February Voice 2019

HOFFMAN HOUSE SERVES UP TRADITION

OSF LAUNCHES BLUE ZONE®

READY FOR LONG TERM CARE?

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THE VOICE IS ONLINE AT ROCKFORDCHAMBER.COM

GOODWILL’S FREE INCOME TAX SITES NOW OPEN

of the Rockford Business Community

FEBRuary 2019 | Volume 32 | No. 2

CHAMBER’S ANNUAL DINNER LoRayne Logan honored as Chamber’s Citizen of the Year

LoRayne Logan has always given generously her time and talents to several causes and organizations, including Transform Rockford, the Rockford Board of Fire and Police Commissioners and the Rockford Symphony, to name a few. For her efforts, the founder of workplace, a staffing agency, was named the 2019 Citizen of the Year at the Rockford Chamber of Commerce annual dinner which was held on January 24 at Giovanni’s.

Logan was overwhelmed when her name was announced. “I was very

LoRayne Logan (second from right) accepts her Citizen of the Year Award from (L-R) Einar Forsman, Chamber CEO, Michele Petrie: Chamber Board Chair; and Sagar Patel of Woodward, Citizen of the Year Sponsor. humbled, given that our community has many people who care and give so much,” she said. “My grandfather always talked to his grandchildren about the nobility of character. I’ve always aspired to be someone of good character, reliable, and to be someone who makes a difference,” she said. “I find inspiration in doing all that I can. I’m wired to see connections between ideas and people. I like when it all comes together.”

It was more than 30 years ago when Logan started workplace; she has built the business into one of the most successful staffing and executive search firms in the region. The company has also been recognized by Forbes and Fortune for its work.

“I can’t say enough about LoRayne,” said Einar Forsman, president and CEO of the chamber. “I’m sure when people Continued on page 4

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

■ Integration of business systems to

MARK YOUR CALENDAR! RVC Trustee Candidate Forums Feb 8 & march 8 stockholm inn For more info, see page 27

RFD enters partnership with Leipzig/ Halle Airport in Germany Chicago Rockford International Airport announced on Jan. 22 a strategic partnership with Leipzig/Halle Airport (LEJ) in Schkeuditz, Germany. The two airports, both well-known cargo anchors, intend to seek business development opportunities, and among the topics discussed was building a direct freighter service between Leipzig and Chicago.

The Leipzig/Halle Airport, one hour from Berlin by car, is considered to be Europe’s most advanced express and multimodal logistics hub; the fifth-largest cargo hub in Europe and the secondlargest hub in Germany. Germany is the fourth-largest export market for manufacturers in Illinois, outranked only by Canada, Mexico and China, and Illinois’ fifth-largest import market.

Officials agreed to specific business objectives including:

Phones are open at 815-9876200 to make appointments with Goodwill Industries of Northern Illinois for free income tax preparation and filing.

Appointments also can be made at www.goodwillni.org/goodtaxes.

Goodwill, in partnership with the Internal Revenue Service and the United Way of the Rock River Valley, offers this service with IRScertified volunteer tax preparers to individuals and families with incomes of less than $54,000.

Goodwill also offers free federal and state tax filing online through the My Free Taxes Program to those earning less than $66,000 at www.myfreetaxes.com.

Prairie State Legal Services will be at the Rockford Goodwill location throughout the tax season. For specific dates, call 815-987-6200.

Last year, Goodwill’s tax sites served 3,203 individuals, which saved participants more than $560,000 in tax preparation fees.

Zach Oakley, Chicago Rockford International Airport, (left) and Gotz Ahmelmann, Leipzig/Halle Airport, (right) shake hands on a mutually beneficial agreement to grow business between the two airports. ensure proposals and procurement services are aligned and coordinated.

■ Sharing of knowledge on IT systems and other innovative platforms that will accelerate and increase efficiencies on customer processes.

■ Working together to help strengthen Germany-Illinois trade to support a more efficient export and import air cargo

highway

between

Germany,

Europe, Chicago and the Midwest.

■ Sharing and coordinating market intelligence to strengthen the business of RFD and LEJ. theVoice

ROCKFORD U. MOVES ALL COLLEGIATE SPORTS TO SPORTSCORE TWO Rockford Park District and Rockford University announced that the Mercyhealth Sportscore Two campus in Loves Park will be the site for all field sports, practices and local competitions of Rockford University Athletics, an NCAA Division III institution.

Collegiate athletes already were using the facility to play soccer, but now all men’s and women’s soccer games will be played there.

Softball, baseball and indoor football also will play at the venue.

The Rockford Park District heard from taxpayers during 2018 community engagement sessions on how important it was to align with organizations that share the vision, mission and values of the park district.

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RICK ZUMWALT:

“Thank you” As I get older, I find it is easier to make time to reflect on life. Part of that reflection always centers on the blessings in my life. Serving as the Chair of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce has been one of those blessings that I will treasure forever.

I want to again thank everyone for allowing me to serve. Whenever I speak about the Chamber, I stress how fortunate we all are to have this amazing organization working for us.

The quality of the Chamber starts at the top.

For over 10 years Einar Forsman has poured his heart and soul into making the Chamber you see today. His deep experience and topnotch people skills are the foundation of the Chamber’s success. Facilitating that success is the Chamber’s talented staff who understand all it requires to do it right and give there all to serve our 1200 members and the community.

Finally, I want to thank the Chamber board.

There are few places in our community with such a high quality, committed, honest and engaged board. We are all thankful that these business leaders have stepped up to help shape a better Chamber and in turn a better community.

Thank you all. It has been an honor to serve.

theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

position

President’s Message

Building a better future Today, Chambers of Commerce, in light of the increasing complexities in the modern world, continue to involve themselves in a wide range of socioeconomic concerns and social needs, with the aim of increasing the prosperity of their local communities and boosting the prospects of local business owners. Chambers recognize that to continue to be effective in their role, they need to consider a change in approaches to their traditional functions.

During 2018, the Chamber Board and staff worked together to establish bigger visions and strategies to carry out our priorities for the coming years and to best serve and support the business community and the region as a whole. We identified ourselves as “Builders” and have organized our strategies under the theme of: WE BUILD. What do we build? We see our organization as builders in five key areas. We build Leaders; Workforce; Community; Networks, and, of course, Business.

For each of these areas we have a vision that drives our value proposition:

Network

Leaders

provides op-

By responding to the needs of business and government, the Chamber is a Leader-centric organization, and the first choice for leadership development that enhances leadership skills, tools and cultures to improve business, individuals, and the community.

Workforce

The Chamber

Einar K. Forsman Rockford Chamber of Commerce

portunities to create meaningful and inclusive relationships between our members and the community.

Business The Chamber identifies, supports, and advocates for cutting edge resources for a strong and vibrant

The Chamber is the platform for organizations, which facilitates solutions to workforce needs, and connects employee to employer, and the business community to necessary resources.

business community.

Community

these strategies. We welcome your

As the key resource for community advancement, the Chamber is a change agent that influences government leaders and regional policy towards positive community outcomes.

These are all broader strategies that we seek to carry forward during 2019 and over the next few years..

Shortly you will learn more of the supporting activities under each of feedback as we communicate further on our goals and strategies.

On behalf of the Chamber board and staff, thank you all for your membership and support.

theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

february 2019

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PROFILE Member Profile A MODEL OF CONSISTENCY

Hoffman House

By Paul Anthony Arco

There was never any doubt what Michael Prosser would grow up to do.

He started working coat check for his father’s restaurant, The Hoffman House, when he was eight years old. He helped unload boxes for a company picnic his father, Robert, catered for 3,000 employees at Hamilton Sundstrand. He rode his bike to wash dishes at the Ledges Golf Course when the family operated the concession business. Eventually, he left town to earn a college degree in marketing and business, but came right back to pick up right where he left off. “My father is my role model,” he said. “And this business is in my blood.”

Today, Michael is partners with his father and is the president of the family’s restaurant group, which includes the Hoffman House and Scoreboard Lounge in Rockford, Ishnala Supper Club in the Wisconsin Dells, Firehouse Pub in Roscoe, Henrici’s Catering, Hoffman House Catering (Rockford and Janesville), Dells Catering (Wisconsin Dells) and its latest acquisition, Copperstone Inn and the Pavilion at Orchard Ridge Farms in Rockton. Michael, who also is a Roscoe firefighter, manages the business from Rockford, while Robert operates the

Ishnala Supper Club from April through November.

Band of Brothers In 1946, the original Hoffman House restaurant opened in Madison, Wis., by seven brothers named Hoffman, upon their return from serving in the military. In 1953, they acquired Ishnala in the Wisconsin Dells, and opened 17 restaurants in motor hotels throughout the Midwest. “They were the pioneers of the chain restaurant back in the day,” Michael said.

The Hoffman House in Rockford opened in 1958, inside Don Carter Bowling Lanes on East State Street, with a small dining room and lounge. In 1973, Robert began his career working for the company in the Wausau, Wis., location.

He was 16 and started as a bus boy. He became a manager while in college.

In 1975, Hoffman House moved to its current location, next to the Holiday Inn, with an expanded dining room, lounge and banquet facility. It’s the only location left of the original restaurants started by the Hoffman brothers. Robert bought the business in 1985.

Over the past couple of years, Michael

Father-son team Robert (left) and Michael Prosser lead the family’s restaurant group with locations in Illinois and Wisconsin. has made subtle changes to the business, four decades, and several have moved up including the menu. For example, he the ranks into management positions. “We added rack of lamb about five years ago. take care of our people,” said Michael. “We But the Hoffman House remains known are there for the good times and the bad. for its prime rib, soup and salad. “It’s a We’re a family.”

Despite being extremely busy with its meat and potatoes kind of place,” he said.

“We’re not trying to be anything else. various businesses, the Prossers have no We’re good at what we do because we keep plans to slow down. They will renovate the Scoreboard Bar later this year and are it simple. Consistency is our key.”

While the Prossers are the face of the looking for space to build a commercial business, Michael credits the 320 employees kitchen. And they are always searching for as the backbone of the operation. Many new opportunities.

“We have a strong of a passion for this have been with the company for three or business,” Michael said. “My father has worked extremely hard for years to build THE HOFFMAN HOUSE this company, and I’m working now to President: Michael Prosser grow his vision. He created the foundation 7550 E. State St. and the framework for what we are today. I 815-397-5800 learned from a great leader and now we’re Hoffmanhouserockford.com growing this business together.”

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theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

Annual Dinner (continued from front page)

heard her name they said, ‘no kidding.’

Her accomplishments are amazing and she’s as humble as can be. She mentors young people, and helps organizations get stronger. She’s a good person and a great leader of this community. ” More than 800 business and community leaders turned out for the sold out event.

“As usual there was great energy in the room for an event that has become a nice way to start a new year,” said Forsman. “We focus on what’s good for the community and what’s good for the chamber.”

During his presentation, Forsman highlighted the results of the chamber’s strategic planning process. “We identified ourselves as builders in five key areas – leaders, workforce, community networks and business,” he said. “We also continue to grow the Small Business Development Center and the Center for Leadership Development. We need to build new leaders and find more people to run for office. We need people to step up.”

The keynote speaker was Curt Steinhorst, author of “Can I Have Your Attention? Inspiring Better Work Habits Focusing Your Team, and Getting Stuff Done in the Constantly Connected Workplace.” Steinhorst founded Focuswise, a consultancy that helps organizations to overcome the challenges of the distracted workplace.

“We all know what the problem is when it comes to distractions,” said Forsman.

“We’re all inundated with emails, voicemails and the use of smartphones.

You have to find a way to create intentional space. It was a timely topic for all of us.”

The chamber bid farewell to Rick Zumwalt (Z Resource) as chair of the board.

The new chair is Michele Petrie (Wintrust Commercial Banking & Mortgage). “Rick has such great energy, a great sense of humor and the ability to build great personal relationships with people,” said Petrie. “I look forward to his council as I take the reins for the next two years.”

Also recognized during the dinner were outgoing chamber board members Patti Thayer (Thayer Lighting) and Joe Castrogiovanni (Giovanni’s Restaurant and Convention Center.) Incoming board members are Denise Sasse (RSM US

LLP), Teri Sharp (American Precision Supply, Inc.) and Dr. Alex Stagnaro-Green (University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford).

OSF HealthCare was the presenting sponsor of the dinner. In lieu of giveaways, OSF made donations to two local organizations, the Family Justice Center and Milestone, Inc. Representatives from the organizations were guests of OSF at the dinner.

Other sponsors included Associated Bank, Quartz Health Solutions, Inc. and Woodward. theVoice

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

Deadline is the 15th of the month preceding publication date. 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.

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theVoice

Guest Perspective insight

We are stronger when we are one

Renewing yourself for the work at hand One of the first things I learned in nonprofit work is that it’s about twice as difficult to improve something as it is to maintain it. Running an organization and keeping all the pieces moving, the volunteers fulfilled, the funds coming in, the reports going out, while serving the needs of the community is more than a full-time job. Add on to that the work of trying to convince a board or council that improvement can be made, securing the resources to do it, and actually making the change, and you’ve multiplied your work load without getting any extra hours in the day.

Why then do we do this exhausting work of trying to grow our programs and reach more people in the ways they need? I imagine you have your own answer, but I’ll tell you mine.

When I was in graduate school studying public policy, a friend of mine and I were commiserating about how burned out we were from going to protest after protest. It seemed like folks in Chicago had organized something almost every day of the week and there was no shortage of local government meetings to speak at or rallies in the street to call for justice.

My friend sighed and said, “I just wish there was some kind of activist support group.”

