February Voice 2017

WESLEY WILLOWS CELEBRATES 50 YEARS PAGE 5

RISE OF SOFT SKILLS IN WORKPLACE PAGE 19

The Voice is online at rockfordchamber.com

RETAIL HOLIDAY SALES UP FOUR PERCENT

February 2017 | Volume 30 | No. 2

ROCKFORD CHAMBER’S ANNUAL DINNER

Brent Brodeski has seen his business, Savant Capital Management, grow. Over the years, he’s served on the board of a variety of nonprofit organizations. And he’s been involved in a number of other positive things happening in Rockford.

For his part, Brodeski was named the 2017 Rockford Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year.

The CEO, co-founder and principal at Savant Capital Management received the honor Jan. 19 during the chamber’s annual dinner at Giovanni’s Restaurant and Convention Center. More than 800 people turned out for this year’s event.

Brodeski was out of town so his wife, Sharon, accepted the award on his behalf. “This is something I never would have expected,” said Brodeski, during a

PHOTOS BY BRIAN THOMAS PHOTOGRAPHY

Brodeski named Citizen of the Year

Brent Brodeski, (inset) was honored with the Citizen of the Year award.

His wife, Sharon accepted the award on his behalf. taped interview that was shown during the dinner. “My team and family are second to none. Rockford is my hometown. It’s a great place to live and start and own a business.”

Savant Capital Management, which is a Registered Investment Advisory firm based in Rockford, employs 150 people in 13 offices across Illinois, Wisconsin and Washington, D.C. He was named by Chicago magazine as the number one independent financial

advisor for the Chicagoland area in 2009 and as one of the nation’s top professional advisors by J.K. Lasser. He represented Savant for the seventh year on Barron’s list of the “Top 100 Independent Financial Advisors” in the country and in 2016 was ranked by Forbes as #50 on their top 200 wealth advisors list.

In addition to his business activities, Brodeski has served on a number of boards: Boy Scouts of America, Continued on page 3

City receives downtown revitalization accolades

Creating walkable, shared community spaces

Visit us online at: rockfordchamber.com ■ online registration ■ keynote speaker video clips ■ event photos ■ list of Chamber events Questions? 815-987-8100

Join the Chamber’s LinkedIn Group

The City of Rockford received a Congress for the New Urbanism Illinois Charter Award for its Downtown Strategic Action Plan on Dec. 15, 2016.

The city was noted for its projects of quality urban design and development practices that prioritize walkable, diverse neighborhoods; public transit; public spaces; community institutions, and building practice.

The city’s Downtown Strategic Action Plan, co-sponsored by Rockford Metropolitan Agency for Planning, focuses on adding downtown housing, linking open space and improving mobility choices. It has taken previously conceived recommendations and refined and implemented them using a T[actical], L[ean], C[limax] (TLC) approach, with the intent that shorterterm tactics lead to high-investment climax conditions.

The U.S. Census Bureau reported that retail and food services sales, at $935.3 billion for the November and December 2016 holiday season, was four percent higher overall than the same two months in 2015.

Holiday spending with nonstore retailers was the highest in five years. Sales from mail-order houses, vending machine operators, home delivery, door-to-door, party-plan, electronic shopping and portable stalls jumped 12.8 percent. These sales have increased each year since 2008, when sales declined 6.2 percent.

At the same time, holiday spending in general merchandise stores declined 2.1 percent in November and December of 2016, following a 0.9 percent growth rate the year before.

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COUNTING THE YOUNG HOMELESS AMONG US

A rooftop venue for weddings, special occasions and corporate events is part of the renovation of The Standard building in downtown Rockford.

Energized organizations and citizens have worked with the city to implement some of the tactics of the plan, such as temporary bike/pedestrian shareduse space installed with planters and bollards on the State Street Bridge.

The downtown event series, Shop the Blocks, was launched in summer 2015 and continued in summer 2016, with elements such as temporary parklets in parking spaces and lots, pop-up shops, and outdoor dining and retail sales.

For more information on Downtown Strategic Action Plan initiatives, visit http://rockfordil.gov (click Community & Economic Development, Long Range Planning).

— Barbara Connors

Seeing success in addressing homelessness among veterans and the chronically homeless, the City of Rockford Human Services department is focusing this year on combating youth homelessness.

To determine the scope of the situation, area volunteers took a Winnebago and Boone County Point-in-Time count of sheltered and unsheltered homeless persons over 24 hours, Jan. 23 to 24, as a part of a nationwide initiative. The 2017 PIT count included one count for adults and a second for youth, 16 to 24.

“Sheltered homelessness” for the adult PIT count included anyone sleeping in a shelter, transitional housing program or a hotel/motel paid for by an agency.

“Unsheltered homelessness” included anyone sleeping outside or in places not meant for human habitation. For the youth count, anyone 16 to 24 without permanent indoor shelter (sleeping on streets, outdoors, in a vehicle, abandoned building, storage locker, couchsurfing, friend or family member on a temporary basis, etc.) was considered homeless.

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February 2017

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Chairman’s Perspective VIEWPOINT

No other place I’d rather be This is a great time to capitalize on the enormous work done by many in our community. We are poised for a real upsurge in meaningful collaboration.

Twenty years ago, I came to Rockford, not sure what to expect of my new surroundings. I was recruited by a headhunter who had plenty of good things to say about Rockford.

But everything I had heard and seen, including a few unflattering national lists had me somewhat concerned about my decision to move here.

But any worries I had were quickly dispelled. Through my job as executive director of the OSF Saint Anthony Foundation, I came to appreciate what makes Rockford special. I met generous community members — people willing to support a variety of important causes and organizations. I also discovered wonderful gems — Anderson Japanese Gardens, the Rockford Park District, and the Winnebago County Forest Preserve, to name a few. I soon realized Rockford was where I was meant to be.

Over the years, I’ve had the good

fortune to be involved in many solid organizations, including the Rockford Chamber of Commerce. My time with the chamber started by attending events as a member; since then, I’ve become a chamber board member, served on a number of committees and helped anywhere I could. When I’m in, I’m all in.

Now, I assume the position of Chamber Board Chairperson for the next two years. I’m humbled and honored to accept this position.

My goal is to help take the Chamber to the next level. It’s possible, thanks to the helps of many outstanding community members.

Many people I know are involved in the chamber in some fashion. Take the Chamber’s annual dinner, for example, which was held January 19 at Giovanni’s. We had more than 800 people in attendance that night to help

kick off the new year. That speaks volumes to how our members feel about our Chamber and the direction we’re headed.

I’m so pleased to be given the opportunity to help lead the chamber into the future. It’s one of the most highly respected and functional chambers in the state. It starts with Einar Forsman, president and CEO, who has provided excellent leadership, and is highly-respected for his many talents. We have a great board and a professional and powerful staff.

This is a great time to capitalize on the enormous work done by many in our community. We are poised for a real upsurge in meaningful collaboration. We’re building on the work of Transform Rockford and others we need to reach out to. The success of the Rockford Leadership Alliance last year, showed what we’re capable of accomplishing. And we’re only getting started.

I chose to come to this community 20 years ago. My time here represents the largest portion of my professional life and I choose it for the next chapter

as

well.

have

I

chosen

to

make

Rockford

Richard Zumwalt Rockford Chamber Board Chairman

my

home in every sense.

I commit to

being an ever present cheerleader for the Chamber and Rockford. I hope you’ll join me.

I encourage all members, new and longtime, to be seen at and attend functions; get involved and make an impact. Every member can help increase membership by simply asking others to get involved. It’s that simple.

Finally, I want to thank Patti Thayer for her tremendous leadership and dedication as board chair over the past two years. I’ve learned so much from Patti, whom I consider a good friend and mentor. Patti is a shining example of what the chamber is all about. I have big shoes to fill, but I’m excited and grateful for the opportunity.

Rick Zumwalt is chairman of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce board of directors.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

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February 2017

Annual Dinner (continued from front page)

Rockford Symphony Orchestra, the Illinois University Foundation, the Rock Valley College Foundation, the Rockford Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Brodeski is a graduate of Boylan High School and Rock Valley College.

“Brent is a thoughtful and deliberate thinker,” said Forsman. “His mindset is ‘let’s take people and help them meet their goals.’ When he’s involved in something, he’s all in. What he’s done with his company is an amazing story.”

Vinh Giang, an entrepreneur and magician, was the keynote speaker. Giang weaved magic into his message that centered on beliefs, perspective and the idea that “you are a direct reflection of the top five people you spend time with.”

“His message was provocative,” said Einar Forsman, president and CEO of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

“The crowd was into it and the magic kept them engaged. The points he made were

key, especially how you perceive things.

Business is about perspective. Look at our crime problem, for example. Crime is really a problem for us that has really negatively affected our community. The same can be said in business. Why do we have good business relationships and why do we have bad ones? What are we missing in the dialogue that we have in business that could easily be changed? I think people can take one or two things away from Vinh’s message and say ‘how can I apply that to my work life?”

Forsman delivered his own positive message to the large crowd, which touched on jobs. “We have to be focused,”

Let your Voice be heard The Rockford Chamber of Commerce ­ elcomes and encourages submissions for The w VOICE of the Rockford Business Community.

Deadline is the 15th of the month preceding publication. Send news releases and other ­ items of interest to the business community to: The VOICE Rockford Chamber of Commerce 308 W. State St., Ste. 190 Rockford, IL 61101

For information about advertising contact Customer Service at 815-987-8100.

The VOICE of the Rockford Business Community (USPS 784-120). ISSN number 1086-0630, is published monthly by the Rockford Chamber of Commerce, 308 W. State St., Ste. 190, Rockford, Illinois 61101.

Periodicals postage paid at Rockford, Ill. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: The VOICE of the Rockford Business Community, 308 W. State St., Ste. 190, Rockford, IL 61101.

he said. “If we can solve this workforce problem first, we’ll become world class.

We need to find a way to get citizens with a lack of skills or education and get them ramped up quicker. They’re hungry for work and our employers need quality talent. How can we find a way to bridge that gap? It’s our number one problem today. We’re leaving jobs on the table and we have to fix that.”

The dinner marked the end of Patti Thayer’s tenure as board chair. “Patti displayed incredible energy. She took the role very seriously and passionately,” said Forsman. “Her mindset was always on the chamber being successful.

Regardless of the issue, she felt the chamber is an institution that can really make a positive impact on the community.

Replacing Thayer is Rick Zumwalt, the retiring OSF Saint Anthony Foundation executive director who is launching his

own consulting firm. “I want to find ways to grow our business opportunities,” Zumwalt told the audience. “I want the chamber to be the champion of collaboration. I’m a cheerleader for the chamber and the community.”

The chamber said goodbye to outgoing board members Paul McCann and Rich Walsh.

Incoming board members are Paula Carynski (OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center), LaVonne Brown (Savant Capital Management), Jon Thompson (Butitta Brothers Automotive), Karl Swanson (Rockford Bank & Trust), Sam Castree (Staff Management, Inc.) and John Schuster (Rosecrance Health Network).

OSF HealthCare was the presenting sponsor of the annual dinner. Charles Schwab sponsored the Citizen of the Year award. Other sponsors were Associated Bank, AT&T, The Alliance, RSM, and Williams Manny. theVoice

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February 2017

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Highlights of New Illinois Laws for 2017 Nearly 200 new Illinois laws took effect at the stroke of midnight on Jan. 1, 2017.

in recent years for the bizarre, zombielike behavior exhibited by those under its influence.

A Few Highlights

■■ Senate Bill 2806 fines $500 for a first violation and $1,000 for subsequent violations for failure to stop at a railroad crossing.

■■ House Bill 4999 seeks to further protect employees’ online privacy; making it unlawful for any employer or prospective employer to require an employee or prospective employee to provide usernames and passwords to their personal online accounts, including social media accounts.

■■ Senate Bill 3164 gives greater flexibility in granting probation for certain non-violent offenders with no prior conviction for a violent crime.

The state’s prison population has increased by more than 500 percent in the last 40 years. The goal is to reduce the number of non-violent offenders in Illinois’ correctional facilities — which are operating at roughly 150 percent of recommended capacity.

■■ Senate Bill 3096, seeks to increase the reporting, investigation and successful prosecution of sexual assault cases in Illinois; giving victims a longer period of time to request a rape kit, speeding up forensic testing to address the backlog of testing rape kits in sexual assault cases, and requires more detailed reporting of sexual assault cases by police. Cosmetologists also will receive special training to spot the signs of domestic violence and sexual violence as part of their license renewal process under House Bill 4264.

■■ Child victims of battery or aggravated domestic battery will be able to give testimony via a one-way closed circuit television thanks to Senate Bill 2880; protecting them from the emotional trauma and distress of testifying in a courtroom.

■■ Senate Bill 2370 requires legal counsel during the interrogation of minors under the age of 15 who have been charged with murder, who may not fully understand their legal rights.

■■ Senate Bill 210 makes it a Class 3 felony with a maximum fine of $150 for retailers to sell all synthetic cathinones, drugs that are often sold under the disguise of legitimate products such as “bath salts.” “Bath salts” are noted

■■ Private transportation companies will be allowed to operate video recording devices under Senate Bill 629, but must have a notice posted stating that a passenger’s conversation may be recorded. Any data recorded becomes the sole property of the vehicle’s owner.

■■ Prompted by the tragic death of 13-year-old Annie LeGere, who suffered a fatal anaphylactic reaction while at a sleepover party, House Bill 4462 (Annie LeGere Law) takes effect.

It promotes live-saving treatment for allergic reactions by expanding training for law enforcement on how to recognize and respond to anaphylaxis, including the administration of an epinephrine auto-injector.

■■ To honor fallen soldiers, House Bill 4344 creates the Heroes Way Designation Program Act, which allows families of veterans killed in action while on active duty to apply for a designation to honor the departed with a personal sign on designated roadways under the jurisdiction of the Illinois Department of Transportation.

