justin Conn contributed to this story.
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BUSINESS JOURNAL
September 2015
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Adult education programs find home downtown VALERIE WELLS
Business Journal Writer
DECATUR – Decatur’s two high schools are finished with renovations and Stephen Decatur Middle School has moved back to its Mound Road location. And now, after serving as home to the middle school for three years, the building at Eldorado and Jackson streets has taken on a new identity as the Alternative Education Center. The change isn’t much of a stretch, since it served as the region’s technical academy prior to it moving to the Richland Community College campus. “The building itself looks like an alternative (education) building,” said Rocki Wilkerson, executive director of adult education for Decatur schools. “It has options, which is good. It’s really the best kept secret in Decatur. Decatur public schools are educating pre-k through 12, but there’s also an outlet to assist families who need it just as much as kids.” The Regional Office of Education has operated the downtown Macon-Piatt Adult Education Center for years, but that closed at the end of May, leaving the downtown area with no outlet for adults who need a GED or other help improving skills. Richland Community College offers those services, and Decatur schools’ Education and Training Center has been at Hickory Point Mall for eight years. “We’re used to having three (options) and now we’re down to two,” Wilkerson said. “That’s a loss for our area.” Whereas the emphasis used to be on helping people obtain a GED, the new emphasis is on “bridge” programs, she said. Adult education is there to provide help completing the steps to move from where they are to post-secondary education and, ultimately, employment. For some clients, that starts with a GED. For others, it’s brushing up on skills, moving into basic work skills training, then more specific job training. The grants which pay for much of the adult education programs in the nation have changed, and government requirements for those programs have changed, too. The Education and Training Center will offer four bridge programs in the fall, which will be housed at the Eldorado Street location: certified nurse assistant, hospitality, manufacturing and construction. “The best way to define ‘bridge’ is an eight-week program for people with a 4.0 (fourth grade) to 8.9 (freshman in high school) reading level, which I consider the front door to anybody walking into adult ed who maybe didn’t finish high school, looking for a new pathway to employment, and who may have barriers,” she said.
All kinds of things can be barriers, from unreliable transportation or child care to a student’s own health issues. Wilkerson said she and her staff work with students to get them connected to the services that can break down those barriers, and the classes offered can move a student from low skills to job-ready, if that student sticks with the classes and does his or her part. The Regional Office of Education’s Milligan Academy Safe School also moved to the former tech academy this summer. There is also talk of moving Futures Unlimited to that building, though nothing is finalized on that front. “That building will be an alternative education center and eventually, all those programs will be there and the regional office and Decatur will share space and use it for Decatur students and Macon and Piatt (county) students as well, just like in the past,” said Regional Superintendent Matt Snyder. The Regional Office will remain where it is, he said. The GED test has changed, too, and is more difficult than it used to be. Students must take it online and the cost is considerably higher than it once was. Snyder said the goal used to be to get as many students into GED as possible, but so many fewer are actually passing the test that the focus there has shifted. Now adult education serves fewer students, but devotes more resources to those students. “For the amount of money we were spending (before), I don’t think it was beneficial to spend that much on so few students (passing),” he said. “They can utilize the money better in preparing students for work.” Decatur also has a new assistant superintendent. Michael Dugan, formerly principal at Eisenhower High School, was named assistant superintendent in June, replacing Tim Murrell, who returned to his native St. Louis. Dugan joins Bobbi Williams, the other assistant superintendent. She concentrates primarily on lower grades, and Dugan on secondary grades. Dugan’s new position resulted in the need for a new principal at Eisenhower, and the board named Amy Zahm-Duncheon to that position in July, from her position as an assistant principal. Decatur will also have four additional full-day preschool classes, housed at the Southeast School building near Eisenhower High School, thanks to a four-year, renewable federal grant to Illinois. The new classes, for 4-year-olds, will provide 80 new seats for at-risk children in an effort to strengthen their skills before they reach kindergarten, said Pershing Early Learning Center Principal Jason Wallace.
Nominees must be 50 years of age or older as of November 1, 2015. 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 September 14, 2015 online at www.thebusiness-journal.com. Nominations also may be submitted via mail in care of The Business Journal, 601 E. William St. Decatur, IL 62523 or e-mailed to: sperry@herald-review.com or anna.hanes@lee.net 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: ______________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ __________________________________________________ (217) 421- 6920 • 601 E. William St., Decatur, IL 62523
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September 2015
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BUSINESS JOURNAL 7
School year brings technology, staffing changes Argenta-Oreana
Argenta-Oreana School Districts buses may not have looked much different when they first fanned out to fetch students for the first day of school Aug. 20. They’re still yellow, and they still say, “ArgentaOreana Dist. No. 1.” It’s just that this year, for the first time, they really are the school district’s buses. Superintendent Damian Jones said switching from First Student to operating its own transportation service was a financial decision after the contractor raised its bid 30 percent. “We’ve leased 19 brand-new buses, the best fleet we’ve ever had,” he said. They’re also slightly larger, with some 71-passenger buses replaced with 77-passenger and 65-passenger vehicles upgraded to 71-passenger. Three are also air conditioned. Linda Slemp is the transportation director and Mark Daley is the district’s new mechanic. The district has also hired 24 drivers, who along with Slemp, are former employees of First Student. The number of regular routes has gone from 18 to 15 because of the larger buses. Jones estimates the savings this year will be about $100,000 over what the district paid for transportation last year. Also new for the 2015-16 school year is an upgraded security entrance at the elementary school in Oreana. “We’ve had a buzz-in entrance for a long time, but now we’ll have a second set of doors, and visitors will have to go to the office first,” Jones said.
Central A&M
New names that are hard to forget are on the leadership team guiding the Central A&M school district into a new academic year. Changes at the top are a new superintendent, DeAnn M. Heck, along with a new high school principal, Charlie Brown. Both say they’ve heard about every joke there is regarding their memorable names. Both have also had to hit the ground running. Heck is grappling with meeting staff evaluation standards mandated by the state’s new Performance Evaluation Reform Act. The school must have its revamped teacher evaluation process ready to go by September 2016. Heck, the former principal at Litchfield High School, said she’s landed on her feet at Central A&M where the previous superintendent, Kyle VonSchnase, did solid work to get the finances in order. “We’re not by any means where we’d love to be or like to be, but we’re doing OK,” she added. Brown also has his eye on finances amid the “whirlwind” learning curve of his new job. “We have to say ‘OK, given these resources, what is the best thing we can do for our students?’” he said. “And although I’ve been at Central A&M a short time, I’ve
noticed they put student well-being first.” Brown was previously a teacher and activities director at Sullivan High School and says he had long been impressed with Central A&M’s community support. “So making a decision to come here was really a no-brainer for me,” he added.
Cerro Gordo
Cerro Gordo schools have been reorganized a bit for the new school year. Instead of a separate high school and middle school, a Cerro Gordo JuniorSenior High School is in operation, and the elementary school is now home to sixth grade in addition to grades K-5. The change was made possible, in part, by the departure of the former high school principal for another position and retirement of the elementary secretary. Former middle school Principal Steve Cline is stepping into the role of juniorsenior principal, and former middle school secretary Stacey Wildman is now the elementary secretary. Lest junior high students want for a hall monitor, however, Superintendent Brett Robinson and the unit office have moved from a lower level at the high school to Cline’s former office, close to the seventhand eighth-grade classrooms. Another change is the resumption of a prekindergarten program for ages 3-5 at the elementary school after a few years of transporting youngsters to Bement after state funding for the program ended. “We are extremely grateful to Bement schools for offering us openings in their pre-K program for the past three years,” Robinson said. “We found we could serve more students (20 vs. 12) for less cost.” The new pre-K program is half-day in the afternoons starting at 12:30 p.m.
Maroa-Forsyth
The Maroa-Forsyth School District could be facing a smaller budget deficit than anticipated as it begins looking ahead to its next budget. Superintendent Mike Williams said the district could have anywhere between a $10,000 surplus and a deficit of $250,000, depending on how much state aid is received and any expenses that need to be added. Either way, he said that’s an
improvement from the expected deficit of $400,000. The district had made cuts of approximately $416,000 heading into this school year. The school board approved a tentative budget in August with a hearing set during its regular monthly meeting, which is 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14, at the grade school in Forsyth. The school board will rotate holding its meetings at the grade school and high school in Maroa. It is seeking as much input as possible from community members as budget priorities are considered. Williams expected to make some changes to the budget after assessing the district’s needs following the student registration process. Enrollment is down slightly at the grade school and consistent at the middle school, Williams said. He said it is up significantly at the high school with a graduating class of about 60 students and incoming freshman class of about 95 students.
Meridian
Besides construction, the Meridian School District is moving forward with plans to provide every middle and high school student with a Chromebook to use through the school year. Meridian High School will implement the plan this year, with middle school students following in January when they move to the new site in Macon. The initiative has been in the works for two years with a goal of preparing students with skills for a more servicebased workforce. “The amount of technical information in the world continues to grow at a rapid pace,” Superintendent Dan Brue said. “Students must not only master how to access information, but also how to synthesize and evaluate information from so many different sources.” The new building will provide needed infrastructure, such as cabling, wireless access points, servers and broadband Internet. The initial computer purchase was funded by donations and grants. The remaining cost will be covered by a $75 technology fee for high school students. Also starting this school year, the district will be operating its own bus fleet and transportation services, a first since the district formed in 1994. The move allows the district to save money to have more control over costs. The district hired a transportation director, mechanic and 17 bus drivers. There may be some modifications to bus routes or the schedule.
Mount Zion
Whether it is the facilities or student enrollment, everything seems to be getting bigger in the Mount Zion School District. A feeling of optimism is in the air when school administrators discuss the coming
school year, with highlights that range from new Chromebooks for students to the near completion of the multimillion dollar, 50,000-square-foot field house. “We have a lot of good things going for us right now,” Superintendent Travis Roundcount said. Administrators are excited by the early enrollment figures. At 2,490 students, that would be the second highest number in the past 30 years. Roundcount is hopeful the trend will continue. One change the district will not see this school year is the implementation of a drug testing policy for certain high school students. Several months after the school board approved a policy to test high schoolers who wished to participate in extracurricular activities, the board voted in July to hold off on implementation until the plan was made clearer and supported with programs to help students with drug and alcohol abuse. As the board continues to discuss the best way to start the program, Roundcount said any approved program would not begin until the 2016-17 school year.