World-changing work isn’t something you wrap up at 5 p.m., and forget about until the next morning. It’s the stuff of our dreams and nightmares, of our dinner conversations and late night Twitter debates. To be part of a group seeking change is to never be content because there’s always more to do, always one more person to share ideas with, one more question to research for who’s tried something like that before.

I thought about what my friend said, and it wasn’t until I was on the bus home later that night that it occurred to me – there is a support group for activists! There are a ton actually.

Mine met on Sunday mornings at 9:30 in an old theater, and aspiring world-changers from across the city came together to be inspired by song and stories of activists from thousands of years ago, and to reflect on today’s work of building a better tomorrow.

I call it church -- some people call it temple or mosque or synagogue, but literally billions of people of faith around the world get together each week to encourage one another and share a deep belief that we are called to

Rev. Violet Johnicker NICNE

be co-creators with God and make this world into a more just, equitable and loving place that meets the needs of all people. In Christian theology, there is no question of whether or not we’ll be able to do this.

It’s a wholly settled matter that there will come a day when love triumphs over injustice, and you have a role to play in making that happen.

Faith Community Partnerships Thank God for the Northern Illinois Center for Nonprofit Excellence. Faith communities benefit greatly from NICNE’s programing because we too are nonprofit organizations.

There are many more houses of worship in northern Illinois than other nonprofit organizations. What would it look like if more faith communities reached out to existing nonprofits and offered support, partnership and volunteer connection? Those doing this collaborative work are some of the strongest and most in-touch with the needs of the neighborhood; doing powerful work without reinventing the wheel or duplicating efforts.

There’s a passage in 1 Corinthians 12 that offers a word to nonprofits in northern Illinois: Paul is writing to the early Christians who have split off into separate groups, each thinking their way is the best way to help people. He tells them to think of the whole body and recognize that they are each an eye or an arm or a foot, all necessary and none that can do all the work on their own. That’s humbling enough, but my favorite part is when he goes on to tell the people that no part of the body can say to another part, “I don’t need you,” because all parts have a role to play.

What would it be like if all the nonprofits in our area, faith-based and secular, large and small, thought of ourselves as one body? What truly world-changing work could we do together? I’m ready when you are.

Rev. Violet Johnicker is the pastor of Brooke Road United Methodist Church. Her article is submitted on behalf of the Northern Illinois Center for Nonprofit Excellence (NICNE).

The views expressed are those of Rev. Johnicker’s and do not necessarily express those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

theVoice

february 2019

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A FEW WORDS FROM RPS 205 SUPERINTENDENT

Share your own story on 205 VIBE

Good news on Rockford Public Schools on a multimedia platform We in the Rockford Public Schools believe the greatest strength and the greatest stories come from the same people who live, work and learn here.

That’s why this fall we started the 205 VIBE, a way for people to tell their own stories on a number of multimedia platforms. Through blog posts, podcasts, videos and news items — by teachers, staff members, students, families and community members — the VIBE is a way to show how we’re living our mission of being the first choice for all families.

We were enthusiastic about giving people a chance to share their “vibe” about the schools. Little did we know it would become as successful as it did — and as quickly.

In just three months, people have visited the 205 VIBE page on rps205. com nearly 43,000 times.

This is just a sample of the great content they have found: ■ Jamil and Jordan Jones wrote about how their experiences from preschool to Montessori to Guilford High School have helped them prepare for college.

They credited their teachers. “As much as we love basketball, it doesn’t last forever. Your mind lasts much longer.”

■ In a podcast, Rockford School Board member Jude Makulec discussed why she serves the public schools and why it’s dangerous to assume you know someone’s story. “I have a pilot’s license, jumped out of airplanes, I was in ROTC ... You see an older person, and you can’t imagine what else they did in life.”

■ Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara wrote about the potential for Rockford Promise to change lives by providing full and partial scholarships for RPS 205 graduates to attend college.

■ Ever wonder what learning looks like for the littlest learners? A blog post profiles how the district’s home visiting program helped a mother support the development of her premature twins and get them ready for preschool.

■ A physics teacher from Auburn

Dr. Ehren Jarrett Superintendent RPS 205

High School shared the news that the students in her Advanced Placement classes will help her pilot physics labs “in a box” for a University of Illinois publishing project.

■ A language arts teacher from Eisenhower Middle School described a seminar for students using the Socratic method of learning through openended questions.

■ Three teachers from Riverdahl Elementary School did a question-andanswer about how the district’s Quality Peer Review program helped them feel supported and encouraged their professional development.

A video for district staff explained the “why” behind the changes in the academic calendar for school year 201920.

There is so much that’s new and interesting on the VIBE, it was hard to narrow it down for this column. I encourage you to visit the VIBE on the rps205.com website, read for yourself and then subscribe. The option to subscribe is on the top of the 205 VIBE home page.

I also encourage you to submit a piece of your own to the VIBE. Maybe you’re a student in our schools. Maybe you’re a parent or family member.

Maybe you volunteer. Or maybe you want to emphasize the critical role that the public schools play in our community. Either way, we want to hear about your experience. You can find details at rps205.com/205VIBE. A key part of being a first-choice district is telling first-person stories about the inspiring work that goes on every day at RPS 205 to prepare students for college, career and life.

Please check out our 205 VIBE. 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.

Subscribe and share your own story on 205 VIBE This multimedia platform is your place for good news on Rockford Public Schools

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theVoice

Young Professionals ignite

What to do about your failed New Year’s resolutions Forget about it. You are already great. You don’t need to change anything. Anyone who says otherwise is just jealous. Haters gonna hate.

Sign up for a luxurious retreat to reach that goal. One week of yoga, silence, meditation. Preferably one in Costa Rica, Hawaii, or at least a nice Hilton. It’s unlikely you can maintain any practice learned at this retreat when your daily life takes over. But, you will leave feeling refreshed and hydrated. I can picture your beautiful Instagram photos and am ready to click “like.”

Stop making New Year’s resolutions and start making shorter-term goals throughout the year. Make an action plan with small, attainable goals and be flexible and forgiving with yourself. You are not perfect and neither is anyone else.

According to ABC Action News, the most popular New Year’s resolutions for 2019 are, in descending order of popularity: Exercise more and lose weight, save money, make new friends, get a new job or hobby, find love, travel.

Let’s address each of these vague and unattainable goals that only lead to heartache and disappointment without measurable achievements.

I am not a financial planner, personal trainer, or life coach and have no other expertise in these areas. Yet, I too make unattainable, unrealistic and perfectionist goals for myself on a regular basis that I have to tamp down with the hammer of reality. In the end, I usually make progress towards my goals. However, I have never mastered two additional languages. I am not always nice to everyone. I spend money frivolously more than I should.

Let’s be honest though, that coffee I’m not supposed to buy makes me happy, and I can still buy my lavender mocha from Rockford Roasting Company occasionally without going into bankruptcy.

Save Money

Kira Devin IGNITE

Consult online resources to budget, download an app like Mint or talk to a professional financial planner.

Review your expenses each month to see where spending can be cut. Looking at your account and budget can be like actually paying attention to those screen time reminders on the iPhone. I get it, Apple, I spent 1.3 more hours a day on my phone, but there were a lot of cat and otter videos to watch on Instagram this week. Leave me alone. It’s okay to be the friend who wants to cook a cheap meal at home with your friends versus going out.

I don’t know anyone with the last name Joneses, so don’t try to keep up with them by purchasing things you do not need.

Make New Friends As an adult, making new friends often feels like the first day of kindergarten. You aren’t sure: who anyone is, why you are there, and why you aren’t at home with your mom. Now that you are an adult you should know, everyone is just as selfconscious as you, and you are not that awkward. The key is to get out there and talk to people. Find events where people have common interests. That could be a pottery class, volunteer event, running group or any other event where strangers are thrown together.

Get a New Job or Hobby ■ Set aside time to work on your applications each week.

■ Sign up for a class, join a sports team or a volunteer organization.

Find Love I have no advice about this. Let love find you. You are enough. Otherwise, options seem to be meet people in real life or on the Internet. Godspeed.

Exercise and Lose Weight

Travel

Just going to the gym for 20 minutes and walking on the treadmill is a victory. Doing a new exercise class that leaves you sore for a week is an accomplishment. Take small steps. Sign up for the YMCA, Orange Theory, or whatever place fits you and your budget.

If you never went to the gym before, go once a week. If you don’t want to join a gym, walk for 20 minutes over your lunch break. You aren’t on a reality show and shouldn’t expect yourself to become a buff, lean, exercise machine in a month or a year. Just keep doing you and keep trying.

Do you have three weeks’ vacation time, but feel bad leaving work? Stop it.

Vacation is good for you or at least some credit card commercial told me that recently. You don’t have to go far to take a day off. Take the day off to snowshoe at Rock Cut. Leave work early and get your friends a coveted table at Prairie Street Brewhouse’s Dinner on the Dock.

Probably just do that last one, thanks.

Kira Devin is a member of IGNITE. The views expressed are those of Devin’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

february 2019

 Destination

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ILLINOIS, USA

ADDING WEALTH TO THE REGION’S ECONOMY BY GROWING TOURISM

Many good things being said about Rockford Last month in this space, I highlighted recent stories by outside media that focused on the unmistakable resurgence of Rockford’s downtown. Those positive stories are just the latest examples of a noticeable shift in how our city and region overall are being represented on the national stage. Topics have varied from tourism to the economy to Rockford’s progressive response to social issues that challenge every American city.

Since June of 2017, Rockford has been featured nearly 500 times in print and electronic media across the nation. And most of those media placements have portrayed Rockford in a positive light.

This consistent positive buzz can change the narrative among people who have no first-hand knowledge of our city but who have the power to make good things happen here. We want them to say, “I heard that Rockford …”

■ Is the cradle of women’s baseball; ■ Uses new strategies to tackle urban problems; ■ Values historic buildings and redevelops them; ■ Has a thriving downtown; ■ Appreciates its natural resources; ■ Supports artistic and cultural ventures; ■ Offers great job opportunities in a robust economy;

■ Is a terrific place to find work, be including Stroll on State.

February 2018: Industry Week, “Rockford prosperous, own a home, raise a family, have fun and lead a full and enriching life. Illinois Workforce Program Propels Aerospace Cluster.” The story raved about RACVB, along with partner public-private workforce development organizations, works hard every day to tell programs that produce skilled workers our story and promote our assets. for the region’s 250 aerospace-related Here is a brief — but far from companies. comprehensive — snapshot of some of our March 2018: Prevue Magazine, “Rockford media placements over the past 18 months.

Revives Industrial History with First September 2017: USA Today, “11 MustConvention Center & Hotel.” Fox Business, See Fall Exhibits at U.S. Museums.” The online and broadcast, as well as MSN News, lineup included the Bruce Munro light also featured stories about the Embassy exhibit at Nicholas Conservatory and Suites project in downtown Rockford.

Gardens.

June 2018: More than 100 media September 2017 and June 2018: The Wall outlets from coast to coast, including Street Journal, “An Illinois City Aims to Move dozens of National Public Radio affiliates, Better Policing into the Neighborhood;” Chicago Tribune, Baltimore Sun, Los Angeles and The New Republic (cover story), Times, Seattle Times, Washington Times and “Peace Officers: How one American city the Tampa Bay Tribune, featured stories chose to tackle crime, combat racism, and about the Rockford Peaches and the 75th reckon with the legacy of police brutality.” anniversary of the launch of women’s Both publications ran major stories about professional baseball in America.

Rockford’s pilot program through which September 2018: Family Traveller police officers live in troubled neighborhoods Magazine and the online site, with the goal of establishing relationships Whereverfamily.com, featured stories of trust with residents to reduce crime and about Halloween attractions in Rockford, improve safety. namely the paranormal tour at Tinker November and December 2017: Swiss Cottage and the “spook-tacular” TravelingMom.com, Money Inc., and Chicago event at Anderson Japanese Gardens.

Parent focused on Rockford as a cool winter October 2018: Outdoor Families Magazine, destination for fabulous light displays, “27 Best Fall Foliage Destinations to Visit in great ice skating and Christmas activities, the USA.” The region was promoted for its

apple orchards, community John Groh festivals and Rockford Area spectacular fall Convention & colors.

Visitors Bureau Reader’s Digest, “These are the 15 Best Places to Move to in the U.S. (Before They Get Too Crowded).

The section about Rockford read, in part: “Rockford’s small-town charm and … cultural, culinary and outdoors spaces make it a fun, noteworthy destination.”

These may be surprising storylines for people who historically have assigned Rockford to the category of “distressed Rust Belt city,” but they’re old news to us.

Let’s keep on telling our story, the real story of who we are. In the process, we’re writing the next chapter of our city’s history.

John Groh is president/CEO of Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. RACVB is the heart, soul and energy of the Rockford region as a destination. It is the defender of Rockford’s image and brand and guardian of its unique sense of place. www.gorockford.com The views expressed are Groh’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

january 2019

The demand for skilled trades RCC’s impact on the local community After 157 years, Rockford Career College (RCC) is still a leader in career education. We are proud to rank number five on the list of oldest business operations here in Rockford, for that time has allowed us to support our community in countless ways.

RCC ranks as the oldest career college in Illinois. According to the Career Education Colleges and Universities, it also ranks as the seventh oldest career training college in the United States.

At RCC, we work relentlessly to help our students not only be successful in the classroom but in the job market, too.

In the last 12 months, RCC has: ■ graduated 331 people from all of our career training programs.

■ placed a staggering 278 graduates into jobs in their respective fields.

You see, at RCC, we are all about student success and community partnerships. Our mission statement is not just to provide a relevant, well-rounded occupational education but also to make sure our graduates are well-prepared heading into the local community workforce.

New Endeavor: Skilled Trades Our skilled trade division is our newest endeavor into supporting our community partners and fulfilling our mission.