■■ House Bill 5656 requires that Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS) provide visitation privileges and accommodations to the grandparents and great-grandparents of a child under the department’s supervision — as long as it’s in the best interest of the child.

■■ Amending Childhood Hunger Relief Act, Senate Bill 2393 requires all school districts in Illinois to implement and operate a “breakfast after the bell” program: schools must provide breakfast for their students after the instructional day has begun — and may also begin serving before the day has begun.

■■ House Bill 5788 states that fishermen can now add catfish to the list of species that may be caught with a pitchfork, underwater spear gun, bow and arrow, or a bow and arrow device. The current overpopulation of Asian Carp throughout the state is causing irreparable damage to Illinois’ waterways and ecosystems. Fisherman now can sell the carp carcasses, used to make fertilizer.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

February 2017

Member Profile PROFILE

Expansion of Wesley Willows has resulted in a 37,000-sq.-ft. Town Center with a two-story atrium, bank, auditorium, library/media center, game room, art center, fitness and aquatic centers.

Celebrating 50 years at Wesley Willows

By Paul Anthony Arco Bill Pratt knows the importance of quality senior living. Seventeen years ago, the Wisconsin native moved back to the Midwest to become president and CEO of Wesley Willows. The move also allowed him to be closer to his father, who eventually came to live at the Rockford facility. “I wanted to be able to care for him in his later years,” he said.

Pratt’s father passed away last year at 93.

Through that time, Pratt has seen the impact senior living has made on hundreds of residents who’ve called Wesley Willows home. “This experience has been beyond my expectations,” he said. “The people – the residents, board and staff – have been wonderful blessings.”

Opened in 1966, Wesley Willows is the only senior living community in the area with the full continuum of senior housing (duplex homes, apartments and suites) and senior health care services on one campus. The Wesley Willows campus offers home care, assisted living, personal care services, Medicarecertified rehabilitation therapies, skilled nursing care, Alzheimer’s and memory support, respite care and end-of-life/ hospice care.

The campus also includes two fitness centers, exercise classes, personal trainers, aquatic center and an indoor walking track. Other amenities include fine dining, concierge services, on-site banking, library/computer center, an art center, a full service salon and a large auditorium for group activities and special events. Life Enrichment adds a full schedule of programs, including bus trips to baseball games, shopping and theatrical performances.

History of Three CEOs Pratt is only the third president and CEO in the organization’s long history, which opened in 1966. Reverends Edwin Hunt and Robert Ash were the first two CEOs, who went on to live at Wesley Willows following retirement. Hunt passed away, but Ash still lives there.

“To have all CEOs involved here at one time was an incredible experience,” Pratt said. “They always rejoiced in our successes as much as I did.”

The industry has changed over the

years. “Years ago, our industry was referred to as old peoples’ homes,” Pratt said. “It has become much more complex. Now we have people living in independent homes and suites and assisted living, able to utilize our rehab unit and outpatient therapy, while others reside in our memory care area, or longterm care. All the puzzle pieces need to fit together.”

Wesley Willows has 340 employees and 650 residents. Many of the residents move there to be close to family living in the Rockford area. According to Pratt, one couple researched 50 different facilities in several states before choosing Wesley Willows.

Building a Culture of Community When Pratt arrived in 1999, Wesley Willows began work on a comprehensive $52 million strategic master plan. It started by building a 37,000-sq.-ft.

Town Center, the hub of all activity, that includes a two-story atrium, bank, auditorium, library/media center, game room, art center, fitness and aquatic centers. “The heart of our master plan is this town center,” Pratt said. “Attached to the Town Center is Willows Suites, and we’ve opened three wings since 2008. People just keep coming.” In fact, that original $52 million plan has resulted in more than $100 million in new construction since 2002. And Wesley Willows still has plenty of room on its 234 acres to grow.

The future looks bright. In 2014, Wesley Willows acquired Peterson Meadows, giving the business an eastside presence. By early spring, a dog park will open on the Wesley Willows campus. And, the organization is looking for future development opportunities along the I-39/90 corridor all the way to Stevens Point, Wis. “We are very much a reflection of the culture of our community,” Pratt said.

“We have people ready to move here in their 60s. They get the concept of senior living. It’s a strong sense of community.”

WESLEY WILLOWS

CEO: Bill Pratt 4141 N. Rockton Ave., Rockford 815-316-1500 www.wesleywilllows.org

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February 2017

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Tax credit continues in 2017

River Edge Redevelopment Zone Ill. Gov. Bruce Rauner signed Senate Bill 1488 to extend the River Edge Redevelopment Zone Program for one year, ending on Jan. 1, 2018. “This extension will help ensure that current and on-the-horizon projects can proceed, continuing the vibrant growth of our riverfront area,” said Rockford Mayor Larry Morrissey.

Rockford is one of only five Illinois communities to have a River Edge Redevelopment Zone designation, which provides a state tax credit for the restoration and preservation of historic structures to stimulate economic revitalization and jobs. Most at risk if the tax credit had not been extended was the redevelopment of the $65 million Amerock Hotel and Conference Center and the city-owned Rockford Watch Factory and Barber-Colman Complex.

Rockford’s River Edge Redevelopment Zone is the almost four square miles along the Rock River and includes the historic downtown.

A local development team invested

The redevelopment of the old Amerock building into the $65 million Amerock Hotel and Conference Center was at risk if the River Edge Redevelopment Zone Program tax credit was not extended. more than $12 million to renovate the historic Prairie Street Brewhouse, a mixed-use property of residential, commercial and retail tenants that employs 181.

Local developer, Urban Equities, has under construction two properties in the State Street District; mixed-use firstfloor retail and upper floor apartments -- a roughly $7 million investment. Also under construction by Developer Morgan Management and Urban Equities is a $12 million adaptive reuse of the historic Rockford Trust Building, to include 62 apartments and first-floor retail.

—- Barbara Connors

BBB ranks top scams for 2016 Tax, debt collection scams top list

In 2016, tax scams remained at top of the list of Better Business Bureau scam reports, despite a huge drop in reports after a September police raid in Mumbai, India. While the raids made a huge impact in reducing fake IRS calls, the BBB will keep close watch for any resurgence with a new tax season soon approaching.

In the Rockford area, the BBB received reports of debt collection, sweepstakes/lottery, tech support, family/friend emergency and government grant scams in December and November, 2016. Most who gave reports did not lose money.

“There is a science to scams, and it may surprise you to know that scammers use many of the same techniques as legitimate sales professionals,” said Dennis Horton, director of the Rockford Regional Office of the BBB. The top three scams nationwide in 2016 were tax scams, debt collection scams and sweepstakes/prizes/gifts scams -- the same as in 2015. New to the top 10 were online purchase scams and phishing scams. Online purchase scams were common in 2015 as well, but this category was not added until 2016. Employment scams also were new to the top 10, but only because work-from-home scams, previously a separate category, were included. Another change was a drop of tech support scams from #4 in 2015 to #7 in 2016.

Emerging in the Chicago and northern Illinois area was scammers posing as fake utility workers or security system workers. The BBB continues to keep a close watch, especially after reports by some utility companies that counterfeit vests were being sold at summer festivals.

Scam Type

Scam Reports

Percentage Last Year

1. Tax Scams (IRS and CRA)

7,530

25.0

24.0

2. Debt Collections

2,456

8.2

8.3

3. Sweepstakes/Prizes/Gifts

2,102

7.0

8.0

4. Online Purchase

1,891

6.3

---

5. Employment

1,773

5.9

---

6. Government Grant

1,453

4.8

5.7

7. Tech Support

1,382

4.6

6.0

8. Advance Fee Loan

965

3.2

3.8

9. Fake Check/Money Order

872

2.9

2.4

10. Phishing

776

2.6

---

Compiled based on more than 30,000 scam reports filed by consumers on bbb.org/scamtracker.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

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February 2017

IGNITE

Young Professionals

Why Rockford?

Reasons I chose this as my hometown My wife and I recently purchased a home in Rockford, and the most common question that came up was: “Why Rockford?” Most of our friends and family live outside of the city in the neighboring communities, for one reason or another, and to be completely honest, I was looking outside the area initially as well.

This ended up being the best thing that could have happened to us. It drove us to open our search and explore the Rockford market.

As a young professional taking the next steps in life consisting of buying a house and starting a family, you look at where you would want to raise a family. Rockford has a stigma that drives millennials from living in the community because of the crime and the negative impression of the school district. On the surface, looking at those two key issues, it would make sense to move outside of the city.

So here is my rationalization for buying in Rockford.

As homebuyer, you are going to get a lot more house for your money. We searched for homes all over the area.

Roscoe, Rockton, Machesney Park and so on. … Admittedly, we put an offer in on a ranch in a smaller town. Nothing special. It was a builder-grade, (no frills) newer construction of 1,700 square feet. We were out bid. In fact, the home went for five thousand over the asking price. The lack of inventory and the marketability of the area helped spur that offering price.

This ended up being the best thing that could have happened to us. It drove us to open our search and explore the Rockford market.

We purchased a 2,500-square-foot home for less than we were going to pay for the home in the smaller town, and this home was completely upgraded: all-granite countertops, remodeled bathrooms and actual hardwood flooring. As turnkey as you are going to get in buying a pre-existing home. This is great because I have learned the hard way over the years that all that DIY stuff is way harder than they make it look on TV.

Greg Lundquist IGNITE

home, you still have core issues of crime and poor schools that you will contend with as long as you live in the city. Valid points that we struggled with in making the final decision, until we looked at it in a different light.

Crime is always on our mind. It’s in the news and on social media all of the time. Rockford Scanner posts fill timelines every couple of hours with things that are going on, from robberies to shootings. It’s scary, and the first inclination is to stay as far away as possible.

The fact of the matter is that most of the major crime is committed by a very small percentage of population. While it seems like it has gotten worse lately, I’m confident that our local leaders and law enforcement will ultimately curb this problem at some point. Crime is not limited to Rockford though, it can happen anywhere at any time, and it does. So at the end of the day, I’m not going to let the actions of so few dictate where I live.

Schools -- the perception is that your child will not get a good education at Rockford schools. This is a perception that I have long fought. I am personally a product of multiple school systems. I grew up in smaller town. I went to a small town high school for freshman year. My folks moved back to Rockford, so I spent my sophomore year at a private school, before finishing up my high school career at Guilford High School. I turned out great in my opinion. School is what you make of it and hinges a lot on the involvement of the parents in their child’s education. The problem, in my opinion is not with the teachers, it is what happens to children once they leave school. I’m confident that I will be a good parent, therefore, I think my children can get a good education in Rockford.

I will leave you with this in conclusion.

This can be debated every which way, however, if you take anything away from this article, think about this: Instead of fleeing Rockford, which has been done for so many years, what would happen if we had more upstanding folks, like us, who moved to our area. Could we push out the criminal element and create a more positive view of our school system? I don’t know for sure, but I’m willing to try.

Hot Topics: Crime and Schools

Greg Lundquist is the IGNITE vice president and works at Blackhawk Bank.

So you are thinking at this point; great you found a house like that in Rockford because nobody wanted to live there.

While you have bought your dream

The views expressed are those of Lundquist’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

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February 2017

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

ISO updates, upgrades, deadlines Changes in automotive, aerospace, medical devices ISO/TS 16949:2009, the automotive quality requirements followed by thousands of companies worldwide, has been revised and will become an automotive task force requirement, IATF 16949:2016.

The standard, released this fall, will be applicable for all automotive OEMS and suppliers.

Significant changes have been made in the standard, in line with the ISO 9001:2015 and the Automotive Functional Safety update.

The automotive industry uses international standards to ensure quality, safety and reliability in vehicle parts and assemblies. These standards are reviewed and updated periodically to align with global manufacturing quality standards, such as those maintained by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

In 2015, ISO released a new overarching quality standard, ISO 9001:2015, to expand the prior emphasis on accurate documentation to include more leadership involvement and risk assessment in the quality process.

The new automotive standard IATF 16949:2016 has been released by the International Automotive Task Force to support the objectives of ISO 9001:2015 and replaces the previously used automotive standard ISO/TS 16949:2009.

The IATF standard also differs in that it does not include the underlying ISO 9001:2015 standard imbedded within. 16949:2016 is only published with the automotive requirements.

The IATF comprises automotive industry organizations from Italy, United States, United Kingdom, Germany and France. The IATF published IATF 16949:2016 in October 2016 and issued rules for achieving IATF recognition in November 2016.

Certification to the new standard must be achieved by September 2018.

Changes in Aerospace In the air with the aerospace industry, AS 9100:2016, released Sept. 20, 2016, has the same deadline as the aerospace standards, but this is where things get interesting. Since the trio of aerospace standards was not released until late 2016, and the third party auditors now are being trained, this leaves less than two years for your company to meet the requirements of these new standards.

But it gets worse.

In order to be considered fully upgraded to the new aerospace standards, your company must have an upgrade audit, respond to and close out any nonconformances, have your audit

report reviewed by NQA, and have your new audit report uploaded and published in OASIS by the close of business, Sept. 14, 2018.

To allow for all of those activities to occur, your upgrade must be conducted by June 2018. So in actuality, aerospace companies have roughly an 18-month window to upgrade, not the 36 months you might have thought you had.

The majority of the changes to the standard can be found in the ISO 9001:2015 standard. First and foremost is the change in structure. The ISO 9001:2015 standard has adopted the annex SL format.

Companies that have not completed the transition to the new standard by Sept. 14, 2018, to include the uploading of their new certificate into the OASIS database, will no longer be valid and shall have a certification status of “expired” in OASIS. In addition, they will no longer be eligible for transition and an initial certification audit (stage I and II) will be required to establish conformance with the 2016 editions of the AS standards.

management system where an organization needs to demonstrate its ability to provide medical devices and related services that consistently meet customer and applicable regulatory requirements. Such organizations Bernie Luecke can be involved in one or more RVC BPI stages of the lifecycle, including design and development, production, storage and distribution, installation, or servicing of a medical device and design and development or provision of associated activities (e.g. technical support).