Sangamon Valley
Most of the faces are familiar but the job titles have almost all changed. Sangamon Valley’s former superintendent Ernie Fowler left at the end of June. Before he left, the school board named high school Principal Robert “Bob” Meadows as his replacement. Of course, that left the principal position open, and Jonathan Field, who was previously the middle school principal, was moved to that job. Cody Trigg was moved to middle school principal from his position at Sangamon Valley West, the elementary school in Illiopolis. Fifth grade teacher Brian Britton was hired to be principal for that school. And when Jill Reedy left her position as principal at Sangamon Valley East, the elementary school in Harristown, teacher Valerie Janvrin was named principal to fill that post and is entering her second year in that job. “One of the things that I’m going to try to do with the board is improve the facilities,” Meadows said. “We can utilize the Macon County sales tax money to do that, and try to relieve some of the burden off taxpayers. The budget cuts and cuts in personnel that Ernie Fowler did, that he started seven years ago, has put us in a position to be able to do that.” The first project, already under way, is remodeling the high school library, which was sadly out of date. With new furniture, 16 computers, 25 ChromeBooks and a new librarian, Erica Bryan, Meadows said, the library should be an inviting place. “We’re going to make a list of all the things we need to do in our buildings and prioritize those based on their impact on students,” Meadows said.
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Private schools welcome new year Decatur Christian School
Teachers at Decatur Christian School began their school year in a way unique to parochial schools. They gathered at LIFE Foursquare Church for praise and worship. “It’s an amazing way to start a school year,” Randy Grigg said. Grigg is celebrating 40 years in education, 16 teaching, nine as a principal and 11 as a superintendent in the public schools and four, so far, at Decatur Christian. “It’s kind of funny,” he said. “I didn’t want to go to school when I was young.” There won’t be many changes this year at Decatur Christian, he said. Some staff have changed positions, and a couple of new teachers will join the staff. The school is in its fourth year of oneto-one technology and has offered more training to teachers over the summer on using the interactive whiteboards. This year, Grigg said, students will be allowed to bring their own devices to school if they wish rather than use the schoolissued ones.
Holy Family School
For the first time in its 54-year history, Holy Family School has a lay principal. Debbie Alexander, retired from Decatur public schools where she served as a teacher, principal, central office administrator and director of community engagement, is a member of the parish and the new principal. Sisters Janet and Jerome are still with the parish, Alexander said, and are available to work with the school if needed, but Principal Sr. Geraldine Kemper retired last spring. A lot of changes are on tap for Holy Family under Alexander’s leadership. Middle school students are getting Chromebooks. Some of their textbooks will be entirely on the devices, but she’s also planning a technology academy, robotics and other enrichment courses. Another new initiative is academies devoted to different tracks: science, math,
Continued from page 7 Middle school students will have greater access to technology thanks to a Monsanto grant secured by Trigg’s efforts. He hopes the $6,500 grant will be enough for 30 iPads to be kept on two carts and shared among middle school classes, in addition to the devices and computer labs already at the school.
Warrensburg-Latham
Warrensburg-Latham is one step closer to becoming a 21st century
college and career planning, leadership, music and performance.
Lutheran School Association
Budget cuts at many schools mean services such as the school nurse are restricted. Maybe the nurse is only there part time. At the Lutheran School Association, registered nurse Jeanne Karsten will be there full time beginning this fall. “Students first and foremost is our mission,” said Kyle Karsten, Jeanne’s husband and the superintendent of the LSA. “That’s what we always strive to do is to serve the Decatur community with a quality, private, Christian school option.” Safety is a priority, which is why during the two weeks before school opened, teachers spent some of their preparation time reviewing and learning cardiopulmonary resuscitation, first aid and how to operate the automated external defibrillator, he said. Having an RN in the building means that children who require medications during the day will be able to get them from her. And one student at the school has seizures, so teachers have learned from Jeanne Karsten what to do, and what not to do, if one happens in their classroom. The “students first” philosophy extends to academics, too, Karsten said. Teachers work together to ensure that curriculum not only meets Illinois learning standards, but that subjects are aligned from kindergarten through high school, concepts building upon one another, for seamless transitions from grade to grade. “It’s not just academics,” Karsten said. “We’re not only preparing students for life, we’re preparing them for eternal life. We want them to know the Lord.”
three days a week instead of two as they did formerly. “This is huge for kindergarten readiness,” said Principal Chris Uptmor. “In junior high we have six core subjects: math, science, reading, English grammar, social studies and religion,” Uptmor said. “We’re adding an exploratory or enrichment class. The idea behind it is being able to find things for students that enrich what they’re already learning.” Among the offerings they’ve discussed, he said, is building a prayer garden behind the school, with the students’ design and hands-on work, drama and photography. What he’d like to see is for the students to come up with projects they want to do and using what they’re learning in other classes to accomplish those projects. Lourdes continues to offer art and music, two things that are often on the chopping block at budget-strapped schools, and this year the school will expand its one-to-one technology so that students in fourth through eighth grade have Chromebooks. His hope is to eventually provide them for all students.
responsibility, fairness, caring and citizenship. Every student from second through eighth grade has his or her own iPad to use at school. All classrooms are learning Spanish and the school provides extended care before and after school. “Parents need that extra support when they work longer hours,” Sweet said.
St. Teresa High School
Preschool will be an all-day schedule for 4-year-olds at Our Lady of Lourdes School this year. Teacher Lisa Ferriozzi will oversee the class, and 3-year-olds will attend
Last spring, St. Patrick School began implementing STREAM – science, technology, religion, engineering, arts and math – as a school focus. While schools nationwide are putting emphasis on most of those subject areas, which experts believe will best equip kids for the careers of the near future, as a parochial school, St. Patrick added the R for religion in order to equip kids spiritually as well. That theme will continue with this school year, said Principal Jan Sweet. “It’s part of our hands-on curriculum,” Sweet said. “STEM is the forefront of education, the cutting edge.” In addition, the school will weave Character Counts into the curriculum, which is six pillars of wholesome development: trustworthiness, respect,
St. Teresa High School welcomed 20 new students this year. “That’s always good for a private school,” Principal Kenneth Hendriksen said. Trevor Frank is the new campus minister, replacing Dan and Theresa Boynton. The new head of the business department is Sandra Bronson and the new social studies/English/study tables teacher is Julie Spent. The office is now overseen by secretary Ann Bate and a new director of marketing, Andrea Couri, is a 2007 graduate of St. Teresa. Another alum, Bob Moody, is vice president of annual gifts and enrollment. He graduated in 1982. The new volleyball coach is Rhonda Glidewell. Hendriksen said the school will continue to offer four dual credit classes and four advanced placement classes and in addition, offers the accelerated program for junior high students attending the three Catholic elementary schools. “They can take honors algebra I, physical science, honors geometry and biology,” he said. “As freshmen, they’ll be in algebra II and honors geometry. It opens up their high school schedule.” For students pursuing careers in which higher math and science are critical skills, it’s important to get a head start on those classes, and to have time in high school to take extra math and science classes. The junior high students are excused from their elementary buildings during the time their classmates are taking math and science classes and return in time for the rest of their classes.
digital district. After the success of last year’s pilot program with freshman, the entire Warrensburg-Latham High School will be part of the 1:1 Chromebook program, which will allow each student to have a Google Chromebook, which is theirs to use and take home the entire school year, so they can work together on different projects, take notes and submit school work. “Our students today, regardless of what jobs they go into, will be involved with some technology,” Superintendent Kristen
Kendrick-Weikle said. “This program is definitely a new and exciting adventure.” Each of the 73 freshman at the school were given Chromebooks last year, and Kendrick-Weikle said it wasn’t long before administrators and teachers noticed a change in students. “We noticed that engagement was much higher,” she said “Students were able to get immediate feedback on their learning, which prevented that day or two of confusion or misinformation that occurred in the past.” In addition to the high school, more
Chromebook labs will be placed in the grade school for students to do their work. The advancement of technology in school even comes with Ben Barth, the new principal of the elementary school. Barth, who previously served as principal at DeLand-Weldon, has encouraged teachers and students to embrace social media and use it as an outlet for expression. “We want to get our stories out there, and this is a perfect tool for that,” Kendrick-Weikle said.
Our Lady of Lourdes School
St. Patrick School
September 2015
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BUSINESS JOURNAL 9
Millikin strengthening ties with Richland, public schools Campus building projects continuing
Electrician apprentice Tanner Miller installs electrical outlets in a dorm room as part of improvements made in Aston Hall on the Millikin University campus.