Launched late in 2016, this division now offers skilled training in just 10 months in the skilled trades of Welding, HVAC, Electrical Technician, Computer Numeric Controls, and Computer-Aided Drafting.

These 10-month training programs require students to commit to full-time schedules in the day or evening. Why did we expand our program offerings to include skilled trade programs? Well, a simple Indeed search shows about 250 open jobs right now in these specific fields.

And that is just in a 25-mile radius.

Yes, some of these jobs will require experience, however, our graduates get experience working every day in our labs.

Our electrical technicians and HVAC students will go to offsite events and get real-world experience as field trips.

Welding students will take weld tests in our

shop to prepare for real-world simulation.

Our graduates will come out Michael O’Herron Rockford Career of training at College RCC prepared to tackle the challenges of a career in the skilled trades and positively impact the greater Rockford community.

There is a demand for skilled trades, and we need to get younger people and career changers to enter into these professions. So experience has to start somewhere, and it starts with getting the training.

Since we started our skilled trade programs over two years ago, we have seen many graduates from these programs enter the workforce and change their lives.

Paige Kroschel, welding class of 2018, said, “Women, don’t be intimidated to get into a ‘man’s career,’ because this was the best decision I have ever made.”

Trevon Clark, welding class of 2018, was ecstatic about a career change. “I’m a retired U.S. Air Force and for the last three years now, I’ve been working as a cook in the restaurant business, not really going anywhere,” he said. “For the last 10 months I’ve been attending Rockford Career College in the welding program, and because of the skills I have acquired here, I actually have a job lined up with United Alloy out in Janesville, about to pursue a career I really enjoy looking forward to.”

Highlights of the Programs

10

upon graduation but will also have the ability to earn a Certified Welding Inspection report with the American Welding Society.

■ Students can test in any weld process using Stick, Flux Core, MIG or TIG on mild steel material up to 3/8 inches.

■ RCC pays 100 percent for all certifications for each student to help make them more attractive to local employers upon graduation.

Graduates gain pre-employment experience working every day in RCC labs.

■ According to the Bureau of Labor ■ Between 2016 and 2026, HVAC/R jobs Statistics (BLS), employers will need are expected to increase by 15 percent or 22,500 more welders between now and 48,800 positions, according to the BLS. 2026.

Computer-Aided Drafting Electrical Technician ■ Graduates will prepare two-dimensional ■ The BLS reported that 7.2 million CAD drawings and three-dimensional Americans are unemployed, yet 5.6 million CAD solid models. jobs remain unfilled. Employers need jobready employees, such as electricians, ■ Graduates will have gained competency because 85,000 jobs will need to be filled in reading and interpreting drawings across different drafting disciplines. by 2024.

■ Our electrical technician training ■ Graduates will be able to communicate program is 10 months long and provides conceptual ideas both graphically and training in electrical safety, conduit dimensionally through sketches and bending, AC/DC theory, motor controls drawings. and operations, transformers, and branch ■ Job outlook is expected to grow and feeder calculations. seven percent between now and 2026, as Computer Numeric Control ■ Our 10-month program includes training in blue print reading, manufacturing occupations, basic machining, metallurgy, metrology techniques mechanical design, CNC/ CAD, fixture design, lean manufacturing and material management.

■ All of our graduates complete a capstone project. Graduates will design, program and machine a product of their choosing to demonstrate competence and confidence as they head into the workforce.

■ The U.S Bureau of Labor predicts employment growth of greater than Welding ■ Students will receive 10 months 14 percent with 71,200 new CNC tool of training in our hands-on, intensive operators needed between 2014 and 2024. program. Our graduates will be adept HVAC in various welding types, including gas, ■ Graduates will be prepared for entryshielded metal arc, metal inert gas (MIG), level employment in the HVAC/R industry. flux core and tungsten inert gas welding HVAC/R courses include installation, (TIG). maintenance and repair of HVAC systems ■ Topics cover a broad range of material including welding theory, SMAW and GTAW specifics, welding safety, thermal cutting and general craft and trade skills.

|

with a strong focus on industry safety practices.

increased construction activity is projected to drive demand for drafters, according to the BLS. As the campus president, I could not be more proud of the faculty and staff that work tirelessly every day to prepare our students to be successful, engaging employees wherever they go. The thing about RCC and the impact we have on our graduates and current students is the individual care, support and professional development that we give to our students.

At the end of the day, nothing trumps more than our students getting prepared to be hired into their careers.

To date, in the two and a half years since we launched our trade programs, we have graduated 97 welding professionals, 48 electrical technicians and 32 CNC machinists. We intend to continue to grow that number, and produce quality graduates in the skilled trades to fill the growing need of these professionals in our community and beyond.

■ EPA Certification. Graduates will be prepared to take EPA Universal Michael O’Herron is campus president at Rockford Career College.

■ Graduates will not only get a diploma Certification at our expense.

Sponsored by Rockford Career College

rockfordchamber.com • theVoice • february 2019

whole life wellness | healthy life- and workstyles|

Smoking costs average Illinois smoker $2,107,634 over a lifetime Tobacco use accounts for nearly half a million deaths in the United States each year and is the leading cause of lung cancer, according to the American Lung Association. The economic and societal costs amount to more than $300 billion in medical care and lost productivity in the United States annually, according to WalletHub, which calculated the potential monetary losses over a lifetime and annually of a cigarette pack per day.

Costs per Year for Smokers in Illinois Total Cost per Smoker . . . . . . . . . . $41,326 Out-of-Pocket Costs . . . . . . . . . . . . $2,716 Healthcare Cost per Smoker. . . . . . $3,583 Income Lost per Smoker. . . . . . . . . $4,898 Lifetime Costs of Smoking in Illinois Out-of-Pocket Cost per Smoker . . . $138,496 Health-Care Cost per Smoker . . . . $182,745 Income Loss per Smoker . . . . . . . . $249,814 Out-of-Pocket Costs. For lifetime, average cost of a pack of cigarettes in Illinois, multiplied by the total number of days in 51 years; for annual, multiplied by 365 days.

Health-Care Cost per Smoker. Direct medical costs to treat smoking-connected health complications. Related health-care costs were based on state-level data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the annual health care costs caused by smoking and divided that amount by the total number of adult smokers in each state.

Income Loss per Smoker. Absenteeism, workplace bias or lower productivity due to smoking-related health problems can create a wage gap between smokers and nonsmokers. Wallethub assumed an average eight percent decrease in the median household income based on a recent study from the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, which found that smokers earn 20 percent less than nonsmokers; eight percent attributed to smoking and 12 percent to other factors.

11

OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center to launch Blue Zones Project® Certification OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center is undertaking a major effort to increase employee health, happiness and engagement with a comprehensive plan to transform its Rockford campuses to make healthy choices easier, elevating well-being and contributing to the highest quality patient care. The effort is a systematic approach to strengthening the built environment, social connections, purpose, and HR policies at Saint Anthony to encourage and support healthy behaviors and high quality of life. Working with Blue Zones Project®, actions and outcomes will be measured aimed at meeting defined requirements to become a Certified Blue Zones Worksite and to inspire well-being improvement in the larger Rockford community.

“We’ve undertaken the challenge to become a Certified Blue Zones Worksite because we believe those who are cared for give the best care,” said OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center President Paula Carynski. “Our Mission Partners are dedicated to providing the greatest care and love for our patients, and we’re excited about launching this transformative effort with Blue Zones Project® to make that caring easier.”

Blue Zones Project® is designed to surround populations with support that makes healthy choices second nature, reducing risk factors for disease,

lowering health care costs, and improving productivity, among other benefits.

Outcome measures include an assessment based on the Gallup-Sharecare WellBeing Index®, the world’s largest data set on well-being.

“All of us at OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center know and love this community,” said Carynski. “By modeling the benefits of self-care, and the possibilities of reshaping our surroundings for higher well-being, we hope to inspire even broader change in Rockford.”

“OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center already distinguishes itself as a leader in Rockford, with recognitions and awards for patient care and supportive programs for employees,” said Michael Acker, president of Blue Zones Project®. “We are proud to be working together on this significant well-being improvement effort, blending proven Blue Zones Project® practices into this care-focused culture and community.”

12

| whole life wellness | healthy life- and workstyles

february 2019 • theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

Guest Perspective insight

Unplug 815 encourages residents to get into fresh air Wellness benefits of ‘unplugging’ are proven The term ‘unplug’ seems to be popping up more these days, as the body of research grows about the negative effects of spending time in front of screens (there’s only a little irony as I sit in front of a screen typing this) and the positive health benefits of spending time in nature.

The Nielsen Company just released a statistic in October that the average American spends 10 hours and 38 minutes in front of a screen daily. That absolutely floored me, but then I began to think about how much time I really spend in front of a screen. Many days it is 7 to 8 hours on a computer at work, watching the news at home, and being on my phone for any number of reasons, and I can easily see how they arrived at the statistic.

The expanding research shows the many positive health benefits of spending time in nature. Frances E. (Ming) Kuo, Ph.D., who directs the Landscape and Human Health Laboratory at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, has reviewed hundreds of studies examining nature’s effects on health. Kuo believes the answer lies in nature’s ability to enhance the functioning of the body’s immune system.

As many as 21 possible pathways between nature and good health were identified among the vast research.

“The realization that there are so many pathways helps explain not only how nature promotes health, but also why nature has such huge, broad effects on health,” Kuo explains.

“Nature doesn’t just have one or two active ingredients. It’s more like a multivitamin that provides us with all sorts of the nutrients we need. That’s how nature can protect us from all these different kinds of diseases — cardiovascular, respiratory, mental health, musculoskeletal, etc. — simultaneously.”

Good Health-Nature Connection Individual studies show that people that spend regular time in green space have decreased risk for type II diabetes, decreased rates of heart disease, decreased preterm birth rates and increases in sleep duration. One of the really interesting things found by researchers in the United Kingdom is that exposure to green space significantly reduces people’s levels of salivary cortisol — a physiological marker of stress.

Spending just 30 minutes a day in nature can boost your mental health as well. It helps improve your ability to pay attention, it improves memory because it stimulates the growth of new neurons, and it improves

your ability to sleep because it increases serotonin and other hormones that help regulate sleep cycles. Spending time in nature also reduces your tendency to dwell on negative aspects of life. Wouldn’t we all like more positivity in our lives?

While spending time in nature does wonders for adult health, it may be even more important that our kids get outside.

Research shows that kids who spend regular time outside in unstructured play are smarter, happier, more attentive and less anxious than those who spend more time indoors. Unstructured outdoor play builds confidence in kids, promotes creativity and imagination, provides different stimulation because it engages all the senses, instead of just vision and hearing, and reduces stress and fatigue.

Watch for Unplug 815 In Winnebago County, we are fortunate to have an abundance of green space between the Forest Preserves of Winnebago County, Rockford Park District and Rock Cut State Park. Now we only need to take advantage of them. Whether it’s a walk in the woods at Severson Dells, birding at Colored Sands Forest Preserve or enjoying a stroll in Searle’s Park Prairie, we have thousands of acres of green space to enjoy.

This year Severson Dells is teaming up Ann Wasser with Chairman Severson Dells Nature Center Frank Haney, the RACVB, the Forest Preserves of Winnebago County and a number of other organizations to kickoff Unplug 815, an initiative to encourage people to unplug from their screens and connect with family and friends while enjoying the many outdoor gems we have.

This initiative will highlight the many free and low-cost opportunities to get outside in Winnebago County and the many positive health benefits of doing so. Be on the lookout for more information and opportunities in the spring.

So take some time outside by yourself, with family or friends and soak up all the benefits nature has to offer. Make a point this year (and hopefully beyond), to unplug from your screens and connect to nature, family and friends, while enjoying the amazing green spaces we are so fortunate to have.

Ann Wasser is director at Severson Dells Nature Center.

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

rockfordchamber.com • theVoice • february 2019

whole life wellness | healthy life- and workstyles|

Guest Perspective insight

For the good of you

Healing and balance with crystals Tamika Brown Infinite Soul Vibrations

I aspire to inspire you to attract the things that you expect; reflect on the things that you desire; allow yourself to become what you respect and mirror what you admire. Focus on the powerful, euphoric, magical, synchronistic, beautiful parts of life, and the universe will keep giving them to you. Please realize that thoughts become things, no matter how good or bad they are.

It’s a beneficial practice to live life out of intent, rather than out of habit. Make it an intentional obligation to keep your imagination free of thoughts that don’t serve you well, thoughts that you do not wish to become your reality.

As a believer in universal energy and the power of attracting things through manifestation, I would like to touch on a topic that has sparked the minds and impacted the lives of many.

Let’s talk about healing crystals and ways that they can be used to improve different areas of life. By positively interacting with your body’s energy field, crystals have been known to promote physical, spiritual and emotional healing, oftentimes simply by placing them in your immediate vicinity or on your body. They have been said to relieve stress, add focus, soothe anxiety, aid in developing healthy sleep patterns and so much more. Crystals have become one of the most sought-after tools for selfcare, holistic healing, natural wellness and positive manifestation.

programmed

Keeping Balance

desire for knowledge, understanding

Crystals have been used here on earth for a very long time in order to achieve spiritual, emotional and physical balance. As a matter of fact, almost every ancient civilization has used healing crystals in one way or another. It’s safe to say that crystal healing has a very broad, well-referenced history, which makes it no surprise that they are so richly sought after in our current times.

There are several crystals that many consider to be essential, such as, amethyst, quartz, citrine, rose quartz, carnelian, lapis lazuli and hematite.

Together, these seven crystals work well for crystal beginners, as well as seasoned crystal healers.