ISO 13485:2016 can also be used by suppliers or external parties that provide product, including quality management system-related services to such organizations.

Requirements of ISO 13485:2016 are applicable to organizations regardless of their size and regardless of their type except where explicitly stated. Wherever requirements are specified as applying to medical devices, Changes in Medical Devices the requirements apply equally to associated services as For our final review, let’s look at medical devices. supplied by the organization.

Yes, that is changing as well.

The processes required by ISO 13485:2016 that ISO 13485:2016 specifies requirements for a quality are applicable to the organization, but are not performed by the organization, are the responsibility of the organization and are accounted for in the organization’s quality management system by monitoring, maintaining and controlling the processes.

Interestingly, after all the hubbub that all ISO standards would now follow the new Annex SL, ISO 13485:2016 does not. Annex SL is a high-level structure created by ISO to provide a universal structure, with identical core text, and common terms and definitions for all management system standards. It was designed to make it easier for organizations that have to comply with more than one management system standard.

In addition, the whole series of standards is about to change for Safe Quality Foods. Stayed tuned for information on those changes and the release dates.

Interested in knowing more about the ISO training offerings, contact Bernie Luecke at 815921-2067 or B.Luecke@RockValleyCollege.edu.

Note: Contents of this article were provided by Chuck Jenrich, trainer, auditor and ISO consultant for the Business and Professional Institute.

Bernie Luecke is the director at the Business & Professional Institute at Rock Valley College.

Manufacturing News is sponsored by RVC BPI

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

9

February 2017

‘Oh, the places you’ll go’ Announcing ‘Our Alumni Rock’ The Rockford Public Schools has a wonderful tradition of turning out exemplary citizens who contribute to our community -- and many other communities -- in countless ways.

This month, we’re getting ready to honor them with a campaign, “Our Alumni Rock.” For the campaign, we could start in the obvious places by highlighting graduates like Fred VanVleet of the Toronto Raptors; Michelle Williams of the group Destiny’s Child; Bob Nardelli, the former CEO of Home Depot, or Ab Nicholas, for whom the University of Wisconsin-Madison recently renamed its basketball court.

“Our Alumni Rock” honors our past, for sure. But it also aims to inspire our community and show our current students it’s OK to have huge aspirations as you walk the halls of the Rockford Public Schools.

people in the district who showed him the value of hard work, persistence, mental toughness and overcoming adversity.

Brittany

Glidden

teaches

journalism at East High School. A 1998 graduate of Jefferson High School, she says her path to an education career was paved by teachers who taught her how to make good decisions and become independent.

Melissa Cadena graduated from Roosevelt Alternative High School in 2012. A quality assurance employee at Fastenal in Loves Park, she is grateful to Roosevelt staff for uncovering her talents and giving her confidence.

You will learn more about these graduates during the “Our Alumni Rock” campaign.

The

campaign

is

a

natural

extension of “Our Kids Rock,” in which you learned about students like Brad Foster of Auburn High School, who did cancer research for his Capstone project; or Erica Bibalou of East High School, a Rockford

We’re proud of these graduates.

They are great examples of all you can be and do with an RPS 205 education.

But we also want to take the time to highlight other successful graduates you may not know as much about.

Some of these people are having a huge impact in our local community.

Others are making an impact all over the world.

Promise

RPS Role Models

high schools and to drill-down on

Here’s just one example from each of our five high schools: Anqunette Parham is a 1999 graduate of Auburn High School who has a master’s degree in public health and another degree in law. A former prevention specialist at Crusader Community Health, she said RPS 205 taught her how to think critically and ask the right questions.

Paul Thome graduated from East High School in 1969 and is now executive vice president for Sallie Mae Bank, a student loan provider.

He said the public schools taught him how to value diversity and live in a diverse world.

Dr. Zach Morris is a physicianscientist with the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center and a professor with the UW Medical School. The 1998 Guilford High School graduate remembers the many

scholarship

winner;

or

Antonio Ramirez III of Jefferson High School, who’s taking full advantage of the project learning opportunities in our high school academy program to prepare for college and careers.

As I described last month in this space, we are privileged in RPS 205 to continue to improve our redesigned career paths. We plan to deepen our opportunities for students like Antonio and for all those who follow him.

We know we have a wealth of role models to help us.

“Our Alumni Rock” honors our past, for sure. But it also aims to inspire our community and show our current students it’s OK to have huge aspirations as you walk the halls of the Rockford Public Schools.

In highlighting the greatness of our past, we hope to provide hope for our future.

Dr. Ehren Jarrett is superintendent of Rockford Public Schools.

The views expressed are those of Dr. Jarrett’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

10

February 2017

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

The next step What do we do with the training, lessons, inspiration?

In today’s constant influx of technology, there’s no short supply of information. Our lives are inundated with quick check-off lists for the perfect body/home/crockpot meal (you decide).

Our attention is constantly up for grabs and pulled in a thousand different directions. We can really live in an

augmented reality curated with the click of a mouse while lounging in our chairs.

While there are troves of inspirational messages, ideas, seminars and webinars to fill our time, there are similar amounts of ways to delay action. I can’t help but think of the song “War” originally sung

by Edwin Starr (or Bruce Springsteen,

It isn’t enough to attend the conference, seminar or workshop without asking the hard questions when you get back to the office. depending on your cultural reference point), but reframed a bit: “Training!

What is it good for? Without action, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING.” It doesn’t have exactly the same beat, but you get the idea.

Access to training is a beautiful gift.

It’s an opportunity to better oneself and, in turn, better our organizations and our community. But, it’s a gift that can’t just be unwrapped and then sit on a shelf.

Training is an active process – one that takes dutiful practice. It isn’t enough to attend the conference, seminar or workshop without asking the hard questions when you get back to the office.

If you aren’t able to look in the mirror, have an honest conversation with yourself about ways to improve, and implement an action plan to start working towards a goal, you really might as well just skip the training.

Training isn’t just lip-service – it has to be the start of progress.

Dusting Off the Training Manual So, what now? Now, you act. If you participated in the 2016 Rockford Leadership Alliance, you may remember the challenge our friends at The Anser Group closed every session with. What one thing will you do, by when, and who will know? It’s questions like these that we have to continually ask ourselves and then hold ourselves accountable to. It isn’t about being harsh or grueling; it’s about being fair to ourselves. Why put in the

time if you aren’t going to reap the benefits?

You deserve to continue to better yourself through Caitlin Pusateri intentional Rockford Chamber training and development.

Your organization deserves to benefit from that training, as they’ve footed the bill and afforded you the time. Your community grows when you put what you’ve learned to work.

But too often, we put the training on the “someday” shelf. Because, if we’re really real with ourselves, training is hard.

Practice can be tiresome. And in learning, we sometimes make mistakes. But there’s no time like today to brush off those manuals and start to flex those muscles you were introduced to during a seminar.

Make a goal to be a better listener and then create an action plan that includes limiting distractions, concentrating on the actual words the person in front of you is saying, rather than your response, or asking for clarity immediately when you don’t understand. Think of the power of practicing the basics – of taking the training off the shelf.

If you haven’t already, you can still register to be a part of the Rockford Leadership Alliance in 2017. This meaningful program will arm you with actionable ideas to improve yourself, your business and your organization.

Taking it a step further, we will help you keep it off your shelf, and instead, in practice. Register now at www. rockfordchamber.com.

Caitlin Pusateri is vice president, leadership development, at the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

Leadership Development news is sponsored by Comcast Business.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

11

February 2017

Guest Perspective INSIGHT

Winter fun outdoors

When, where and how people choose to retire

How to successfully retire and stay retired

Everything great starts with planning, and there is no difference when it comes to planning for your own retirement. The idea of adopting a plan 10 or more years out prior to retirement is likely to give you the maximum number of options as you decide the When, Where and How you will spend the next chapter of your life.

Maleeah Cuevas Klaas Financial, Inc

The question of the “where” we should retire also should be discussed.

While some couples agree to retiring in warmer areas, others are split, with one liking the idea of fishing in a quiet place in Wisconsin, and the other wanting to be in Arizona in a thriving senior community. Retiring together vs. divorced can be avoided by having

But, interestingly enough, new research suggests that non-financial factors like family, health and lifestyle ultimately cause people to pull the trigger to retire.

these conversations earlier.

And finally the “how” we want to be retired has to do with “what” will you want to do. Again, some have lifelong hobbies that they are excited to fully pursue, others have grandchildren that they wish to spend their time with, and others have no clue what to do with new time on their hands. Again,

With more than 10,000 baby boomers retiring every day, it would seem that either somebody did some very good planning or simply that the baby boomers are tired of working.

Whichever the case, the goal generally should be that once the decision to no longer work in our chosen professions has been realized, it would be desirable to stay retired and not be driven back into the workforce for financial reasons.

This is where the planning comes in. Putting away maximum retirement dollars into retirement accounts sooner rather than later may help avoid the swings of the market, and the lack of adequate funding. A dollar stowed away today is worth more than one put away in the year before you exit.

Time to Make the Big Decisions So when we talk about the “when” to retire, we really need to consider what our health may look like at 62 vs.

66 or even age 70, to the best of our ability. Heredity, and certainly lifestyle choices, may help us pre-select that appropriate age. Taking into account our partner’s age and deciding whether you wish to spend those precious early retirement years together when health is usually the best, needs to be considered.

Does the “when” we retire always have to do with the amount we have stored away? While this is often the case, it is only one side of the picture.

Consideration of health insurance coverage definitely has to be on the table. If one spouse chooses to retire and is not yet Medicare eligible (age 65), the other spouse may have to continue working to have benefits to cover the early retiree.

Residents feeling the strain of hibernation can shake the winter blues by having fun outdoors through the Rockford Park District. You might even be happy when it snows!

■ Cross Country Skiing. With a minimum of four inches of snow, trails are groomed and opened at Sinnissippi Golf Course, 2004 Arlington Ave., Rockford, and Aldeen Golf Club, 1902 Reid Farm Road, Rockford.

■ Snowmobile Trails. Snowmobile season goes through mid-March. At least four inches of snow is necessary to use the trails. Get updates at 815-889-2001.

■ Sledding. When the conditions are right, sledding hills are open at Twin Sisters Park, Aldeen Park and Sand Park.

Sledding at Aldeen Park is only allowed on the north side of the dam.

■ Tubing and Snowboarding at the Snow Park at Alpine Hills. A four-foot base of snow is needed for the five-acre snow park at 4402 Larson Ave., Rockford, to open. On-site snowmaking equipment

this search for either unknown talents, passions and interests should begin well before retirement.

Much time is spent in the financial planning profession discussing where the money for our future retirement income is likely to come from, along with how we can properly diversify for risk, inflation and longevity for that stretch of our lives. But, interestingly enough, new research suggests that non-financial factors like family, health and lifestyle ultimately cause people to pull the trigger to retire. The good news is that those who begin their retirement planning sooner, usually have many more options to the “when” and “where” and “how” to retire.

Maleeah Cuevas is COO, director, investment advisor representative, at Klaas Financial, Inc. The views expressed are those of Cuevas’ and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

This material is not intended to provide legal, tax or investment advice. Diversification does not ensure a profit or protect against loss in a declining market. Investment values will fluctuate with market conditions.

Past performance is no guarantee of future performance. Securities licensed by individuals offered through Investacorp, Inc., A Registered Broker Dealer. Member FINRA/SIPC. Advisory Services Offered Through Klaas Financial Asset Advisors, LLC, an SEC Registered Investment Advisory Firm.

will keep the snow park covered with fresh snow, and the Sno-Cat machines will help maintain perfectly groomed hills. Hot and cold beverages and snacks at The Lodge and fire pits at the top of the hill. Updated snow reports at www.alpinehillsadventure.com.

■ Explore Atwood Park. Atwood Park, 2685 New Milford School Road, is open all winter long. Visit the Birds of Prey exhibit.

Call 815-966-8747.

■ Eclipse Lagoon. Weather permitting and when conditions are safe, Eclipse Lagoon at Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens, 1354 N. 2nd St., is open for free ice skating or open hockey daily from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. You must bring your own skates. Ice must be at least four to five inches thick to open, and ice thickness is checked daily. Heated restrooms are available at the outdoor pavilion. For skating conditions, call 815-987-8858, visit Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens – Rockford Park District on Facebook or check the signs posted onsite. Visit www. nicholasconservatory.com/lagoon.

Visit www.rockfordparkdistrict.org/ winterfun for a complete list of outdoor recreation ideas.

12

Revolutionary Medicine (Health Innovations)

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

February 2017

RRVBC removes two drugs from donor deferral list Did you know?

Stop pneumonia before it strikes CDC recommends the pneumonia vaccine Influenza is at the top of everyone’s minds during the peak winter months, but preventing pneumonia is critical as well.

According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about 900,000 Americans get pneumonia every year and 45,000 to 63,000 people die from pneumoniarelated complications.

Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lungs that can be caused by bacteria, viruses, fungi or other organisms. As fluid accumulates in the lungs, blood flow is reduced in the area and oxygen levels are decreased throughout other parts of the body.

This can quickly escalate to lifethreatening complications such as low blood pressure, kidney failure or blood infection.

The best way to prevent pneumonia is by getting vaccinated. However, while

a flu shot is encouraged every year, not everybody needs a pneumonia vaccine, said Brian Curtis, M.D., director of Specialty Care Physician Practice for OSF Medical Group.

“The odds of getting pneumonia as a young, healthy adult are pretty low, while the odds of getting the flu are pretty good. Immunizing is a very advantageous way to help prevent a lot of illnesses. You protect yourself, and you also protect those around you.

There will always be a subsection of the population that will be vulnerable to pneumonia due to medical conditions or because they cannot get vaccinated.

Getting yourself vaccinated also helps keep that vulnerable population safer.”

There are two pneumococcal vaccines recommended for adults. Talk with your health provider to determine which vaccine is best for you.