THERESA CHURCHILL
Business Journal Writer
DECATUR – Greater transferability of classes with Richland Community College tops the list of what’s new at Millikin University for the 2015-16 academic year. Provost Jeff Aper said the two institutions signed an agreement to this effect in June, which not only causes earning an associate’s degree at Richland to make more sense for students transferring to Millikin but also opens the door to new bachelor’s degrees such as one under development in arts technology. “Richland already teaches the electronics courses that would be needed,” Aper said. “We should be ready to go with it by the fall of 2016.” The provost added that he also hopes to deepen Millikin’s partnership with Decatur public schools beyond Dennis School, so the university assist even more teachers with professional development while receiving performance learning opportunities for its education majors. A new face on campus is that of Kevin McIntyre, who started work July 1 as the university’s dean of admission, replacing the retiring Lin Stoner. Formerly vice president of enrollment at Rosemont College in Pennsylvania, McIntyre and his wife Kathleen are moving to Decatur from Wilmington, Del. Promotions include Christie Magoulais, director of the School of Education; Hee Young Choi, director of the English Language Center, and Julie Shields, director of the Center for Entrepreneurship in the Tabor School of Business. With the wrapup of the Transform MU capital campaign approaching Dec. 31 and the $85 million goal already exceeded, physical changes to campus are continuing. Historic Aston Hall, along with Dolson,
Business Journal, Jim Bowling
Blackburn and Weck halls, opened to non-commuting freshmen in August after undergoing $2 million in upgrades. A residence hall for women since it was completed in 1907, Aston was returned to service for the first time in eight years as a men’s dormitory to prepare for demolitions, first of Mills Hall which has already begun, and after that, Hessler Hall. Ruby Brase, vice president of finance and business affairs, said demolition of the aging buildings should open up the view of campus along Oakland Avenue while the residence hall improvements, which included new flooring in all four halls, give the freshmen living space a “fresh new look.” Less visible but also important to student comfort are $1 million in improvements to be made, with the help of $157,000 in incentives from Ameren, to the heating and cooling systems at the
Leighty-Tabor Science Center. Benefits should include a $100,000 savings in annual energy costs and steadier temperature control throughout the building, said Ken Jordan, Millikin’s director of facility services, who added that the goal is to have the work complete by Jan. 31. Speaking of the new year, the Staley Library will move into temporary quarters inside New Halls 3 and 4 over the holiday break so ground can be broken by spring on a project to transform the building into a University Commons that will blend library and student center functions. It will also be home to the Doug Oberhelman Center for Leadership, Aper said, which will consolidate three separate leadership programs that exist at Millikin: a leadership academy in the Tabor School of business, a major in organizational leadership under the College of Arts and Sciences, and leadership track under
State budget cloud hangs over Richland projects CHRIS LUSVARDI
Business Journal Writer
DECATUR – Construction throughout the Richland Community College campus in Decatur continued this summer as work on the Student Success Center started. However, the future of the $6.3 million project has been in doubt while uncertainty looms with the status of the state budget. Richland plans to use the $1.1 million it agreed to contribute toward the project before deciding how the rest of the work will proceed. The addition on the north wing of Richland’s main campus would
consolidate all core services into one location to ease students’ transition into higher education. The renovations will create a more open, modern environment for the building as centralized services would include academic advising, orientation, admissions, testing and assessment, financial aid, career development, job placement and transfer services. If construction remains on track, the center is expected to be ready next year. Elsewhere, the first phase of a $1 million addition to Progress City was scheduled to be completed in time for the Farm Progress Show. The next phase
is expected to include paving of the streets in the expanded area. A capital campaign is under way to raise $5 million for the Business Education Center. Nearly $2.3 million had been raised before the campaign was officially unveiled to the community. The center will be intended to provide students with global and entrepreneurial opportunities, improved technology and collaborative learning spaces brought together in one setting. Richland will be taking part in the 50th anniversary celebration of the Illinois Community College Act throughout the school year.
Student Life. Plans are for the University Commons to open and begin providing student dining services in the fall of 2017.
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September 2015
BIZ Now open
A new bar is open at 2125 E. Eldorado St. in Decatur. Lucy’s Dog and Suds serves Butch’s Pizza and Heinkel’s hot dogs and sausages to go along with a fully stocked bar. Weekly and monthly drink specials are offered. The name comes from owner Heather Cox’s interest in “I Love Lucy.” Customers can also enjoy gaming machines, pool tables and darts. Hours are 10-2 a.m. Monday-Friday and noon-2 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Call (217) 428-0718. nnn Dr. G’s BrainWorks has opened next to MasterCuts in the south corridor of Hickory Point Mall in Forsyth. Developed by Dr. William Gingold of Urbana, a psychologist and gerontologist, the store will carry a variety of games and puzzles designed to stimulate the brain and maintain cognitive wellness. It will also offer family-friendly events, specials for teachers and fundraising opportunities for schools and other nonprofit organizations. Hours will be 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 5 p.m. Sunday. For more, find the business on Facebook, go to www.drgsbrainworks.com or call (217) 330-8629.
Expanding
First Mid-Illinois Bancshares, Inc., the parent company of First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust , has completed its acquisition of 12 Southern Illinois banking centers from Old National Bancorp. As of Aug. 17, the branches in Carbondale, De Soto, Murphysboro, Mount Vernon, Lawrenceville, Harrisburg, Mount Carmel, Carmi, Carterville and Marion acquired from Old National Bank began operating as First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust. “We are continually looking for
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BITES
ways to expand banking products and services to our customers, and moving into the southern region greatly improves the overall service area for our customers,” said Joe Dively, First Mid chairman and CEO. nnn The First National Bank of Pana has announced plans to acquire the the State Bank of Blue Mound. “I am excited about the opportunity to expand our service area, especially in a community such as Blue Mound that has a population that is committed to using local businesses,” said Matt Beavers, president and chief executive officer at First National Bank Of Pana. The transaction is subject to standard closing conditions, including the approval of the appropriate regulatory authorities and of the shareholders. The parties presently anticipate that the transaction will close in the fourth quarter of 2015. nnn Lea Stukins wants to maintain the feel that has been developed inside Coney McKane’s American Eatery at 104 E. Prairie St. in downtown Decatur. At the same time, she said it needs to be able to accommodate more customers. So it has expanded next door into the former Jimmy John’s space at the corner of North Main Street and East Prairie Avenue. Jimmy John’s moved around the corner into a space on Merchant Street. “I like the coziness of Coney’s,” said Stukins, the owner of the family-run business. “People are coming in larger groups. It has greater visibility now. It has been a long time in coming.” Coney’s has more than doubled its staff and now has seating for 100 in three different rooms and an outdoor sidewalk space. It originally seated 42 diners, she said. The cozy feel remains with cherry wood and exposed brick in an upstairs area, Stukins said. “The view is fantastic,” Stukins said.
“People love sitting up there. It’s a fun atmosphere.” A new menu is in the process of being unveiled with new sandwiches and salads in addition to old favorites, Stukins said. Business has been up as changes have been made to downtown, she said. “It’s an indication people are looking for independent restaurants,” Stukins said. “It’s worth coming down here for.” Coney’s is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner with an expanded bar. Hours are 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 6:30 a.m.-9 p.m. FridaySaturday. Call (217) 475-1111.
Closed
Dr. Marc Sarmiento, optometrist, has closed his practice, Marc Vision Care. Sarmiento had been practicing in Decatur for 12 years, most recently at his office at 2705 N. Water St. “The loyalty and friendship my patients have shown me over the years is very much appreciated,” Sarmiento said. “They are like members of my family and I will miss them greatly.” He also had high praise for his staff. Sarmiento will be joining Bard Optical and serving patients in Pekin and East Peoria. Files of his Decatur patients will be transferred to Bard Optical at 1351 Hickory Point Drive, Suite B, in Forsyth. nnn Decatur is without a teacher’s store. Keith and Sheri Brown, who also own Kid’s Castle Learning Centers in Decatur, have reluctantly decided to close the Teacher’s Lounge at 2828 N. Main St. after more than five years in business. “We lost our manager, our lease was up, and Internet (sellers) are just too competitive,” Keith Brown said. He offered a glimmer of hope, however, and said he might eventually open a store that’s less specialized and at a different location.
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Chamber honors business achievers CHRIS LUSVARDI
Business Journal Writer
DECATUR – Former Decatur Mayor Mike McElroy was recognized last month with an award he had presented in the past. Newly appointed Mayor Julie MooreWolfe selected McElroy as Citizen of the Year, presenting the award to his wife, Lynn, during the Greater Decatur Chamber of Commerce Annual Awards Luncheon at Heartland Community Church’s Grand Palace Banquet Hall. Lynn McElroy said she was honored to accept the recognition on his behalf as she received a standing ovation from the near capacity audience. “He would have been so humbled by this award and the outpouring of love the community has shown in the past few weeks,” Lynn McElroy said as she fought back tears. Mike McElroy, who died July 17, could have received the award any of the years he was mayor, “The momentum has been building in our community,” Moore-Wolfe said. “He set the stage for our continued growth.” Entrepreneur of the Year David Koshinski of Investment Planning Solutions has created an active partnership with the community and his business. “It’s exciting times for Decatur,” Koshinski said. “We are very proud members of this community and looking forward to many good things in the future.” Other award winners were: Marquis Beverage, Outstanding Micro Business; Consociate,Outstanding Small Business; George A. Mueller Beer Co., Business Expansion; Richland Community College, Outstanding Development; Children’s Museum of Illinois, Nonprofit Organization of the Year; Sherry Cool, Ambassador of the Year; and Rick Moore, Decatur Leadership Institute Alumni of the Year.
September 2015
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BUSINESS JOURNAL 11
Moore-Wolfe sworn in as mayor ALLISON PETTY
Business Journal Writer
DECATUR – The Decatur City Council unanimously appointed Julie Moore-Wolfe as mayor last month, filling the vacancy created by Mike McElroy’s death one month earlier. Moore-Wolfe, 55, is believed to be the city’s first female mayor. McElroy chose her to serve as mayor pro tempore, and she has served as acting mayor in the weeks since his death. Moore-Wolfe said she Moore-Wolfe was excited and humbled by the opportunity. She added that she was struck by the number of women who contacted her to express excitement about her appointment since Aug. 10, when the council directed City Manager Tim Gleason to prepare the resolution. “It is an honor, but I just didn’t expect the impact that it has had with women in this community,” she said. Decatur did not gain its first female councilwoman until 1975, with the election of Carol Brandt. Moore-Wolfe is the director of community and government relations for Decatur Memorial Hospital. She has served on the council for six years, experience that she
said helped her adjust to the new role. “I think trying to come into this without those years of experience would have been very, very difficult,” she said. “There’s a lot to learn and a lot more detail. I am learning and it’s a big job, but I’m up for it.” The council’s Aug. 3 meeting drew protests and comments from residents supporting the appointment of G.E. Livingston, who finished second to McElroy in the April election with 36 percent of the vote. By contrast, no one from the public spoke before Moore-Wolfe’s appointment. Councilman Jerry Dawson was appointed to serve as mayor pro tempore, though he said he would hold the position only temporarily. Moore-Wolfe said the council is likely to seek interested residents for the open seat, as it has done in the past. She said she’d like to find someone who is engaged and smart, and who shares the council’s vision for the community. “I guess it would make sense to have someone that, since it’s replacing my seat, that would be somewhat like me with the same sort of vision,” she said. She said it is very important to her to carry forward McElroy’s goals of making the community a better place for all people, bringing in high-quality jobs and cleaning up neighborhoods.
