August Voice 2015

GULER CHILLIN’ FOR NEARLY 80 YEARS PAGE 4

NEW SERIES!

TRANSFERRING BUSINESS TO NEXT GENERATION PAGE 9

The Voice is online at rockfordchamber.com

NOMINATE SOMEONE FOR ‘PEOPLE YOU SHOULD KNOW’

August 2015 | Volume 28 | No. 8

Rockford Chamber’s FOUNDERS’ DAY Celebrating 105th anniversary of the Chamber and the newest members of the Hall of Fame

By Paul Anthony Arco

Since 2011, the Rockford Chamber of Commerce has announced 81 “People You Should Know,” those who get things done, get results and improve the lives of those they lead and serve.

Do you know someone who should make this year’s list of 20?

This person could be a visible leader or an unsung hero who deserves the limelight for his or her drive, dedication, commitment and pride in being a part of the Rockford region.

The chamber wants to know their stories. Visit www.rockfordchamber. com for a nomination form to email or fax by Aug. 14 to hgarner@ rockfordchamber.com or 815-9878122. For questions, contact Heidi Garner at 815-316-4312.

PHOTOS BY BRIAN THOMAS PHOTOGRAPHY

The Rockford Chamber of Commerce turned 105 years old, and dozens of community members were there to celebrate during the Chamber’s sixth-annual Founders’ Day Celebration, which was held at Rockford University on July 15th. The

The 2015 inductees were Karl Williams and John C. McCarthy, founders of WilliamsMcCarthy LLP, and Ruth Hanna McCormick Simms, who was at one time the president and publisher of the Rockford Register Star. Awards were accepted by John Holevas, WilliamsMcCarthy (l) and Mark Baldwin, Rockford Register Star (r). program included food, beverages, and music. Representatives from many of the 15 founding and legacy members of the Chamber were also in attendance.

“We always think it’s important to talk about being 105,” said Einar Forsman, president and CEO of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce. “But that’s not as relevant to new members as much as what we’re doing today to stay up with their needs. As a chamber, whether in a short-term or long-term phase, we always have to work hard to

provide great value for our members.

We can’t rest on our laurels. We have to adapt and change, and we have to do it in a real-time environment. Our goal is to be the leading advocate for business growth in the region.”

During the event, three individuals and their companies were inducted into the Northern Illinois Business Hall of Fame. The 2015 inductees were Karl Williams and John C. McCarthy, founders of WilliamsMcCarthy LLP,

MARK YOUR CALENDAR!

Education Outlook

BUSINESS LUNCHEON Sept. 3 • Radisson

SPONSORED BY For more info, see page 30

Continued on page 5

REPLACING THE RED ARROW IN LEFT TURN LANES

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

SAVE THE DATE • SAVE THE DATE • SAVE THE DATE • SAVE THE DATE Wednesday, September 23 • Giovanni’s Expo1:30 - 5:30pm; Business After Hours 5:30 - 7:30pm

Join the Chamber’s LinkedIn Group www.linkedin.com/e/gis/2544

ROCKFORD CHAMBER

Business Expo Sponsored by Ticomix, Inc. (presenting)

State Sen. Dave Syverson (R-Rockford) and his colleagues announced their request to IDOT District 2, covering northern Illinois, to replace the red arrow in left turn lanes of appropriate intersections with yellow arrow signals; allowing drivers to turn when there is no oncoming traffic. IDOT District 2 can only implement these changes on state routes.

In 2010, Sen. Syverson and his colleagues suggested replacing certain red arrows with flashing yellow, “yield to oncoming traffic” arrows. Other states already were implementing the change.

Illinois did its own study and pilot program. “According to the study results, when red arrows were replaced by yellow, not only did accidents not increase, they were actually reduced by over 20 percent,” Sen. Syverson said. “The good news is that the district is open to the change, and they have already begun looking at putting a game plan in place on how to phase this in.”

2

August 2015

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Chairman’s Perspective VIEWPOINT

Leadership Development Key to Business Success Wikipedia defines Leadership Development as any activity that enhances the quality of leadership within an individual or organization. These activities range from MBA-type programs offered at university business schools to action learning, high-ropes courses and executive retreats. Leadership development is essential to the success of any organization — business, board or fundraising committee.

It’s important to know that strong leaders cannot just be trained: they have to be developed. Over the years, I’ve participated in many leadership training programs that have resulted in tremendous learning opportunities.

There are all sorts of programs that can help teach business leaders how to lead their teams more effectively; how to assess strengths and blind spots, how to develop a unique leadership style, and how to make difficult decisions to lead not only your organization, but your career as well.

Leadership Development has certainly become a buzz word, and having good leaders can make or break an organization. And it’s big business.

U.S. companies spend $170 billion on

leadership-based curriculum, according to the American Society of Training and Development. It can make the difference in success or failure.

The Rockford Chamber of Commerce is working on a concept and a solution to help businesses grow stronger. Our goal is to have systems in place in the next couple of years that will meet the needs of business, whether it has one employee or 1,000.

Beginning in 2016, the chamber is considering starting a Center for Leadership Development. Our goal will be to focus on leadership development, business development and member engagement.

The thought process for this new concept started two years ago. During that time, there have been several meetings that included Michele Petrie, second vice chair of the chamber board; Einar Forsman, president and CEO, and me. In addition, Einar and Michele also met with representatives of higher education to discuss leadership development and potential opportunities that exist in our community.

In July, the chamber board of directors

had a strategic planning session to introduce the specific need for leadership development programs. Much research and planning are in place to help change the face of our community so that we are recognized as a community who develops strong leaders.

This isn’t the chamber’s first foray into leadership development. The areas of Lead 360, Leadership Rockford, IGNITE, and various individual professional development programs are all geared towards building, attracting, and mentoring of leaders. For example, the mission of Lead 360 is to expand the impact and influence of woman business leaders in our region. These programs are all very successful in their own right; they will be further enhanced by being part of a centrally coordinated Center for Leadership Development that will also add additional programs and curriculum built around critical and consistent themes.

There are literally thousands of programs on leadership development; training people first to self-lead, then to lead people and then then to lead organizations. It is truly a systematic approach.

An organization’s success depends on

Patti Thayer Rockford Chamber Board Chairman

leadership training and development. Effective leaders

execute

better

and

most

certainly deliver a more powerful and tangible business performance. The old adage is true: build better leaders today and have better results tomorrow.

If a community embraces leadership development, the outcome should be a stronger community.

Transform Rockford has identified the Rockford Chamber of Commerce as the organization that can best facilitate a leadership development program. We agree. Indeed, these are exciting times as chamber members continuously look for ways to develop leadership within their organizations.

The Chamber’s Center for Leadership Development will be another resource where members can turn. Stay tuned.

Patti Thayer is chairman of the board of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

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August 2015

Board Profile PROFILE

‘I loved Rockford and never left’ Kirk, Kinzinger open joint Congressional office in Rockford On July 20, U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-Ill.) and Congressman Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.-16) opened a joint Congressional office in Rockford. The office, which is Rockford’s first U.S. Senate office, is located at 725 N. Lyford Road, Suite #2.

At the ribbon cutting ceremony, Senator Kirk and Congressman Kinzinger highlighted their efforts to grow Rockford’s aerospace industry via trade and the reauthorization of the Export-Import Bank.

“With no cost to the taxpayer, the Export-Import Bank returns hundreds of millions of dollars to the taxpayers every

year,” said Senator Kirk. “I have authored bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Bank in order to keep jobs in Illinois and keep the United States’ aerospace industry, including companies right here in Rockford, competitive on a global scale.”

The Ex-Im Coalition estimates 46,722 jobs in Illinois are supported by the Ex-Im Bank. Reauthorization of the Ex-Im Bank would help assure global competitiveness for the American aerospace industry.

The Rockford area is home to 6,000 aerospace employees, making up approximately 80 percent of the Illinois aerospace industry.

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

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

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

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

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

Tim Honquest Honquest Family Funeral Home with Crematory

What do you want to contribute as part of the Chamber board?

difficult

I feel that this is a way I can give back to the community, and perhaps I may have talents that I can use and share to help others be more effective.

What is your business background/responsibilities?

“I started my funeral home business from scratch 20 years ago …”

Why do you think the Chamber is important to business and the community?

We can achieve greater things working together than doing things as individuals.

What is the name/current purpose of your business/organization?

I started my funeral home business from scratch 20 years ago and have built a reputation for caring, quality service, while assisting people at the most

time

in their lives.

I earned a business degree from Western

Illinois

University

and

graduated from Worsham College of Mortuary Science before coming to Rockford to complete an internship. I loved Rockford and never left.

What trend is most strongly impacting your industry?

The personalization of funerals, including themes and tribute videos celebrating the loved one’s life and nontraditional music.

What advice would you give to those coming up in your field?

Make sure to take time talking with a funeral professional. This is a 24-houra-day,

extremely

service-oriented

profession requiring positive and caring individuals.

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August 2015

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Member Profile PROFILE

Guler Appliance Co., has been a staple in Rockford’s Midtown District for 79 years.

Guler Appliance

Delivering quality service for nearly 80 years

By Paul Anthony Arco Surviving in any business is no easy task. That’s certainly the case in the appliance business, where Guler Appliance Co., has done more than survive. It’s been a fixture in the business community during a time when others have come and gone.

“It’s all about how you treat people,” said owner Darwyn Guler. “That was the same philosophy my parents believed in years ago. It’s about honesty, patience, hard work and a hand shake when a sale has been made. That’s been passed down from generation to generation.”

Guler Appliance Co., has been a staple in Rockford’s Midtown District for 79 years. Even when other companies relocated to the east side of town, there was never any reason for the appliance business to follow suit and depart its 100-year-old building at 227 7th St. “We’re a destination and we’re easy to get to,” Guler said. “We serve the entire community, but we also have a strong customer base around us, including Rockford Public Schools, BMO Harris Bank and SwedishAmerican Health System.”

Guler Appliance has made a name for itself based on personal connections.

Company founder Andrew Guler bonded with many of his customers, especially rural farmers, some of whom were part of his business network when he was a distributor of liquid-bottled gas.

Three Generations of Ownership When Andrew started his appliance store in 1936, steel was in short supply; America was coming out of the Depression and heading toward World War II. Shortages were so severe that Guler had almost no inventory. Instead, he’d get a single product in stock and would have to keep it as a sample for inhome demonstrations.

Today, Andrew’s son, Darwyn, owns Rockford’s longest-running independent appliance retailer, while nephew Dale Johnson and niece Dawn Stock are also part of the management team.