As the pool of people willing and able to donate blood in the United States continues to diminish, good news is that two commonly prescribed drugs have been removed from the list of medications that defer people from donating at the Rock River Valley Blood Center. Previously, persons using meloxicam, an NSAID, and Gabapentin, an anti-epileptic/anticonvulsant, have been ineligible to donate blood.

“The FDA does not require deferring donors that take these medications, so under the supervision of our medical director, it was deemed an appropriate measure to take,” said RRVBC spokesperson Jennifer Bowman.

“Eliminating restrictions that will not impact the donor experience nor the safety of a transfusion are ways in which we may be able to increase the number of donors in the stateline area.”

“Donors become scarcer as

1 in 7 patients entering our hospitals will need a blood transfusion?

snow birds leave for warmer climates, cold and flu season hits and inclement weather arrives,” Bowman said.

The Rock River Valley Blood is the only provider of blood products and services to Beloit Health System, Edgerton Hospital and Health Services, Freeport Health Network, OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center, Rochelle Community Hospital, Rockford Health System, SwedishAmerican Hospital and

SwedishAmerican

Medical

Center—Belvidere.

For questions or to make an appointment, visit https://rrvbc.org or call 815-965-8751.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Revolutionary Medicine (Health Innovations)

February 2017

13

Guest Perspective INSIGHT

Hip arthroscopy: Getting back to normal activity faster When it comes to running your business, your employees’ health, as well as your own, plays a crucial role in your company’s success. It’s difficult to grow your business and make money when you or your employee is out for an extended period. Keeping employees happy and healthy is always a challenge for business owners, and whether your employees handle physical labor or are in an office setting, typical and seemingly innocuous tasks and activities can intensify pain. Sitting at a desk all day, for example, can aggravate hip pain. Climbing stairs, flexing at the hip, or getting in a low chair also can cause hip pain.

Hip pain is very common and affects people across all age groups and lifestyles. People suffering with hip pain find it difficult to get through a day of work without discomfort, let alone do other activities they love and enjoy.

As an employer, that can add another challenge to your already-lengthy list.

To understand hip pain, it’s important to understand basic hip

anatomy. The hip is a ball and socket joint contained by bone with a smooth layer of cartilage covering the bony ball and socket. The loss of cartilage often can lead to arthritis of the hip.

The labrum is a cartilage structure that surrounds the socket and provides both cushion and a barrier to fluid leaving the hip joint. The hip capsule encloses these structures and provides stability.

Finally, the muscles and tendons around the hip joint allow the hip to move in different directions with speed and force. Hip pain can result from injury to any of these structures.

In the past, hip pain patients typically had two treatment options — “wait it out” or undergo major hip replacement surgery.

Now, new treatments can help your employees overcome their pain and return to work happier and healthier.

Hip Arthroscopy One such treatment is called hip arthroscopy and it is an excellent option for active people with hip pain.

Dr. Geoffrey S. Van Thiel OrthoIllinois

Hip arthroscopy is a relatively newer and complex procedure that should only be undertaken by specialists.

The ideal patient for this type of procedure is 18 to 50 years old with an active lifestyle. He or she experiences hip pain in the front of the hip while active or at rest. The procedure is a minimally invasive way of treating hip pain with a much quicker recovery time.

can be very

Faster Recovery

at running again, not to mention

While we treat a variety of patients, let’s focus on a typical 45-year old. She loves to work out, but has recently been having some hip pain in the front part of the joint while jogging or sitting at work all day. It’s impacting her work life, making her less productive and more focused on her pain instead of her work. And, it’s preventing her from doing the things she loves outside of work.

Now, we have the tools to implement a complete recovery process. We know that certain types of physical therapy

enjoying a significantly shorter recovery

beneficial and may help avoid

any type of surgery. However, this is not always the case. When therapy doesn’t work, hip arthroscopy can be used to help repair the problem in the joint and alleviate her pain.

With the hip arthroscopy procedure, the patient has an excellent chance returning to work pain free and time. That’s great news for employers, employees and hip pain sufferers in general.

Geoffrey S. Van Thiel, M.D., is an orthopedic surgeon at OrthoIllinois. He currently is the only orthopedic surgeon in northern Illinois performing hip arthroscopy.

The views expressed are those of Dr. Van Thiel’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

14

Revolutionary Medicine (Health Innovations)

February 2017

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Guest Perspective INSIGHT

Spine-friendly workplace can pay dividends for you and your employees Many of us will experience some form of back pain in our lifetime. A well-known trigger to back pain can be your work environment. The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons notes that back pain is the second leading cause of missed workdays, which equates to 40 percent of all absences or 83 million workdays. While many of these injuries are related to lifting and pulling, some are the result of poor posture and a lack of ergonomics in the workspace.

So, what can you as an employee and employer do to prevent this problem?

Look at your office space. Do you or your employees look comfortable? A few small changes in the work space can help prevent excessive back and neck strain. These tips can help you and your employees stay healthy and productive:

Some Dos Do use an ergonomic chair. A wellconstructed ergonomic chair can reduce fatigue and discomfort, increase blood flow and reduce strain on your neck and spine. Make sure your office chair has a good backrest that provides lumbar

County homes at high risk for elevated radon PROTECT YOUR FAMILY’S HEALTH BY TESTING Winnebago County residents are urged to test their homes for radon, the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States after smoking.

Winnebago County is considered “at risk” for high levels of radon gas due to its geology, and the county estimates that radon is present at elevated levels in two out of every five area homes.

Radon gas is the radioactive decay from Uranium deposits in rock, soil and water. It’s a naturally occurring, invisible, odorless, tasteless gas that is dispersed in outdoor air, but which can reach harmful levels when trapped in buildings.

The U.S. Environmental Health Protection Agency estimates radon is responsible for more than 20,000 lung cancer deaths per year. It’s the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers.

In order to encourage area

residents to test their homes for radon, the county’s environmental health division, 401 Division St., room 205, is selling AirChek Radon Test Kits for $8 (normally $10).

Residents conduct the test in the basement and mail it in a pre-paid envelope to the certified laboratory for analysis. Results arrive within a few days of receiving the kit.

“Radon levels are typically highest in the basement, which more and more families are using for living space, exercise rooms, or kids’ play areas,” said Ryan Kerch, WCHD’s environmental health supervisor.

The county also has a radon gas monitor for homeowners to check out for two to seven days for a $25 deposit. The screening device must be returned to the department. Call Sheila Jascemskas, WCHD’s radon specialist, 815-720-4125, or visit www.wchd.org.

support and is not too high. You should also be able to rest your feet on the ground, rotate and swivel, and recline. Sitting at a 100 to 110-degree angle is better.

Do be mindful of posture. You could have all the latest technology and equipment, but if you’re not sitting properly, your spine will suffer. To avoid back pain, sit upright with your back and shoulders against the back of the chair.

Arms should rest lightly on the armrests to avoid circulatory problems or nerve pressure.

Do pay attention to desk height.

Make sure your desk is stable and at a good height -- 28 to 30-inches above the floor is suitable for most adults.

The desk height should be at the same level as the arm rests on your chair. You also will want it to be large enough to accommodate your computer and a separate space for writing and other tasks.

Do customize computer set-up.

Where your equipment is placed makes a difference in how your back feels when you are at work. Your monitor should be directly in front of you at eye level. Tilt the keyboard down and slightly away from you for better wrist posture. Keep your mouse close. If using a laptop, consider getting an external monitor and/ or keyboard. This will allow you to move these components separately to create a comfortable arrangement.

Do take breaks: Taking occasional spine breaks can help you avoid excessive strain. Stretch, take a short walk and get the blood flowing.

Some Don’ts Don’t hold the phone between your ear and neck. This is a bad habit of which many people are guilty. This action tenses the muscles and can lead to severe neck pain. A simple solution is to use a hands-free headset.

Don’t slouch. When the spine is in alignment, it is supported and stable.

When you sit in a slouched position

Dr. Marie Walker Rockford Spine Center

for

an extended period, then you are increasing the likelihood of long-term issues including weakened muscles, compressed nerves and disc herniation.

Poor posture can be reversed if caught soon enough. Core strengthening, as well as low-back and lower-extremity stretching exercises, also help.

Don’t cross your legs. Keep your feet flat on the floor, and your back and neck will thank you. Crossing your legs can lead to pinched nerves, disc issues, headaches and pain in your neck and back. The position puts your pelvis out of alignment, which can lead to longterm problems.

Don’t sit still. When you are at your desk, avoid staying in one position for a long time. Switch between sitting and standing. Prolonged sitting causes shortening of the hip flexor muscle, which increases symptoms of spinal stenosis. It also causes patients to stand and walk in a more bent forward position, which can aggravate low back pain.

These are just some of the most important tips to creating a healthy workspace. And although we cannot always prevent injuries and accidents at the workplace, reducing some of the risk factors always helps. Protecting your spine when you can will help keep you and your employees happy and healthy.

Marie Walker, M.D., is a board-certified physiatrist with Rockford Spine Center at 2902 McFarland Road.

The views expressed are those of Dr. Walker’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Revolutionary Medicine (Health Innovations)

February 2017

15

Guest Perspective INSIGHT

Don’t let your busy life delay your screening exam

lifetime risk. Ask yourself, does breast cancer run in my family? When a patient has a familial history of breast cancer, then that immediately puts them at a higher risk than the average individual.

In addition, there are many other factors that can increase your risk. Just being a women and getting older is a risk. Lifestyle choices can increase your risk, such as dietary choices, high fat vs. low fat, alcohol consumption in excess, smoking and obesity. An additional fact to digest is that almost three-quarters of all breast cancers are sporadic, which means that you can have no family history and still get breast cancer.

out. When you get out of the shower daily, look at your body in the mirror.

Know what your breasts look like and if you see changes that are not your norm, seek a professional opinion from your family physician. I cannot express enough how many times I have had a patient tell me that the redness, rash or skin dimpling has been there for some time. A dimpling of your breast skin is not normal, unless it has always been a part of your body structure. If you see a nipple that retracts, this too, is not normal.

One of the best places to do a breast self-exam is in the shower. Know the feel of your breasts and where your lumps or bumps are. There are many women that have fibrocystic disease and at specific times of their menstrual cycle will have additional swelling of these cystic areas.

Know this part of you!

Know Your Body

New Diagnostic Technology

Some of the best advice I can give is to be aware of your body, inside and

In our time and place, the advancement of technology in breast cancer

I have seen delay of action in busy women and men, and because of this, it can be a difference between life and death.

This may seem simple, but prevention is the key.

As a breast cancer nurse navigator for SwedishAmerican, a division of UW Health, I would like to express some of my thoughts on screening and prevention for the working woman and man. Yes, men can get breast cancer and statistics tell us less than one percent of all breast cancers happen to men. At SwedishAmerican, we diagnose one to three men a year. In addition, one in eight women will have breast cancer in their lifetime.

In our busy world we often do not take time for ourselves, and I cannot stress enough how important screening is in the fight against breast cancer.

Prevention is the key to the cure. If we can catch breast cancer in its early stages, it can be cured.

Everyone should know his or her

detection

is

Kathi Bouland SwedishAmerican

phenomenal.

We have mammography that now is digital, which helps the radiologist to better read your pictures. Along with digitization, we also have tomosynthesis, which is used to create a three dimensional image of breast tissue for better examination, when recommended. We also offer whole-breast ultrasound that examines a dense breast tissue much closer.

In your busy world, take the time to take care of you. I have seen delay of action in busy women and men, and because of this, it can be a difference between life and death. This may seem simple, but prevention is the key.

Kathi Bouland is SwedishAmerican’s breast health nurse navigator.

The views expressed are those of Bouland’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

16

February 2017

RAEDC Team The Rockford Area Economic Development Council (RAEDC) welcomes Nathan Bryant as president & CEO. This team, made of boomerangs, lifelong residents and transplants, has the experience and passion to conduct the daily work of economic development. Each member brings a different specialty and perspective to the table. From real estate and land use, to marketing and administration, the RAEDC team works with many stakeholders to cultivate oportunities for primary job growth in the Rockford Region.

Nathan Bryant, President & CEO Responsibilities: Managing the organization’s efforts relating to business retention and expansion, new business recruitment, and improvement of our regional business climate.

Staff Liaison: President’s Circle NBryant@RockfordIL.com Stacy Bernardi, Vice President for Development Responsibilities: Business expansion and retention including CORE Conversations (Creating Opportunities for Retention & Expansion), CORE Talent, and aligning solutions with needs for existing Rockford Region businesses.

Staff Liaison: Business Retention Solutions Team and Education for Workforce Development SBernardi@RockfordIL.com Jimsi Kuborn, Vice President of Investor Relations Responsibilities: Leading the organization’s fund development as the primary contact for investor support of the Rockforward20/20 strategic plan.

Staff Liaison: Business and Community Relations Solutions Team and Leadership Council (and the EAV Property Tax Team) JKuborn@RockfordIL.com Gerald “Jerry” Sagona, Vice President National Business Development Responsibilities: Business attraction outreach efforts, liaison between the Rockford Region and the national real estate community, global site selectors, and private companies considering first time investment in the Rockford Region.

Staff Liaison: Business Attraction Solutions Team and Rockford Area Aerospace Network GSagona@RockfordIL.com Leilani Hillis, Director of Operations Responsibilities: Coordinating the daily operations of the organization including the management of the staff, supervising organizational and general management, human resources/professional Services, financial services, facilities management and information technology management.

Staff Liaison: RAEDC Board of Directors, Audit Committee and Nominating Committee LHillis@RockfordIL.com Nicole “Nicci” Mayfield, Investor Relations Coordinator Responsibilities: Engaging investors in economic development, managing accounts receivable, coordinating events, scheduling meetings with new and prospective investors, and overseeing the maintenance of the client relationships management database.