Amethyst is well known for its spiritual powers. It’s deeply cleansing and also does an exceptional job at purifying negative energy. Amethyst has also been known to boost inner strength and provide spiritual protection.

Quartz, also known as the Master Healer, is chosen by many to start their crystal collection. Quartz is cleansing; it also brings clarity while keeping one’s energy strong. This crystal is referred to as the Master Healer, because it can be

for any purpose.

It also enhances

the energy of other crystals around it.

Citrine, the prosperity magnet, has been known to draw abundance and prosperity into the lives of its holders.

Citrine is also used to detoxify negative energies from the aura and encourage a more positive state of mind.

Rose

Quartz,

the

crystal

of

unconditional love, is referenced by many as being the mother of all crystals because of its gentle, soothing effects.

Rose quartz resonates with the heart chakra; it aids in helping one feel compassion for self, as well as others.

The energy of rose quartz is said to allow the holder to open themselves up to all forms of love, including, but not limited to, self love, romantic love and platonic love amongst community and friends.

Carnelian is the crystal of courage.

This crystal has been known for keeping the holder motivated, inspired, courageous, confident and forward thinking. Carnelian, like amethyst has also been known to aid in breaking addictive habits.

Lapis Lazuli is the crystal of truth.

In a world where so many struggle with trying to fit in, this crystal helps one to live in their truth. It stimulates the and truth. Lapis is well known for encouraging honesty of the spirit. Many public speakers, journalists, poets and activists seek lapis lazuli, because it has an awesome way of enhancing deep communication.

Hematite does an exceptional job of returning negativity to the sender. Many refer to hematite as the Bouncer, because of its protective properties.

These are just a few of the essential crystals. I encourage anyone who is interested in learning more about selfcare, enhancing their crystal collection, or considering healing crystals as a way of enhancing and balancing various areas of life to simply give crystals a try. Take the necessary steps to gain the knowledge and allow the crystals to work for you.

Tamika Brown is co-owner of Infinite Soul Vibrations.

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

13

14

| whole life wellness | healthy life- and workstyles

february 2019 • theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

on digital

Members Caught on Digital

Ceremonial ribbon donated by SERVPRO of Rockford.

Riverwest Clinic held a ribbon cutting on Jan. 10 at 815 Marchesano Dr., Rockford.

Heaviest States IN AMERICA

Illinois came in slightly below average in overweight and obesity rates; ranking 28th overall in a comparison by Wallethub of 50 states and the District of Columbia. The state ranked 20th in the food and fitness category. Wallethub looked at 25 key metrics, from share of obese and overweight population to sugary-beverage consumption among adolescents to obesity-related health care costs.

The most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention claims more than seven in 10 U.S. adults aged 20 and older are either overweight or obese.

10 Heaviest States (1 = Heaviest) Obesity & Overweight

Health Consequences

Food & Fitness

1.

Mississippi

1

2

3

2.

West Virginia

7

1

17

3.

Arkansas

2

4

4

4.

Kentucky

5

5

1

5.

Tennessee

3

9

7

6.

Louisiana

6

7

2

7.

Alabama

4

24

6

8.

South Carolina

10

18

13

9.

Oklahoma

8

37

10

Texas

9

39

8

Obesity & Overweight

Health Consequences

Food & Fitness

10.

10 Slimmest States (1 = Heaviest) 42.

Oregon

49

8

41

43.

Vermont

48

14

51

44.

Connecticut

42

35

46

45.

Montana

47

29

43

46.

California

40

49

48

47.

D.C.

43

46

31

48.

Massachusetts

44

47

50

49.

Hawaii

45

51

25

50.

Utah

50

50

30

51.

Colorado

51

48

49 Source: wallethub.com

theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

february 2019 | 15

R O C K F O R D

C H A M B E R

O F

C O M M E R C E

Small Business Enterprise An invaluable resource for would-be entrepreneurs

SBDC: Your coach through starting a business

Another wonderful and extremely meaningful resource and coach in starting a new business is our Rockford Public Library. The SBDC and the library have partnered to offer a series of live and digital courses to teach you how to turn your great idea into a thriving, profitable business.

Just to be perfectly clear, it is the role of the Small Business Development Center to provide coaching and guidance, even leadership, as your business plan, marketing plan and marketing research progresses and evolves, and as you establish your business concept and the possibility of providing a lender with a strong understanding about your hopes and dreams for your enterprise, including financial projections. We accommodate and serve by means of freely giving feedback, input and advice.

You must write the plan; it is yours and it needs to be written in your “voice.”

You and only you should write the plan.

Let’s talk about one of the things I’ve heard since becoming the director of the SBDC. A common misunderstanding is our role through the world of grants. The state of Illinois and the U.S. federal government are not flush with cash to the extent that they are giving money to the populace for whimsical reasons.

Grants are available, yes, and they are part of the landscape to the point that we need to explore that option. We will always assist any individual pursuit as appropriately as we can and for as many individuals as we are capable of in terms of time and efficiencies.

Please note: We are not the determinant of those funds, and we do not file or complete the large amounts of paperwork (forms and data-driven documents) for that funding. We do not have a “magic telephone number”

Founder Carnegie’s mission: Helping those who help themselves

In 1901, the City of Rockford began construction on its public library building with a generous gift from wealthy steel baron and philanthropist, Andrew Carnegie. Carnegie, a selfeducated, Scottish immigrant, argued in an 1889 article he wrote for the North American Review that in order to achieve lasting good and the improvement of mankind, the wealthy should use their surplus riches to improve public facilities that would enable the deserving poor to help themselves.

Carnegie’s ideals continue to guide the Rockford Public Library (RPL) as an organization in its mission to educate, inform, entertain and culturally enrich the people of our community. In developing our strategic plan over the last year, we became collectively excited about efforts we would take to provide everyone in Rockford with tools to improve their employability, advance their ideas or explore entrepreneurship.

Free Digital Classes for All Keeping true to Carnegie’s desire to help all those with the will to help themselves, RPL set out to assemble, refine and provide access to valuable tools that would serve would-be entrepreneurs. We wanted to serve as the starting point for anyone to develop a profitable business, regardless of their previous experience or education. We reached out to the SBDC to determine where we might best fit in a citizen’s process of creating a profitable business.

Discussions revealed that many hopeful business owners were contacting the SBDC without having taken preliminary steps to define their business ideas. This need for SBDC clients to receive preliminary education and have a basic understanding of how to turn their great idea into a thriving and profitable business made way for a natural partnership with the RPL. RPL offers hundreds of free digital classes, many of which are accredited, that provide people with an

understanding Bridget Finn Rockford Public of basic business Library acumen. Patrons who log onto our Universal Class database through our website www. rockfordpubliclibrary.org can choose to follow along with lectures and assignments on their own or interact with a live instructor, gaining feedback on assignments, and certification upon completion of each course. The Universal Class database allows RPL cardholders to study Business Management, Writing, Analysis, Branding, and much more from anywhere the Internet can be accessed.

Patrons can learn at times convenient for them and at whatever pace they prefer.

Live Classes for Starting a Business To supplement the offerings of the Universal Class database, Rockford Public Library is now offering a collection of live classes being taught

by SBDC consultants at various library branches. Live class offerings include Executive Summary Basics, How to Make a Business Plan, Marketing Plan Basics and How to Use Quickbooks for Small Business.

New live classes are consistently being created with the most successful courses being repeated on a monthly basis.

Like our digital offerings, there is no cost to attend these live business classes.

RPL patrons greatly appreciate the value of learning directly from SBDC consultants, and we are confident that these consistent efforts will serve to funnel qualified start-up opportunities to the SBDC, ultimately resulting in more profitable businesses in Rockford.

We’re immensely proud to partner with Rockford’s SBDC to provide those who wish to help themselves with access to tools that will help them realize their dreams of business ownership.

For more information on the partnership and current live classes as well as our Universal Class course offerings, visit www. rockfordpubliclibrary.org/business-buildingbasics.

Bridget Finn is director of marketing and communications at the Rockford Public Library.

You roll up your sleeves to do the hard work that provides Bo Boger all our SBDC SBDC clients with information about a monetary means available for different types of people that might qualify for funding. I wish we did.

However, we do not. We also wish you well.

From a different perspective, by the time someone enters our offices, the grant possibility should have been examined to its fullest extent. Ask the “hows” and “whys,” on the Internet; through sites that focus their deliberation and scrutiny near and around available funding for specific cases of people who “deserve” these resources because of life’s extenuating circumstances.

Please, do not put the burden on the SBDC to determine your eligibility for those “free money”-type occurrences and affairs. We decide nothing. It is our role to provide coaching and guidance.

Bo Boger is director at the Illinois SBDC at the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

ABOUT THE SBDC The Illinois SBDC at the Rockford Chamber of Commerce offers services free of charge to aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners in the Rockford area, both chamber members and non-members.

As a partnership between the Rockford Chamber and the Illinois DCEO, it operates out of NIU EIGERlab, NIURockford, 8500 E. State St., and maintains an office at the chamber’s downtown location. For questions, call 815-987-8100.

16 | financial sustainability | Legacy & Financial Planning

List of 2018 ‘Worst Password Offenders’ Password manager company Dashlane announced in December its third-annual list of the “worst password offenders.” The list highlights high-profile individuals and organizations that had the most significant password-related blunders in 2018. The company found that the average internet user has more than 200 digital accounts that require passwords, and projects this figure to double to 400 in the next five years.

‘Worst Password Offenders’ of 2018 Kanye West: Kanye was captured unlocking his iPhone with the passcode “000000” during his infamous meeting at the White House.

The Pentagon: An audit by the Government Accountability Office found numerous cybersecurity vulnerabilities in several of the Pentagon’s systems. The audit team was able to guess admin passwords in just nine seconds as well as the discovery that software for multiple weapons systems was protected by default passwords that any member of the public could have found through a basic Google search.

Cryptocurrency owners: As the value of cryptocurrencies reached record levels at the beginning of the year, scores of crypto owners had the potential to cash out — if they could remember their passwords. The news cycle was rife with reports of people resorting to desperate measures (including hiring hypnotists) to attempt to recover/

remember the forgotten passwords to their digital wallets.

U.K. Law Firms: Researchers in the United Kingdom found more than one million corporate email and password combinations from 500 of the country’s top law firms available on the dark web.

Making matters worse, most of the credentials were stored in plaintext.

Texas: The Lone Star State left more than 14 million voter records exposed on a server that wasn’t password protected, leaving sensitive personal information, including addresses and voter history, vulnerable.

White House Staff: A staffer made the mistake of writing down his email login and password on official White House stationery, which he accidentally left at a Washington, D.C. bus stop.

Google: An engineering student from Kerala, India hacked one of its pages and got access to a TV broadcast satellite. The student didn’t even need to guess or hack credentials; he logged in to the Google admin pages on his mobile device in using a blank username and password.

United Nations: U.N. staff were using Trello, Jira and Google Docs to collaborate on projects, but forgot to password protect many of their documents. This meant anyone with the correct link could access secret plans, international communications and plaintext passwords.

Source: www.prnewswire.com

february 2019 • theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

Guest Perspective insight

All I really needed to know about business I learned on the golf course

If you know me, then you know that golf is an important part of my life. I know from experience that becoming even a decent golfer is no easy feat.

Sacrifice, dedication and determination are required. Sounds a lot like running a successful business, right? Since I can’t be on the course this time of year, I spent a little time reflecting on the businesses lessons I have learned from the game of golf.

1. Have the right clubs in your bag.

On the course, it is very important to have the right equipment. If you don’t have the proper club, you are leaving opportunities on the table. The same is true in business.

You must have the right employees, the right tools and the right partners to help you succeed. It is also important to embrace technology and leverage the advantages provided. Whether it is new, more forgiving irons or new software for your business, the right technology can move you forward – faster.

2. Know the course. Golfers at any level can improve their score without even changing their swing. How is that possible you may ask? A study and understanding of the course and an optimal strategy in place before even teeing off leads to greater success. Knowing your market and your customers is vital to the success of your business. The simple truth is that you may have the best product or service, but people will not buy it if they do not want it or do not believe they need it.

Taking time to research the market and listening closely to your customer’s needs is at the core of a successful business.

3. The harder you work, the luckier you get. This tidbit of wisdom is actually attributed to Gary Player, widely considered one of the greatest golfers ever.

Sometimes shots appear to be truly lucky, but in reality there is usually much more that happened even before the golfer stepped on the course. How you handle

situations that Thomas Budd Rockford Bank & Trust arise depends on how prepared you are.

4. Follow through makes all the difference. Simple, right? Follow through on your swing has a great impact on your shot. The same goes for business.

Whether you are taking action or keeping your word, following through on what you have promised has a huge impact on your reputation and your success.

5. Play the long game. It is easy to get caught up in each shot, just like it is easy to get caught up in whirlwind of dayto-day issues of your business. Although tactics are crucial to your success, it is also important to carve out time to focus on the overall health of your business. Whether it is time for process improvement, strategic planning or even employee development, taking a long term view is valuable to your future success.

6. Beware of overconfidence. The minute a golfer says “I’ve fixed my slice” is the same minute his slice is no longer fixed. In the right amount, confidence is a great attribute, but make sure you are being self-aware and capable of judging your competence while taking into account the need to always be prepared and ready for unforeseen challenges. You can do that by constantly working on your game – golf and business alike.

Most of all, the game of golf is built on honesty and integrity. No one wants to play with a partner they do not trust. Do the right thing because it is the right thing do – on the course and in business – and the rest will follow.

Thomas Budd, an avid golfer, is president & CEO of Rockford Bank & Trust.