Guler Appliance draws residential and

commercial customers from a fivecounty area. General Electric, Viking, Sub-Zero, Wolf and Speed Queen are Guler’s strongest brand names.

“Longevity is key in our business,” Guler said. “We have had three generations of ownership and management. That’s a continuity that brings respect. And we’re proud to be a part of the Rockford community. This is a great place to live and work. It’s a real positive experience.”

Guler has served on the boards of various Seventh Street associations and currently sits on the Midtown District board. He’s seen many changes to the area over the past several years, such as upgrades to lighting and resurfaced sidewalks, curbs and streets. “Midtown has been rejuvenated and come back stronger than ever,” he said. “There were elements here that weren’t conducive to doing business, but Midtown is making progress.”

Over the years Guler has won numerous awards for sales, quality and customer service. But that only gets a business so far, Guler said. “We’re proud of our accomplishments, but you can’t think about the past in this business.

Customers want to know what you’re doing for them today.”

While Guler Appliance remains on solid footing, the future looks equally bright. One reason, Guler said, is the progress being made by Transform Rockford, which is helping to create a positive attitude among business leaders and residents.

The economic recovery has also been good to Guler Appliance. During the last quarter of 2014, the company experienced its best sales since 2007 and sales in 2015 are strong so far. “I see a lot of growth,” said Guler. “We will remain successful for years to come.”

GULER APPLIANCE Owner: Darwyn Guler 227 7th St., Rockford Gulerappliance.com 815-962-8877

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

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August 2015

Founders’ Day (continued from front page)

and Ruth Hanna McCormick Simms, who was at one time the president and publisher of the Rockford Register Star.

Founded in 1932 by Williams and McCarthy, WilliamsMcCarthy LLP is one of the oldest and largest law firms in Rockford. For years, WilliamsMcCarthy has assisted entrepreneurs to form partnerships and corporations and provided tax and commercial legal services to business organizations, both in the courtroom and in the boardroom.

The firm also became one of Illinois’ pioneer law firms in the then newly developing field of law that has come to be known as the Law of the Workplace, which includes workers’ compensation defense. Ironically, WilliamsMcCarthy opened its first office in the News Tower 83 years ago, the building’s first outside tenant. Williams and McCarthy’s offices were located one floor below Simm’s office.

In 1930 Simms, the widow of Chicago Tribune publisher Medill McCormick, bought all three of Rockford’s newspapers; the Morning Star, the Register Gazette and the Republic, folding two of them into the Register-Republic. Simms, an activist on behalf of woman suffrage, and a Republican representative to the U.S. Congress, also purchased the Register-Gazette/Morning Star, calling the new company, Rockford Consolidated Newspapers, which published two

newspapers; the Morning Star, delivered in the morning and the Register Republic, delivered in the afternoon.

“The honors were well deserved,” said Forsman. “We appreciate all these folks who commit their time, effort and people to do things for the betterment of our community. It’s a common thread among the recipients every year.”

The Northern Illinois Business Hall of Fame was started in 1989 by the local Junior Achievement chapter. JA inducted 49 individuals in nine classes, before ceasing operations in 2009. The Rockford Chamber of Commerce took over the hall of fame in 2012, and changed the focus from inducting individuals to adding companies and inducting the founder. There have now been 61 individuals and businesses inducted in the hall. “It’s important to memorialize our history and be mindful of how we formed our community,” said Forsman.

“These companies have an interest and a connection to Rockford. We can learn from all of them.”

The Founders’ Day Celebration was presented by Rockford University. AT&T was the hospitality sponsor.

The event was held inside the newlyrenovated 25,000 square-foot Blanche Walker Burpee Center on the campus of Rockford University, one of the chamber’s founding members. “You’re seeing a university that is doing some dramatic things for its students,” said Forsman.

“It’s a tremendous asset to our community and we appreciate Rockford University, like we do any other business.”

theVoice

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August 2015

Wrapperoo™ takes first place at this year’s FastPitch competition

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Rockford Region participates in Paris Air Show Could lead to more than $1 million in sales for aerospace companies

Thirteen finalists made the stage; vying for cash prizes and a six-month coworking space/ membership at one of our region’s three business incubators. (Center) Holding the check for First Place is P.J. McGuire.

By Sherry Pritz, NIU EIGERlab Thirty-eight entrepreneurs put everything on the line at the ninth-annual FastPitch Competition, June 17 at NIURockford.

FastPitch was created to identify, support and celebrate creators, designers, builders, makers and dreamers. The competition embodies the heritage of the region — the innovators, entrepreneurs and risk takers that built our community.

Since 2006, 500 presenters have conveyed why their product, service, app or idea was worthy of investment, with many going on to create jobs and wealth in the community.

Thirteen finalists made the stage; vying for cash prizes and a six-month coworking space/membership at one of our region’s three business incubators.

The first place winner, P.J. McGuire, solves an age-old problem with her Wrapperoo™ product; “Look Your Best,

No Mess!” Wrapperoo™ is the only hair and beauty solution that assists in drying your hair and keeping styling chemicals, wet hair, hot tools, debris and make-up off your skin and clothes. It’s both a towel and cape. For the guys, it also can be used while shaving or trimming after they’re dressed. McGuire presented on ABC’s “Good Morning America’s” mini ABC “Shark Tank” and received a thumb’s up from program investor Barbara Corcoran!

Second place winner, Doug Hoang’s product is 4Motion exercise clothing.

Embedded with sensors, 4Motion exercise clothing provides users with an informational and addictive experience to achieve fitness results and prevent injuries.

Brad Marshall and Paul Fowler took third place with AdsOrTails. A Rockfordbased tech startup, AdsOrTails facilitates a fun connection between local businesses and consumers.

Nicole Sdao received the inaugural Dale Falconer Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award for her business, FundrasingCommitte.net.

This one-of-a-kind idea connects non-profits with information that enables them to thrive and focus on their individual missions.

Tim Benedict clinched the CleanTech award with his product, Diesel Life Support System (DLS²).

Other FastPitch finalists included: Jacob Bradt, RockfordBuzz.com; Lisa and Erik Chamberlin, Guardian Angel Armour; Dane Christianson, X-Cube; Antoine Clark, KINEXX; Daniel Haas, Tarp Buddy; T.J. Hicks, Digital Storybox; Zina Horton, Zammuto’s; Griffin Kelly, TRAC, Dan Szczesny, and PopularMentions.

Six local companies attend the Paris Air Show; resulting in 121 business matchmaking opportunities, which led to 33 leads valued at more than $1 million in potential sales.

By Jennie Broecker, RAEDC

Goals at the air show are to promote the Rockford Region’s

More than a dozen aerospace organizations and companies promoted the strength of the Rockford Region’s aerospace supply chain and pursued significant potential investments, June 15 to 21 at the 51st International Paris Air Show.

Six local companies attended with the help of financial assistance from Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity:

exports and to attract additional

■■ American Precision Assemblers

reconnect to foreign customers in

■■ American Standard Circuits

one stop.”

■■ Ingenium Technologies ■■ Ingersoll Machine Tools

aerospace

companies

to

open

facilities here. The show offers significant networking opportunities.

Greg

Crowley,

director

of

business development for Ingenium Technologies

of

Rockford,

met

with both foreign (Israel, Japan and Canada) and U.S. customers and potential customers. “It was nice to

“This was a wonderful opportunity for us to meet and talk with some of the leading avionics companies in

■■ Ipsen

the world,” added Anaya Vardya,

■■ Midwest Aero Support The Paris Air Show alternates annually with the Farnborough International Airshow (England) as one of the world’s premier aerospace trade exhibitions. More than 2,300 exhibitors from 48 countries were represented in 2015, with 150,000 professionals in attendance.

“The Paris Air Show provides companies like Midwest Aero Support with access to operators and aerospace companies from around the globe,” said Brian Hermann, who handles business development for the Machesney Park company.

“The show provides the opportunity to have discussions with those companies about partnering to solve their repair or manufacturing needs.

It also provides an economical way to meet with multiple international clients and partners at one time.”

CEO of American Standard Circuits in West Chicago.

Participation in the International Paris Air Show at Le Bourget is vital to the economic development of the Rockford Region; home to four Tier One aerospace companies and part of a broader cluster of more than 250 companies in the aerospace supply chain of northern Illinois and

southern

Wisconsin.

This

critical mass is strengthened by the region’s strong manufacturing skills, engineering

expertise

and

high

productivity.

The following companies represented the region in their own booths: AAR Corp., B/E Aerospace, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Esterline, GE Aviation, UTC Aerospace Systems and Woodward.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

August 2015

7

Offerings at Rock Valley College Many pathways to a great career One of the many great things about working for an entity like Rock Valley College is how many pathways the college can offer anyone who wants to work towards a career in manufacturing and industry.

Did you know that the college now operates the TechWorks Program at its Stenstrom Center for Career Education?

TechWorks has an accelerated six-week program called FastTrack CNC Machine Operator. Students are awarded National Institute for Metalworking Skills, and are prepared to work immediately.

TechWorks is employer-driven and the 40-member advisory board ensures the curriculum meets current workforce requirements. High quality instruction from RVC and direct connection to the workforce is why TechWorks has such a great track record of connecting employers with credentialed students.

Did you know Rock Valley College offers an associate’s degree in manufacturing Engineering Technology, and certificate programs in CAD, CNC, Basic Quality and Certified Manufacturing Associate?

These programs are taught on state-of-theart equipment by expert faculty with years of real-world experience. Manufacturing has been a key part of our area’s economy for decades, and RVC’s commitment to producing high quality workers remains as strong as ever.

New in August Did you know that Rock Valley College is a Right Skills Now school?

There are only 10 in the entire country, and what that means is that RVC can earn “stackable” credentials that lead to jobs and internships and be counted towards a degree requirement if the students want to stay in, or come back to school. A lot of these programs can be done in just eight weeks. Eight weeks to train for a good job is a pretty incredible deal.

Did you know that Rock Valley College provides robotics training Bernie Luecke for students on RVC BPI cutting-edge FANUC robots?

RVC has the elite designation of being a FANUC Certified Education Robotics Training Facility. It’s all part of the college’s commitment to provide the training for the jobs of today and tomorrow.

It’s an exciting time at the college.

When the fall semester starts in August, the aviation maintenance technology program will move into a brand new hangar at the Chicago-Rockford International Airport.

The program has been producing some of the nation’s finest aviation mechanics for decades, and the college took another big step to grow the size of the program to help convince AAR, Inc., to commit to build a 220,000-square-foot facility at the airport. That new facility will operate 24 hours a day and service next-generation, wide-bodied aircraft, and will employ at least 500 people.

RVC stepped up and built a 40,000-square-foot facility that is more than four times the size of our current one.