NMayfield@RockfordIL.com Erin Marshall, Communications and Marketing Coordinator Responsibilities: Support the RAEDC through communications, marketing, and PR initiatives, including creating, coordinating and implementing projects and programs that support the RAEDC. EMarshall@RockfordIL.com Gina Meeks, Business Development Assistant Responsibilities: Supports the vice president for development, CORE Conversations, CORE Talent, assistant liaison to the Business Retention & Expansion Solutions Team and the Education for Workforce Development Committee, first point of contact for investors, clients and partners.

GMeeks@RockfordIL.com

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

CORE Conversations

A ‘modern day concierge service’ for business

By Gina Meeks, RAEDC The RAEDC continues another enlightening year of CORE Conversations (formerly Voice of the Customer). CORE, short for Creating Opportunities for Retention & Expansion, is a statewide initiative to align retention and expansion efforts of economic development organizations, while providing additional resources to local businesses to increase positive outcomes.

order to promote economic growth in Illinois.”

Intersect Illinois, the public-private partnership for economic development derived out of the current Rauner Administration, is one of several management companies of the CORE Coalition, which include the Illinois Department of Commerce, the Illinois Economic Development Association, Ameren, ComEd, Nicor Gas and several additional economic development organizations throughout the state.

These conversations, practiced by the RAEDC for more than 10 years, have provided much-needed feedback on the business climate in the Rockford Region. Now the State of Illinois and its data-driven push to encourage businesses to stay and expand in the region will incorporate our existing practices as a template throughout the entire state.

The RAEDC takes pride in knowing we were ahead of the curve in regards to approaching business retention and expansion in this way. We continue to be ahead of the curve as we add a talent portion (CORE Talent) to the CORE Conversation and to help identify and react to the workforce development needs of our region.

The RAEDC will continue to reach out to the operational heads of companies in our region, who provide primary jobs through our CORE Conversations. The RAEDC uses these confidential meetings to learn about the business, as well as how industry trends are influencing their operations and potentially how it is impacting the local economy. With this program, we are able to provide and connect companies to resources for workforce development, available buildings, supply chain partners, incentives, imports/exports, operational efficiencies, and more.

These conversations, practiced by the RAEDC for more than 10 years, have provided much-needed feedback on the business climate in the Rockford Region.

Now the State of Illinois and its datadriven push to encourage businesses to stay and expand in the region will incorporate our existing practices as a template throughout the entire state.

Promoting Growth Statewide At a recent SIOR/AIRE Joint Commercial Real Estate Luncheon in October 2016, Jim Schultz, chairman and CEO of Intersect Illinois, spoke on the value of CORE Conversations.

He said, “It is essential to understand the needs of the business community in

“The CORE Coalition creates a platform to coordinate services for businesses and increase the efficacy of our existing economic development tools,” Jim Schultz said. “I have made a push for this state to become the Red Carpet State as opposed to the Red-Tape State. This is a significant first step in simplifying the experience for our valuable businesses while garnering insight into how best to serve them going forward.”

Schedule Your CORE Conversation Consider the Business Retention and Expansion team at RAEDC to a “modern day concierge service” for businesses right here in the Rockford Region. A brief phone call, a light tour of your facility or a face-to-face meeting with one or more of our qualified economic development professionals is what enables state and local stakeholders to address business needs. The more the RAEDC can assist in removing barriers to business growth, the closer the Rockford Region is to increasing the economic well-being of the region.

Read previous Voice of the Customer reports at RockfordIL.com/VOC. The 2016 edition will be released during the first quarter of 2017.

We look forward to meeting with many of you to learn how we can help you grow your business. The RAEDC thanks all companies for participating in CORE Conversations. To schedule your CORE Conversation and be a part of the statewide initiative, contact Gina Meeks or Stacy Bernardi at 815-987-8118.

Gina Meeks is business development assistant at the RAEDC.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

February 2017

Career Aspirations — The Future of Work

17

Issues to Watch LEGISLATIVE New Illinois Laws for 2017 Here are some laws related to business, commerce, labor, regulation and licensure that have taken affect this year. For specific language of the laws, visit www.ilga.gov.

BUSINESS, COMMERCE, LABOR, REGULATION AND LICENSURE Domestic Workers’ Rights HB 1288/PA 99-0758 Defines a domestic worker as a person that provides household services for members of households or their guests in or about a private home or residence or any other location where the domestic work is performed. Provides these workers with the same workers protections under the Illinois Human Rights Act, Illinois Minimum Wage Law, Wages of Women and Minors Act, and the One Day Rest in Seven Act; allowing the workers to be able to sue for harassment and discrimination, collect minimum wage and overtime pay, and receive at least one continuous 24-hour period of rest every calendar week.

Undeveloped Community Property Ownership SB 2358/PA 99-0569 Provides that any assignment of a developer’s interest in the property is not effective until the successor obtains the assignment in writing and records the assignment. Ensures that banks or subsequent purchasers of undeveloped portions of an association have written proof that they are the new owner instead of allowing verbal claims of ownership.

Yoga School Certification SB 2743/PA 99-0705 Adds a school or program within a school that exclusively provides yoga instruction, yoga teacher training or both to the list of exemptions that are not considered private business and vocational schools. Allows these schools or programs to operate without obtaining permit approval by the Board of Higher Education.

Wage Assignment Revocation SB 2804/PA 99-0903 Allows an employee, who originally consented to a wage assignment, the ability to revoke the wage assignment as long as it is revocable under federal law.

Electrologist Licensing SB 2984/PA 99-0632 Requires a person to complete a total of 600 hours in the study of electrology over a period of not less than 16 weeks nor more than four (rather than two) years at a program approved by the department.

Winery Shipping License SB 2989/PA 99-0904 Makes changes in what is required for a winery shippers license, increases penalties for illegal shipments of alcohol into the state and increase fees on every type of liquor license.

Minority and Women Trades People SB 3104/PA 99-0584 Institutes a civil penalty system for violations of the State Construction Minority and Female Building Trades Act. Low Wage Non-Compete Clauses SB 3163/PA 99-0860 Prohibits a mutually agreeable covenant not to compete, also known as a non-compete clause, between an employer and a low-wage employee, an hourly worker who makes the greater of the state/local minimum wage or $13.00 an hour.

Any covenants will be declared illegal and void.

Wage Payment Recovery HB 3554/PA 99-0762 Directs the Department of Labor (DOL) to conduct a good faith search to find aggrieved employees harmed by unpaid wages so they may recover what they are owed. If the DOL cannot locate the aggrieved employee then the department can deposit the amount recovered into a specified DOL fund. Also prohibits the department from requiring proof of citizenship or Social Security numbers.

Unpaid Leave for Domestic Abuse Victims HB 4036/PA 99-0765 Expands the job protection and four workweek unpaid leave benefit that is mandated on employers with 50 or more employees to now include all employers. This is a leave benefit that is already mandated by law for victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse. Adds four workweeks of leave for employees of employers with 1 to 14 employees. This leave is referred to as “VESSA.” Cosmetology Renewal License Domestic Violence Course HB 4264/PA 99-0766 Requires all licensed professionals under the Cosmetologist Act that include continuing education requirements for renewal include at least one hour of a domestic violence and sexual violence awareness in the next renewal process.

Notice of Claim for Labor or Material – Public Construction Bonds HB 5660/PA 99-0673 A verified notice of a claim shall be deemed filed on the date personal service occurs, or the date when the verified notice is mailed as authorized by statute.

Plumber Licensing Act HB 5913/PA 99-0504 Requires a licensed plumber to provide proof of completing four hours of continuing education to renew their license, as well as submit evidence that they have successfully completed a plumbing course supervised directly by an Illinois licensed plumber.

Requires the Director of the Department of Public Health to approve a plumbing license application.

IDES Reporting Requirements HB 5930/PA 99-0652 Changes the monitoring of employment progress for women and minorities in the workforce from the Department of Labor to the Department of Employment Security (IDES). Codifies that a nursing employing agency, prior to any employment, must check the Health Care Worker Registry to verify that the nurse certification is valid and that the nurse is eligible to be hired. Requires the reports details employment progress of women and minorities in the workforce to be filed biennially, instead of annually, and that the reports shall be filed on April 1 of every even-numbered year.

Employee Sick Leave Act HB 6162/PA 99-0841 If an employer has a sick leave policy allowing the employee time off (illness, injury or medical appointment) then the employer must extend that sick leave policy to the employee in the case of illness, injury or medical appointment of the employee’s child, spouse, sibling, parent, grandchild, stepmother, step-father or step-parent.

Leased Employees Workers Comp HB 6225/PA 99-0726 Requires either an employee leasing company or the receiving employer to provide workers’ compensation insurance coverage to the employee.

Realtor Continuing Education HB 6245/PA 99-0728 Realtor managing brokers and brokers are no longer limited to six hours of continuing education credit in one calendar day.

Extension of Medical Practice & Optometry Act SB 0870 Provides for one-year extension for the Medical Practice Act and extends the Optometric Practice Act for 10 years.

Also, provides for an expansion in scope for optometrists to practice more invasive procedures currently performed by ophthalmologists.

Source: Illinois Senate Republicans

18

Career Aspirations — The Future of Work

Utilitarian beauty tool’s sales grow exponentially The recoup BEAUTISCOOP

Gast became truly driven when she realized that others had invented a minimum of 10 products that she had previously imagined.

February 2017

Guest Perspective INSIGHT

They say change is constant We’d better hope so!

“Winning FastPitch put the wind back in my sails,” says Michelle Gast, creator of the recoup BEAUTISCOOP. Discovering that her competition was quite stiff, self-doubt crept in, and she nearly declined to compete.

She spent two full days developing and practicing her pitch, and was elated to win first prize.

“Winning FastPitch put the wind back in my sails,” Gast shared. “It confirmed, once again, that I have a desirable product. Now it’s just a

By Sherry Pritz, NIU EIGERlab Innovation Network Michelle Gast, the winner of NIU EIGERlab’s 2016 FastPitch Competition, is a self-proclaimed “idea person.” Since she was a teenager, she has envisioned a variety of useful inventions — “build a better mousetrap.” Gast became truly driven when she realized that others had invented a minimum of 10 products that she had previously imagined.

One day, she was unable to reach the remaining amount of her skincare product in its container. She went to her kitchen but found no utensils that were small enough to assist.

After she had become serious about turning her idea into an invention, she began to watch NBC’s “The Big Idea with Donny Deutsch,” and it confirmed her opinion that anyone from any walk of life could become an inventor with enough drive.

She thought of her invention back in 2006, but shelved any efforts regarding a patent and production until her sons were in school — she then became serious. She spent time planning and executed next steps, including connecting with Brian DiBona from the McHenry College’s Small Business Development Center, who led her to Mike Cobert of NIU EIGERlab’s Center for Product Development.

Cobert assisted her with first converting her idea into a design and then producing working prototypes.

The final step was to introduce Gast to a local manufacturer.

‘Put Wind Back in My Sails’ She was encouraged to compete in the 2015 FastPitch Competition, but elected to wait until the 2016 event.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

matter of getting the word out!”

Her advice to others includes believing in your invention and what you can accomplish. Most inventors prefer to wait until their widget, packaging or marketing materials are perfect, but waiting too long can be somewhat paralyzing. “It can all start with you … one person can make a huge difference,” Gast said.

Michelle has bootstrapped her invention both financially and in regards to sales and marketing. She did her homework and learned the process to submit her product for consideration to beauty productrelated magazines.

When

REAL

SIMPLE

(RS)

magazine chose her product, the recoup

BEAUTISCOOP,

to

be

featured in the “Pretty Smart … latest

beauty

products”

section

in its January 2017 issue, sales grew exponentially. RS’s fantastic coverage resulted in sales of the recoup

BEAUTISCOOP

in

48

states, including Alaska and Hawaii.

This incredible response again confirmed her unique invention is an ingenious product that women love.

One of Michelle’s favorite sayings is, “Move and the way will open.”

The recoup BEAUTISCOOP is available on her website, www. livebeautility.com.

Sherry Pritz is marketing & events coordinator/business development at NIU EIGERlab Innovation Network.

The views expressed are those of Pritz’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

What I know about most things, could fit in a thimble. Sure, I have gained skills and knowledge from a variety of experiences and opportunities, but like most of you, I sometimes feel like an imposter and doubt what I truly know!

BUT … if there’s one thing that I have learned and know about from my 20-plus years in the highly competitive telecommunications world, is CHANGE! Technology forces you to take an intentional approach to innovation, to embrace change and to adapt quickly … if you don’t, you’re obsolete.

Being able to adapt to a changing market is probably one of the most critical skills that is needed. Not just the ability to change, but the desire to change!

Of course the same thing is true for every business. Being able to adapt to a changing market is probably one of the most critical skills that is needed. Not just the ability to change, but the desire to change; the desire (and the stomach!) to continually reassess and reinvent to remain relevant in your marketplace.

I remember thinking that the camera phone was just about the dumbest thing I’d ever heard of … thank goodness I wasn’t in R&D!!

Adding New Competencies According to the Havas Worldwide Global Talent Study (April, 2015), 95 percent of senior executives agree that being the best at one thing is no longer enough. Companies must constantly adapt and add new competencies to survive.

So, when you look at your organization (particularly those that have been around for many years), you see a wealth of knowledge. Knowledge that only comes from years of working within their specific industry. Knowledge that comes from hard work and dedication, from success and from failure. Although they say that success breeds success, be careful … it can also breed contentment; a false a sense of security that can allow us to fall asleep at the wheel.

No, a track record of success isn’t enough. Today’s market demands new thinking on how we can continue to serve customers in a technological/ global market. How we can expand our business and compete in new areas. Success dictates that we focus not only on sustaining, but on growing

Cheryl B. Church FurstTransitions

our respective businesses through effective change strategies and innovation of our products, our services and our delivery!

“There are always two businesses you’ve got to manage. There’s the business you’re in, and the business you’re becoming. If you’re constantly managing those two businesses, you won’t have to pivot, because you’re always doing something to innovate.” -Tony Robbins

Recipe for Success Of course growth and change aren’t easy. We have some big names to thank for that lesson, and the list continues to expand; joining the ranks of the Kodaks and Blockbusters of the world.