Livingston remembered for service HUEY FREEMAN
Business Journal Writer
DECATUR – After the funeral of Horace G. Livingston Jr., editor and publisher of African-American Voice, two of his daughters had the same idea. “When my father was buried in Greenwood Cemetery in 2014, I made a promise,” said Lynette Mims, Livingston’s oldest daughter. “You will be more than a mound of dirt in this cemetery and this community.” Mims, a resident of Fayetteville, N.C., soon discovered her sister Sheila J. Watson, of Decatur, made a similar vow. They put their heads together to determine ways to honor their dad, a World War II Navy veteran who worked as a construction worker, bricklayer and service station owner in addition to putting out Central Illinois’ foremost publication for the black community. “We talked 10 to 12 times a day,” Mims told a crowd of about 150 people who packed the Mueller Park pavillion at an event honoring Livingston. “We made lists. We made plans.” As a result of the efforts of the sisters, as well as many others with whom they worked, their father’s name was added to the pavillion. Marion Street, the north border of Mueller Park, received the honorary designation of Horace G. Livingston Way.
A bas-relief sculpture of Livingston’s cheerful countenance, by artist Preston Jackson, was unveiled in the pavilion. In the background of the sculpture is the pavilion, a place where the black community has met for many significant events during the past 80 years. “I’m really honored and pleased to be a part of this,” said Jackson, who grew up in the city’s West End, where he first met Livingston and his family. “He was a mentor to me.” Jackson, whose sculptures are on display in prominent places throughout the state, said the piece on Livingston “is probably the most important thing I’ve done because of my closeness to him.” Watson said the task of honoring her father has taken a strong community effort. The city, which declared Saturday “Horace G. Livingston Day,” and the park district contributed to the effort. “He was a strong man, a compassionate man, an honorable man,” Mims said. “He would tell you what he thought about you and then help you the same day.” Jeffrey Perkins Sr., a retired electrician and president of Caring Black Men, said Livingston took on battles of the Civil Rights movement, which were difficult to fight. “The line of criticism is always long,” Perkins said. “The line of activism is always short.”
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BUSINESS JOURNAL 13
CAREER
Meet Bruce Wayne Jeffery, executive director of the Boys & Girls Club of Decatur ometown: St. Louis H Family: Wife, Brittney Education: Bachelor’s degree in exercise science, with a concentration in sports management, from Millikin University. My “I’d rather be …” bumper sticker would read: “I’d rather be on my motorcycle.” Life is too short not to enjoy every moment. “Live free and ride Hard.” Hobbies/interests: Movies, reading, football and working out. My first job: Chick-fil-A in St. Louis. Why I do what I do: While everyone is saying why they don’t want to help our youth, my philosophy has always been that it takes one to reach one. Although I didn’t have a Boys & Girls Club in my neighborhood, I grew up with some of the same tough life experiences as many of our members face. Personal approaches to challenges: Excuses are tools of the incompetent. They build monuments to nothing and those who use them are seldom good at anything else. Community involvement: There are too many to list. I just enjoy being a part of helping Decatur be a better place for all people, especially our youth. Tell us a little about the Boys & Girls Club of Decatur. The Boys & Girls Club is an after-school program for youth between the ages of 7 to 18. I like to think of us as a “one stop shop” for a special population of young people that sometimes face extreme challenges. Boys & Girls Clubs are a safe place to learn and grow – all while having fun. It is the place where great futures are started each and every day. What does the executive director do? LOL. You name it, it gets done. My number one focus is providing a safe, conducive environment for youth to learn and grow. I also am responsible for fundraising, marketing, staffing and the overall day-to-day functions to operate the club. The club has a special brand in the community, so my role is to enhance the overall mission of the club. My philosophy for any nonprofit executive is: “Whatever it takes to get the job done.” Why is it so important to have a Boys & Girls Club in the community? There are very few options for young people after they get out of school for the day. Studies across the country have shown that the highest times for youth to get into trouble is between the hours of 3 and 8 p.m. That’s why we are here, to ensure kids have a safe, positive place they can call a home away from home. I think what makes us special is that our membership fee for the year is only $1. That’s right, $1. Many, many years ago we wanted to ensure that our program was affordable for any youth that wanted to attend. We haven’t changed our fee, that way any family, big or small, can benefit from the services of the club. Education is obviously a very important part of your mission. Tell us a little about your education programming. Every member that attends our program is required to turn in their most recent report card. If a member has a “D” or “F” for that quarter, they are required to attend our Power Hour program. Power Hour’s underlying philosophy is that the benefits of homework are not only academic, but also behavioral and social. Beyond the academic benefit, consistent homework completion helps young people develop valuable organizational and interpersonal skills – including time management, prioritizing, task completion and working cooperatively with others. These skills are necessary for achievement in school and are a foundation for a successful life.
Business Journal, Jim Bowling
Getting kids to eat better and maintain a healthy lifestyle is capturing a lot of headlines. What are you doing to address this issue? In 2014, we were able to partner with United Way, ADM, St. Mary’s Hospital and the Young Philanthropist Group of Macon County to start a Healthy Lifestyles Program. This program is a comprehensive health and wellness initiative that strives to improve the overall health of members by increasing their daily physical activity, teaching them good nutrition and helping them develop healthy relationships. This program focuses on the body, mind and soul of each member. In the end, the goal is for all kids to grow up and be working members of the community. You recently added a career path program. What is this? In 2014, the club took on the opportunity to partner with one of Decatur’s biggest employers — ADM. Transitioning from being a high school senior to an employee is hard with the lack of career opportunities offered to our youth right out of high school. Through planning and meetings with ADM employees, the club had three former members who were seeking career opportunities after graduation. ADM generosly provided these youths with a mentor and guidance on how ADM could offer them the career path they were looking for. After several weeks of hands-on training and mentoring, all three former members were afforded the opportunity to gain full-time employment with ADM. The goal is that all club members that don’t plan on attending college will be able to be gainfully employed with a great company like ADM. How important are volunteers and local businesses to the success of the Boys & Girls Club? Volunteers are the backbone of our organization and their expertise is needed. Time is the most important thing that you can give to a kid. Our individual talents are the keys to helping inspire the next generation to be great. We all have something to give, why
not share your gift with kids that don’t get to experience the world at large. Your talents are helping form the next leaders in our community. No gift is too large or small, whether its school supplies for kids or incentives to help motivate youth. The club has always been very thankful for the generosity shown by the Decatur community. How can someone get involved? Our after-school program has the biggest need for volunteers. With more than 120 members that attend our program daily, our youth need your support. That support can come in the form of helping with homework or shooting a game of pool. All we require for you to be involved in our program is a background check and a brief volunteer orientation. You are following in some really big footsteps. Walt Smith is synonymous with the Boys & Girls Club. What would you like to accomplish/be remembered for during your tenure? Walt is a living legend in the Decatur community. I don’t think you could find a more genuine, hard working person. My vision for the club has always been to build on the foundation laid, and going into my fourth year as the executive director I can start seeing my vision coming to light. I was able to spearhead recent renovations, totaling $140,000, that were much needed and long overdue. Over the last two years, we have seen more kids more often, which can be attributed to increased revenue that the club has been able to generate under my guidance. The new career opportunity formed with ADM will be able to benefit many club members for years to come. I am just happy to be able to lead such a great organization like the Boys & Girls Club. I’m only 30 and being able to inspire hundreds of young people every day is the greatest accomplishment of all. I believe the club still has room to grow. Hopefully, we can start another site for teens, and to ensure our financial future is secure, have a $1 million endowment with our local Community Foundation.
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BUSINESS JOURNAL
September 2015
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Readers seek help with really annoying co-workers Q: One of my staff members has been disturbing employees in another department. “Hannah” apparently has some friends there, so she often drops by to socialize with them. This not only interrupts their work, but is also very distracting to nearby co-workers. Although I have not observed this behavior myself, several colleagues have mentioned it to me. While I don’t want to ignore the problem, I obviously can’t Office Coach tell Hannah to stop being friends with these people. How should I handle this touchy situation? A: Actually, this situation is not “touchy” at all. It’s really quite straightforward. If you know Hannah is bothering people during the workday, then this is a performance issue you must address. That’s just part of your job as her manager. While you clearly have no right to prohibit employee friendships, you do have an obligation to keep them from interfering with work. This means that it’s time for a coaching session with chatty Hannah to establish expectations about excessive socializing. If Hannah asks who complained, indicate that you understand her curiosity, but that information is confidential. During performance discussions, employees often use this question to distract managers from the topic at hand, so don’t allow yourself to get
Marie McIntyre
sidetracked. Finally, after addressing this issue with your own employee, you should ask the other department manager to do the same. After all, Hannah is not talking to herself. nnn Q: The woman in the next cubicle is driving me crazy. “Helen” is a heavy smoker, so she coughs all the time. Her cellphone rings constantly with calls from her kids, and she conducts these conversations in a very loud voice. She also eats breakfast and lunch at her desk every day. I have started wearing headphones to reduce the noise, but I can’t escape the smelly food that Helen brings to work. Since we don’t have a break room, there’s not much I can do about her desktop lunches, but I feel she should be required to eat breakfast at home. Now I’m trying to decide whether I should discuss this issue with our manager. The two of them are friends outside of work, so there may be some favoritism here. What do you think I should do? A: Given that Helen and your boss are buddies, you should be careful about complaining too much. Although manageremployee friendships are generally illadvised, that’s the reality you are dealing with. You will therefore have to weigh your desire to gripe about food odors against the risk of aggravating your manager. Fortunately, however, you are not the only one capable of lodging a complaint. If Helen is as annoying as you say, other co-workers undoubtedly have problems with her as well. If a couple of them would be willing to join you in this protest, then it becomes a group issue, not a personality conflict.