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

rockfordchamber.com • theVoice • february 2019

financial sustainability | Legacy & Financial Planning |

Rockford University PERSPECTIVE

A family-first approach to charitable giving Securing your legacy for your family, your charities

Denise Noe Rockford University

In addition to passing assets to loved ones, your will, living trust or life insurance policy can also be used to define your legacy through support of your alma mater, a special charity or non-profit organization. When you leave a gift in your estate plans, you join a special group of people who make it possible for organizations to advance their unique work and further support their missions.

assets is another way to make a future

Advantages

your wishes.

■ Simplicity. As little as one sentence in your will or living trust is all that is needed to complete your gift.

gift with lasting impact. Be sure to go one step further and notify those beneficiaries of the choices you’ve made.

Many people and charities aren’t aware that they have been named to receive a gift. Informing them helps preserve your intentions and ensures that your beneficiaries are able to follow Protect the people and charities you love by following these simple steps in naming your beneficiaries:

■ Flexibility. Until your will or trust goes into effect, you are free to alter your plans.

■ Review your beneficiary designations

■ Versatility. You can give a specific item, an amount of money, a gift contingent upon certain events or a percentage of your estate.

■ Alert your beneficiaries that you

How a Gift in Your Will Works

periodically, as circumstances may change throughout your lifetime.

have a life insurance policy or have named them as a beneficiary of a retirement plan.

■ Share the location and details of the

Your estate planning attorney can help you structure a gift so your loved ones will be taken care of first. He or she will include your wishes in a will or living trust you create, or add it to existing documents through an amendment called a codicil. A popular option is to leave a percentage of what is left of your estate after other beneficiaries have received their share so your gift will remain proportionate to the size of your estate, no matter how it fluctuates.

policy or plan with your beneficiaries.

A Gift in Your Estate Plan Is Right for You If:

best for your particular situation.

■ You want the opportunity to guide decisions about the future ownership of your possessions and the legacy you leave behind.

Like so many valuable organizations in our community, helping individuals who are interested in including the university in their estate planning and legacy giving is an important part of Rockford University’s overall development efforts. There are many helpful tools available that can help you start the process and help you determine what kinds of options are Feel free to visit legacy.rockford.edu/ personal-estate-planning-kit to learn more about wills and living trusts, beneficiary designations, charitable gift annuities, endowed gifts and more.

■ You have a will or living trust or are ready to create one.

The information in this publication is not

■ You want to make sure your support of the organization of your choice is still available after your lifetime.

advice, please consult an attorney or tax

■ You want to balance your generosity to us with an assurance that loved ones are taken care of first.

change. References to estate and income taxes

■ You want to maintain the flexibility to change your mind about your gift at any time.

Protecting Your Charitable Plan Naming a loved one or favorite charity as a beneficiary of a life insurance policy or retirement plan

intended as legal or tax advice. For such advisor. Figures cited in examples are for hypothetical purposes only and are subject to include federal taxes only. State income/estate taxes or state law may impact your results.

Denise Noe is assistant vice president for advancement at Rockford University.

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

17

18 | financial sustainability | Legacy & Financial Planning

february 2019 • theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

Guest Perspective insight

Have you planned for long-term care?

Four insurance options when making your plans

If you are fortunate, you will retain your physical and mental capacities throughout your life and can always live independently.

But there are no guarantees for any of us.

If you ever require some form of long-term care, will you be prepared?

So what is the risk of needing long-term care services? According to the Department of Health & Human Services, about 40 percent of individuals over age 65 receive some form of paid in-home care, with an average care period lasting less than one year. However, about one-third of the population receives care in a nursing home: Of those individuals, about half stay less than one year, 30 percent stay between one and three years, and 20 percent stay longer than five years.

And, unfortunately, this care can be expensive. For example, it costs $97,500 per year, on average, for a private room in a nursing home, according to the 2017 Cost of Care Survey produced by Genworth, an insurance company. In some major metropolitan areas, the cost is much higher. Furthermore, Medicare typically pays only a small percentage of these expenses.

So, how do you protect yourself against these potentially catastrophic costs?

Jennifer Reisinger Edward Jones

and a maximum amount of coverage, such as three years.)

3. Hybrid/linked benefit insurance.

Because of some concerns about paying for insurance but never needing care with traditional long-term care insurance, this type of insurance provides a death benefit plus long-term care coverage.

You can accelerate the death benefit to help pay for long-term care costs, and you can also choose to create an additional pool for these costs after the death benefit has been exhausted.

But if you don’t need long-term care, you still have the life insurance death benefit. Due to the death benefit, your premiums will be higher than those of a traditional long-term care policy.

4. Life insurance with long-term care/chronic illness rider. By choosing a permanent life insurance policy with this rider, you can accelerate all or part of the death benefit to pay for longterm care costs. (Your death benefit will then be reduced.) This option generally provides more flexibility in paying premiums than a hybrid policy, which may require a larger dollar commitment. Similar to hybrid, you still have the life insurance benefit if you don’t need care.

Which option is best for you?

There’s no one “right” answer for everyone, but a financial professional can help you choose the method that’s most appropriate for your situation.

Essentially, You Have Four Options

And from an economic standpoint –

1. Self-insure. You can try to build enough financial assets to cover the costs of a long-term care event. However, you would need to accumulate an extremely large sum to fully protect yourself, and you’d be diverting assets that could be used to help fund your retirement.

you may be better off by taking action

2. Long-term care insurance.

A traditional long-term care (LTC) insurance policy will pay for qualified long-term care costs. The younger you are when you purchase your policy, the lower your annual premiums are likely to be. Keep in mind, though, that a basic LTC policy offers no death benefit or cash value – your premiums are only paying for a nursing home stay, home health care or other type of long-term care service. (Also, even a good LTC policy will include a waiting period before the insurance kicks in

and possibly an emotional one, too – sooner, rather than later.

Jennifer Reisinger, AAMS®, CRPS®, is financial advisor at Edward Jones, 815-3975157 or jen.reisinger@edwardjones.com.

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

Edward Jones is a licensed insurance producer in all states and Washington, D.C., through Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P., and in California, New Mexico and Massachusetts through Edward Jones Insurance Agency of California, L.L.C.; Edward Jones Insurance Agency of New Mexico, L.L.C.; and Edward Jones Insurance Agency of Massachusetts, L.L.C.

theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

FEBRuary 2019

|

19

RAAN confirms Aerospace Symposium date

Good governance

Regional Economic Development Policy

By Nathan Bryant, RAEDC The role of the Rockford Area Economic Development Council (RAEDC) is to collaborate with regional stakeholders to cultivate opportunities for primary job growth that increases the economic well-being of our region.

The RAEDC markets the region to attract new capital investment, while simultaneously assisting existing businesses with their continued growth and re-investment in our region.

Our region has been the beneficiary of considerable economic growth, with capital investment exceeding $911,729,123 over the past three years alone. Our economic competitiveness has improved considerably, and the world is listening.

Nationally syndicated publications like the Chicago Tribune, Wall Street Journal, Forbes and USA Today, to name a few, have all written about the exceptional aspects of our region.

It’s time our regional economic development policies match that of our success, and Winnebago County is uniquely positioned to implement policies that do so. The county’s use of host fees is a differentiator compared to other regions and states. If used properly, host fees allow our region to be competitive. That said, our region needs a steady reliable policy that ensures a clear understanding to continue our progression forward.

With this in mind, the RAEDC urges Winnebago County to consider a clear and consistent economic development policy that includes the following at a minimum; 1. Support of primary job growth.

Consideration should be given to the number of jobs and average full-time equivalent wage benched against industry sector average wages.

2. Support of capital investment made on behalf of primary job growth.

3. Create an equitable support

process for all county options in consideration. Often there are multiple Winnebago County options competing for the same opportunity.

It’s imperative the County remain neutral and ensure all options are incentivized equally.

4. County as last dollars of support, if any. There are several funding tools available already in place throughout the region to alleviate undue burden.

These tools include Tax Increment Finance (TIF), Enterprise Zones, Opportunity Zones, Edge Tax Credit, Tax abatements, Sales Tax abatements, Historic Tax Credits, etc. There is no need to “over incent” an opportunity.

5. Create a verification process for support, to align with local municipal and state policies already in place.

Example - the State of Illinois has an annual verification process in order to obtain funding from the Edge Tax Credit program.

6. In all cases, apply a “but for” clause for the use of support.

Meaning, “if not but for the use of support, the opportunity would not occur.” This is the same universal standard utilized by the State of Illinois and local municipalities for the use of incentives.

7. When only county options are in consideration, and to receive county support, municipalities agree to a mutually equal universal standard or policy by which local municipal incentives will be utilized. (i.e. – If a company is looking only within Winnebago County, municipalities must apply a universal standard or policy for the use of local incentives to receive Winnebago County support) Nathan Bryant is president & CEO of the Rockford Area Economic Development Council.

The Rockford Area Aerospace Network (RAAN) is excited to present the 2019 Aerospace Symposium in Rockford on Tuesday, April 23.

This symposium will provide attendees (equipment manufacturers, material suppliers, advanced manufacturers, workforce developers and visionaries) with important updates about the aerospace industry.

“Companies involved in aerospace, as well as companies that are considering expanding into aerospace services need to be at this conference,” said Jarid Funderburg, vice president of business and investor relations, Rockford Area Economic Development Council.

“The range and awe-inspiring work completed by the companies that participate in this one-day symposium is breathtaking.”

Last year Boeing was the keynote speaker, and this year promises to be even better.

Topics include industrial automation, supplier development, application of augmented reality, workforce development as well as vision systems for assembly.

For additional information about the RAAN Aerospace Symposium, contact Anna Garrison, AGarrison@RockfordIL.com or 815-969-4261.

RAEDC launches marketing campaign in suburbs The Rockford Area Economic Development Council (RAEDC) focuses on reasons why this region is Your Opportunity Region with a strategically selective marketing campaign.

Beginning in October, the RAEDC has been reaching out to real estate professionals specializing in site selection in the suburbs to provide tangible reasons why the Rockford Region is an ideal location for businesses and their employees.

With messages tied to the affordability of homes, the opportunity to spend more time golfing instead of commuting, and the opportunity to find build-to-suit locations.

Through collaboration, the region has found a way to offer companies these amenities and more importantly a workforce with the skills for jobs that are good today, tomorrow and the future.

Learn more about the campaign at RockfordIL.com/specschmeck

Key Economic Indicators

New/Retained Jobs 5,412 54% to goal

Capital Investment $911.7 million 99% to goal

New/Renovated Space 4 million square feet 50% to goal

KEY ECONOMIC INDICATORS During the annual meeting, the RAEDC provided an update on the region’s progress towards the economic indicators outlined in the Rockforward20/20 strategic plan, which spans from Jan. 1, 2016 to Dec. 31, 2020. The figures above represent Jan. 1, 2016 to Dec. 31, 2018.

20

| february 2019

theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

National Indicators theRegional, economy U.S. Indicators December 2018



Consumer Price Index Unemployment Rate

Live here, belong here

0.1 percent 3.9 percent

      

Payroll Employment Average Hourly Earnings Producer Price Index Employment Cost Index Productivity U.S. Import Price Index U.S. Export Price Index

Rockford’s narrative is changing

312,000 $0.11 0.2 percent 0.8 percent (third quarter, 2018) 2.3 percent (third quarter, 2018) 1.0 percent 0.6 percent

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Unemployment Rates Region / State / Nation Sept 2018

Oct 2018

Nov 2018

Dec 2018

Rockford

4.6

5.2

9.3

---

Chicago

3.6

3.9

3.6

3.6

Illinois

4.1

4.2

4.2

4.3

United States

3.7

3.7

3.7

3.9

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Chicago #2 City for Best Active Lifestyle Opportunities WalletHub released its report on 2019’s Best & Worst Cities for an Active Lifestyle. To determine where Americans have the best chance of balancing a healthy diet with ample physical activity, WalletHub compared the 100 biggest U.S. cities across 38 key metrics, including average monthly fitness-club fee to bike score to share of physically inactive adults.

CHICAGO RANKINGS …

■ Tied #1 for Most Swimming Pools per Capital, along with Cleveland, Ohio; Philadelphia; Tucson, Ariz.; Washington, D.C., and Cincinnati, Ohio.

■ Tied #1 for Most Park Playgrounds per Capital, along with New York.

■ Tied #1 for Most Basketball Hoops per Capita, along with Norfolk, Va.; New York; Irvine, Calif.; Honolulu, Hi., and Philadelphia.

■ Ranked #2 for Most Tennis Courts per Capita.

BEST CITIES FOR AN ACTIVE LIFESTYLE 1.

Honolulu, Hi.

3.

San Francisco, Calif.

2.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Chicago, Ill.

Portland, Ore.

Seattle, Wash.

Minneapolis, Minn.

Washington, D.C. Denver, Colo.

San Diego, Calif.

Madison, Wis.

Reframing a 21st Century Community is one of the five pillars of our region’s Transformation Plan. During the visioning process, our community decided to “create compelling and genuine communication for and among all residents resulting in shared community pride and a positive position and reputation for the region” (Communications Impact Statement). We also desired to have “all residents in the Rockford Region see the community with new eyes. We want them to feel proud of where they live, have confidence in the future, and inspire others to conduct their lives in a way that promotes our region from within” (Living the Brand Impact Statement).

He helped me to see how I was letting one narrative shape my entire career decision and place to live.

From “Rockford Making a Comeback” and “15 Best Places to Move to Before it Gets Crowded” to “Best in the Midwest” has dominated our headlines by credible sources since last fall. For many of you, this has been a “finally” moment that you feel others are recognizing the value you see in Rockford.

I applaud the Rockford Area Economic Development Council’s recent work to promote the assets of our region beyond the Rockford area.

Residents and business leaders of other communities are looking at Rockford with new eyes, as a place to invest. The Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau continues to drive the message internally and externally to Rockford as a destination to visit and stay a while.