So, what’s the recipe for success? It’s recognizing in our own organizations, that perfect blend of old and new. The foundation of what was, has been, and is, coupled with a drive to create something new; to reevaluate what success looks like for tomorrow.

If the new standard for companies and organizations is the ability to innovate and change, then it’s the new standard for talent as well! How we incorporate the ideas and philosophies (past, present, and future) will determine growth and continued success.

Lastly, communicate the vision.

Involve the team in the process. Will they always buy-in? No, maybe not and that’s ok (different conversation!). But explain the “whys,” trust your team, allow them to be part of the process and understand the changes that are happening. That’s the only way they can support it and maybe even bring new ideas to the process. The level of communication during the change process can’t be underestimated. When you think you’ve communicated enough, communicate again! Lack of communication causes suspicion, and people begin to create their own stories, and trust me, the stories they spin in their heads are never good.

So, as we look at our organization, our business and our teams … look with open minds. Imagine possibilities, instead of limitations. Think in terms of opportunity, instead of where we’ve been or what we’ve done.

Cheryl B. Church is division president at FurstTransitions.

The views expressed are those of Church’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

February 2017

Rise of ‘soft’ skills in today’s work climate

What really important for career success?

More than half of the hiring managers were concerned over recent graduates’ lack of attention to detail, and writing and communication proficiency, compared to fewer than 20 percent of managers who were concerned over the lack of math skills.

By Barbara Connors “To be successful in the modern labor market, workers increasingly need to have a wide variety of so-called cognitive skills (standardized tests) and non-cognitive skills (perseverance, conscientiousness and social skills),” said Ryan Nunn, policy director for The Hamilton Project and fellow in economic studies at Brookings Institution, at wallethub.com.

Nunn is co-author of “Seven Facts on Noncognitive Skills from Education to the Labor Market” produced by The Hamilton Project, a growth and prosperity project named after Alexander Hamilton, the nation’s first treasury secretary, who laid the foundation for the modern American economy.

The paper references a survey by PayScale 2016 of hiring managers who voiced their concern over the lack of noncognitive skills they saw in their hiring prospects. More than half of the hiring managers were concerned over recent graduates’ lack of attention to detail, and writing and communication proficiency, compared to fewer than 20 percent of managers who were concerned over the lack of math skills. About a third also stated their concern over the lack of data analysis and teamwork skills.

Other noncognitive skills, or “soft skills” of concern were perseverance, conscientiousness, self-control, social skills and leadership ability.

The paper makes the case that the development of noncognitive skills is critical for promoting success in the labor market, and that:

■■ Today’s jobs demand more noncognitive skills than did jobs in the past.

■■ The labor market increasingly rewards noncognitive skills.

■■ Those with fewer noncognitive skills are being left behind.

Application for Schools The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 emphasized increasing cognitive skills. In 2015, the Every Student Succeeds Act replaced it, and requires states to include an additional indicator of student or school quality (e.g., chronic absenteeism).

The paper states that it is imperative to develop noncognitive skills in the school setting, considering that: ■■ Noncognitive skill development interventions improve student achievement and reduce behaviorrelated problems.

■■ Preschool interventions emphasizing cognitive and noncognitive skill development have long-term economic benefits for participants.

■■ A teacher’s ability to improve noncognitive skills has more effect on graduation rates than does her ability to raise test scores.

For more on the paper’s statements on the changes necessary in educating future workers for the needs of the job market, visit www.hamiltonproject.org. Search under paper type: Economic Facts.

Barbara Connors is editor of The Voice.

Career Aspirations — The Future of Work

19

20

February 2017

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Where Rockford scores

The Commonwealth Fund tracks a variety of health statistics based on regions. Rockford is part of a region that goes south of Ogle County and west over to the Mississippi River. The chart below is where the Rockford region ranked out of 306 in the United States as of 2016.

Local Area Health System Performance

Blue Zones believes little changes will make a big difference

Category

Data year

Rank out Rockford Illinois U.S. of 306

Mortality because of poor healthcare, deaths per 100,000

2013

133

81

87

84

Breast cancer deaths per 100,000 female population

2013

264

25.7

24.5

22.8

Colorectal cancer deaths per 100,000 population

2013

238

17.9

17.2

15.9

Infant mortality, deaths per 1,000 live births

2013

64

5.0

6.2

6.0

Adults who smoke

2014

188

21%

19%

19%

Adults 18-64 who are obese

2014

210

34%

28%

28%

Source: Commonwealth Fund Scorecard

By Alex Gary The average person literally makes thousands of decisions each day that helps or hurts their health.

A doughnut or yogurt for breakfast?

Walking the four blocks to a restaurant versus driving your car? A can of CocaCola or bottled water in the afternoon when you are feeling thirsty? Getting some extra sleep or watching one more episode of your favorite show on Netflix?

If you are in the habit of making the wrong choice often enough, well, you are not alone. Just since 1997, the percentage of people over the age of 20 who are considered obese has grown from about 18 percent to 30.4 percent in 2015, according to the Centers for Disease Control.

Rockford is above the curve in an area it doesn’t want to be. A 2015 Gallup survey pegged Rockford as one of the 10 fattest cities in America, with a 33 percent obesity rate.

How do you Transform Rockford when it comes to health? By making the healthy choice easier, said Tony Buettner, vice president of product and business development at Blue Zones, a community health initiative now active in nine states.

“A big issue in all of this is just mindless eating,” Buettner said. “Out of the hundreds of decisions you make each day, studies show you really only make conscious choices in about 30 of them.”

Bringing in Blue Zones Blue Zones representatives first came to Rockford in September and have been back twice since. Rockford attorney Ian Linnabarry, an avid cyclist and member of the Healthy Lifestyles spoke for Transform Rockford, said work is underway to raise funds to become one of the more than 30 communities working with Blue Zones.

It’s more than just a slogan. Bringing in Blue Zones means committing to

hiring several fulltime staffers to be here for four years to help reach aggressive targets. Blue Zones puts its money where its mouth is by agreeing to give back much of their fees if targets aren’t met.

Buettner said to date Blue Zones has never had to refund a nickle.

All this sounds good in theory. How does it exactly work?

“We have a toolbox of over 700 projects to make healthy living easier, and we come into communities and pick out the ones we think will work most effectively,” Buettner said.

Some examples? Blue Zones works with restaurants in its communities to combat mindless eating and promote healthy alternatives. This includes having restaurants that are certified as Blue Zones restaurants not place bread baskets on the tables and instead require customers to ask for them.

Blue Zones works with grocery stores – and it has had success with both local and national chains – in creating healthy checkout lines where the candy bars and gum found near the registers at most

stores are replaced with healthy foods.

Blue Zones has worked with cities to narrow street lanes through its downtown, switch from parallel parking to diagonal and make sure all the bike and walking paths are connected. All this encourages people to get out of their cars and either bike or walk.

None of these, by themselves, can turn Rockford into a region of ultramarathoners, but all of them together can change the beginning equation – if you make the right choice often enough you will improve your health and your life. And a healthier community is a wealthier community.

“Over time, this becomes millions saved in health care costs,” Buettner said. “Companies are always looking for ways to cut costs and having a healthy workforce saves on insurance.

Having a healthier community will make it easier to convince people to come to Rockford.”

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

21

February 2017

Rockford University PERSPECTIVE

What do today’s organizations need?

Different types of leaders or just leaders?

I have taught and studied leadership for more than 35 years. I sometimes fancy myself as someone who knows a little bit about leadership and as a decent (but not great) leader. Then something will happen, and I will be jolted back to the reality that even if I spend the rest of my life studying and teaching leadership and doing my best to be an effective leader, there will ALWAYS be more to do and ways that I can improve.

Organizations that have a leadership deficit, and the people who work in these organizations, appear to me to “settle” on OK instead of striving for excellence.

This brings me to the question I pose above. Maybe my problem is that different types of leaders are needed today, and I am not one of them.

It may be arrogance, but I refuse to accept this. I think it is more that as I get older, I am actually more comfortable recognizing what I don’t know as opposed to thinking I know more than I do. Age tends to do this folks. I still see leadership vacuums in many, if not most, organizations. I see plenty of people managing to objectives, but not as many leading towards a clearly articulated and compelling vision. This pushes organizations to meet short term goals, but not to invest the time, capital and effort in what it will take to become something special.

Organizations that have a leadership deficit, and the people who work in these organizations, appear to me to “settle” on OK instead of striving for excellence. If you work in an organization like this or come in contact with these organizations and the people who work in them, you know what I am talking about. You can feel it in the atmosphere and see it in the way people behave. It is stifling.

Organizations don’t have to be like this. I do know some that are vibrant, exciting places to work, where for the most part people look forward to coming to work and doing their best work. Sure there are “speed bumps” at times, but these are quickly identified and addressed.

Leadership in these organizations is dynamic and ever changing. Multiple people step up to lead or get out of the way and let others lead when someone

Jeff Fahrenwald Rockford University

else is a better leadership fit. I don’t think this is any different today than when I was younger; however, I think I am able to more clearly see this today.

Leadership Today Today’s world of instant communications, subjective truths, reality media and the lack of integrity from many our most visible leaders makes it harder for people to step up to lead. We are only as effective as our last sound bite or tweet, and if we push forcefully enough we can ignore truth and can embrace different realities.

Why would anyone with any amount of humility and sense want to put themselves through all the “stuff” that will be thrown at you as a leader?

The answer of course is if our best and brightest (and heck our just slightly above average) aren’t willing to lead, then the void will eventually be filled by someone who manages but doesn’t really lead. In other words, our lack of willingness to lead creates the organizations that suck the life out of those who work in them.

Do you have to be perfect and all knowledgeable to lead? Of course not, you have to be willing to lead. You have to be OK with accepting the lumps that accompany you on your leadership journey. You have to be comfortable with ambiguity and knowing that you don’t know everything, and that leadership is messy. You have to be willing to sacrifice for the greater good.

This is no different today than at any other time in history.

So as this New Year begins, and we think about the development of our organizations, our people both young and old, and ourselves, let’s not forget to nurture the sparks of leadership.

Let’s all do what we can to turn those sparks into roaring fires of leadership so that our organizations are brimming with leaders. Let’s develop visions that are compelling, embrace those that try to lead (even when they stumble), and support them in every way we can. Let’s all lead a little bit more this year, because leadership isn’t really different today, it is simply that we just need more of us to step up and do it more often!

Jeff Fahrenwald is the director of the MBA program at Rockford University.

The views expressed are those of Fahrenwald’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

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February 2017

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Project ‘Time Off’ Vacation closer to home

Let’s be honest, there is nothing better than a great vacation – the memories, the experiences, the time with friends and family.

Vacations have the ability to recharge us and better connect us to the world, and to lift up the communities to which we travel. Vacations can be to far-off places, but they can just as easily be closer to home or in your own backyard.

According to the U.S. Travel Association, if Americans were to use their allotted vacation days, it would deliver a $160 billion jolt to the U.S. economy.

That’s why Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau is joining tourism professionals across the country in supporting the U.S. Travel Association’s “Project: Time Off” coalition to encourage everyone to use their well-earned vacation days with a simple strategy: take two- or three-day weekend trips right here in Illinois. And if you can’t get away for a weekend trip, maybe a nice staycation to our local sites and attractions would fit your family and budget.

The number of vacation days Americans take has been on a steady decline for years. Between 1976 and 2000, Americans took an average of 20.3 vacation days each year. In 2015, the average decreased to 16.2 – that’s the equivalent of nearly an entire week of paid time off NOT USED! Consider this: According to the U.S. Travel Association, if Americans were to use their allotted vacation days, it would deliver a $160 billion jolt to the U.S. economy, create 1.2 million new American jobs and generate $21 billion in federal, state and local tax revenues.

In fact, in Illinois the tourism industry generated $37.1 billion in direct spending, $2.9 billion in state and local tax revenue and 314,380 jobs in 2015.

Moreover, tourism spending saves the average Illinois household $1,300 in taxes annually.

Some Ideas So, are you looking for a fun way to use those days off with a fun one-day vacation locally? Here are a few options for a fun-filled day: For the Family – Start with breakfast at Stockholm Inn and eat the famous Swedish pancakes with lingonberry

John Groh Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

sauce. Then head over to the Discovery Center Museum and while there check out the Burpee Museum and Rockford Art Museum, as well. For a late lunch, buzz up to the Olympic Tavern and try their B.L.A.T (bacon, lettuce, avocado, tomato) sandwich.

Once everyone’s ready to continue their adventures, zip over to Rock Cut State Park, which has amazing hiking trails that are perfect all year long or rent a paddleboat if the weather is nice!

For dinner, head to one of the most popular restaurants in our city, Lino’s, and dive into their pizza and signature salad. After dinner, take in some bowling at Don Carter Lanes!

For couples – Start your day with brunch at Fresco at Anderson Japanese Garden. If the gardens are open (May to October) take a stroll through this breathtaking natural world. Then head down to Nicholas Conservatory and Gardens and explore this fantastic display of tropical and exotic plants, along with their season features.

A walk along the bike path and through the Sinnissippi Rose Garden is a must, especially in the summer.

Grab lunch downtown at Octane Interlounge, a downtown Rockford staple since 1997 -- everything is good, you won’t be disappointed. Shopping the downtown is an experience, as you can explore hip stores like Rockford Art Deli, Minglewood and Bath & Body Fusion. Or hit up boutique shops near downtown like Culture Shock or Toad Hall. In the evening, grab drinks with a fantastic meal at Tavern on Clark or Alchemy.

The tourism industry across Illinois is inviting Illinoisans to #PlanForVacation in Illinois. Don’t forget to head to www.gorockford.com or www.enjoyillinois.com for resources to help you explore and plan, or request a visitors guide from our office.