With more hangar space, more classrooms and a location right next to the one AAR is building, the college can serve more students, on more equipment just across the parking lot from one of the premier employers of aviation mechanics in the world. It is the kind of opportunity that sets community colleges apart from every other form of higher education, and shows the kind of vision that sets Rock Valley College apart from other community colleges.

To learn more about great things happening at RVC, visit rockvalleycollege.edu.

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

Manufacturing News is sponsored by RVC BPI

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August 2015

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Guest Perspective INSIGHT

Build your plan; work your plan for retirement Most of us will likely be personally responsible for funding our retirement to a degree that would have been unimaginable a few generations ago. With the decline in corporate pensions, the rise of individually funded retirement accounts, and the uncertainty of the long term sustainability of social security benefits, this is a challenge we must face head on.

We each have skills and careers that we love and are good at. In the same way you would visit a doctor for a health concern, consider contacting a financial advisor for a financial check in.

While this may seem overwhelming as a whole, breaking down the process into a group of smaller, individual steps makes any daunting task conquerable.

Here are a few simple ideas to consider.

Create Your Plan Like most worthwhile pursuits, your financial future will be most successful if you put together a plan and act on it. What are your short-, mid- and longterm goals? A useful exercise is splitting these into three buckets. Where do you want to be financially this year, in 10 years, and at retirement? What will you need at each stage to reach these goals?

Everyone’s plan will be unique to them. What is most important is that your plan is written, actionable and broken down into manageable steps.

Automatic Investment Once your plan is in place, act on it by saving and investing automatically.

We are all busy, so it can be easy to forget about saving regularly for retirement.

Instead of having to remember, put your saving on autopilot. I call this “paying your future-self, first.”

If your employer offers a retirement savings plan such as a 401(k), 403(b) or governmental 457 plan, consider taking advantage of this valuable benefit.

If your employer offers matching contributions, consider contributing at least as much as the maximum match.

This is free money you don’t want to pass up.

The easiest way to work toward success in your plan is to not have to think about it too much. Set the plan in motion, make it automatic and revisit it periodically.

Erich Vargaz The LaLoggia Investment Group

The Right Mix Choose an

investment mix that’s right for you.

Over the long run your asset allocation — how you invest your savings — is an important consideration in your retirement strategy. While some types of investments have historically shown higher returns, they are often more volatile.

Consult with a financial advisor for more insight on the asset mix that fits your time horizon and tolerance for risk. Asset allocation cannot eliminate the risk for fluctuating prices and uncertain returns and should be considered carefully when investing.

For this reason, each investor has to decide which investment mix is most aligned with their goals.

Financial Check Up Finally,

seek

input

from

professionals and people you trust. We live in a complex, ever changing, and collaborative society. We each have skills and careers that we love and are good at. In the same way you would visit a doctor for a health concern, consider contacting a financial advisor for a financial check in.

Many are happy to provide a complimentary

consultation

anything

investment

from

on basics

to income strategies as you near retirement. Since most of us will likely be responsible for funding our own retirement, it is nice to have professional input.

Take time to consider how you want your financial future to look, plan it, and go after it! Most importantly -- have fun along the way.

Investments in securities and insurance products are: NOT FDIC-INSURED/NOT BANK-GUARANTEED/MAY

LOSE

VALUE. Wells Fargo Advisors, LLC, Member SIPC, is a registered broker-dealer and a separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company CAR #0715-01614.

Erich Vargaz is a financial advisor with The LaLoggia Investment Group of Wells Fargo Advisors in Rockford.

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

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

9

August 2015

S P E C I A L

S E R I E S

Business Succession The Rockford Chamber of Commerce presents the first in a series of special articles focused on transferring business leadership to the next generation.

Defusing the ticking time bomb There is a ticking time bomb that could undermine economic development in our region. It is not foreign competition, the nearly $100 billion in unfunded Illinois pension debt or the inability of local employers to find qualified candidates for vacancies. Although economic development efforts concentrate on recruitment and retention, the ticking time bomb is a powerful force that could suck much-needed jobs, civic leadership, wealth and philanthropy out of the community.

In spite of their efforts, we could be stuck with another generation of empty buildings. The ticking time bomb is the fact that more than 60 percent of closely held and family-owned businesses expect a change in leadership or ownership in the next 10 years as Baby Boomers retire.

The Amerocks, Textrons, Barber Colmans and other global giants long ago reduced or eliminated many of their operations in the Rockford area. Family and closely held businesses now comprise the backbone of the local economy.

Nationally, more than 90 percent of all businesses are closely held or familyowned, and a full 80 percent of those have 20 employees or less. Somewhere close to 60 percent of the U.S. workforce is employed by these enterprises and, according to the Small Business Administration, three quarters of all new jobs are created by these small businesses. Our stake in having a robust and vibrant small business community is obvious.

Preparing for the Future Family-held businesses face a demographic tsunami. The pace of retirement may accelerate as Boomers conclude they are ready to throw in the towel, as the Great Recession has left them tired and discouraged. The ability of these businesses to thrive or die depends on how well they have effectively and proactively planned for the future.

There is ample evidence that many family business owners have spent precious little time preparing the next generation for management or ownership, or planning to build long-term value in the business, should the exit strategy ultimately be the sale of the business. Forty percent have no transition plan at all. Twothirds of business owners don’t even know what their options are.

The growth and profitability of a successful family-owned business has often been based on tactical excellence: purchasing, production and craftsmanship.

These owners excel in their chosen fields, but they too often manage day-to-day and have honed their skills at “firefighting.”

Unfortunately, the long-term success and survival of the business through an ownership transition depends on retaining

this tactical excellence, while coupling it with strategic excellence that prepares the business and the family for the future.

Orderly Transfer of Leadership

Rick Bastian Blackhawk Bank

To plan and execute a solid transition may take five years or more. All too many family business owners wait until very late in their career to plan a transition when the options become limited or there are no real options at all. Sale or liquidation is forced, and the jobs are often lost forever. The owners have been very good at the tactical at the expense of all but ignoring the future.

So what does it take to do an ownership transition right? Owners should develop a strategic plan with the engagement of family and other owners to get collective agreement and focus on the future success and long-term value of the business.

Lastly, they should define a long-term exit plan that is something more than dying at their desk and make sure their estate plans are aligned with their exit plan and succession strategies.

Whether the transition plan is succession or sale, if the owner has done it right, there are a number of very tangible benefits. There is a good chance, because of thoughtful and proactive planning, that the value of the business has increased. Family harmony is maintained or, at least, family conflict has been minimized. Management is in place to lead the company to long-term success either under continued family or new outside ownership. An orderly transfer of ownership to the next generation of family or new ownership may minimize the disruption of the business and maximize the benefit to the selling owner.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, the owner leaves a permanent legacy. The position of the company as an employer, providing leadership and philanthropy to the community, has the best chance of being preserved. For the sake of all of us and our commuity, this is the reality we must create.

In the next few months I will share some thoughts on the steps businesses can take to implement value creation strategies as they consider their longer-term ownership and management succession options.

Rick Bastian is chairman & CEO at Blackhawk Bank.

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

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August 2015

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Business Shorts WHAT IS AN INTERESTING FACT ABOUT YOUR ORGANIZATION?

University of Illinois Rockford College of Pharmacy Did you know there are more than 88 career paths for someone who has an earned PharmD, and according to the Bureau of Labor statistics, the median annual wage for pharmacists was $116,670?

And did you know that we are training pharmacists right here in Rockford? Established in 1859, the UIC College of Pharmacy

Did you know?

Did you know the median annual wage for pharmacists is $116,670?

stands as the oldest academic unit of the University of Illinois, one of the largest and most comprehensive research universities in the nation.

In 2010, the College of Pharmacy added an additional campus in Rockford. It is viewed as a single institution with one accreditation but two campuses: Chicago and Rockford. Students in Rockford complete the identical curriculum as students on the Chicago campus. The core classes are taught via distance education using state-of-the-art technology.

Keith Country Day School Keith Country Day School is the only pre-Kindergarten to grade 12 college-preparatory school in the northern Illinois region? All of Keith Country Day School’s graduating seniors receive merit-based academic scholarships for college tuition. The 27 students in the

Did you know?

All of Keith Country Day School’s graduating

Class of 2014 received $1.9 million

seniors receive merit-

in scholarship awards!.

based academic scholarships for college

HOW DOES YOUR COMPANY UNIQUELY SERVE THE COMMUNITY?

tuition?

Maxim Healthcare Services Maxim Healthcare Services is setup to uniquely serve the Rockford Community as the only local provider to offer comprehensive home health, companion and wellness services. Maxim has the capabilities and partnerships that serve the needs of adult and pediatric patients in the comfort of their homes. Maxim’s caregivers will work with the patient, family and physician to implement a plan of care that promotes quality through supervised assessments and clinical care coordination. In addition to offering comprehensive home healthcare, Maxim is an experienced leader in the field of medical staffing. Staffing services allow our clients to enjoy one point-of-contact for all of their facility needs. From recruitment to placement, and workforce management services, Maxim realizes that the key to quality is in the details.

Put Your Business on Center Stage Would you like to submit a business short for an upcoming issue of The Voice? Please contact editor@rockfordchamber.com, and we’ll send you a questions or two to answer about your business.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

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August 2015

Visitors spent $340 M New tourism record!

Good news! Visitors added $340 million to our local economy in 2014, the most ever spent by tourists visiting Winnebago County. That’s a 6.3 percent increase over the prior year of $320 million. Who benefits?

Hotels, restaurants, shops and other large and small businesses, as well as municipalities that gain additional tax revenue and hospitality jobs that generate payroll.

These outstanding results were released on July 30 by Director of the Illinois Office of Tourism Cory Jobe when he came to Rockford to announce the record-breaking local and statewide economic impact numbers.

Hampton Inn/Hilton Garden Inn General Manager Seth Frisbee credits tourism as keeping hotels ‘alive.’

“Tourism Keeps Us Alive” Seth Frisbee, general manager of Rockford’s Hampton Inn and Hilton Garden Inn, said “Honestly, tourism keeps us alive. During the week we have our business clients, but we also need the weekends filled, and that’s where tourism comes in. Half the hotels wouldn’t be here without tourists.” The two hotels have a combined staff of 80 full-time equivalent employees.

Hotels in Winnebago County had a good year in 2014. Room nights sold was up 16 percent over 2013, with 647,000 room nights sold; up from 558,000 in 2013. Local hotel revenue was up 20 percent in 2014 from 2013, with $53 million in sales; up from $45 million.