W E E K LY T I P S Can’t get enough advice from the Office Coach? Get weekly column updates at www.thebusiness-journal.com.
nnn Q: One of my co-workers constantly sings religious songs while she’s working. “Lynn’s” desk is right next to mine, so I can hear her loud and clear. This drives me crazy, especially when I’m trying to concentrate. When I politely asked Lynn to stop singing, she ignored my request. Then I sent her an email, which did no good. I went to our supervisor, but he said I should just get used to it. What else can I do? A: If the songbird won’t stop voluntarily and your boss refuses to intervene, you will have to explore more creative solutions. Since Lynn sits nearby, you might try playing a radio just loudly enough for her to hear. Singing a melody while listening to another is almost impossible. Perhaps headphones would help when you need to focus. Or maybe a colleague who is less bothered by noise would be willing to swap desks. If other co-workers are equally irritated, you might even consider organizing a group protest. But if ending the songfest seems unlikely, you need to work on your own reaction. Instead of growing increasingly agitated, try to let Lynn’s singing fade into the background, along with the sound of printers, ringing phones and office conversations. nnn Q: One of our co-workers acts as though he could snap at any moment. “Barry”
frequently talks to himself, sometimes asking questions and then answering them. He gives orders to others as though he’s still in the military. When people talk about certain subjects, he becomes quite agitated. Several of us shared our concerns about Barry with human resources, but so far nothing has been done. Since I don’t feel safe around this person, I have considered looking for another job. Do you have any thoughts about this? A: Predicting whether someone may become violent is difficult, even for clinically trained therapists. Some unusual people are dangerous, while others are simply odd. However, the fact that Barry makes you uneasy suggests that you should be careful around him. When interacting with Barry, don’t do anything to antagonize him. Remain pleasant and friendly, but avoid lengthy discussions, especially about topics which seem to upset him. If he begins to talk about conspiracies, weapons, or people who have done him wrong, those could be significant warning signs. Since you and your colleagues continue to feel threatened, arrange another meeting with the HR manager or security department. They may wish to consult an outside expert who can help evaluate the situation. But if you truly fear for your safety, your inclination to leave may be correct. Marie G. McIntyre is a workplace coach and author. Send in questions and get free coaching tips at www. yourofficecoach.com, or follow her on Twitter @ officecoach.
Picking the right path requires a gut check Q: I’m at a turning point in my career and am trying to decide if I should move to a large corporate setting, stay with a smaller firm or take the entrepreneurial path. I have a good business idea but also have opportunities with existing companies. How to decide? A: Listen to your head, and your heart, when making the call. Whichever choice you make, you’ll be most satisfied if it aligns with your values. If you’ve never really thought about what’s important to you, and have just moved from option to option, try some intentionality. Consider when you’ve felt most satisfied, most energized,
Liz Reyer
most indifferent, and most unhappy in your work. Then figure out what factors are underneath those feelings. For example, if you’re security minded and were unhappy in an unstructured work setting, take it into account in assessing options. Specific questions that may help formulate your values include: What is important to me in a work setting? What type of role is best for me? Does the product/service offered matter to me? What level or form of work/life balance am I seeking? What ways am I trying to make a difference? Think about your goals. When you imagine your life in five or 10 years, where would you like to be? Consider how each option helps advance you toward that goal. Then take a deep and realistic look at your qualifications. You may have the urge to go out on your own; if so, you’ll be more successful if you can combine
W E E K LY T I P S Get weekly career tips from Liz Reyer at www.thebusiness-journal.com.
your business idea with experiences that equip you to develop a business plan, find investors, build a team and successfully deliver your product or service. If your self-assessment gives you pause, identify your key weaknesses and either focus on them to learn the needed skills, or bring on a partner with complementary skills. This isn’t just time for navel gazing. Get feedback from others on the types of opportunities that you’re finding so that you have a broader view on what each might be like. Ask bold questions about people’s satisfaction and the culture of organizations. There’s a practical aspect, too. What can you afford to do? Do you need a steady paycheck to support a family or do you have the option to start from scratch? How
long can you sustain that, and what’s your safety net? This taps hard into emotions; you might experience some judgment from others if you don’t choose the “safe” path. Now, the fun part: picture yourself in each role. Write the story of what your life would be like, draw pictures of how it might feel, pretend you’re watching a movie of someone in your situation. Get outside your head, and let the emotional aspect take over. What messages come through, and what do you intuitively know about where the best fit will be? If one option makes you really happy, but you see many barriers, think about the feasibility of overcoming the challenges. After all, the right path isn’t necessarily the easiest one, but it’ll bring the greatest long-term enrichment to your life. Liz Reyer is a credentialed coach with more than 20 years of business experience. Submit questions or comments about this column at www.deliverchange. com/coachscorner or email her at liz@deliverchange. com.
September 2015
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BUSINESS JOURNAL 15
Thursday, Oct. 1st Decatur Conference Center 7 am - 9 am
Will Bowen Will Bowen is an International Best Selling Author and Speaker who has been featured on the Today Show, Oprah, Fox News and more. He speaks of creating a “Complaint Free Work Environment” that is calmer and happier.
Business Journal, Jim Bowling
Marlin Joshway fills out an application during the Convey Health Solutions and Decatur Workforce Investment Solutions job fair at the National Sequestration Education Center.
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Health care firm picks Decatur Convey Health Solutions plans up to 500 jobs CHRIS LUSVARDI
Business Journal Writer
DECATUR – A health care technology solutions and customer service business sees room to grow in Decatur, announcing plans last month to open a new office in the former StarTek facility. Convey Health Solutions Inc. expects to start by employing more than 300 people at the facility in Fairview Park Plaza. The Florida-based company will provide a mix of permanent, seasonal, full-time and part-time positions. By the time it reaches full capacity, the employment level could approach 500 jobs, said Jonathan Starr, Convey Health’s executive vice president. “We have a lot of hiring to do,” Starr said. “Decatur stood out for its enthusiasm and engagement for this project. We were looking for a large enough labor market to support our needs for many years.” Starr said Convey Health Solutions was founded in 2001 and provides support for some of the country’s most well-known insurance companies. It works to provide information about Medicare prescription drug plans, Medicare Advantage plans and other provider benefit programs, he said. Its services include helping with insurance enrollment and conducting surveys, Starr said. The company is anticipating having the initial stage of hiring completed and office open by the end of October, Starr said. By moving into what had already
been a space for a call center, Starr said the office can be ready soon after signing a lease with minimal investment required. A lease for the space at 1505 W. King St., which had been empty since StarTek closed its office in 2012, was signed in July, he said. “We can have it up and running within a couple months,” Starr said. The company closely considered five sites as Starr said Decatur stood out among the others, which were in Georgia, Texas, Arkansas and Utah. “All of them had some of the elements,” Starr said. “Decatur had the most items needed for us.” Being in the Central Time Zone was a factor as Starr said Decatur will add to the company’s other locations, including on the East Coast along with ones in Arizona and the Philippines. Decatur stood out because of its potential to provide employees with the right skills set, Starr said. The addition will provide a boost to Decatur’s job market, said Ryan McCrady, Economic Development Corporation of Decatur and Macon County president. “We welcome the additional jobs, and our partners will continue to work cooperatively to ensure a great experience for the company,” McCrady said. “This is just another sign of how the spirit of collaboration between our partners is making a difference in job attraction, expansion and retention.” Convey Health Solutions has worked closely with the Economic Development Corporation, Richland Community College, Workforce Investment Solutions and the city of Decatur in its efforts to select a location for its ninth office.
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16
BUSINESS JOURNAL
September 2015
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YOUR
BUSINESS
Succession planning requires tough questions Last month I wrote about four real family businesses. We looked at the transfer of ownership from one generation to the next. Sadly, just one of the four transitions went well. The sole success story was a 116year old roadside business. Here’s the story: A few miles south of Ludington, Mich., sits Bortell’s Fish Market, attracting long lines of tourists and Human Resources locals throughout the summer season. German immigrant Uriah Bortel opened the business in 1898 as a commercial fishery. Somewhere along the years they ceased fishing, opened a roadside market and added an L to their name. The firm is now managed by Kris Bortell, Uriah’s great-great-grandson. That’s right, this business has been in the same family for five generations. When you stop by Bortell’s you’ll notice
Fred Spannaus
the sixth generation of Bortells, two preteens, taking orders behind the counter. No way of knowing if they’ll inherit the market, but 117 years of history says they might. What makes an intergenerational transfer work out this well? It’s way beyond unusual for a business to remain in the same family for five generations. Two basic conditions must be met for the success of any transfer of ownership. First, the incoming ownership must want to own the business. Second, the incoming ownership must be capable. Those two conditions are necessary but not sufficient. They must be checked off, but tons of other things have to go right, too. Luck plays a role. And when looking at transfers within a family, complications abound. The relationship between parent and child changes. The child assumes control of the business, and the parent loses it. Neither is easy to accept, and rarely are both accomplished with grace. To maximize chances for a successful transition, difficult questions need to be asked. Some may seem awkward or unnecessarily personal. Often an experienced and neutral third
party can sort through the complex issues. This person can meet separately with the parent and the child, and then bring them together. What questions should the current owner, the parent, be asked? Here are a few: What do you want for your child in life? What do you want for your business? Do you know that your child really wants to take over the company? How so? What knowledge, skills and experience will your child need to be fully capable for taking over the business? Do you think they can run the business by themselves? Are there any others who are qualified? What will you say to them? How involved do you want to be during the transition period? Afterward? How will you feel if your child makes major changes or reverses decisions that you made? And a starter list of questions for the child: Do you really want to do this? If so, when do you want to take over? What do you need to learn or experience before you’re ready? Are there any others who may be equally or better qualified? How will you manage
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these relationships? How do you think your parent will react if you make major changes? How involved should your parent be during the transition? Afterward? How might this change your relationship with your parent? The nature of the current relationship needs to be examined. Do the parent and child have a healthy adult-adult relationship, or is it still an adult-child relationship? If it’s still in the adult-child stage, it might be characterized by controlling and even domineering from the parent. From the child, you might have resentment and even outright rebellion. Not a good recipe for success. The key is in asking the right questions, so both generations understand and appreciate the challenges that lie ahead. If you’re in Western Michigan next summer, be sure to stop by Bortell’s. It’s on Lake Shore Drive north of Pentwater and south of Ludington. You will thank me. Fred W. Spannaus, Principal of Spannaus Consulting, is 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.