National Plan for Vacation Day, celebrated on Jan. 31, is a day to encourage Americans to plan their vacations for the year. We hope you join the movement and use those vacation days!

John Groh is president/CEO of the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau.

The views expressed are those of Groh’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

23

February 2017

Community Events COMMUNITY Friday, February 24

Rockford Chamber members appear bolded. Thank you for your support of your fellow Chamber members.

Standup comedy comedian/actor Gabriel Iglesias brings his FluffyMania World Tour: 20 Years of Comedy, 8 p.m., to Coronado Performing Arts Center, 314 N. Main St., Rockford.

Tickets at Ticketmaster.com, Coronado Performing Arts Center box office, BMO Harris Bank Center box office or 815-968-5222.

Thursday, February 2

The Workforce Connection hosts a Hiring Event & Career Expo, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., at the Community Building Complex of Boone County, 111 W. 1st St., Belvidere -- one of the area’s largest job fairs. Employers can register at www. theworkforceconnection.org.

Saturday, February 25

Friday, February 3

The Abbey Resort, 269 Fontana Blvd., Fontana, Wis., hosts its All-Star LEGO Show Weekend, Feb. 3 to 5, with LEGO workshops and professionally created LEGO exhibits. Open to guests and visitors. Visit www.theabbeyresort. com (click Winter Specials).

Wednesday, February 8

WTVO-TV/WQRF-TV hosts a marketing seminar, The New Rules of LOCAL Advertising …

Driving Results in a 4-Screen World, featuring national marketing expert, Tom Ray, 7:30 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., at Prairie Street Brewhouse, 200 Prairie St., Rockford. Free, but a ticket necessary. Contact Barb McDermott at 815-968-1294 or bmcdermott@wtvo.com.

Friday, February 10

I Love The ’90s Tour, 7 p.m., at the BMO Harris Bank Center, 300 Elm St., Rockford. Tickets at Ticketmaster.com, Coronado Performing Arts Center box office, BMO Harris Bank Center box office or 815-968-5222.

Sunday, February 12

Discovery Center Museum presents Chocolate Sundae Sunday, 2 to 4 p.m., with a Valentine-creation station and the sounds of the Auburn Jazz Band.

Sponsored in part by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency and Dean Foods. Call 815-9636769 or visit www. discoverycentermuseum.org.

Monday, February 13

University of Illinois Extension presents the 21st annual Stateline Fruit and Vegetable Growers Conference, 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Midway Village Museum, 6799 Guilford Road, Rockford. Register at web.extension.illinois.edu/jsw or call 815-986-4357.

Wednesday, February 15

Rocktown Adventures, Aldeen Golf Club, Greystone Grill and the Rockford Park District host an Adult Ski, a luminary-lit cross country ski, 5:30 to 9 p.m.

Instructors will be on hand to assist and answer questions. Food

Families complete challenges with area engineers at Discovery Center Museum’s Discover Engineering event, a part of national Engineers’ Week. This year’s event is on Saturday, Feb. 18. and wine, whiskey and beer tasting. Tickets are $50 with ski rental, $35 without ski rental. Visit www.rocktownadventures.com or call 815-636-9066.

Friday, February 17

The Abbey Resort, 269 Fontana Blvd., Fontana, Wis., hosts its Totally ART-rageous Weekend, Feb. 17 to 20, with demonstrations and workshops in printmaking, art meets science, mosaics, jewelry, pottery and metals. Open to guests and visitors. Visit www. theabbeyresort.com (click Winter Specials).

Saturday, February 18

Discovery Center Museum presents Discover Engineering, 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., a part of national Engineers’ Week.

Sponsored in part by Nicor Gas, TAC Rockford, the Illinois Society of Professional Engineers, and a grant from the Illinois Arts Council

Agency. Call 815-963-6769 or visit www.discoverycentermuseum.org.

Sunday, February 19 Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau and Toronto Raptors rookie and Rockford native Fred VanVleet present the FVV All-Star Party, 5 to 8:30 p.m., at the District Bar & Grill, 205 W. State St., Rockford. For tickets visit www.gorockford.com/ allstarparty.

Thursday, February 23 The City of Rockford hosts the inaugural Fatherhood Awards Banquet, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., a celebration of exceptional fathers at Giovanni’s, 610 N. Bell School Road. Includes buffet dinner, onsite childcare, awards and displays showcasing resources supporting fathers. Visit www. fepawards.eventbrite.com.

Join Citizens Police Academy Those who can’t pull themselves away from the crime dramas and realities on TV might be interested in seeing how a real police department is run.

As a part of its core value of innovative teamwork, the Rockford Police Department invites individuals to participate in Citizens Police Academy. Classes take place on Wednesdays, Feb. 28 to April 25, at the District 2 building, 1410 Broadway.

The academy features various guest speakers and highlights topics such as: Peel’s Principles for Law Enforcement, field service, coroner and exam room, investigations and crime analysis, forensics and CSI, K9 demonstration, jail tour, specialty operations and gangs, domestic violence, deception and lying, 911 Center tour, state’s attorney and chaplains.

The academy ends with graduation with Lou Ness, Lt. Bruno, Rockford Mayor Larry Morrissey, State’s Attorney Joe Bruscato and Chief Daniel O’Shea.

For questions contact Myron Welsh, Myron.Welsh@rockfordil.gov.

Rockford Symphony Orchestra presents Classics 4: Brahms & Schumann, 7:30 p.m., at Coronado Performing Arts Center, 314 N. Main St., Rockford. For tickets call 815-965-0049 or visit www.rockfordsymphony.com.

Rockford Park District hosts In Full Bloom: The Orchid Exhibit through March 5 at Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens.

Hundreds of tropical orchids on display. The Anything Orchids Plant Sale takes place Feb. 25 and 26, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit www.nicholasconservatory.com or call 815-987-8858.

Tuesday, February 28 University of Illinois Extension hosts a Soil Fertility Seminar, presentations live through web conferencing, 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at the Winnebago County Extension office, 1040 N. 2nd St., Rockford. Register by Feb. 26 at web.extension.illinois.edu/jsw.

MARCH, 2017 Saturday, March 4 Keeping Families and Communities Together (KFACT) presents the third-annual Thrifty Teen Fashion Show, 5:30 p.m., at Prairie Street Brewhouse, 200 Prairie St., Rockford. Proceeds provide graduating “Lady All Star” mentees with college/career essentials and basic necessities towards post-secondary education in fall, 2017. For tickets visit Blackhawk Bank locations, www.k-fact.org or 815-519-1072.

Sunday, March 5 WWE Live Road to WrestleMania Tour takes place at 5 p.m., at BMO Harris Bank Center, 300 Elm St., Rockford. For tickets visit the box office, ticketmaster.com or 815-968-0595.

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February 2017

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

the News IN Members THEin NEWS

1. Noah Carmichael

2. Linda Johnson

3. Sarilyn Neiber

4. Candace Dixon

5. Dorothy Wallheimer

6. Dr. Joseph Kimbell

7. Dr. Oleysa Brandis

8. Andrea Fulcomer

9. Dr. Bryan Taylor

10. Dr. Diana Kenyon

11. Dr. Mark Murphy

12. Justin Burke

13. Emily Cooper

14. Dr. Les Edgcomb

15. Victoria Z. McCoy

16. Tabatha Endres-Cruz

Rockford Chamber members appear bolded. Thank you for your support of your fellow Chamber members.

BOARD APPOINTMENTS

Illinois Bank & Trust welcomed Damon Heim, Coldwell Banker Network Realty, to its board.

YWCA Northwestern Illinois welcomed Karen Brown, OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center, and Fiona Springman, SwedishAmerican, A Division of UW Health, for three-year terms on its board, up to three terms.

Noah Carmichael (1), principal, Fehr Graham, was appointed director of Holcomb State Bank in Rochelle.

Rotary Club of Rockford named its new board officers: Linda Johnson (2), president; Linda Gerber, president elect; Dave Byrnes, president nominee; Lyn Allison, secretary; Jim Coffey, assistant secretary; Tom Scoville, treasurer, and Brent Ward, assistant treasurer.

NEW HIRES, PROMOTIONS, RETIREMENTS

Alpine Bank promoted Sarilyn Neiber (3) to vice president, commercial services.

Next Rockford welcomed Candace Dixon (4), Accenture Consulting, and Dorothy (Schneider) Wallheimer (5), ComEd, An Exelon Company, to its strategy team.

SwedishAmerican, A Division of UW Health hired married couple Dr. Kayla Kimbell and Dr. Joseph Kimbell (6) for its Brookside Specialty Clinic/Davis Junction Clinic and the SwedishAmerican Byron Clinic, respectively. Oleysa Brandis, M.D. (7), is the hospital’s newest obstetrician & gynecologist. It hired Andrea Fulcomer (8) as a certified physician assistant at SAMG/Five Points Clinic.

Rock Valley College hired Christopher Brady as director of the theater and arts park; which includes Starlight Theatre and the Sjostrom Theatre and the Arts Park.

Mercyhealth welcomed Bryan Taylor, M.D. (9), obstetrics and gynecology, to Mercyhealth Roscoe. Diana Kenyon, D.O. (10), FACOG, obstetrics hospitalist, and Mark Murphy, D.O. (11), pediatric hospitalist, joined Mercyhealth Hospital-Rockton Avenue.

Alpine Bank promoted Justin Burke (12) and Emily Cooper (13) to assistant vice presidents, cash management.

OSF Saint Anthony Wound Healing Center named Les Edgcomb, M.D. (14), as its new medical director and Victoria Z. McCoy (15), FNP, as its advanced wound care nurse practitioner.

Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful named Tabatha Endres-Cruz (16) as executive director.

George Weber (17) joined Fehr Graham as an associate engineering technician for the Rockford branch.

Rosecrance hired Allison Pale (18) as a new director of nursing.

Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau welcomed Heidi Gee as office coordinator/receptionist and Lindsey Kromm as accounting assistant.

Rockford University hired Matthew D. Phillips (19) as vice president for enrollment management.

Rockford Mutual Insurance Company hired Kristine Penewell (20) as data entry specialist, Aaron Powers (21) as senior accountant, Arica Woolbright (22) as claim representative and Aaron Webster (23) as claim representative.

David Gomel (24) was named president of Rosecrance, Inc., a subsidiary of Rosecrance Health Network.

Nikki Manthei (25) joined Edward Jones as a branch office administrator trainee.

Local media personality Michelle Marcomb joined WTVO 17 (ABC) and WQRF FOX 39 as sales promotions development specialist.

EMPLOYEE/COMMUNITY RECOGNITIONS, AWARDS

Comfort Keepers named Chasna House (26) as Comfort Keeper of the Quarter for the third quarter of 2016.

E. J. Dilonardo, Northern Region EMS System coordinator, OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center, and Dr. W. Stephen Minore, president and CEO, Rockford Anesthesiologists Associated, and tactical medical director, Northern Region Emergency Medical System, were honored with the Citizen Service Above Excellence Award by the Rockford Police Department and the City of Rockford.

Golden Apple Foundation named the following sixth to 12th grade teachers from Winnebago and Boone counties as finalists for the 2017 Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching: Jeff Corn, Christina Dover, Jeremy Edwards, Richard Elston, Thomas Freesmeier, Alex Hartz, C. Kent Holden, Linda Julian, Jennifer Keller, Michael Manke, Joe Meersman, Kimber Perala, Heather Plourde, Sarah Schaefer, Susan Schroepfer, Lis Schurman, Julie Thomas, Danielle Turner, Sarah Wolf and Jared Young.

Brent Brodeski (27), CEO, Savant Capital Management, was selected as one of 17 People Advisers Should Watch in 2017 by Financial Planning.

Specialty Screw Corporation gave the President’s Award to Matt Sell for his continuous improvement efforts and to Dung Nguyen for quality and productivity in December. It honored Mark Pritchard, Lisa Bailey, Jon

(continued on page 25)

17. George Weber

18. Allison Pale

19. Matthew D. Phillips

20. Kristine Penewell

21. Aaron Powers

22. Arica Woobright

23. Aaron Webster

24. David Gomel

25. Nikki Manthei

26. Chasna House

27. Brent Brodeski

28. Bryan Moscinski

29. Kyle Kite

30. Dan Slouka

31. Kent Shantz

32. Dan Yesbeck

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

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February 2017

Members in the News

Business Briefs BUSINESS BRIEFS Rockford Chamber members appear bolded. Thank you for your support of your fellow Chamber members.

33. Shamika Williams

34. Arturo Jaimes

Continued from page 24 Berg, Dan Davis and Graciela Perez for 10 years of service, and Tom Hawkins and Janet Collins for 20 years of service.

Cheryl Church, transitions division president, FurstSearch, earned the Senior Human Resource Professional credential by the Society of Human Resource Management.

Entré Computer Solutions named Lori Bennett, Sean Connelly and Kim Lowe as Employees of the 4th Quarter and Barrett Cowan as Employee of the Year.

Bryan Moscinski (28), Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated, earned the Certified Financial Planner™ designation.

Kyle Kite (29), Klaas Financial LLC, obtained the Certified Financial Planner™ certification.

Dr. Hannah Orem celebrated three years of clinical work at Upper Cervical Care Center – Rockford, a division of 1st Step Chiropractic.

Dan Slouka (30), product analyst, celebrated 10 years; Kent Shantz (31), chief operating officer, five years, and Dan Yesbeck (32), director of information technology, 15 years with Rockford Mutual Insurance Company.

Shamika Williams (33), founder and executive director of KFACT, received the Chili’s Hometown Hero Award for her leadership in improving the lives of girls in Rockford.

Meridian nominated Arturo Jaimes (34) as Employee of the Month for December 2016.

OF GENERAL INTEREST

Michael Roh, M.D., surgeon, Rockford Spine Center, spoke during Grand Rounds at OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center.

The YMCA of Rock River Valley was selected as one of only 15 U.S. nonprofit organizations, out of more than 200 applicants, to receive an $18,000 grant from Aroha Philanthropies. It will help launch the YMCA Senior Arts Project (Y-SNAP).