In the related beverage industry, Darrell Snorek, LaMonica Beverages vice president-sales and past chairman of the RACVB board of directors, said, “When visitor traffic goes up, sales also increase with our beer and other beverage products like bottled water and energy drinks.”

Visitors Mean 3,000 Jobs In addition to adding muchneeded revenue, visitors mean jobs at hotels, restaurants and other related businesses, such as attractions and arts organizations. In recent years, the hospitality industry has accounted

John Groh Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

for nearly 3,000 jobs in Winnebago County.

The leisure and hospitality industry is the third fastest-growing segment after manufacturing and professional/business services, out of of 14 industries in Winnebago/Boone counties, according to the Economic Development District of Northern Illinois. The $340 million that visitors spent here also generated $75 million in payroll, up 5.2 percent from the prior year. The local tax revenue was $6 million, up 6.1 percent.

Attendance Also is Up Each year we report attendance at local sites, attractions and events. Total attendance was up in 2014 over 2013, with 7.6 million in 2014, compared to 7.4 million in 2013. The top sites were Sportscore One and Two, with an attendance of 2.9 million, while the top event was AirFest with 135,000 people.

What’s Next?

The RACVB continues to advocate for the development of new products and additional infrastructure with our partners to help attract more visitors to the region. Examples include the Sportscore Downtown, expansion at Sportscore Two and the new downtown hotels.

I want to remind chamber members that with the current state budget stalemate in Illinois, tourism’s statutorily mandated funding from the state has been cut. We do not know what state funds we will have to market and promote the Rockford area over the next year.

We’ve had to cancel or shorten ad campaigns and other sales efforts. This is a devastating blow to our efforts to attract visitors to Rockford, and the $340 million they leave behind with local businesses, perhaps your business.

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

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

Please visit http://tinyurl.com/ ILtourism to send an electronic letter to Governor Rauner and your elected officials. Ask them to continue the statutorily mandated funding for tourism. Thank you for your continued support of the visitor industry in the Rockford Region.

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The Road Ahead: Educational Attainment

August 2015 theVoice rockfordchamber.com

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

The Road Ahead: Educational Attainment

August 2015

13

Guest Perspective INSIGHT

Schools must help students develop their emotional intelligence Future leaders need more than book learning Today’s youth, who will become tomorrow’s educators, business professionals and government leaders, need to be equipped emotionally to be competitive in our growing global environment. The sustainability of a compassionate society will require future leaders to demonstrate abilities to use their emotions intelligently.

It is well understood that emotions are connected to learning, decision-making, relationships and overall wellness. It is important that parents, teachers and business leaders understand the significance of implementing wellness programs that transform learning and business organizations into happy and healthy environments.

Researchers from the Yale Center warn that the outlook for the future workforce should cause educators concern. Overall, teens in the United States trail most industrialized nations in academic achievement, but are among the leaders in attempted suicide, violence, binge drinking and obesity. A 2013 study by the American College Health Association reported findings surveying 123,000 college students that more than half experience overwhelming anxiety during the school year.

While looking at school choices, parents must also evaluate and focus on the social and emotional learning standards, as well as college-readiness standards. Social and emotional standards that are infused daily into academic programs from preKindergarten through 12th grade offer successful outcomes for students, faculty and a community at-large. Focusing on student competencies that include leadership development, relationship management, responsible decisionmaking and civic engagement offer the best solution for building a bright, talented and socially healthy workforce.

Teaching the “Soft” Skills Quality schools must deliberately foster caring relationships between teachers and students, teach conflict resolution and emphasize leadership opportunities to promote ideal conditions for success in academics, relationships and ultimately the work force. Students who have a history of anxiety are more likely to engage in drug use, withdrawal from family and friends, failure in school and bullying classmates.

The investment in the development of our youth’s emotional intelligence will benefit

our local community and global society.

Business leaders can help by pressing harder for schools to begin deliberately implementing comprehensive emotional intelligence programs across our communities. Programs such as the Reading, Writing, Respect and Resolution (4Rs) Program is a literacy-based curriculum that includes lessons on conflict resolution, cultural difference and cooperation.

The RULER program provides opportunities for teachers and students to practice applying and modeling skills that make emotions integral with learning. These are examples of programs that can extend strong emotional intelligence to the larger school, family and community.

survey’s findings

Students: We Need Your Ideas

Chamber of Commerce.

Community leaders can help by encouraging high school students to engage in the The Emotion Revolution, a joint initiative between the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence and Born This Way Foundation. These organizations have launched a national campaign to address the emotional needs of high school students that begins with a survey. In October, Yale will host a national summit to unveil the

and offer youth the opportunity to share ideas with

Rachel Rebsom Keith Country Day School

educators

and policy-makers for creating improved learning environments.

Students can access the survey at: www.tinyurl.com/emorev2015. If you are interested in partnering with me, I can be reached at rachel.rebsom@keithschool.net.

Rachel Rebsom is director of wellness and student engagement at Keith Country Day School.

The views expressed are those of Rebsom’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford

STUDENTS: TAKE THE SURVEY The Emotion Revolution empowers high school students to create schools and communities where emotions matter. Students are invited to share their ideas at www.tinyurl. com/emorev2015.

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August 2015 theVoice rockfordchamber.com

The Road Ahead: Educational Attainment

Per pupil spending varies heavily across the United States Average per pupil spending for the nation was $10,700 during fiscal year 2013, a 0.9 percent increase from 2012.

Spending; however, varied heavily among states with a high of $19,818 in New York and a low of $6,555 in Utah, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Total expenditure by public school systems totaled $596.3 billion in fiscal year 2013, up 0.5 percent from the

RVC, Eastern Illinois University sign joint agreement Rock Valley College and Eastern Illinois University signed a joint agreement to assist RVC students who have transferred to EIU without their associate’s degree. For transfer students who have completed at least 30 credits at RVC, EIU will send its transcripts back to RVC for evaluation after each semester of attendance. Eligible credits will apply towards the associate of arts or the associate in science degree.

Once students have completed all the degree requirements, they will receive their degree from RVC.

EIU will not charge participating students the normal transcript fee, and RVC does not charge students to evaluate transcripts or to graduate.

RVC and Northern Illinois University jointly signed a similar agreement in May, 2014.

According to regional and national data, employees with associate’s degrees typically earn an average of $7,200 per year more than employees with no post-secondary credentials – almost $600,000 more in salary over a lifetime.

prior year, and breaking a threeyear trend of decreasing total expenditures for elementary and secondary education.

STATE SPENDING PER PUPIL, 2013 How Illinois compared ($12,288) Up 2.3 percent from 2012 The Most 1. New York ($19,818) 2. Alaska ($18,175) 3. The District of Columbia ($17,953) 4. New Jersey ($17,572) 5. Connecticut ($16,631) The Least 1. Utah ($6,555) 2. Idaho ($6,791) 3. Arizona ($7,208) 4. Oklahoma ($7,672) 5. Mississippi ($8,130) The Most (school districts) 1. Boston City Schools ($20,502) 2. New York City School District ($20,331) 3. Anchorage School District in Alaska ($15,419) 4. Montgomery County Schools in Maryland ($15,080) 5. Baltimore City Schools ($15,050)

SOURCES OF REVENUE Nationwide, contributions from all sources amounted to $597.9 billion, up 0.6 percent from the prior year.

Federal . . . . . . . 9.1% State . . . . . . . . . 45.6% Local . . . . . . . . . . 45.3% (property taxes, student fees, etc.)

How Illinois compared Federal . . . . . . . 7.9% State . . . . . . . . . 35.4% Local . . . . . . . . . 56.8% Of the $270.6 billion schools received from local sources, $232.8 billion (86 percent) came from taxes and local government appropriations.

Property taxes accounted for 65.1 percent of revenue from local sources at $176.2 billion.

Highest percentage from federal government Mississippi . . . . 16.0% Louisiana . . . . . . 15.2% South Dakota . . 14.8% New Mexico . . . 14.8% Arizona . . . . . . . 14.6% Lowest percentage from federal government New Jersey . . . . 4.1% Connecticut . . . . 4.3% Massachusetts . 5.1% New York . . . . . . 5.6% New Hampshire 5.7%

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

The Road Ahead: Educational Attainment

August 2015

Alignment Rockford INSIGHT

Have you seen these people?

Rockford to see first academy graduates this upcoming year

Bridget French Alignment Rockford

(L to R) Judy Gustafson, Jefferson High School; Jay Larson, Auburn High School; Chris Magee, Guilford High School; Nik Butenhoff, East High School.

In Judy Gustafson’s first teaching job, some of her students were the exact same age as she was. She was a young, 21-year-old graduate who was teaching developmental English. Jay Larson began his career in the financial sector. Nik Butenhoff was recognized as the Conference Coach of the Year for volleyball.

And Chris Magee is not only a nationally board certified teacher, but coordinates the robotics teams for the entire school district.

What do these four people have in common? They are academy coaches for Rockford Public Schools.

With the guidance of Ford Next Generation Learning, the Rockford Public Schools and Alignment Rockford developed an academies master plan that will enter its third year of implementation.

The master plan maps out how to develop and sustain smaller learning communities and academies as a part of the overall umbrella of the College & Career Academies of Rockford. The academy coach facilitates the master academy plan at his/her high school.

Each coach is dedicated to one of our four comprehensive high schools, where they work directly with Alignment Rockford and the business community to create, promote and maintain partnerships for the academies in their school.

Our four comprehensive high schools have gone “wall-to-wall” academies, meaning all students at Auburn, East, Guilford and Jefferson High Schools are in an academy. The academies focus on an interest-based theme, and students learn in these smaller cohorts with the same students, counselor, teachers and academy principal throughout their high school career. Additionally, they take electives within their chosen pathway and focus on a specific area of interest; incorporating project-based learning through community involvement.

National Recognition Academy coaches work with Alignment Rockford to maintain and

sustain those business connections and provide value-added information for business and community involvement.

They work with us to facilitate job shadowing, student internships, teacher externships, guest speakers, field trips and other engagements with learning outside of the classroom. They each serve on one of our alignment work teams, and we couldn’t do what we do without them. They are critical to strategy development and the solution design process because they are experts in understanding how their students and school operate.

The College and Career Academies of Rockford are gaining national recognition. We piloted the model in 2012 and 2013. Last year was our first year of full implementation throughout the four high schools. And while there have been minor bumps along the way, overall the model has been implemented quickly and seamlessly. Communities are visiting Rockford as an example of success. While we won’t see our first academy graduates until May of 2016, we’ve already seen decreases in truancy, increases in attendance, and more freshmen on track to graduate.