I also believe the Minding the Gap documentary is equally important to elevate the creative arts that originate here, while at the same time engage in systems change that leads to improving the quality of life and the Rockford experience for all.

However, for some, seeing these positive headlines about Rockford has only fueled disbelief that Rockford is not changing. For those individuals, the regional story may not align with their personal, family, work or business story. But I want them to know that I too was not confident in Rockford at one point in my life. It was until I had

David Sidney Transform Rockford

a conversation with a successful African-American business owner who helped reframe how I saw Rockford and the opportunity I had to engage in changing the direction and destiny of our community. He helped me to see how I was letting one narrative shape my entire career decision and place to live. While I believed Rockford could be different, I was disengaging in the process that leads to a better narrative.

Emerging Narrative But I have to say, that narrative is emerging. I see a better narrative evolving that is inclusive of all sectors, faiths, residents and community members. One resident that fits that narrative is Rockford native, Jessica Gissal, and husband Justin Collett. It was the accumulation of positive stories about our region that encouraged them to relocate their family from a condo in downtown Chicago, back to the forest city. Since moving here a year ago, the couple told me that they’ve found themselves enjoying many Rockford amenities, and they even told me that they can tell there’s a lot of pride in the town.

And then there’s Rockford Public Library employee, Aaron Carlin. He’s lived all over the United States, most recently residing in the suburbs of Chicago. His job brought him and his entire family to Rockford, and although he wasn’t born and raised here, he made the move knowing that Rockford is “turning around.” He loves our city because it offers a great blend of both urban and rural environments, providing his family with plenty of things to do.

It’s these types of stories that our governance, staff and volunteer teams are starting to hear more and more. And while we recognize that not everyone has had these types of experiences, we encourage you to engage in the transformation process so that this becomes the narrative experience by all. I also encourage all of us to ask ourselves, “What narrative do we want to shape?”

David Sidney is executive director of Transform Rockford.

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

theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

february 2019

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21

From architect to fashion design diva Learning growth is a marathon, not a sprint

Mohop’s dynamic duo … [has] recently invested in the community by purchasing a 10,000-sq.-ft. manufacturing facility in Rockford.

By Sherry Pritz Enderle, NIU EIGERlab Annie Mohaupt, owner of Mohop, a made-to-order custom shoe and accessory company, never imagined while she was studying architecture that she’d own a fashion enterprise.

Her fashion-forward offerings are both unique and ingenious, which ties in with her background and field of study.

In 2005, Mohaupt launched Mohop and was a solopreneur until she partnered with Justin Walker in 2012.

Walker manages Mohop’s production operations along with assorted other responsibilities. Mohop’s dynamic duo have developed multiple collections of footwear, fashion accessories and pet accessories; generating more than $1.5 million in revenue over the past decade. They’ve recently invested in the community by purchasing a 10,000-sq.ft. manufacturing facility in Rockford.

When you visit Mohop.com, you’ll instantly recognize many of the endless magazines and entities listed, which include interviews with Mohaupt or highlight Mohop’s fashionable products.

Interestingly enough, this list of magazines does not include Architectural Digest or any similar publications.

Although, Mohaupt shared, “Many of the materials and processes affiliated with what I learned in school related to interior installations and are applicable to creating my custom shoes and other products.”

The Switch After toiling in the architectural field for seven years, she traded the projects and working environment for something more in line with her passions -- working with her hands and creating her own products.

“The footbeds of the shoes are 3D carved on CNC machines from sustainably sourced American hardwoods and topped with cushioning EVA,” (a cushioning material very common to footwear) she shared. “The custom uppers of the shoes are laser-cut, which are then glued and/or nailed to the sole, creating a completely custom shoe within a couple of hours.” For a visually appealing demonstration of this process, see the Kickstarter video link located on Mohop’s website.

Mohaupt’s initial experience selling at a craft fair was, at first, fantastic when she sold out of product in a short period of time. Unfortunately, all of her newly found customers called the following week to complain that the shoes had fallen apart. In her initial creations, she was concentrating on comfort versus durability. With her next iteration -- it took one year and test-walking the shoes 100 miles to be sure -- she’d tackled both of the key features: comfort and durability.

Today, Mohop offers a wide variety of women’s shoes, purses, accessories and dog collars. In special circumstances, Mohop’s team can even accommodate two different-size feet, two different-size sole heights, etc.

Interchangeable Looks One vastly unique design aspect, with certain types of Mohop’s shoes, is the variety of choices offered. Customers can select the color of the footbed, heel, interchangeable colored ribbons and sari ties that totally change the look. To further expand the fashionable result, she features illustrations on the “How to Tie” portion of the website, which puts an additional spin on the custom look.

The sari ties are made from recycled

Justin Walker and Annie Mohaupt have invested in the community by purchasing a 10,000-sq.ft. manufacturing facility in Rockford. materials, which Mohaupt sources from a nonprofit organization in India that supports fair-trade wages for women.

Her unique shoes have even been featured on the Discovery Network/ Science Channel show, “How It’s Made!”

The future is bright for Mohop with Mohaup as a self-taught manufacturer at the helm. A key element of the company’s success is the ability to be flexible and change; paying attention to trends and adapting if necessary. All of the processes are designed around flexibility. For example, the company mainly uses riveting versus sewing, since people with sewing expertise are difficult to find. This allows the team to be able to assemble their shoes and accessories during downtime at tradeshows, craft shows or at an Airbnb while traveling.

But they are keeping it simple for another reason.

“We envision women, perhaps stayat-home moms, to be able to assemble our products in their homes and earn a decent part-time wage,” Mohaup explained. “We mainly source all of our raw materials from suppliers in the United States and would prefer to employ U.S. workers -- as opposed to

how most shoes are manufactured. We now design the products, so assembly requires very little training.”

Lessons Learned “I have a lot more humility than I did in year one. When I started, I was really confident. I have large goals and have the desire to grow a large company, but I’ve learned that it’s a marathon, not a sprint,” Mohaup stated. “We are embracing being proactive versus in the beginning when I was running the company reactively. The tide is turning — we are preparing for the future.”

To learn more about Mohop’s fashionable merchandise, visit www.

Mohop.com. To learn more on the services and programming offered to assist entrepreneurs, visit www.

EIGERlab.org or 815-753-2192.

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

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

22

| february 2019

business

theVoice • rockfordchamber.com Rockford Chamber members appear bolded. Thank you for your support of your fellow Chamber members.

Business Briefs

Discovery Center Museum welcomes Thomas & Friends™: Explore the Rails! an interactive exhibit inspired by the popular children’s series on Nickelodeon, through May 12.

by Dianne Belk and Lawrence Calder.

Both the national headquarters of Girl Scouts of the USA and 101 other Girl Scout councils will receive planned gifts calculated at more than $30 million.

Rosecrance hosted a grand opening on Jan. 9 for Rosecrance on Moreland in Champaign, Ill. It’s estimated that the center for recovery will serve more than 6,000 young adults and adults struggling with addictions this year.

American Rigging & Millwright Service donated employees’ time and equipment to help Northern Illinois Food Bank move a baler to a new location.

Fehr Graham joined forces with Phoenix Consulting Engineers, Mahomet, Ill. Founder Tom Overmyer and employees and will work from Fehr Graham’s Champaign, Ill., office.

The Salvation Army reported that more than 1,385 families and 2,263 children in Winnebago County received food and toys over the Christmas season, thanks to the generosity of donors and volunteers.

Mercyhealth launched Mercyhealth Virtual Visit Now, which lets patients connect with board certified primary care providers for secure, live, on-demand video visits, using a computer, smartphone or tablet. It can be accessed at MercyhealthVirtualVisitNow.org or an app downloaded from the Apple App Store or Google Play.

Spectrum Insurance Agency, Inc., participated in the annual Tour of Honor Contest sponsored by Pekin Insurance.® It donated $20,000 to the Honor Flight Network, which transports veterans to Washington, D.C., to visit and reflect at their memorials. Money was raised for every life insurance application submitted.

Keith Country Day School’s Red and Blue Robotics teams competed for the first time in a FIRST® LEGO® League tournament. Fourth through eighth graders developed a solution to a real-world engineering challenge using LEGO-based robots of their own design. Blue Team’s “Using CRISPR-Cas9 to fix Astronaut DNA due to Galactic Cosmic Ray Radiation” placed seventh. Red Team’s “Using Arbuscular Mycorrhizae to Help Grow Plants in Martian Soil” placed third. Red Team was awarded Rookie Team of the Tournament and traveled to Elgin Community College to compete in the Einstein State Championship Tournament.

Rockford Systems launched its Ejection Curtain Guarding Kit, which uses a coiled wire fabric guard to significantly reduce the risk of cuts, lacerations and punctures from flying debris when machinists use a hydraulic press.

Girl Scouts of Northern Illinois will receive planned gifts as a result of the $1.2 million planned giving challenge

Byron Forest Preserve received the 2018 Outstanding Facility and Park Award for the renovation and new overlook deck at Jarrett Prairie Center Museum.

Mercyhealth safely and successfully transferred 123 patients in less than 10 hours on Jan. 5 from its Javon Bea Hospital-Rockton to its newest location, Javon Bea HospitalRiverside. The new facility also opened its doors to other patients on Jan. 5.

First Community Credit Union’s four branches collected a record $7,836 during its Bulb Drive, thanks to donations by members, credit union staff and dollar-for-dollar match. Four area charities benefitted: Caritas Community Resource Center, Humane Society of Southern Wisconsin, Green County Food Pantry and Rockford Rescue Mission. The Rockford branch also collected 175 pairs of new socks for Rockford Rescue Mission and VietNow and the Monroe branch toys and gifts for the annual Monroe Woman’s Club Toy Drive.

a regular basis for evening programs.

OSF Saint Anthony College of

Community Foundation of Northern Illinois’ Community Grants

36 bachelors’ of nursing, one master’s

Barbara Olson Center of Hope

of nursing practice at its

Bengt & Mary Kuller Endowment

2018.

Impact and Effectiveness

V2 Marketing completed a new

website for Debra Joy Hart, RN, BFA,

CT, CLL-E at debrajoyhart.com with a

mobile-friendly responsive design that adapts for viewing on desktops, smartphones and tablets.

Nursing celebrated the graduations of of science in nursing and one doctor

received a $9,839 grant by the

Baccalaureate service on Dec. 13,

Fund for its project, “Greater

Rockford Park District hosts indoor

through Technology.” Funds will

through Feb. 25. The 50-minute group

educational apps, to help

p.m., at the Indoor Sports Center at

and related disabilities overcome

Park. Visit www.golfrockford.org/

for training and lesson plan

adult golf clinics for ages 18 and older

go towards iPads, equipped with

lessons meet Mondays, 12:30 to 1:20

participants living with autism

Mercyhealth Sportscore Two in Loves

communication challenges and

lessons (click My RPD) or call 815-

development by direct support

968-7529.

staff.

Ignition Studio was highlighted as

Northern Illinois Center for

taping of MSNBC Your Business with

a $37,510 grant by the Dr. Louis

product photography experts for the

JJ Ramberg. Ignition’s Gordon Bottum showcased how to improve product

photography using a smartphone and simple lighting to help Bushel &

Peck’s Local Market in Beloit take their brand to the next level. Visit Ignition’s Facebook page.

Nonprofit Excellence received & Violet Rubin Fund towards

“Planning for a Children’s Mental Health System of Care,” which

will analyze the current system of mental healthcare for youth, including identifying gaps and

strengths in service provision, in

Northwest Bank of Rockford

order to create a new

Investment Services, its rebranded

system of care.

coordinated, collaborative

Pearson hired KMK Media Group as its advertising agency of record for the 10th consecutive year.

announced Foresight Financial

OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center is making its intensive “in-person” diet and lifestyle change program available as a digital option. Using the program developed

by HMR®, people can now lose weight in person or with the support of a free HMR app or group phone coaching.

Visit www.hmrprogram.com/ osfsaintanthonyreg.

advisors who work with clients to

Circle of Change Veterans Dog Program received a $6,500 grant from the Guy Reno Family Foundation. Classes engage veterans in training and handling dogs exhibiting similar symptoms to theirs: anxiety, fearfulness and isolation, to develop a mutually healing bond.

a record-breaking 2017. Two-thirds of

Stepping Stones of Rockford,

outside the city of Rockford. More

from the Dr. Louis and Violet

and talents to the museum.

installation of a new privacy

Thinker Ventures, Rockford, created a website for Restoration Tools, a startup creator in Rockford of tools built for the fire and water repair industry.

Rock House Kids received a donation of a 2002 Ford Econoline-15 passenger van from Bethesda Covenant Church in Rockford. The van’s been used to take two loads of students to a Wisconsin winter camp in January and will pick up children on

investment services division with

determine their financial goals and create individualized plans to help them reach those goals.

Discovery Center Museum set records in 2018 with more than

275,000 visitors from all 50 states,

Washington, D.C., and several foreign countries; a 4.5 percent increase over

Stateline Youth for Christ

received a $15,000 grant by the

Dr. Louis & Violet Rubin Fund for “Juvenile Justice Ministry

Aftercare Services,” to help

juvenile offenders develop a new way of living through mentoring, educational success tracks and life skills training.

the non-member visitors came from

Inc., received a $5,000 grant

than 500 people donated their time

Rubin Fund towards the

Need CPEs? Dale Carnegie Training of Greater Illinois, Inc., offers a

number of accredited classes for

accountants, as well as accredited courses in sales, leadership,

persuasion, presentation and human resources issues. Dale Carnegie® training programs are registered through the National Registry of

CPE Sponsors. For a listing of class

schedules and more information, visit www.dalecarnegie.com/en/course-

finder or call Susan, 309-645-2450.

fence at its North Main Street Group Home.