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services awarded $270,833 in Affordable Care Act funding to LifeSpring Health Systems of Indiana, a client of theFranaGroup.

OSF HealthCare committed $250,000 for University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford’s expansion to a four-year medical school, which will bring 55 first-year medical students to Rockford. OSF HealthCare has given a $1,000,000 total gift to the college of medicine, with $750,000 supporting expansion to bring first-year students to the Peoria campus.

Employees of Rockford-based Savant Capital Management donated $22,857 to Rockford Rescue Mission after a four-week internal fundraising campaign to come up with creative, fun ways to raise money.

Community Foundation of Northern Illinois distributed more than $1.1 million to local organizations. It awarded $4,857 to Children’s Safe Harbor for the Safety and Security for its Communities’ Children project. It donated money to Rock House Kids for kid friendly, food take-home bags for 250 children each week. It awarded $43,459 to the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, in partnership with the River District Association, for the Forest City Beautiful initiative for trash receptacles for downtown Rockford.

The Boone-Winnebago Regional Office of Education, 17th Circuit Truancy Court, Rockford Area Boys and Girls Club, Blackhawk Area Council Career Exploring Program and Youth Services Network received

$10,000 for truancy intervention and education. Goodwill Industries of Northern Illinois, on behalf of the Rockford Area Case Management Initiative Collaborative, received $25,000 to help develop and implement a comprehensive case management system. The Fish-Abled Foundation received $14,000 for its wheelchair accessible bus project.

WNIJ News launched Friday Forum, showcasing multiple perspectives on critical local, regional and state issues. WNIJ News reporters will interview members of Congress, Illinois legislators, county officials and municipal officeholders, as well as community leaders and influencers. Segments will take place 5 to 9 a.m., during Morning Edition.

SwedishAmerican held five donation drives during November and December in support of local nonprofit organizations and schools, including Rockford Public School’s Homeless Program, Children’s Home + Aid, Adopt An Angel, the Salvation Army and Maple Elementary School.

Lifescape Community Services partnered with Hollywood Restaurant in Loves Park, replacing Spring Garden, as a senior dining site offering a Lifescape-approved menu from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday to Friday, starting on Feb. 16.

Entré Computer Solutions received Cisco Express Security Specialization for providing sophisticated, value-added Cisco solutions. It’s been a registered partner with Cisco for more than 20 years.

Ringland-Johnson Construction completed a $3.7 million, 13,000-sq.ft. expansion to Swan Hillman Elementary School, including three new classrooms, a new cafeteria and kitchen.

Ignition Studio, Inc., and Hayes Marketing Services teamed to create a new website for Goodwill Industries of Northern Illinois, with content by Hayes and design and development by Ignition Studio.

Chicago Rockford International Airport celebrated its first 2017 flight to Montego Bay, Jamaica in January.

Passenger service ends in April.

YMCA of Rock River Valley assumed operations of the Children’s Learning Center, formerly operated

by Mercyhealth. It’s accepting applications for children six weeks to six years.

Heartland Hospice serving northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin was promoted to a Level Three status within the We Honor Veterans Program for its continued care and support of the veteran population.

Rockford Park District received the Government Finance Officers Association’s award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting and the Government Finance Officers Association’s Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting.

OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center’s health management resources program was named a Best Weight-Loss Diet in U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Diets of 2017” rankings for the third year in a row. This year it ranked #1 for fastest weight loss and #4 for general weight loss.

Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois is taking cookie orders through doorto-door sales and online through its Digital Cookie websites through March 8. This year commemorates the 100th anniversary of Girl Scouts selling cookies and has introduced a new Specialty S’mores cookie. Visit www.girlscoutsni.org.

Rockford Symphony Orchestra received a grant from The Blazer Foundation for Share-A-Seat, which allows community members who receive assistance from approved local human service organizations to attend RSO performances at no cost.

Visit rockfordsymphony.com/ share-a-seat-program or call 815965-0049. Tickets available on a first-come, first-serves basis.

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February 2017 Member Anniversaries Thank you to the members celebrating their anniversaries with the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

45-YEAR MEMBERS

10-YEAR MEMBERS

Comcast Business YMCA of Rock River Valley

City Fire Fighters Union IAFF Local 413 Kantorei, The Singing Boys of Rockford Pierce Laminated Products, Inc.

25-YEAR MEMBERS Rockford Woman’s Club/Rockford Theatre

20-YEAR MEMBERS Boy Scouts/Blackhawk Area Council Employers’ Coalition on Health (ECOH) Frink’s Sewer & Drain Inc.

15-YEAR MEMBER

5-YEAR MEMBERS Best Events Hospitality Group Choice Furniture, Inc. DeSoto House Hotel Giordano’s PG Display State Farm Insurance – David Zierke

Rockford Consulting & Brokerage

Membership Renewals Thank you to members who renewed with the Rockford Chamber of Commerce in December, 2016.

A-Sign Designs A. W. Anderson Agency, Inc. Accu-Cut Inc Addante & Associates, Ltd. Alpine Kiwanis Club Amberwood Care Centre Arc Design Resources, Inc. Area Erectors, Inc. Artale Wine Co. Atlas Components C & E Specialties, Inc. Carefree Window Inc. Catholic Diocese of Rockford Christofferson Moving & Storage Ciao Bella Ristorante City of Rockford - Human Services Department Concrete Systems Inc Creative Benefit Solutions Crescent Electric Supply Company Cronies Grill Edward Jones - Michelle Bowman Edward Jones - Tara S. Harris Edward Jones - John Manis Edward Jones - Bryan G. Orvis Edward Jones- Jen Reisinger Edward Jones - Jim Rose Family Counseling Services of Northern Illinois Galapagos Rockford Charter School Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois Granite City Food & Brewery Healthcare Plus Independence Village at Rockford J & M Plating, Inc. Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful Kelley Williamson Company Key Realty, Commercial & Industrial - Teri Watts, Broker

KMK Media Group, Inc. Lee ‘n Sons Plumbing, Inc. Lincoln Rent-All & Sales, Inc. Market Dimensions, Inc. The Mauh-Nah-Tee-See Club Metropolitan Title Agency Mid-West Family Broadcasting Morgan Stanley - The Custer/ Meisch Group Morning Star Village NITROrthopaedics, LLC Northwest Quarterly Magazine Nova Painting & Decorating The Observer The Olympic Tavern Owens Corning Pierce Distribution Services Company Progressive Steel Treating Prorok Law Office, P.C. Ringland-Johnson, Inc. Rock River Energy Services, Inc. Rock River Environmental Services Rockford Area Habitat for Humanity Inc. Rockford Education Association Rockford Woman’s Club/ Rockford Theatre Senior Helpers of Rockford SVL Productions Swedberg & Associates, Inc. Terra Creek Apartments Testing Service Corporation The Villa at P. A. Peterson Ultrasonic Power Corporation Union Fence Company Windmill Hill LC Winnebago County Clerk of the Circuit Court, 17th Judicial Circuit workplace

For more information, to register for an event, and to view an updated Chamber Event Calendar, visit rockfordchamber.com.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

EVENTS

Upcoming Chamber Events Tuesday, February 14

FEBRUARY, 2017 Thursday, February 2 9:30 - 11:00 am Coronado Performing Arts Center 314 N. Main St., Rockford

The Untapped Advantage of Organizational Health

Patrick Lencioni Wall Street Journal named Patrick Lencioni as one of the “most in demand speakers in America.”

A power-house in professional development, Lencioni will provide a 90-minute workshop on Organizational Health, based on his capstone book, The Advantage. An opportunity like few others in our region, bring your team, your clients, your board — you will not want to miss this.

Visit www.rockfordchamber.com for additional details.

Tuesday, February 7

Business Women’s Council, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Rockford Country Club, 2500 Oxford St., Rockford.

Marcia Mueller, Hinshaw & Culbertson, and Julie O’Rourke, Alpine Bank, present Having a Powerful Presence in the Workplace. Sponsored by First Northern Credit Union.

Wednesday, February 8 7:30 - 9:00 am Rockford University PURI Business School Bldg., Room 124 5050 E. State St., Rockford

Chamber 101 with Speed Networking, 4 to 5:30 p.m., Century Plaza Business Center, 7210 E. State St., Rockford. Offers new members and employees of existing members an opportunity to introduce themselves and their businesses to other chamber members and chamber staff. Sponsored by MembersAlliance Credit Union.

Thursday, February 16

Steve Bois, CEO, and Conor Brown, government affairs director, present “State of the Regions’ Real Estate Market.”

Sponsored by RSM US LLP.

Government Affairs Council, 7:30 to 8:45 a.m., Stockholm Inn, 2420 Charles St., Rockford. Sponsored

by AT&T.

The Alliance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

OrthoIllinois. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15

Alpine Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

OSF HealthCare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Athena PowerLink . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 ®

Blackhawk Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Rockford Bank & Trust Co.. . . . . . . 9

Brian Thomas Photography. . . . . 21

Rockford Chamber of Commerce . . . . . . . . . 10, 20, 26, 28

Broadmoor Agency, Inc.. . . . . . . . . 4

Rockford Spine Center. . . . . . . . . 12

Century Plaza Business Center. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Comcast Business. . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Illinois Bank & Trust. . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Rockford University . . . . . . . . . . . 19 RSM US LLP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 RVC BPI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Stillman Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Klaas Financial Asset Advisors, LLC. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

MARCH, 2017

Northern Illinois Hospice. . . . . . . . 14

Van Galder Bus/ A Coach USA Company. . . . . . . . . . 6

Northern Public Radio . . . . . . . . . 22

Woodward. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

MembersAlliance Credit Union. . . . 9 Mercyhealth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13

Thayer Lighting, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Upper Iowa University . . . . . . . . . 17

Thursday, March 2 11:30 am - 1:00 pm The Mauh-Nah-Tee-See Club 5151 Guilford Rd., Rockford

The Attraction Principle:

Chamber Staff / Call 815-987-8100.............................................. Direct Line Einar K. Forsman, President & CEO.......................................... 815-316-4304 Heidi M. Garner, Chief Operating Officer.................................... 815-316-4312

How to Shift from Working to Get Clients to Attracting Them Effortlessly

Doug Hessong, Director of Publications & Technology................... 815-316-4338

Sponsored by BMO Harris Bank (presenting) and SwedishAmerican, A Division of UW Health (gold).

Doug Mark, Membership Development Executive............................... 815-316-4336

Tuesday, March 7

Business Women’s Council, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Rockford Country Club, 2500 Oxford St., Rockford. Sponsored by First Northern Credit Union.

Wednesday, March 8 7:30 - 9:00 am Rockford University PURI Business School Bldg., Room 124 5050 E. State St., Rockford Jay Sandine, assistant executive director, presents a “Rockford Park District Update.”

Sponsored by RSM US LLP.

Friday, March 10

Government Affairs Council, 7:30 to 8:45 a.m., 2420 Charles St., Rockford. Sponsored by AT&T.

Thursday, March 23

Keith Country Day School hosts a Good Morning Rockford! 7:30 to 9 a.m., 1 Jacoby Place, Rockford.

MARCH VOICE SPECIAL SECTIONS:

Financial Savvy Business Law For information on advertising, call 815

Advertisers Index ADVERTISERS

Goodwill Industries of Northern Illinois hosts a ribbon cutting, tour and lunch at its new Goodwill Admin/ Mission Services Building, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., 850 N. Church St., Rockford.

Breakfast Buzz

Breakfast Buzz

Friday, February 10

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February 2017

987-8100

Lynette Jacques, Vice President, Member Investment. . .................. 815-316-4317 Caitlin Pusateri, Vice President, Leadership Development................... 815-316-4337 Stephanie Mathews, Administrative & Finance Assistant .................... 815-987-8100 Stacy Mullins, Director of Events. . ............................................ 815-316-4302 Doug Rand, Accounting Manager/Controller............................... 815-316-4316 Sue Boyer, Member Relations................................................. 815-316-4315 Joan Sundvall, Membership Contact Coordinator......................... 815-316-4320

Chamber Board of Directors & Officers EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

DIRECTORS Andrew Benson Benson Stone Company, Inc.

Chairman of the Board Richard Zumwalt Z Resource

Jan Bowman TLC Construction

Vice Chair Michele Petrie BMO Harris Bank

LaVonne Brown Savant Capital Management

Vice Chair Dan Ross Williams-Manny Insurance Group

Paula Carynski OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center Samuel J. Castree Staff Management, Inc.

Treasurer Amy Ott Boylan Catholic High School Immediate Past Chair Patti Thayer Thayer Lighting, Inc.

Joe Castrogiovanni Giovanni’s, Inc. Rena Cotsones Northern Illinois University Jean Crosby Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Crosby Starck Real Estate Don Daniels SwedishAmerican, A Division of UW Health

Rebecca Epperson Chartwell Agency

Patrick Shaw RSM US LLP

Ira Grimmett UTC Aerospace Systems

Karl Swanson Rockford Bank & Trust Co.

Tim Honquest Honquest Family Funeral Home with Crematory

Jon Thompson Butitta Brothers Automotive

Jeff Hultman Illinois Bank & Trust Michael F. Iasparro Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP Kris L. Kieper Machajewski YWCA Northwestern Illinois Patrick Morrow Alpine Bank Mike Paterson Mid-West Family Broadcasting Mark Peterson CBL Associates Cherry Vale John Schuster Rosecrance Health Network

Laura Pigatti Williamson Rockford Park District

EX-OFFICIO DIRECTORS Einar K. Forsman President & CEO, Rockford Chamber of Commerce John Groh Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau Nathan Bryant Rockford Area Economic Development

Let your Voice be heard Do you have news to share?

Send news releases and other items of interest to the business community to: The VOICE, Rockford Chamber of Commerce 308 W. State St., Ste. 190, Rockford, IL 61101 DEADLINE IS THE 15TH OF THE MONTH PRECEDING ­PUBLICATION