Business and organizational involvement in our schools is critical to continue an upward trajectory. Academy Support Teams, College & Career Readiness Councils, site visits for teachers and students, and the Academy Expo are just a few of the ways businessmen and women work with the schools, teachers and students to connect career to curriculum. The academy coaches ensure those connections are relevant to both the students and the participating business partners. Visit alignmentrockford. com to find out how you can support the Rockford Public Schools.

Bridget French is executive director at Alignment Rockford.

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

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August 2015 theVoice rockfordchamber.com

The Road Ahead: Educational Attainment

While it’s often a part of the academic journey that’s overlooked, mastering effective study skills can be the “secret behind the A.”

By Wendy S. Kunz, Sylvan Learning Center As families across the country trade beach days for school days, it’s time to get into the back to school mindset. With each grade level, homework assignments get tougher, workloads get heavier and staying ahead of the curve becomes more challenging.

In order to succeed, students need to develop strategies and skills to take on harder topics with confidence and ease. While it’s often a part of the academic journey that’s overlooked, mastering effective study

Head back to school with better study habits Tools for a great school performance skills can be the “secret behind the A;” turning good students into great students.

“There comes a point in every child’s education when the sophistication of a subject can’t be grasped immediately,” said Tes Sullivan, center director at Sylvan Learning in Loves Park.

“We typically see this as students move through middle school and high school, where more advanced study skills are needed to succeed.

We’ve found that establishing

great study habits is the secret to making a big impact on a student’s performance.”

The following are study skill tips that parents and children should put into action now to start the school year off right.

1. Make Use of Study Tools. A recent Sylvan survey found that more than half (54 percent) of parents surveyed with children in grades four through eight stated that their child reads his or her textbook and notes over and over to study — an ineffective study habit. Utilizing flashcards and color-coding materials are better for helping students remember key points.

2. Develop a Study Process. First things first: Students need to know when a test will take place, the types of questions that will be included, and the topics that will be covered.

From there, they should create a study plan and allow ample time to prepare – there’s nothing worse than cramming the night before an exam.

3. Begin Using a Planner.

Between homework, tests and extracurricular activities, it’s all too easy for things to slip through the cracks. A planner can help keep

everything organized, and students should write down assignments, appointments and to-do lists. Review items in the planner at both the beginning and end of the day to stay on track.

4. Identify Teacher Expectations.

It is helpful for students to know how and what they will be graded on. By middle school and high school, most teachers will provide a course outline or syllabus, which can serve as a guide for the semester. If expectations aren’t clear, don’t wait until a bad report card comes in the mail. Parents and students should feel comfortable approaching teachers with questions about grading and assignments at any time.

5. Create a Designated Study Area. If children are studying in front of a television or in a hightraffic area, chances are they aren’t getting the most out of study time.

They should find a quiet, well-lit, low-traffic space in the house for studying. Parents can even institute a “communications blackout” policy with no cell phones or instant messaging allowed until schoolwork is done.

6. Know When to Get Help.

Sylvan’s survey found that 63 percent of parents didn’t feel that they could help with all of their child’s homework.

Wendy S. Kunz is owner of Sylvan Learning Center. Call 779-210-4570 or visit SylvanLearning.com, Facebook or Twitter.

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

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

The Road Ahead: Educational Attainment

August 2015

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Rockford University PERSPECTIVE

We need leaders who lead Leadership is NOT easy; it takes hard work, vision and a very thick skin, among other things to be an effective leader. I get this, and I understand how tiring, lonely and thankless leadership can be, however it frustrates me when I see people who could be or have been effective leaders not leading. Worse yet, in some cases, I see these individuals, through their words and actions, are also not developing the next generation of leaders. When leadership in an organization gets to this point, in my opinion, the organization is more likely to fail than succeed unless the situation can be corrected.

I have to admit there are times that, by my words and actions, I have not been an effective leader; when I became part of the problem rather than part of the solution. Luckily there were good people around me who let me know I was losing my effectiveness, and I was able to either step out of the way or take steps to regain my effectiveness. It bruised my ego, but I got over it, and more importantly, the organization was in better shape.

Proof is in the Outcomes Leaders need to remember that leadership is about actions and outcomes. Leadership isn’t about a position, making the leader look good, protecting turf, holding on to the past or stalling something for no better reason than it isn’t what the leader wanted.

Leadership IS about reaching goals that help the greater good, developing people, allowing others to lead and moving the organization toward greater success.

If you are a leader, how can you tell if you are becoming ineffective? I believe there are a number of signals to notice.

Ask yourself the following leadership questions: ■■ Are you finding people are telling you what they believe you WANT to hear as

opposed to what you NEED to hear?

Jeff Fahrenwald Rockford University

■■ Are you being asked more and more to make decisions that could and should be made by others?

■■ Are more and more of your good people leaving?

■■ Do conversations seem to stop when you walk in the room?

■■ Have your people stopped growing and contributing more to your organization?

■■ Is leadership vested in titles as opposed to the actions of people?

If your answer to any of these questions is yes, then you may be becoming ineffective as a leader.

If you work for or with an ineffective leader what can you do? This is a tough question. The easy answer is to leave while the going is good. If you want to make a difference in your current organization, you can do the following: Talk to the leader and let them know what you see. Give them a copy of this article. Seek out and enroll in leadership training for yourself. Tell the leader what they NEED to hear. Step up and become more of a leader yourself. Put the organization first, and your needs second. Help your leader develop and communicate a clearer vision for the future of the organization. Encourage others to grow as leaders.

As a leader, how can you keep from becoming ineffective or, if you are currently ineffective, what can you do? First and foremost be honest with yourself. I hear from people all the time who work for leaders who believe they are effective when everyone around them sees how ineffective they are. Consider stepping aside and/or allowing others to lead more. Seek out and enroll in leadership training. Ask better questions

Area refugee students from countries such as Burma, Tanzania, Rwanda and Iraq spent the summer painting a mural in Midtown District depicting Rockford’s diversity and cultural pride.

Rockford refugee students paint Midtown District mural Refugee students of East High School collaborated in June with local artist Corey Hagberg to create a mural in the Midtown District in Rockford.

Rob Bauer, owner of Cad Cam Service, offered his building to be painted at the southwest corner of Sixth Street and First Avenue — the neighborhood where the majority of refugees to Rockford settle when they first arrive.

Morgan Smith, Rock Valley College’s refugee and immigrant services, spearheaded the project as a part of the summer programming for refugee students.

The program provides adjustment and employment services to refugees from the northern 10 counties in Illinois. so that people have to tell you what you need to hear. Have conversations with others about your frustrations and successes as a leader. Finally, don’t shoot the messenger who lets you know what is going on.

Leadership ineffectiveness is natural and happens to all of us from time to time. The danger is if this becomes the organizational norm or the leader and those who work for the leaders do nothing to turn the situation around.

Great communications and training can be the start of addressing the issue.

Top quality leadership training is available in the Rockford area. If you are a leader who is having problems,

“I really wanted something fun for the kids to do and to also raise awareness of the refugee community in Rockford,” Smith said. “This is a visual representation of the diversity that Rockford possesses. The kids should take pride in their culture.”

Smith and Hagberg began a Kickstarter to supplement the project’s funds. The majority of money raised, came from friends, supporters and business sponsors, including the City of Rockford, Rockford Area Arts Council, University of Illinois College of Medicine, Crusader Clinic, Aramark and Urban Equity Properties. someone aspiring to be a leader or an effective leader that wants to continue to grow, Rockford University has leadership training on Thursday mornings or at your place of work. Staff also provide leadership assessments and one-on-one coaching for leaders. Contact Sydney Holmgren, 815-226-4040 or scassel@ rockford.edu.

Jeff Fahrenwald is a professor, trainer and consultant and the MBA director at Rockford University.

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

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August 2015

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Where Are They Now? In 2008, the Rockford Chamber launched the 40 Leaders Under 40 awards program to honor those movers, shakers and up-andcomers who make things happen.

Here’s a look at what some of them are doing now!

(left) In 2008, Amanda Hamaker was the COO for the (left) In 2008, Shane Hartje owned 1st Step local Girl Scout council, which was going through a Mortgage Group in Rockford. multi-council merger. (above, right) “I love to spend time with my kids, my girlfriend and her kids,” Hartje said. “It’s a blended (above, right) Younger son, Sam, made the travel family with non-stop fun between hockey, lacrosse, hockey team this past year, which contributed to cheerleading and tumbling. I also enjoy being able Hamaker’s decision to bow out of Girl Scouts. to help my parents, as they have helped me for my entire life.”

Amanda Hamaker Where are you now? I’m currently consulting.

I left the local council in 2009 to go to work for the national organization, and recently resigned to pursue other projects.

What did you take away by becoming an honoree? I met terrific people.

What would be the most valuable lesson you’ve learned during that time? It is not actually a great idea to “speak truth to power,” unless you can handle the very real career consequences and have a grasp on the kind of leader you find yourself facing. Good leaders want the truth, and they want to enable smart people to share their knowledge.

Bad leaders, not so much.

What advice would you give to those coming up in your industry? Don’t lean in (ladies). Lean back. Have some wine. Don’t stress about a clean house. Don’t have kids if you really don’t want them.

Hands down, the most productive and happy people I know are the ones who know how to chill out at the end of a hard day and who know how to say NO. Who is your role model and why? My son Harry.

He’s just 16, and he’s truly wonderful. He’s my role model because he represents the opportunity to allow his generation to pursue a different path. He makes me think not so much about being a better mom, but more about the responsibility he and I will

share when he’s much older, with respect to what I enable him to do today; and, more importantly, what I enable him NOT to do.

Any key turning points in your career or family?

The decision to leave professional Girl Scouting without much of a safety net has been a bit of a nail-biter, and definitely represents what could be a huge re-direct for my career and our family. Also my younger son, Sam, made the travel hockey team this past year, which actually contributed to my decision to bow out of Girl Scouts. Hard to work those required hours when you’re on the road every weekend. Hockey season and cookie season overlap!

Shane Hartje

Where are you now? I work for Academy Mortgage Corporation in Rockford. I am a mortgage loan originator, and I am very happy working for one of the top 15 mortgage companies in the United States.

What did you take away by becoming an honoree? Being chosen helped me realize that when you take pride in your community and what you do for a living – other people notice it as well.

What would be the most valuable lesson you’ve learned during that time? Finding balance in my life. I worked a lot and my kids were 3 and 5. I was missing them growing up. I made sure that I didn’t miss anything after I found balance. They are 10 and 12 now, and we have a blast.

Top five local stories in 2008 The Rockford Register Star rated its top five stories for 2008 (Jan. 2, 2009 issue).

1. Blagojevich Charged Federal agents arrested Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Dec. 9, alleging Illinois’ chief executive conspired to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, as well as solicited bribes for favors.