The Music Academy in

Rockford received an $8,598

grant in collaboration with the

Rockford Symphony Orchestra from the Arts and Humanity

Fund for two winter workshops, one for piano and one for

strings; focused on baroque

music and Western European art music from 1600 to 1750.

theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

february 2019

community

Monday, February 4

Wesley Willows hosts Rockford YMCA Coffee Breaks with coffee and a special treat before or after your workout; Feb. 4 and 6, 9 to 11:30 a.m., at Northeast YMCA; Feb. 12 and 14, 9 a.m. to noon at SwedishAmerican Riverfront YMCA, and Feb. 18 and 20, 8:30 to 11 a.m., at Puri YMCA.

Tuesday, February 5

University of Illinois Extension presents Meals for a Healthy Heart, 1 to 3:30 p.m., on Feb. 5 and 12 at the Winnebago County Extension office, 1040 N. Second St., Rockford. To register, call 815-986-4357 or web. extension.illinois.edu/jsw/.

Wednesday, February 6

Alzheimer’s Association, Illinois Chapter host an Alzheimer’s Community Forum, 6 to 7:30 p.m., at Rockford University-Regents Hall, 5050 E. State St., on Alzheimer’s disease, dementia and memory loss.

Light refreshments provided.

Registration is requested at 815-4841300 or 800-272-3900.

OSF Healing Pathways Cancer Resource Center hosts a free, fourpart Survivorship Series, 11 a.m. to noon, with different topics over four Wednesdays beginning Feb. 6. Most classes at OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center, 5668 E. State St., Ste. 2700. Registration on a first-come; first-served basis at 815-977-4123.

Thursday, February 7

Discovery Center Museum, 711 N. Main St., Rockford, presents Thomas Pajama Party, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Come in your PJs for milk and cookies, stories and songs about your favorite train: Thomas & Friends™. Call 815-963-6769 or visit www. discoverycentermuseum.org.

Friday, February 8

Rockford Art Museum, opens the new art exhibition, “Cheryl Pope: Not

Without a Fight,” with a free Gallery Walk with the Artist, 5 to 6 p.m. Free public opening until 8:30 p.m., inside the Riverfront Museum Park, 711 N. Main St. Exhibit on view through Memorial Day, May 27. Visit rockfordartmuseum.org.

Saturday, February 9

Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden presents Feeding Birds: Winter into Spring, 10 to 11 a.m., 2715 S. Main St., in Rockford. Presented by Stacy Bivens, master naturalist, University of Illinois Extension. Pre-registration required at info@klehm.org or call 815-965-8146. Visit klehm.org.

Pickleball with Fleet Feet Rockford, 10 a.m. to noon, UW Health Sports Factory, 305 S. Madison St., Rockford. Courts are available for 24 people. Reserve at www.eventbrite. com/e/pickleball-with-fleet-feetrockford-tickets-54009746606.

Contact jen.w@fleetfeetrockford.com or 779-423-1425 with questions.

Sunday, February 10

Discovery Center Museum, 711 N. Main St., Rockford, presents Chocolate Sundae Sunday, 2 to 4 p.m., with the Rockford Ice Hogs scooping up fun. Create your own sundae. Call 815-963-6769 or visit www.discoverycentermuseum.org.

Wednesday, February 13

Cupid Run! 6 p.m., at Fleet Feet Sports Rockford, 1653 N. Alpine Road. This three-mile Cupid Run includes post-run, Valentine’s-themed games, photo booth, snacks, beverages and prizes. Contact jen.w@ fleetfeetrockford.com.

Thursday, February 14

Rockford Public Library and Prairie State Legal Services of Illinois presents Free Legal Help, 1 to 2 p.m., at the Montague Branch, 1238 S. Winnebago St. Schedule ahead of time at 815-965-2902 or walk in; first come, first served.

Tuesday, February 19

Northern Illinois University hosts an

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

Community Events

FEBRUARY 2019

|

All-Majors Internship & Job Fair, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., at NIU Convocation Center, 1525 W. Lincoln Highway, DeKalb, Ill. Visit www.careerfairs.niu. edu.

Highway, DeKalb, Ill. Visit www. careerfairs.niu.edu.

Thursday, February 28

Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden presents Firewalk Tranquility Walk, 7 to 8:30 p.m., 2715 S. Main St., in Rockford. Pre-registration and pre-payment required at 815-9658146 or email info@klehm.org. Visit klehm.org.

RAMP hosts Wrightslaw Training with Pete Wright, Esq., in conjunction with the Special Education & Transition Resource Expo, 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at Faranda’s, 302 Grove St., in DeKalb, Ill. The free expo takes place from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Tickets at https://give.classy.org/WLTraining.

Wednesday, February 20

MARCH 2019

Rockford Systems, LLC hosts a Machine Safeguarding Seminar, Feb. 20 to 22, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., the first two days and 8 to 10:30 a.m., on the third day. Visit www. rockfordsystems.com/seminars.

Thursday, February 21

Spring Mini Session Information Night, 6 p.m., at Fleet Feet Sports Rockford, 1653 N. Alpine Road.

Coaching staff will talk about the nine-week program to prepare you for a 5K up to a half marathon. The $25 training fee is donated to Carpenter’s Place. Contact jen.w@ fleetfeetrockford.com.

Saturday, February 23

Discovery Center Museum, 711 N. Main St., Rockford, presents Discover Engineering, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with local high school teams showing their robotics expertise and exploration of the many ways engineering happens in the Rock River Valley. Call 815-963-6769 or visit www.discoverycentermuseum.org.

University of Illinois Extension presents Winter Trails and Naturalist Tales with Peggy Doty and Olivia Rauen, 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., at the Education Center at the Torstenson Property near Pecatonica. Register at go.illinois.edu/jsw or 815-986-4357.

Monday, February 25

Northern Illinois University hosts an Education, Health & Wellness Fair, 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., at NIU Convocation Center, 1525 W. Lincoln

Friday, March 1 American Advertising Federation - Northern Illinois presents Viva los ADDYs! You’re invited to Havana Nights, the 2019 American Advertising Awards (ADDY) Award Show.

Recognize the best advertising creative in town. 6pm - 9pm at Prairie Street Brewhouse, 200 Prairie St., Rockford. Tickets are $50 register at eventbrite or www.niadfed.org.

Saturday, March 2 University of Illinois Extension presents the annual Gardening for Food, Flowers and Fun, at the NIU Conference Center, 8500 E. State St., Rockford. Keynote speaker, three breakout sessions, lunch, a silent auction and materials. Register at go. illinois.edu/jsw or 815-986-4357.

Thursday, March 14 Rockford Public Library and Prairie State Legal Services of Illinois presents Free Legal Help, 11 a.m. to noon, at the Rockton Centre Branch, 3112 N. Rockton Ave. Schedule ahead of time at 815-965-2902 or walk in; first come, first served.

Wednesday, March 20 Rockford Systems, LLC hosts a Machine Safeguarding Seminar, March 20 to 22, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., the first two days, and 8 to 10:30 a.m., on the third day. Visit www. rockfordsystems.com/seminars.

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| february 2019

theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

in the news

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

Members in the News

1. Kara Kelly

2. Dana Northcott

3. Scot Dobbs

4. Jeff Reierson

5. Matthew Johnson

6. Nathan Kass

7. Dr. Hadyn M. Hollister

8. Dr. Patrick McKenna

9. Dr. Keenan C. Wanamaker

10. Tricia Cratty

11. Lisa Custardo

12. Christine Hanson

13. Chris Kelley

14. Nichole Apitz

15. Dr. Lee Jennifer Cartagena-Negron

16. Lisa Primm

17. Cornell D. Lurry, Sr.

18. Tara Harris

19. Kimberly Anderson

20. Louise Claussen

21. Madilyn Reid

22. Michael L. Duffy

23. Jenny Redington

24. Adeline

BOARD APPOINTMENTS Center for Sight and Hearing welcomed Kara Kelly (1), Eversight, to its board of directors.

Dana Northcott (2), Region 1 Planning Council, was appointed to the Grant Professionals Certification Institute board.

Scot Dobbs (3), CPA/PFS, MST, CHFP, CFP®, Wipfli LLP, was named to the Rockford Area Economic Development Council’s board of directors.

NEW HIRES, PROMOTIONS, RETIREMENTS Fairhaven Christian Retirement Center named Jeff Reierson (4) its executive director.

Fehr Graham hired Matthew Johnson (5) and Nathan Kass (6).

Johnson manages the Champaign, Ill., office and Kass the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, office.

Mercyhealth welcomed Kathi Gehrke as nurse manager of the Cardiac Telemetry Unit; Hadyn M. Hollister, M.D. (7), to the surgery staff, and Dr. Patrick McKenna (8) to the State of Illinois Designated Children’s Hospital at Mercyhealth’s Javon Bea Hospital and Physician Clinic-Riverside. It promoted Sue Frost to manager of cardiac services and cardiac rehab.

Mercyhealth welcomed Keenan C. Wanamaker, D.O. (9), surgeon, to its Heart and Vascular Centers in Rockford.

Robert F. Weber, Jr., vice chairman and chief financial officer, Woodward, Inc., announced his intention to retire effective Jan. 3, 2020.

Center for Sight and Hearing hired Tricia Cratty (10) as vice president of institutional advancement.

Rockford University named Lisa Custardo (11), CPA, CGMA, MBA, CC-SEI, as vice president for finance and chief financial officer.

Meridian welcomed Christine Hanson (12) as operations manager in the Wide Format Department.

Chris Kelley (13) joined Cain & Company as director of marketing strategy; leading the inbound marketing team and directing B2B and B2C digital marketing services.

Wesley Willows named Nichole Apitz (14) as assistant director of dining services.

Dr. Lee Jennifer CartagenaNegron (15), trauma surgeon, joined OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center.

Rosecrance appointed Lisa Primm (16) as vice president of payer relations.

Midland States Bank hired Cornell D. Lurry, Sr. (17), as regional community development relationship manager for the Northeastern Illinois Region.

State Sen. Dave Syverson (R-Rockford) was reappointed by

Senate Republican Leader Bill Brady as Senate Deputy Republican Leader.

Tara Harris (18), financial advisor, and Kimberly Anderson (19), senior branch office administrator, Edward Jones, Rockford, accepted invitations to become limited partners in The Jones Financial Cos., the holding company for the St. Louis-based financial services firm.

EMPLOYEE/COMMUNITY RECOGNITIONS, AWARDS Illinois Student Assistance Commission named Louise Claussen (20) and Madilyn Reid (21), Keith Country Day School, graduating class of 2019, as Illinois State Scholars.

Per Mar Security Services awarded 13 $500 scholarship awards to employees’ children for the 2018-2019 academic year: Cal Giese, Madison Campbell, Sara Mulder, Jessica Dvorak, Jacob Osterman, Taylor Melk, Tiana Wilmington, Alex Ciasnocha, Ashley Bodkin, Jenna Rach, Kiera Hayes, Nathan Check and Patrik Essy.

Michael L. Duffy (22), chief executive officer and chairman, Per Mar Security Services, was inducted into the Iowa Business Hall of Fame at the Greater Des Moines Committee’s Annual Black Tie Dinner in December.

OF GENERAL INTEREST Jenny Redington (23), financial advisor, Edward Jones, started a series of financial seminars after hosting Fundamentals in Investing in January.

Mercyhealth welcomed healthy baby girl, Adeline (24), the first baby born at Javon Bea Hospital and Physician Clinic–Riverside to Janet and Randy on Jan. 5, 2019 — the same day of the hospital’s grand opening.

Kathy Perry, director of patient experience, OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center, served as a panelist on “Reinventing Customer Service in Healthcare: Lessons Learned from the Best” at the American College of HealthCare Executives chapter meeting at Southern Illinois Healthcare, Carbondale, Ill.

Are you a Member with 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

theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

february 2019

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25

In Memorium Webbs Norman

Celebrating the life of the Park District’s pioneer On Jan. 19, the community learned of the passing of former Rockford Park District executive director, Webbs Norman, 85. The current executive director, Jay Sandine, paid tribute: “His ability to build relationships, inspire those around him and create unity helped to establish a park and recreation system considered throughout our industry as the best in the nation.

It was never his park district; it was the community’s.”

Sandine shared Norman’s philosophy of always involving those impacted by the decisions the park district made and to ‘do

New Chamber Members CAPITAL HOUSE ON STATE

HIGHER TALENT GROUP LLC

Fresh Seafood and Fine Dining 308 W. State St., 61101 Robin Young 815-708-8989 www.capitalhouse.biz

Aviation Aerospace Recruiting Services, Direct and Contract Labor 7431 E. State St., #151, 61101 Marti Davis 602-793-7933 www.highertalentgroup.com

CENTER FOR MARRIAGE AND FAMILY, INC. Professional counselors providing services to individuals, children, couples and families.

7294 Argus Dr., 61107 Jan Selander, MSW, LCSW 815-391-3055 www.cmfcounseling.org

DESOTO HOUSE HOTEL In the heart of historic downtown Galena, offering 55 guest rooms, 3 restaurants, 4 shops, unsurpassed meeting, banquet and wedding facilities.

230 S. Main St. Galena, IL 61036 Debbie Bertucci 815-777-0090 www.desotohouse.com

MIDWEST PACKAGING AND CONTAINER Manufacturer of custom corrugated cartons, wood pallets and crates, and packaging materials.

9718 Forest Hills Road Machesney Park, IL 61115 Robert Young 815-633-6800 www.midpack.com

THE LOGSDON GROUP Specializing in helping municipalities, higher education institutions and community based organizations with all their emergency planning needs.