September 2015
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BUSINESS JOURNAL 17
ASK THE SCORE COUNSELOR Q: How can I, as a new business owner, find suppliers? A: The answer to this comes again from the Small Business Development’s Weekly Connection. Sometimes suppliers will contact you through their sales representatives. But more often, particularly when you are starting out, you will need to locate them yourself — either at trade shows, wholesale showrooms and conventions, or through buyers’ directories, industry contacts, the business-tobusiness Yellow Pages and trade journals, or websites. Suppliers can be divided into four general categories. Manufacturers. Most retailers will buy through independent representatives or company salespeople who handle the wares of different companies. Prices from these sources are usually lowest, unless the retailer’s location makes shipping freight expensive. Distributors. Also known as wholesalers, brokers or jobbers, distributors buy in quantity from several manufacturers and warehouse the goods for sale to retailers. Although their prices are higher than a manufacturer’s, they can supply retailers with small orders from a variety of manufacturers. (Some manufacturers refuse to fill small orders.) A lower
GOT A QUESTION ? To learn more about finding suppliers, or 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.
freight bill and quick delivery time from a nearby distributor often compensates for the higher per-item cost. Independent craftspeople. Exclusive distribution of unique creations is frequently offered by independent craftspeople, who sell through reps or at trade shows. Import sources. Many retailers buy foreign goods from a domestic importer, who operates much like a domestic wholesaler. Or, depending on your familiarity with overseas sources, you may want to travel abroad to buy goods. Reliability is the key factor to look for in suppliers. Good suppliers will steer you toward hot-selling items, increasing your sales. If you build a good relationship and your business is profitable for them, suppliers may be willing to bail you out when your customers make difficult
BIZ CLIPS
Adcock
Black
Duncanson
Harris
Horn
Hornbacker
Lindsay
Magagna
Miller
Winter
New staff members
Tom Adcock has joined the management team at Spare Time Lanes. Denise Lindsay has joined FirsTech as business development manager. Douglas B. Harris has been named CEO of Land of Lincoln Credit Union, following the retirement of Mac Dunaway. Julie Helm has joined Peerless Cleaners in its Springfield office.
Promotions
Millikin University announced the promotion of Mary Black to associate professor of theater and dance; Tony Magagna to associate professor of English; Tom Duncanson to
professor of communication; and David Horn to professor of biology.
Announcements
Millikin University granted sabbaticals to Georgia Hornbacker, professor of music, and Alex Miller, associate professor of theater and dance. Dan Winter has been elected to the Teachers Retirement Board of Illinois. 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.thebusiness-journal.com and click on the Submit a Business Achievement link.
BUSINESS JOURNAL
Reader Profile: n 89% are college educated. n 28% are ages 45 to 54.
demands. Remember, though, that suppliers are in business to make money. If you go to the mat with them on every bill, ask them to shave prices on everything they sell to you, or fail to pay your bills promptly, don’t be surprised when they stop calling. As a new business owner, you can’t expect to receive the same kind of attention a long-standing customer gets right off the bat. Over time, however, you can develop excellent working relationships that will be profitable for you and your suppliers. Once you have compiled a list of possible suppliers, ask for quotes or proposals, complete with prices, available discounts, delivery terms and other important factors. Don’t just consider the terms; investigate the potential of your supplier’s financial condition, too. Ask them for customer references and call these customers to find out how well the supplier has performed. If there have been any problems, ask for details about how they were reconciled. Every relationship hits bumps now and then. The key is to know how the rough spots were handled. Was the supplier prompt and helpful in resolving the problem, or defensive and
uncooperative? Be open, courteous and firm with your suppliers, and they will respond in kind. Tell them what you need and when you need it. Have a specific understanding about the total cost and expect delivery on schedule. Keep in constant communication with your suppliers about possible delays, potential substitutions for materials or product lines, production quality, product improvements, or new product introductions and potential savings. Keep in mind that suppliers often establish a minimum order for merchandise, and this minimum may be higher for first orders to cover the cost of setting up a new store account. — Bethany Wetherholt
Meet a SCORE counselor
Rayhill
Joe Rayhill retired as manufacturing plant manager for Sundstrand Corp. His counseling specialties are manufacturing management, personnel and labor relations, human resource training and budgeting. He has been a SCORE counselor for six years.
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BUSINESS JOURNAL
September 2015
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TECH
TALK
Take computer-related ailments seriously The more time you spend at your computer, the higher the risk of computerrelated injuries. Seriously. These include back problems, repetitive strain injuries, eye strain and vision problems, tension headaches, carpel tunnel syndrome, and even mental and emotional issues such as insomnia, stress and depression. Computerrelated health care costs are skyrocketing due Technology to the severity and pervasiveness of these health problems. The good news is that you can easily make changes in your work habits to reduce your risk of issues. Here are some ideas to get you started.
Wendy Gauntt
Your desk
The first step in arranging your workspace is getting your desk set up properly. This is the foundation for good ergonomics. First, be sure your monitors are elevated to eye level, so you can look straight ahead to see your work. You can buy a stand or mount for your monitors to help with positions. Laptop stands are also available. This will minimize neck pain. Raise or lower your desk and chair height so that your elbows and knees are at approximately a 90 degree angle. You want to be positioned in a way that minimizes slouching while you are sitting at your desk. You may need additional accessories, like an under-desk keyboard mount or a footstool, in order to get completely aligned.
Stand up
Your chair
A highly adjustable chair with back support is a boon to those with back problems. Just be sure to adjust it to your needs – many people have high quality chairs that they’ve never fine-tuned. As mentioned above, you want about a 90 degree angle for both your elbows and knees, with your thighs parallel to the floor. You should be sitting upright with your feet on the floor (or a footstool) to ensure good circulation in your legs.
Keyboard and mouse
Don’t underestimate the value of a quality keyboard and mouse. These can make a huge difference in comfort and productivity. Search through mouse and keyboard best sellers on Amazon.com or lifehacker.com, and make sure to read the reviews to pick out the best fit for you. Your hands spend many, if not thousands of hours on your keyboard and mouse; make them more comfy with cushioned wrist supports at the very least.
Prevent eye strain
For those of us staring at a computer all day, eye strain is particularly bad news. Make it easier on the eyes by checking your lighting. Make sure there is no glare from nearby windows. Adjust the brightness setting on your monitor to make it comfortable. Get a large flat screen monitor – or two. You also can adjust cursor size/settings so that it’s easier to see. Blink and use eye drops frequently to keep your eyes from drying out. Most importantly, look away from time to time (exercise your eyes). Look out the window, or at least across the room once per hour. Another good rule of thumb for eye breaks is the 20-20-20 rule: after staring at a screen 20 minutes, focus your eyes 20 feet away for 20 seconds. Talk to your eye doctor about computer glasses if you still feel the effects of eye strain.
Of course there are many apps to help you take a break, too. Eyeloe helps you remember to rest your eyes in two ways: by dimming your screen and suggesting short break eye exercises and disabling your screen for longer periods of time. Workrave and Big Stretch Reminder help remind you to take breaks and suggests exercises. Both are highly configurable for micro breaks, long breaks and even to limit your daily computer usage or how you would like to be reminded. Read the reviews to find the right app for you.
Get better sleep
How your body holds up each day can be influenced by how you sleep at night. Keeping your head, neck and joints aligned at night helps to keep them aligned during the day, or prevent you from starting the day out misaligned. The best position to shoot for is on
your side, knees bent with a pillow in between, and head resting aligned on a single pillow. Consider keeping your room cool and dark for a full night of rest and better focus during the day. And turn off the technology an hour or two before bed, to signal your mind and body that it is time to sleep.
Already hurting?
If you start to notice issues, don’t hesitate. Set up an appointment with a doctor and get checked out. Many of these problems build slowly over time. It is much easier to catch them early, before they become serious. As you can see from the suggestions here, even small changes can make a big difference. Wendy Gauntt is president of CIO Services LLC, a technology consulting company that specializes in small business solutions. Go to www.cioservicesllc.com for more information, ideas and free resources.
BUSINESS JOURNAL
Reader Profile: n 89% are college educated. n 28% are ages 45 to 54.
The road to loyalty.
Get up
A big new trend is the standing desk. Benefits include improved posture and increased calorie burn based on standing rather than sitting. The standing desk immediately helps posture issues, because it’s hard to slouch when you are not in a seat. You can buy a standing desk, build your own or buy desk extensions or even adjustable sit/stand desks, in case you get tired of standing or sitting all day.
It’s never good to remain in the same position for hours on end. Be sure to get up and move from time to time. If you need a reminder, you can set alarms on the computer or your smartphone. You can find short office exercises on YouTube, do a few jumping jacks, hit the stairs for a few laps or just walk around the office or the city block.
Exercise while you work
Fight carpel tunnel
If standing is not enough, consider mounting your computer on a treadmill. You have to set it to a very slow speed in order to work, but the extra movement is great for your health. A lower-cost solution is a mini-cycle. These tiny bikes are basically a set of pedals that fit neatly under your desk, giving you another way to squeeze in extra exercise throughout the day.
There’s an app for that
A few simple desk exercises can help you fight carpel tunnel. If you find your hands or wrists feel strained at the end of the day there are specialty exercises you can do to heal and strengthen your wrists and hands. Again, YouTube is a great resource for these exercises. Look for videos from professionals such as physical therapists, doctors and chiropractors.