2. NIU Shooting Steven Kazmierczak, 27, burst onto the stage of a crowded Cole Hall auditorium and emptied a shotgun and three pistols into the seats of the lecture hall on Valentine’s Day; killing five students, then committing suicide at the scene.

3. Weather A rare January tornado, a record winter snowfall and June flooding epitomized a year filled with unusual and sometimes dangerous weather.

4. Crime Rate Down After six years of being ranked No. 1 in Illinois in crime per person, Winnebago County dropped to second place. Sangamon County, home of the state’s capital of Springfield, moved into the No. 1 spot. Winnebago County saw a 12.8 percent drop. Rockford, often identified as the driving force behind the area’s high crime rate, experienced a 14.4 percent drop in its overall crime rate.

5. November Election After a day at the polls on Nov. 4, voters put Barack Obama in the White House, put a Democrat in charge of the Winnebago County state’s attorney’s seat for the first time in decades, elected an African-American woman to the local bench, kept Republicans in charge of the Winnebago County and Boone County boards, and said no to several tax referendums on the ballot.

(left) In 2008, Jorge Herrera, was an assistant vice president with JPMorgan Chase’s middle market commercial banking group in Rockford. (above, right) Herrera volunteers at the Habitat for Humanity Bankers Build along with other Associated Bank employees on May 2.

What advice would you give to those coming up in your industry? I have been riding this rollercoaster of a career for 17 years. My advice to those coming up in this industry is to do what is best for your clients. You must take the time to listen to them and make recommendations based off of their communications. Everybody’s financial situation is different — a vanilla 30-year fixed mortgage is not right for every client. However, most clients do not know that other options exist. The more you listen, the more you learn.

Jorge Herrera

Where are you now? Currently working for Associated Bank in Rockford as a senior vice president/commercial team leader. I started in July 2014 and was tasked to rebuild the commercial group in Rockford. Since July we’ve hired five new commercial banking employees in Rockford that will have a greater presence in the area to provide and service commercial banking loans, depository services, as well as providing unique solutions not typically offered by traditional banks, such as employee benefits consulting.

What would be the most valuable lesson you’ve learned during that time? Don’t stretch yourself too thin and be selective on the organizations and causes that you are being requested to participate. Having a passion for a certain cause will make it easier to give 100 percent towards that cause.

What advice would you give to those coming up in your industry? There is no substitution for hard work. Be disciplined and focused on the activities you need to do reach your goals. Have fun along the way … work hard … play hard!

Who is your role model and why? People who are forward-looking, patient, non-egotistical and humble. People who have a positive attitude and outlook and do things genuinely without expecting any payback or recognition Any key turning points in your career or family? Obtaining my MBA from NIU in 2013. That required sacrificing a lot of personal and family time to complete my MBA, but my family and I were thrilled when I finished. Furthermore, starting a new key leadership role with Associated Bank to run the commercial banking group for Associated Bank in Rockford and being part of a leadership team that is making local decisions for Associated Bank.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

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August 2015

‘No cost solutions’ for job seekers Special services for local veterans You probably have heard of the State of Illinois Department of Employment Security, one of the many Workforce Connection partners; the local partnership charged with helping employers connect with skilled workers and individuals with additional job training. Many know us as the unemployment office, although the services we offer go beyond just handing out benefit checks to individuals coping with a job loss.

On any given day, our offices in Rockford, Freeport and Belvidere have people using our resource rooms to research information on new job listings, get assistance with online applications and resumes, explore career options and available job training, and even meet with employers. These are one-stop centers, because all of the services needed to connect to a new job are at one location.

As employers are hiring again to fill their ranks, they may find themselves unable to locate workers with the right skills. The Workforce Connection spends millions of dollars in federal funds each year to help make that connection between employers and jobseekers. Much of that grant money is spent on financial assistance for job training for individuals who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own or who face another barrier to employment.

Dedicated Staff for Veterans A recent study from Georgetown University indicated that two-thirds of all new jobs being created require some sort of training beyond high school, whether that is training to drive a truck, work a computer to run machinery in a factory, find a job in the growing health care field

or fill one of the aircraft maintenance positions coming to the Rockford airport.

Among the traits employers seek in a new worker, but often have trouble finding, are job readiness and dependability. They want to know that the person they hire is going to show up for work every day, on time, with a good attitude and a willingness to learn.

We know individuals who come with this positive job history, and those are the many veterans seeking assistance in our office.

Located at the Rockford office are two veteran employment representatives.

One is a Local Veterans’ Employment Representatives (LVER), who reaches out to employers and engages in advocacy efforts with hiring executives to increase employment opportunities for veterans.

Capacity building to help facilitate employment services with partners, and to provide information with training, recruitment and placement services offered by all staff of the employment service delivery system.

The other is a Veterans Employment Representative (DVOP), who guides and assists individual veterans towards employment through creating resumes, referrals to educational opportunities based on present and future employer needs, and other types of assistance that lead them to gainful employment.

All of these and many more services are available to both businesses and individuals through the Illinois Department of Employment Security — just a few of the “no cost solutions” we offer. For more information on services offered to veterans and the general public, visit www.ides.illinois.gov.

Cincinnati tops list for recreation In 2014, the most populous U.S. cities collectively spent more than $6.4 billion on parks and recreation. According to Wallethub.com, those cities should expect a handsome return on investment.

Neighborhood parks are instrumental to building community cohesion, boosting property values, improving public health and reducing pollution. In Washington, close proximity to a park increases a home’s value by five percent.

Neighborhood parks in Sacramento, Calif., contribute an estimated savings of nearly $20 million on health care costs.

WalletHub examined more than the traditional criteria of park facilities and exercise; comparing the 100 largest U.S. cities across 27 key metrics. It considered those who enjoy exploring museums, going to concerts or attending food festivals. It examined basic costs, the quality of parks, the accessibility of entertainment and recreational facilities and climate. Examples of

criteria included: bowling costs, movie costs, average food price, percentage of parkland, coffee shops per capita, music venues per capita and tennis courts per capita.

Source: Wallethub.com

Top 10 Cities for Recreation 1. Cincinnati, Ohio 2. Omaha, Neb. 3. Scottsdale, Ariz.

4. Tampa, Fla. 5. Boise, Idaho 6. Orlando, Fla. 7. Minneapolis, Minn.

8. St. Louis, Mo. 9. Reno, Nev. 10. Denver, Colo.

Where Cities Closest to Rockford Ranked Rank #14 #28 #54

City Milwaukee, Wis. Madison, Wis. Chicago, Ill.

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August 2015

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Transforming Rockford University

By Alex Gary Sometimes transformation isn’t bringing in or creating something new; it’s improving or saving what you already have.

Dr. Robert Head will retire as president of Rockford University at the end of the 2015-2016 school year. When he took over the institution in June of 2008, the nearly 170-year-old, not-forprofit liberal arts college was nearing the end of its second straight decade of financial struggles.

Times analysis paints dark economic picture

By Alex Gary

Dr. Robert Head, Rockford University just 1.7 percent, which is not common

To keep operating, in past years it deferred critical maintenance, sold land and even unloaded artwork.

“For about 15 years, whenever Rockford College (the college changed its name in 2013) appeared in the newspaper it was always ‘financially troubled Rockford College,’” said Jeff Fahrenwald, who heads the university’s MBA program. “It got to the point where I wondered if we’d officially changed our name.”

Heading into his final year, Head has righted Rockford University’s financial ship. The university has turned a profit each of Head’s six years, including the 2012-2013 fiscal year when it had a net income of $4.27 million on record revenues of $35.3 million. The amount of money it had in the bank, always an issue in the 1990s and early 2000s, grew from $6.2 million at the end of Head’s first year to $22.6 million at the end of its latest fiscal year.

So when Head turns over the reins to a new president in 2016, he’s handing over a college on solid ground ready to grow.

“One of things you recognize in any organizational culture is that there are forces for change and that there are also forces against change and as long as they are in equilibrium nothing changes,” Head said. “Maybe those 20 years (of financial struggles) turned out to be a good thing for me because there was a much stronger feeling that we needed to change because of our lack of success.”

Head is quick to say he did not right the ship on his own though.

“For me, the key was the phrase intentional congruence,” Head said.

“That means we’re all focused on the same critical things. When I mean all, I mean our board, our administration, our faculty and our staff.”

The critical things, in Head’s view, were “not nuclear science;” listing strong financial discipline, growing enrollment and “investing in ourselves.”

Rockford is critical because most

Improvements Help Draw Students

at the same time, don’t get whipsawed

He received the critical buy-in from the staff, faculty and administration. In 2008-2009, Rockford University paid out $11.25 million in salaries in benefits.

In 2013-2014, that had increased to just $12.45 million, an annual growth rate of

in higher education.

That helped Rockford University keep expenses down — expenses have grown by just 1.4 percent a year during Head’s tenure — while allowing the university to spend more than $13 million on internal improvements.

The improving financial picture and modernization of existing buildings helped draw more students. In the fall of 2008, Rockford University had 686 fulltime undergraduate students. In the fall of 2014, it hit a 20-year high of 878.

Head has done more than just focus on Rockford University. He serves on the boards of SwedishAmerican, Golden Apple Foundation, Alignment Rockford,

Rockford

Chamber

of

Commerce and is a member of the steering

committee

for

Transform

Rockford.

Head’s involvement with Transform thriving mid-sized metro markets have strong colleges. Rockford will never have the advantage enjoyed by places on best places to live lists such as Fort Collins, Colo., home to Colorado State, or Lincoln, Neb., home of the Cornhuskers, but a stronger Rockford University will draw more students to the area or keep gifted students in the area.

“It’s kind of a chicken and egg thing,” Head said of the relationship between the college and the city. “The same lists you read and write about are being read by families trying to decide where to send their child. The more that can be done to improve the crime and quality of life in Rockford, the easier it is for me to recruit students and faculty.”

Head said his advice to the next president is simple.

“Be entrepreneurial. Education is changing quickly and there will be opportunities to grow,” he said. “But into doing something that the college is not good at doing. Focus on what you’re good at and build on those strengths.”

Alex Gary is a Transform Rockford volunteer and president of Alex Gary Communications Inc.

A study of income mobility by two Harvard economists suggests that just growing up in Winnebago County eventually makes you poorer, and the effect is worse the longer you stay.

The analysis was published May 4 by the New York Times — “The Best and Worst Places to Grow Up” — and it looked at counties across the nation.

According to Raj Chetty and Nathaniel Hendren, a child from a poor family in Winnebago County will make $2,310 a year less than a poor child born in an average county by the age of 26.