7431 E. State St., #140, 61108 Diane Logsdon 847-701-5647 www.logsdon.co

February 2019 Member Anniversaries Thank you to our members celebrating their anniversaries with the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

30-YEAR MEMBER

20-YEAR MEMBERS

J & M Plating, Inc.

Byron Forest Preserve/ PrairieView Golf Club Olson Aluminum Casting Ltd. Superior Joining Technologies, Inc.

25-YEAR MEMBER Freeway Rockford, Inc., Subsidiary of Freeway Corporation

15-YEAR MEMBER Dickey Staffing Solutions

5-YEAR MEMBER Konica Minolta Business Solutions

what we do best and help others do what they do best.’

“Webbs also had the uncanny ability of making every single person he came in contact with feel as though they were the most important person in the world, because at that moment, they were to Webbs,” Sandine wrote.

“Life was always beautiful to Webbs Norman. Every day was an opportunity to bring people together to celebrate. Though not here physically, Webbs’ spirit and the culture he created will live on.”

Norman began his career with the district in 1955 as a seasonal

employee working at playground programs. He went back to school; receiving a master’s degree in parks and recreation administration. He worked for a variety of park districts throughout Illinois for several years before returning to Rockford in 1972.

He served as executive director from 1972 to 2006; overseeing the creation of facilities such as Riverview Ice House, Carlson Ice Arena, Mercyhealth Sportscore Complexes, Magic Waters Waterpark, and numerous paths, playgrounds and parks.

Membership Renewals Thank you to members who renewed with the Rockford Chamber of Commerce in December, 2018.

Abbott Plastics and Supply Co. Ad Vice Marketing Advanced Window Systems American Solutions for Business (Formerly Skyward Promotions) Arc Design Resources, Inc. A-Sign Designs Ballard Properties Barron Metal Finishing, LLC Block Advisors Boylan Catholic High School Bridge Ministries Carz R’ Us, General Automotive & Tire Catholic Diocese of Rockford Century Plaza Business Center Circle of Change Veterans Dog Program Crescent Electric Supply Company Crimson Ridge Estate Condos North Edward Jones - Michelle Bowman, Financial Advisor Edward Jones - Jen Reisinger, Financial Advisor Edward Jones - Tara Harris, Financial Advisor Edward Jones - Erna Colburn, Financial Advisor Edward Jones - Trina Bankord Andersen, Financial Advisor Envoy Mortgage Family Counseling Services of Northern Illinois Flood Pros Gift of Hope Organ & Tissue Donor Network GKN Rockford GrahamSpencer Brand + Content Solutions Granite City Food & Brewery Hughes Media Corp.

Judson University Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful Kelley Williamson Company Kelly Services

KMK Media Group, Inc. La Quinta Inn & Suites Rockford Leland L. Freberg, CPA, LLC LOESCHER & Associates, Ltd. Market Dimensions, Inc. MDM Consulting Metropolitan Title Agency Morning Star Village Mrs. Fisher’s, Inc. New Zion Missionary Baptist Church Nothing Bundt Cakes Pearson Plumbing & Heating Co. Pierce Distribution Services Company Piping Industry Council of the Rockford Area RAC Adjustment Company Ray King REALTOR Region 1 Planning Council Rock River Energy Services, Inc. Rockford Area Habitat for Humanity Inc. Rockford Dermatology Rockford Education Association Rockford Molded Products Rockford Rotary Club Rockford Woman’s Club/ Rockford Theatre Savant Capital Management SVL Productions Swedberg & Associates, Inc. The Gummow Wealth Advisory Group of Wells Fargo Advisors The Mauh-Nah-Tee-See Club The Observer The UPS Store The Workforce Connection Ticomix, Inc. TLC Construction Union Fence Company Winnebago County Clerk of the Circuit Court, 17th Judicial Circuit workplace

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| february 2019

theVoice

legislative Issues to Watch

More than 250 new laws at start of 2019

This year, 253 new laws took effect in Illinois. Visit www.ilga.gov for more details.

BATTLING OPIOIDS

control, purchasing, possessing or receiving a firearm. The court may issue this order without notice to the respondent but a hearing must be held as soon as possible not to exceed 14 days. Allows for two types of orders: exparte/emergency (probable cause) and six-month orders (clear and convincing).

Allows the court to issue search warrants (even in cases where the petitioner is a family member) to law enforcement to seize the weapons if there is probable cause to believe the respondent possesses weapons.

Illinois passed two new laws addressing the opioid crisis. Licensed prescribers of controlled substances must complete three hours of continuing education on safe opioid-prescribing practices before renewing their prescription license under Medical Records for Homeless Vets Senate Bill 2777/PA 100-1106.

HB 4848/PA 100-0814 Senate Bill 682/PA 100-1023 provides Mandates that health-care facilities and greater access to emergency opioid and practitioners provide a free copy of a addiction treatment by specifying that homeless veteran’s medical records if insurance companies cannot require prior the records are being requested by notification for inpatient and outpatient either the veteran or an authorized substance-use-disorder treatment. person, entity or organization for the House Bill 4795/PA 100-0759 clarifies purpose of supporting a claim for and streamlines current state law to give veterans’ disability benefits. managed care organizations and primary care providers clear guidance to ensure a standardized approach to intervention and treatment of substance abuse.

Human Trafficking Lawsuits SB 3108/PA 100-0939 Allows human trafficking survivors to bring a civil cause of action against traffickers under existing law. Allows family members, victim advocates, a court appointee or a government entity responsible for enforcing the laws of the state to bring an action on behalf of a victim.

Transportation Safety Children younger than two must be secured in a rear-facing child-restraint system unless they weigh more than 40 pounds or are 40 inches or taller, under House Bill 4377/PA 100-0672.

Dual Credits Check your backup lights! Senate Bill SB 2527/PA 100-0792 2511/PA 100-0707 states that a backup Provides that qualified students can do lamp on a motor vehicle must emit either the following: enroll in an unlimited amount of dual-credit courses; and earn a white or amber light without glare. an unlimited amount of academic credits Pink is the New Orange from dual-credit courses so long as the House Bill 4231/PA 100-0949 allows course is taught by an Illinois instructor hunters to wear blaze pink, instead of as provided under the Dual Credit the traditional blaze orange. Proponents Quality Act. of the change claim that blaze pink Golden Parachutes could be brighter to the human eye than SB 3604/PA 100-0894 orange, and also less visible to deer.

Sets severance pay conditions for MORE NOTABLE LEGISLATION government employees to attempt to prevent “golden parachutes.” States 72-hour Waiting Period that severance pay provided may not SB 3256/PA 100-0606 Creates a 72-hour waiting period on all exceed more than 20 weeks. firearms, not just handguns. The bill also Compensation and severance pay must eliminates the current exemption from be prohibited when the employee in the waiting period requirements for the question has been fired for misconduct. sale of a firearm to a nonresident of Introduced in response to recent Illinois while at a recognized gun show. situations where severance packages The bill retains the current 24-hour have cost taxpayers millions of dollars. withholding period for stun guns and Tasers. A violation of this provision would be a Class 4 felony. The bill also eliminates the current statutory exemption from the waiting period requirements for the sale of a firearm to a nonresident of Illinois while at an official gun show recognized by the State Police.

Rivers Edge Redevelopment Zones SB 3527/PA 100-0629 Creates an income tax credit equal to 25 percent of the qualified expenditures incurred by a qualified taxpayer undertaking a qualified rehabilitation plan of a structure that is located in Illinois and is defined as a certified historic structure — however, IDNR shall not issue more than $15 million per year, and no more than $3 million for a given rehabilitation plan. Provides that the taxpayer (much like the existing program) must apply to IDNR; makes the credit carry-forward for 10 years, allows for a five-year recapture period.

Firearms Restraining Order HB 2354/PA 100-0607 Allows family members or law enforcement to petition the court for an ex parte order alleging the respondent poses significant danger of causing personal injury to himself/herself or another by having in his/her custody or Source: Illinois Senate Republicans

theVoice • rockfordchamber.com

february 2019

chamber

Upcoming Chamber Events

FEBRUARY, 2019 Tuesday, February 5

Business Women’s Council, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Forest Hills Country Club, 5135 Forest Hills Road, Rockford. Maegan Shinkle, communications specialist, KMK Media Group, presents How Building Sandwiches Helped Build My Personal Brand. Sponsored by Associated Bank.

Thursday, February 7

Business After Hours, 5 to 7 p.m., Cherryvale Place, Senior Living, 1545 Temple Lane, Rockford.

Ribbon cutting, 2 p.m., Cherryvale Place, Senior Living, and Business After Hours, 5 to 7 p.m., 1545 Temple Lane, Rockford.

Friday, February 8

Government Affairs Council, 7:30 to 9:30 a.m., Stockholm Inn, 2420 Charles St., Rockford. Rock Valley College Trustee Candidate Forum.

Wednesday, February 13

Breakfast Buzz, 7:30 to 9 a.m., Rockford University, 5050 E. State St., Puri School of Business, room 124.

Jeff Joutras, regional vice president, QPS Employment Group will present Everyone Communicates, Few Connect Sponsored by RSM US LLP.

Thursday, February 28

Ribbon cutting, 10 a.m., First National Bankd and First Insurance Group, presenting a new joint Rockford location, 839 N. Perryville Rd., Suite 101, Rockford.

MARCH, 2019 Friday, March 8

Government Affairs Council, 7:30 to 9:30 a.m., Stockholm Inn, 2420 Charles St., Rockford. Rock Valley College Trustee Candidate Forum.

Wednesday, March 13

Breakfast Buzz, 7:30 to 9 a.m., Rockford University, 5050 E. State St., Puri School of Business, room 124.

Juan Godina, Client Solutions Manager, Omni Resources, presents Workflow with Less Work.

Sponsored by RSM US LLP. Thursday, March 21 11:30 am - 1 pm Tebala Event Center 7910 Newburg Rd., Rockford

State of the County

LUNCHEON Winnebago Chairman Frank Haney will deliver his State of the County address.

Presenting sponsor is BMO Harris Bank; Comcast Business (silver).

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Advertisers Index advertisers The Alliance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Northern Public Radio . . . . . . . . . . . .23

Blackhawk Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

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

Brian Thomas Photography. . . . . . . .18

Quartz . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Center for Sight & Hearing . . . . . . . .12

Rockford Bank & Trust Co. . . . . . . . . .2

Circle of Wellness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

Rockford Career College . . . . . . . . . .10

Edward Jones - Jen Reisinger . . . . .16 Ege WorkSmart Solutions, PC. . . . . .12

Rockford Chamber of Commerce . . . . . . . . . .6, 8, 26, 27, 28

First National Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17

Schmeling Construction . . . . . . . . . . .4

Illinois Bank & Trust . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Stillman Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6

Illinois Small Business Development Center . . . . . . . . . . . .15

Thayer Lighting, Inc. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Mercyhealth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Midland States Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8 MPOWR. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford . . . . . . . . . . .14 Van Matre Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital . . . . . . . . . .14

of the Rockford Business Community

Chamber Staff / Call 815-987-8100 ...............................................Direct Line

Cori Currey, Membership Development Executive ................................815-316-4336 Einar K. Forsman, President & CEO .......................................... 815-316-4304 Heidi M. Garner, Chief Operating Officer .................................... 815-316-4312 Olivia Guzman, Administrative Assistant/Customer Service Rep..........815-987-8100 Doug Hessong, Director of Publications & Technology ................... 815-316-4338 Lynette Jacques, Vice President, Member Investment .................... 815-316-4317 Phoebe Morris, Program & Event Coordinator.............................. 815-316-4302 Kristin Muehlfelder, Member Relations...................................................815-316-4315 Caitlin Pusateri, Vice President, Leadership Development ....................815-316-4337 Doug Rand, Accounting Manager/Controller ............................... 815-316-4316 Joan Sundvall, Membership Contact Coordinator ......................... 815-316-4320 Small Business Development Center .....................................................815-987-8100

To make a reservation for an event, please register at rockfordchamber.com.

For sponsorship of any Chamber event, please contact Lynette Jacques, VP, Member Investment at

815-316-4317

Chamber Board of Directors & Officers EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Chair of the Board Michele Petrie Wintrust Commercial Banking & Mortgage Chair-Elect Dan Ross Gallagher

DIRECTORS Andrew Benson Benson Stone Company, Inc. Kimberly Blascoe Wipfli LLP Jan Bowman TLC Construction LaVonne Brown Savant Capital Management

Vice Chair Jean Crosby Paula Carynski Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Crosby OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Starck Real Estate Medical Center Treasurer Samuel J. Castree Amy Ott Staff Management, Boylan Catholic Inc. High School Immediate Past Chair Richard Zumwalt Z Resource

Doug Curry Stenstrom Companies

Tim Honquest Honquest Family Funeral Home with Crematory

Dr. Alex Stagnaro-Green Univ. of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford

Jeff Hultman Illinois Bank & Trust

Karl Swanson Rockford Bank & Trust Co

Michael F. Iasparro Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP Kris L. Kieper Machajewski YWCA Northwestern Illinois Mike Paterson Mid-West Family Broadcasting Mark Peterson CBL Associates Cherry Vale Denise Sasse RSM US LLP

Sue Schrieber Don Daniels Mercyhealth SwedishAmerican, A Division of UW Health John Schuster Rosecrance Health Rebecca Epperson Network Chartwell Agency Teri Sharp Ira Grimmett American Precision Collins Aerospace Supply, Inc.

Udaya Talwar Woodward Jon Thompson Butitta Brothers Automotive

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 Council

MARCH VOICE SPECIAL SECTIONS Paths to Life Readiness (Education Showcase) Form & Function (Architecture & Engineering) For information on advertising, call 815

987-8100