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September 2015
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BUSINESS JOURNAL 19
H E A LT H
Nursing profession calls across generations EMILY STEELE
Business Journal Writer
NEWTON – When Denise Hahn graduated from St. John’s College of Nursing in Springfield in 1981, she followed in the footsteps of her mother. Two of her sisters are also alumni, and as time passed her son, Chad, joined the family’s nursing ranks, followed soon by his wife, Ashlee, whom he met at St. John’s. So when Hahn died from cancer last February, Denise Hahn husband of 31 years, Larry Hahn, wanted to make sure she was never forgotten and created a scholarship for nursing students in her honor. “It’s one of the least and last things I can do for my wife,” Hahn said. “The school of nursing is so important to her.” The Denise Marie Hahn scholarship endowment, will annually provide about $500 toward the tuition of a student going into their senior year. “They wanted preference to be given
to a legacy student to perhaps a family members who has gone through St. John’s College,” said Beverly Neisler, chief development officer with HSHS St. John’s Foundation. Neisler worked with Hahn to set up scholarship criteria that mirrored his wife’s character. The student should have outstanding moral character, professionalism, leadership characteristics and “radiates caring and light by his or her communication.” Hahn will meet the first scholarship recipient at a luncheon this fall, which he said will be bittersweet. “I want to be there every year as they present that to them,” Hahn said. Nursing is a field that tends to draw people from the same family. Chad Hahn, works as a trauma nurse in Atlanta at the large ER in the state. While nursing was never pressed on him, Hahn said it was always present growing up, especially during conversations around the dinner table. “They all have the same beliefs,” Hahn said. “Caring for someone else more than themselves.” Mary Jane Linton, an associate
“It takes a special person to be a nurse; it’s not a job, it’s a profession.” Mary Jane Linton, an associate professor of nursing at Millikin University
professor of nursing at Millikin University, followed in her mother and aunt’s footsteps when she became a nurse, despite her mother’s advice against the long hours. But the clean hospital smell she wore home and the grateful letters from patients drew her in anyway. “She was a caring person and I wanted to be that,” Linton said. Now, she’s on the other side and sees past student’s children coming through the program or returning for the masters entry into nursing practice. During student interviews, she makes it a point to ask “what drew you to nursing?” “Oftentimes, someone has been in the
nursing profession or the second biggest thing is I want to help people.” She said the image of the nurse, as an angel of mercy during war times, a calm figure during an emergency, a role model and a respected source of knowledge draws people to nursing. “It takes a special person to be a nurse; it’s not a job, it’s a profession,” Linton said. Karen Vercellino has been an associate professor of nursing at Richland Community College since 2006, and she said it’s common to see the same last name come through the program. “It happens quite often,” Vercellino said. “The longest running one, we had the older daughter come through, then her sister, then their father came through, then their father married a lady in the program.” She said seeing a relative’s satisfaction as a nurse draws many into the field, many while older and as a second career. “A large percent of nurses that go into nursing are inspired by a family member or someone who took care of them,” she said.
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Good health begins with clean hands JAMIE LOBER
Business Journal Writer
ygiene is a year-round issue. H Don’t be fooled into believing that viruses and germs spread more in the fall or winter just because you may be spending more time indoors and in close quarters. “No particular season is germ season as there are germs around us all year long,” said Marisa Moomey, health educator at the Macon County Health Department. You can never be too cautious. “According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hand washing is one of the most important steps we can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others and it is a crucial part of keeping all sorts of infections and viruses and the problems they cause at bay,” Moomey said. Take action by having a method to your hand washing regimen. “Wet your hands with clean, running water that is warm or cold, turn off the tap and apply soap; lather your hands by rubbing them together with soap and be sure to lather the backs of your hands, between your fingers, under your nails and scrub your hands for at least 20 seconds,” Moomey said. After rinsing under clean water, you want to dry your hands with a clean towel or by air. If you are at your desk or on the go, you should have a backup plan. “If soap and water are unavailable, it is recommended that a person use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60 percent alcohol until he is able to wash hands with soap and water,”
Moomey said. All products are not the same. “Studies have shown sanitizers with a higher alcohol concentration, like 60 to 95 percent, are better at killing germs and that those hand sanitizers that are not alcohol based do not work as effectively against all types of bacteria,” said Julie Schinzler, nurse and manager of quality assurance at St. Mary’s Hospital. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggested applying the hand sanitizer to the palm of one hand based on how much the label says to use; rubbing
“
your hands together; and then rubbing the product over all surfaces of your hands and fingers until your hands are dry. The bottom line is that while some cleansing is better than none, sanitizers are by no means a substitute for the basic soap and water. Other healthy habits include staying home when you are ill; covering your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze; and trying to keep your desk and work space clean. Frequently touched surfaces can breed germs so you may want to use a tissue or your elbow to touch things when possible. You can use a disinfectant wipe to clean your keyboard or mouse so bacteria and viruses don’t pile up. Use the refrigerator to store your lunch to avoid food poisoning and contamination. Do not share dishes or utensils with coworkers. Pay attention to others’ habits regarding hygiene. “One of the most effective maintenance methods in the workplace is holding each other accountable,” Schinzler said. Hand washing leads to fewer employee illnesses and less use of sick days. Even though all of the information is readily available to folks about the importance of good hygiene practices, the Centers for Disease Control reported that a recent study showed that only 31 percent of men and 65 percent of women washed their hands after using a public restroom. When one person washes his hands at work, everyone benefits.
Making a difference in people’s lives is the true purpose of mine.
”
THAT’S HOW MEGAN PFLEGER, PT IS
ELEVATING HEALTH CARE
every day.
At HSHS St. Mary’s, we invest in our people, our technology and our hospital to create the ideal healing environment. Megan takes pride in assisting her orthopedic patients through anterior hip replacements – minimally invasive procedures that feature faster recovery times, less pain and shorter hospital stays. For more examples of how we are elevating health care, visit stmarysdecatur.com. stmarysdecatur.com
September 2015
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Community health calendar
Support groups
TOPS Club IL 49 Decatur, 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Main Street Church of God, 2000 N. Main St. (enter from Garfield Street). Weight loss support group. For more information, go to www. topsclub.org or call Chris Granda at (217) 521-2420. Helping Hands Bereavement for Children, 3:30 p.m. Thursdays, Cancer Care Center of Decatur, 210 W. McKinley, Ave. Register online or call (217) 876-4750. Grief support group, 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 5, St. Mary’s Hospital, Conference Room G24. Call (217) 544-6464, ext. 45268. Epilepsy support group, 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8, St. Mary’s Hospital, Assisi Conference Room. Call (217) 853-1655. Facing Cancer Together, 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 9, Cancer Care Center of Decatur, Complementary Education Classrooms, 210 W. McKinley Ave. Register online or call (217) 876-4750. Pink Link breast cancer support group, 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, Cancer Care Center of Decatur, 210 W. McKinley Ave. To register, call (217) 876-4377. Breastfeeding support group, 10:30 a.m. Monday, 14 and 28, Baby TALK, 500 E. Lake Shore Dr. To register, call Flo
Folami at (217) 464-2334. SHARE support group, 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14, St. Mary’s Hospital, Room G18. Support group for those who have experienced the death of a baby during pregnancy, at birth or early infancy. Call (217) 464-2045. Breath of Life support group, noon Tuesday, Sept. 15, St. Mary’s Hospital, Room 561. Speakers available to answer questions from those with breathing problems. Call (217) 464-2603. Diabetes support group, 11 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, DMH Specific Performance Enhancement Center, 2122 N, 27th St. Call (217) 876-4249. Parkinson’s disease support group, 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, Westminster Presbyterian Church, 1360 W. Main St. For information, call Kathy Broaddus at (217) 820-3096. Lyme-MTHFR support study group, 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 17, Mari-Mann Herb Co., 1405 Mari Mann Lane. Call (217) 429-1555. Brain tumor support group, 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, Cancer Care Center of Decatur, Complementary Education Classrooms, 210 W. McKinley Ave. Register online or call (217) 876-4750. Postpartum emotional support group,
Get to know UCP Land of Lincoln
6:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 21, St. Mary’s Hospital, Assisi Conference Room. Call (217) 464-2334. Us TOO prostate cancer support group, 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22, Cancer Care Center of Decatur, Complementary Education Classrooms, 210 W. McKinley Ave. Register online or call (217) 876-4750. Widowed support group, 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 24. Monthly lunch gathering. To register, call (217) 428-7733. Childbirth Experience and Newborn Care and Breastfeeding Basics, 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24, Decatur Memorial Hospital, OB Classroom. Registration is required. Register online or call (217) 876-3400.
Classes
Cardiopulmonary rehab nutrition class, 11 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, Decatur Memorial Hospital, Classroom B. A dietitian-led program on heart healthy eating with an emphasis on reading labels. For more information, call (217) 876-2496. Sibling class, 5:15 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14, St. Mary’s Hospital, Assisi Conference Room. Children 3-12 learn about
Q
I have a great website and want to start digital advertising, but I don’t know where to start?
A
Did you know that at UCPLL we are more than just our name?
A
The answer to this question depends on MANY variables. To find the answer, first YOU have to answer the following: 1) What is your marketing objective? Is there a certain product/ service on which you’d like to focus? Do you want to increase brand awareness, increase website traffic, increase foot traffic? You have to determine your KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), in order to measure the success of your campaign. 2) Who and Where are you trying to reach? What are your key demographics and geographic areas? These answers will help you determine the best way to reach them based on behavior or media use trends. 3) What will your message be? Will it be a branding message or will it have a specific call-to-action? Answering this will also help you to determine your KPIs for the campaign. There are many digital marketing options including; Search Engine Optimization, Google AdWords, Social Media, Targeted Digital Display Ads, Contesting, Email Marketing and more. The answers to the questions above will help point toward one or more of these because each offer benefits that can lead to specific goals. Feeling overwhelmed? Don’t…consider this, the marketing models of large companies like McDonald’s always focus heavily in one area for at least a quarter and then shift to another the next. This allows them to do the campaign well, with maximum focus. Additionally, this model allows them to know exactly what is working. Trying to do everything at once makes it difficult to determine which one is working best and also spreads the penetration too thin. The best news for you, you don’t have to figure it out alone. I’m here and I’m ready for the challenge. Call me, let’s meet soon.