Winnebago County ranked 2,227th out of 2,478 counties, near the bottom 10 percent.

Winnebago County was the only one of its neighboring counties where growing up there actually made you poorer than the average U.S. county.

The picture is better for upper income children, but not by much.

According to the study, rich kids in Winnebago County make $840 less than other upper income kids in an average county by the age of 26. Winnebago County was in the bottom 15 percent in that category.

Chatty and Hendren’s analysis found five factors “associated with strong upward mobility.”

■ Less segregation by income and race ■ Lower levels of income inequality ■ Better schools ■ Lower rates of violent crime ■ Larger share of two-parent households Winnebago County in general and Rockford in particular has high levels of segregation by income and race. The county’s percentage of college graduates is well below national averages and Rockford annually ranks among the most crime-ridden cities in the country.

Income inequality isn’t as big an issue here as perhaps elsewhere, only because the overall wealth of the area is so low compared with national averages. And Winnebago County’s percentage of married couple families was only slightly below the United States as a whole — 47 percent to 48.7 percent.

The Chatty and Hendren study shines a light again on why the community must come together to transform Rockford. Each year it waits hurts the future prospects of its next generation.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

21

August 2015

Issues to Watch LEGISLATIVE New Illinois Laws for 2015 Here are some laws related to children and families that have taken affect this year. For specific language of the laws, visit www.ilga.gov.

CHILDREN and FAMILIES Adult Grandchildren Access HB 5949/98-0704 Grants adult grandchildren access to original birth certificates, adoption registries and appointments with confidential mediators.

Children’s Information HB 671/PA 98-0707 Deletes a provision in state law that allowed vendors of personal information to assume parental consent to the buying and selling of a child’s personal information. This legislation would permit the sale or purchase of a child’s personal information without parental consent when it is made as part of a criminal or civil investigation.

DCFS Guardianship Age HB 4495/PA 98-0803 Temporarily raises the age of a Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) guardianship from 14 to 15, which would allow a judge to place the juveniles in question into the guardianship of DCFS. This provision will sunset in two years and the jurisdictional age would revert back to 14.

Child Care and Adoption Definitions HB 4636/PA 98-0804 Makes the definition of “related child” consistent in state law and clarifies that when an adoption is finalized there will only be two legal parents.

The definition of related is amended to include relationships by civil union and to add a step-grandparent and second cousin to the definition.

DCFS Scholarships HB 4652/PA 98-0805 Expands the Department of Children and Family Services’ scholarship program. Increases the number of

scholarships awarded each year from a maximum of 48 to a minimum of 53.

Extends the length of the scholarships from four to five years.

Adds members to the scholarship recipient selection committee.

Scholarships are awarded to current and former foster-care youth. DCFS covers room and board and school expenses (other than tuition and fees); state universities/colleges must waive tuition and fees.

Youth Advisory Boards HB 4773/PA 98-0806 Requires the Department of Children and Family Services to convene, fund and maintain a statewide youth advisory board and support regional youth advisory boards.

Parental Custody HB 5598/PA 98-0808 Requires state agencies to enter into an interagency agreement for the purpose of preventing parents from relinquishing parental custody of a child because of the child’s mental health issues. This is in response to parents giving up custody of their children solely in order to secure mental health treatment for them.

Children’s Advocacy HB 5990/PA 98-0809 Modifies the Children’s Advocacy Center Act to reflect current practices.

Includes “child maltreatment” instead of just sexual abuse. Authorizes multi-county Children’s Advocacy Advisory Boards. Grants the National Children’s Alliance and the Children’s Advocacy Center of Illinois accreditation and review authority over Child Advocacy Centers.

Requires Child Advocacy Centers to develop a multidisciplinary approach to child maltreatment.

Daycare Home Licensure SB 1999/PA 98-0817 Provides that with regard to daycare home licensure, the requirement of a copy of a high school diploma may be satisfied with either a copy of a high school diploma or a college degree from an accredited institution of higher education or a vocational

institution. Current standards require a copy of a high school diploma in order to obtain a childcare license, so while an individual may have advanced bachelor’s or master’s degrees, if they no longer have documentation of their high school diploma, they are ineligible for day care home licensure under current law.

DCFS Case Tracking SB 2909/PA 98-0830 Requires the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) to: provide a copy of the safety plan — as signed by each parent or guardian and responsible-adult caregiver — to each parent or guardian and responsible-adult caregiver participating in the safety plan; provide each parent or guardian and responsible-adult caregiver information concerning their rights and responsibilities, including information on how to obtain medical care, emergency phone numbers, and information on how to notify schools or day care providers; and ensure that the safety plan is reviewed and approved by the DCFS representative’s supervisor.

DCFS Report SB 3009/PA 98-0839 Requires the Department of Children and Family Services to submit an annual report on its progress in meeting its licensing goals for child day care no later than Sept. 30 each year.

Child Placement SB 3283/PA 98-0846 Adds “fictive kin” to the definition of “relative.” “Fictive kin” is defined as “any individual, unrelated by birth or marriage, who is shown to have close personal or emotional ties with the child or the child’s family prior to the child’s placement with the individual.”

Under this legislation, “fictive kin” are defined as relatives and, as such, are not required to have a foster home license in order to receive the placement of a child with “close personal or emotional ties.” “Fictive

kin” who accept placement of a child must apply for a foster home license within six months of placement.

Children placed with “fictive kin” will not be removed even if the “fictive kin” fail to apply for licensure or fail to meet licensure standards.

Abused Child Reporter Training SB 3421/PA 98-0850 Authorizes the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation to grant continuing education credit for mandated-reporter training.

Minor Moving Out of State HB 5686/PA 98-1082 Allows guardianship orders to incorporate language governing removal of a minor from the state so that, if the situation is appropriate, removal can be addressed in the order and not require a separate court proceeding. Also amends the Probate Act to create a preference for a short-term guardian to be appointed.

Caregivers and Property SB 1048/PA 98-1093 Amends the State’s Probate Act regarding presumptively void transfers to non-family member caregivers. In essence, this would void most transfers of property exceeding $20,000 to a person who was a caregiver for the deceased.

This presumption can be rebutted by showing that the caregiver’s share is not greater than the share the they would have been entitled to before they became the caregiver, or by showing that the transfer was not the product of fraud, duress, or undue influence.

Adult Disabled Guardian SB 1051/PA 98-1094 Amends the procedure for the adjudication of disability and the appointment of a guardian for adults.

The amendment does three things: 1) Requires inclusion of contact information of the reporting physician; 2) Relocates provisions on independent evaluations to the appropriate section; and 3) Emphasizes the best interest of the ward in selection of a guardian.

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August 2015

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

the News IN Members THEin NEWS

1. Thomas R. Hughes

2. Edward Munguia

3. Phil Whitehead

4. Sherri L. Hayes

5. James M. Coons

6. Dennis D. Cheatwood

7. Rebecca A. Ketter

8. Maureen Wilson

9. Destini Anderson

10. Marifran Georgis

11. W. Scott Hangartner

12. Mukesh Singh

13. Karla Rodgers

14. Sarah McGinniss

15. Jeff Lewis

16. Jacob Vaiden

17. Michael Wise

18. Phil Thompson

19. Brandon Latino

20. Maria Salinas

21. Karina Leanos Sanchez

22. Eve Whitaker

23. Earl Dotson, Jr.

24. Carolyn Clark

25. Deb Crumbley

26. Alisha Howard

27. Jennifer Kruchten

28. Dr. Scott Trenhaile

29. Aimee Bermen

30. Bonnie Arrington

BOARD APPOINTMENTS

Thomas R. Hughes (1), executive vice president, and Edward Munguia (2), executive vice president, Stillman Bank, were elected to the Stillman BancCorp N.A. board.

The following were elected to the Rockford Area CrimeStoppers board: William “Walt” Boothe, vice president, Commercial Illinois Bank & Trust; Melissa Leuzinger, business loan officer, Cornerstone Credit Union; Alice Uphouse, community volunteer, and Alex Wolf, Nexstar Broadcasting local sales manager Fox 39.

Joseph DeChatelets, president/ CEO, Rockford Mutual Insurance Company was selected cochairman of the Our Children’s Homestead board, a not-for-profit child welfare agency.

NEW HIRES, PROMOTIONS, RETIREMENTS Blackhawk Bank hired Phil Whitehead (3) as senior vice president business banking and Sharon Daniels and Cindy Eterno as personal bankers in the Beloit market. It promoted Aubrie Johnson to mortgage loan administrative assistant.

Stillman Bank promoted bank officers: Sherri L. Hayes (4), executive vice president and treasury officer; James M. Coons (5), senior vice president of operations and information technology; Dennis D. Cheatwood (6), vice president and cashier, and Rebecca A. Ketter (7), director of internal audit.

Dickerson & Nieman Realtors hired realtor Maureen Wilson (8).

First Midwest Group promoted Haley Jumapao to executive assistant and hired Destini Anderson (9) as receptionist.

Alpine Bank hired Marifran Georgis (10) as assistant vice president & trust officer.

W. Scott Hangartner (11), vice president, Ballard Companies, Inc., retired on Dec. 31, 2014, with a celebration on June 10. He worked for Ballard Companies for 37 years.

Cardiologist Mukesh Singh, M.D. (12), MRCP, joined Midwest Heart Specialists/AMG at SwedishAmerican.

Karla Rodgers (13) obtained her property/casualty license and joined the commercial lines team as an account administrator at Spectrum Insurance Agency.

Savant Capital Management hired Sarah McGinniss (14) as a financial advisor in its Madison office, Jeff Lewis (15) as a portfolio accountant and Jacob Vaiden (16) as a trader in its Rockford office.

Rockford Mutual Insurance Company hired Michael Wise (17) as a claims representative.

EMPLOYEE/COMMUNITY RECOGNITIONS, AWARDS Phil Thompson (18) celebrated 30 years with Spectrum Insurance Agency. Brandon Latino (19) was elected to represent the Durand territory and attend the new Upward Bound training program sponsored

by Pekin Insurance in May. Maria Salinas (20), Karina Leanos Sanchez (21), Brandon Latino and Eve Whitaker (22) attended an ethics class at the YWCA of Rockford for three credits towards their continuing education.

Earl Dotson, Jr. (23), chief communications and community engagement officer, Rockford Public Schools, is one of 40 emerging leaders selected as 2015 Edgar Fellows in Illinois.

Comfort Keepers named Carolyn Clark (24) as the June, 2015, Comfort Keeper of the Month, Deb Crumbley (25) as Comfort Keeper of the Second Quarter and Alisha Howard (26) as Rookie of the Second Quarter.