– Help out by volunteering for a fundraiser like the UCP Miller Lite Barstool Open or a program like Summer Camp. – Share an idea! If you or your business would like to partner with UCPLL for an event or fundraiser, contact Jenny Dawson at jdawson@ ucpll.org
Cayla Hittmeier
Digital Sales Specialist Herald & Review
– Keep your office beautiful and feel good knowing you are helping to provide employment for individuals with disabilities by hiring White Glove Cleaning Professionals and Gone for Good Document Destruction. Contact Jenny Niebrugge at jniebrugge@ucpll.org for a quote! You can also find our “Wish List” on our website. This is a list of items that our organization needs to better serve the community. Thank you in advance for your interest in helping UCP!
217-753-0414
Community Education, Alzheimer’s Series: The Basics, 10 am. Wednesday, Sept. 9; Ten Signs of Alzheimer’s Disease, 10 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 30. Both sessions at St. Mary’s Hospital, Assisi Conference Room. For more information or to register, call (217) 464-5610. Community Education, Children and Asthma, 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15, Decatur Public Library. This St. Mary’s Hospital community health lecture service provides information from a local health care provider. For more information, call (217) 464-5125.
How can I get involved with UCP Land of Lincoln?
– Participate and attend one of our exciting fundraising events throughout the year and invite your friends and family to do the same.
www.ucpll.org
More
Q
There are many ways to help support our agency;
Chief Marketing and Business Development Officer United Cerebral Palsy of Land of Lincoln
being a big brother or sister. To register, call (217) 464-2334. Infant CPR Class, 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14, Decatur Memorial Hospital, OB Classrooms. Register online or call (217) 876-3100. Cardiopulmonary risk factor education, 11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 18, Decatur Memorial Hospital, Classroom C. Call (217) 876-2496. Breastfeeding class, 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 24, St. Mary’s Hospital, Assisi Conference Room. To register, call (217) 464-2334.
Making a Digital Marketing Plan
We serve people with all types of disabilities, not just Cerebral Palsy. We’ve been serving Central Illinois since 1963 covering 27 counties and offices in Bloomington, Decatur, Springfield and Urbana.
Jenny Dawson
BUSINESS JOURNAL 21
United Cerebral Palsy Land of Lincoln. Life Without Limits for people with disabilities.
601 E. WILLIAM ST. DECATUR, IL 62523 217.421.6994
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YOUR The Arts
Anne Lloyd Gallery: Woodcut prints by Jerry B. Walters. Opening reception from 5-7:30 Friday, Sept. 4. Call (217) 423-3189. www.decturarts.org Gallery 510: A variety of works by Leta Burch. Opening reception from 5 to 7:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 4. Call (217) 422-1509. Decatur Airport: Watercolors by Shirley Buescher. Decatur Public Library: Watercolors by Michael Delaney. Arts in Central Park, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 20. Includes art activities for kids. A preview night will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 18. For more information, call (217) 423-3189.
Music
Millikin-Decatur Symphony Orchestra: Annual Labor Day Pops concert, 6 p.m. in Nelson Park. Opening Night performance, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, at Kirkland Fine Arts Center. Featured performer is meszzo-soprano Andrea Frakes Pope. For tickets, call (217) 424-6318. Kirkland Fine Arts Center: Brass Transit, 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 12; m-pact, 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3. For tickets, call (217) 424-6318. Brian Shartzer as Garth Brooks, 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, Decatur Civic Center. For tickets, go to www.decaturciviccenter.org
TIME
Calendar of events
For a complete list of events, go to www.herald-review.com/go/ On Stage
“Defending the Caveman,” Oct 9-11 at the Decatur Civic Center. For tickets, call (217) 422-6161 or go to www.decaturciviccenter. org.
Charity events
Fido Scurry, 8 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, in Fairview Park. This event, which benefits the Macon County Animal Control and Care Center, includes a 5K or 1 mile walk/run, pet parade, dog demonstration, and a costume contest. Call 423-7387. Silas Martin Memorial Concert, featuring The Great Romance, at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 12, at the Decatur Civic Center. A portion of the proceeds will to to Alex’s Lemonade Stand to fund research of a cure for pediatric cancer. Tickets can be purchased at the Decatur Civic Center ticket office or at www.decaturciviccenter.org. Cruise 11 to Remember 9/11, Sunday, Sept. 13, in Central Park to provide Christmas gifts to Central Illinois veterans in need. There will be a car show and a motorcycle show in downtown. Entries will be encouraged to “Cruise” the 11-mile route at 3 p.m. Registration will begin at 8 a.m.
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For information, email aynproductions@ yahoo.com or call (217) 791-1385. Shoreline Classic, Sunday, Sept. 20, Nelson Park Main Pavilion. This Tot Trot, 5K run/walk or 15K run benefits local and high school running programs. To register visit, www.shorelineclassic.com. Betsy Smith 5K Run/Walk, to benefit REALLIFE in Marion, Ind., 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, St. Mary’s Hospital. Www. thebetsyrun.com. Brew Ha Ha, to benefit The Decatur Area Arts Council, 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 26, in a tent in front of the Madden Arts Center. Includes live music and a Taste of Germany (beer and food). Call 423-3189. Prairie Pedal, Sunday, Sept. 27, at Rock Springs Nature Center. This 20-, 40- or 62-mile route through quiet country roads is hosted by the Macon County Conservation Foundation and benefits the natural area preservation projects at Macon County’s conservation areas. Go to www. maconcountyconservationfoundation.org. Walk to End Alzheimer’s, a 3.2 mile walk to benefit the Alzheimer’s Association, 9:30 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, in Forsyth Village Park. There also will be a 1 mile
Featured Business:
course. To register, go to alz.org/walk or call (217) 726-5184.
For the kids
Children’s Museum of Illinois: Make Space workshop, Sept. 9 and 23; Family Science Sunday-Harvest the Garden, Sept. 13; Pumpkin Palooza, Sept.23. www.cmofil. org. Call (217) 423-5437. Scovill Zoo: Grandparents’ Day, Sept. 13; Family Camp Out, Sept. 18. Call (217) 421-7435.
Misc.
Decatur Civic Center: Seniorama, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday, Sept. 11; Decatur Train Fair, Sept. 19 and 20. For more information, go to www.decaturciviccenter.org 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. Macon Speedway. Dirt track racing at its very best every Saturday night. Call (217) 764-3000. www.maconracing.com Labor Day Parade, 10 a.m. Monday, Sept. 7, downtown Decatur. Got an item you’d like listed in the Your Free Time calendar? Send the information to Scott Perry at sperry@herald-review.com or 601 E. William St., Decatur, IL 62523.
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September 2015
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YOUR
BUSINESS JOURNAL 23
MONEY
Use back-to-school shopping as money lesson GREGORY KARP
Tribune News Service Writer
Back-to-school shopping represents one of the best opportunities all year for students to learn a few lessons before they return to the classroom — money lessons, that is. “When they reach their high school years, kids have to be prepared to do some comparison shopping and live within a budget, because they’re going off on their own in three to five years and they need to be prepared,” said Steve Economides, who with wife Annette heads America’s cheapest family, runs moneysmartfamily. com and has written books including “The MoneySmart Family System.” “We’re not raising kids; we’re raising future adults.” Americans will spend $68 billion during this year’s back-to-school season, including back-to-college, according to the National Retail Federation. That’s an average of $630 per family for school-age kids and $899 for families with collegebound students. While the back-to-school drill can be stressful for parents, including some money lessons is worthwhile, experts said. “You don’t want to overwhelm your kid, so you have to be sensitive to who your kid is and what they’re going to be taking on,” said Annette Economides. “But if they can handle learning a new system, and you can handle implementing it, it’s a great time.” Part of the reason it works is because kids care about school shopping, said Patricia A. Seaman, a spokeswoman for the National Endowment for Financial Education. “Back-to-school shopping, like all shopping, is a teachable moment for kids and money, and they have a vested interest in the outcomes since they are the ones who have to carry the backpacks and wear the clothes they have chosen for the upcoming year,” she said. It turns out kids really need those lessons. Despite a high-profile focus on financial literacy in the U.S., teens generally are not excelling when it comes to money knowledge. An international report released last year showed about 18 percent of U.S. 15-year-olds didn’t reach a baseline level of proficiency in financial literacy, according to an assessment by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. U.S. teens ranked below average and well behind those from China, Belgium and Estonia. Here are some ideas for schooling your kids about money through shopping. Budgeting. A spending plan is fundamental for using money wisely, so the process doesn’t start with a trip to the mall
but with a conversation. Take inventory of what they need, typically school supplies and clothing. “Work with your child to make a list of everything he or she wants and needs for school and how much it costs,” Seaman said. But mom and dad should have veto power over purchases. Needs vs. wants. The difference between needs and wants may be the most important lesson of all for kids. “You need a backpack; you want one with the Avengers on it,” Seaman said. “Challenge your children when they say ‘I want.’ Have them find the basic version of what they want and discuss how it will fulfill their needs.” For upgrades beyond the functional choices and their budgeted amounts, require the child to contribute their own money. On average, teens this year will contribute $33.27, and preteens will spend $17.57, according to the retail federation. Comparison shopping. Looking up prices online before heading to the mall will give you and your child an idea of the price range for that item. Incorporating secondhand stores into the shopping process is a great lesson too — especially for clothes or sporting equipment. It makes you think about the extreme markup for new items. Trade-offs. Shopping on a budget allows older children to experience the concept of opportunity costs, or trade-offs — how buying one item limits their ability to buy others. It’s the “money doesn’t grow on trees” lesson. Introduce scenarios in which children must choose between competing spending priorities. “Do you want the $100 sneakers or a moderately priced pair and an extra pair of jeans?” Overspending. “Don’t bail out your kids if they overspend; instead, take them back to the store to return the items that blew the budget,” Seaman said. You could even introduce the concept of credit, borrowing money from you but paying it back with interest: “You can have this fancy binder, but it will cost you $7 instead of $5 when you pay me back,” she said. Spend cash. Studies show that using credit or debit cards leads consumers to overspend because it takes away some of the psychological pain of handing over hard currency. Back-to-school shopping with cash might be more of a hassle, but it might also make an impression as children see the bills going from wallet to cashier. And for older children doing their own school shopping, give them cash and tell them as long as they get everything on their list, they can keep whatever is left. Then you’ll see some smart spending.
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