Patti Thayer, owner of Thayer Lighting, announced the completion

of five more team members’ Lighting Specialist (LS1) examinations to become certified Lighting Specialists from the National Association of Independent Lighting Distributors (NAILD): Jan Henryson, Angel Abate, Matt Honson, Barb Contarino, and Kathy Carlson.

John Roegner, Savant Capital Management, received the Accredited Investment Fiduciary Analyst® designation and Sandy Miller the Registered Paraplanner designation.

Jennifer Kruchten (27), senior vice president and commercial banking manager, First National Bank and Trust Company, was named a 2015 Rising Star in Banking

by NorthWestern Financial Review magazine.

OF GENERAL INTEREST

Scott Trenhaile, M.D. (28), Rockford Orthopedic Associates, presented at the 32nd annual San Diego Shoulder Institute Course.

Aimee Bermen (29), Karla Rodgers, Bonnie Arrington (30) and Phil Thompson, Spectrum Insurance Agency, attended Pekin Insurance Tri-Annual Agents meeting in Loves Park in May.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

23

August 2015

Regional, National Indicators THE ECONOMY Sacramento tops large counties in employment growth rate

U.S. Indicators June 2015 Consumer Price Index



Unemployment Rate

Information sector posted fastest job growth

0.3 percent 5.3 percent

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

      

223,000 $0.08 0.4 percent 0.7 percent (first quarter, 2015) 3.1 percent (first quarter, 2015) 0.1 percent 0.2 percent

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Among the 50 largest counties with the most employees, Sacramento, Calif., had the highest rate of employment growth among all sectors between 2012 and 2013 (up 5.5 percent to 428,475), according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Annual payroll in Sacramento rose 9.9 percent to $20.9 billion for the same period.

Delaware led all states in rate of employment growth between 2012 and 2013 with employment levels climbing 5.1 percent to 382,128, followed by Washington (up 3.5 percent to 2.4 million) and California (up 3.5 percent to 13.4 million).

Gains in Information Sector

Population Clock As of July 21, 2015

U.S. 321,336,664

World 7,257,575,310

Source: U.S. Census Bureau

Unemployment Rates Region / State / Nation Feb 15

Mar 15

Apr 15

May 15

Rockford

7.0

6.8

5.8

5.9

Chicago

6.6

6.4

5.9

6.0

Illinois

6.0

6.0

6.0

6.0

United States

5.5

5.5

5.4

5.5

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Nationally, employment in the information sector rose 4.1 percent between 2012 and 2013 to 3.3 million. Gains were propelled by the data processing, hosting and related services subsector, which includes establishments that specialize in application and Web hosting, video and audio streaming services, and application service providers.

A related subsector, other information services, saw employment levels rise 22.4 percent from 2011 to 2013. This encompasses news syndicates, firms that publish and/or broadcast exclusively to the Internet, Web search portals, libraries and archives. In contrast, a more traditional information subsector, broadcasting (except

Internet), experienced a 5.7 percent employment gain from 2011 to 2013.

Positive Industry Trends Health care and social assistance employed more than any other sector in 2013 (18.6 million, up 3.0 percent from 18.1 million in 2011). Employment in this sector has risen steadily for more than 10 years, gaining almost 3.7 million employees since 2002.

Retail trade led all sectors in the number of establishments in 2013, with 1.1 million (remaining steady since 2011); employing 15.0 million workers in 2013, up 2.2 percent from 2011.

Employment in the accommodation and food services sector rose 7.3 percent (839,102) since 2011.

Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction showed impressive employment growth between 2011 and 2013: 12.4 percent (adding 80,982 employees).

Transit and ground passenger transportation employment rose 5.9 percent (26,432) since 2011.

General Highlights Nationally, the number of establishments was up 0.8 percent, from 7.4 million in 2012 to 7.5 million in 2013.

Employment rose 2.0 percent, from 115.9 million to 118.3 million.

Annual payroll was up 3.8 percent, from $5.4 trillion to $5.6 trillion.

Average payroll per employee climbed 1.8 percent, from $46,699 to $47,534.

24

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

August 2015

Community Events COMMUNITY

Saturday, August 1

First National Bank and Trust hosts a free Electronic Recycling Drive in partnership with Goodwill Industries of Northern Illinois, 9 a.m. to noon at its branch at 300 E. Main St., Rockton. For a complete list of acceptable items, visit www. goodwillni.org/donate.

First Northern Credit Union presents the education seminar, First Time Homebuying, 11 a.m. to noon at 104 N. Show Place Dr. Call 888-328-8677, ext. 531 to RSVP. Fifth-annual “Tour De North End” Bike Festival with signup from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; ride from 1 to 5 p.m.

No pre-planned route, but riders can head to as many passport stops as they like on two wheels.

After collecting passport stamps, riders should return to The Olympic Tavern by 5 p.m. Register online at tourdenorthend.com.

Sunday, August 2

Rockford Park District hosts Open Family Golf Practice, 1 to 5 p.m., at the four-hole Learning Links at Ingersoll Golf Course, 101 Daisyfield Road, through October. Exceptions to open times are during official tournaments and lesson activities.

Call 815-987-8834 to confirm hours.

Tuesday, August 4

Jim Gaffigan performs Contagious, 7 p.m., at the BMO Harris Bank Center, 300 Elm St., Rockford.

Tickets at the box office, 815-9685222 or www.ticketmaster.com.

Wednesday, August 5

Rockford Public Library presents Turning 65: Get the Facts about Medicare, 5:30 to 7 p.m., East Branch, Friends Community Meeting Room, 6685 E. State St. Registration required at 815-965-7606.

SupplyCore hosts a free Supplier Day, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Rockford Brewing Company, 200 Prairie St. Learn how to be part of the supply chain to the U.S. Department of Defense through SupplyCore, the largest supply chain integrator to the Defense Logistics Agency in the United States. Lunch will be provided.

Friday, August 7

Rockford Mass Transit District hosts its 10th annual Golf Play Day Fundraiser: Driving the Dream Golf Classic, a best ball scramble format with a shotgun start, 9 a.m., at Timber Pointe Golf Course, 5750 Woodstock Road, Poplar Grove.

Register at 815-961-2226 or lbrown@rmtd.org.

Discovery Center Museum, 711 N. Main St., Rockford, presents Frozen, 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. See what Olaf can teach you about science with liquid nitrogen, dry ice

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Heartland Hospice presents Keep the Spirit of ‘45 Alive! 1 to 4 p.m., at Midway Village Museum, 6799 Guilford Road, Rockford. Ceremony at 1:30 pm.; WWII photos, uniforms, memorabilia, swing music, dancers and refreshments. Free. For more information, call 815-397-3691.

Saturday, August 15

Rockford Public Library presents Fresh and Local — Food for Thought, 2 to 4 p.m., East Branch, Friends Community Room, 6685 E. State St. Registration required at 815-965-7606.

Cities such as San Francisco, Seattle (shown) and Nashville are using the “parklet” concept to create contagious energy in their downtowns. Rockford is embracing the idea in two upcoming Shop the Blocks events.

‘Shop the block’ in downtown Rockford Retailers and restaurants will bring their businesses outside in sidewalk sales and dining areas along East State Street in two special Shop the Blocks events on Saturday, Aug. 8 and Sept. 5, noon to 9 p.m.

“We have worked hard with downtown businesses to customize these special events that will encourage people to walk the blocks while enjoying outdoor retailers, restaurants and interactive parklets,” said Leah Tuneberg, director, River District Association.

The event is a joint venture between the RDA, The Element Rockford and the City of Rockford-Community and Economic Development The events spans the Rock River to 3rd Street (and 1st Street), with a few spaces (on 1st Street only) turned into temporary, interactive, open-air “parklets.” Visitors can use these spaces to kick back and relax, and instant snow. Come in costume and bring your gloves. Call 815-9636769 or visit www. discoverycentermuseum.org.

Saturday, August 8

Rock Valley College presents Movie Night at RVC in celebration of its 50th anniversary, 9 p.m., at the Mulford Road entrance, lot 2. Enjoy “The Sound of Music.” Free popcorn. Visit RockValleyCollege. edu/50.

Rockford Symphony Orchestra and Anderson Japanese Gardens presents family-friendly Symphony Saturdays: Spectacular Strings, 10 to 11 a.m., 318 Spring Creek Road.

Call 815-229-9390 for questions.

Tuesday, August 11

Dancing with the Stars: Live! hosted

by All-Stars champion Melissa Rycroft, 7:30 p.m., at the Coronado Performing Arts Center, 314 N. Main St., Rockford. Tickets at the box office, Ticketmaster.com or 815-9685222.

connect with old and new friends, and even play a game of bags, chess or checkers. They can easily be disassembled and stored when not in use.

Rockford Vintage Market in August Downtown Rockford will be the hub for a free Rockford Vintage Market on Saturday, Aug. 15, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., on the Rockford City Market grounds, 100 N. Water St. More than 30 vendors will sell vintage, antique and repurposed items, including home and garden goods, furniture, clothing, jewelry, art and children’s items, as well as food. Swingbilly RFD, a Rockford band that plays ’40s and ’50s honky-tonk music, will perform from 1 to 4 p.m. Visit rockfordvintagemarket.com/ vendors.

Wednesday, August 12

Rockford Public Library hosts an Adult Gaming Tournament, Aug. 12 and 19, noon to 1 p.m., Montague branch, Connie Lane Room, 1238 S. Winnebago St. Systems are the XBOX 360 and Playstation3. Registration required at 815-965-7606.

Thursday, August 13

Next Rockford hosts a General Membership Meeting, 7:30 a.m., at the YWCA, 4990 E. State St., Rockford. Interested Gen X/Y welcome to attend. Contact Scott Anderson at sanderson@rustoleum. com or 815-904-2407.

Friday, August 14

Discovery Center Museum presents Whoosh and Sploosh, 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at 711 N. Main St., Rockford.

Liquids and gases take center stage.

Dress to get wet and wind-blown.

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

Rockford Park District’s Atwood Center presents In the Outdoors: Introduction to Archery, 9 to 11 a.m., at 334-acre Seth B. Atwood Park, 2685 New Milford School Road, Rockford. Visit www. rockfordparkdistrict.org/atwood or call 815-987-8800.

Sunday, August 16

Ethnic Heritage Museum, 1129 S. Main St., presents a free performance of Frederick Douglass – father of the Civil Rights Movement, “My Bondage and My Freedom,” a one-man play with music, 3 p.m., in celebration of its newest exhibit, “Escaping Slavery.”

Visit www.ethnicheritagemuseum. com or ehm1129@comcast.net. For tours, contact 815-962-7402.

Monday, August 17

Rockford Health System presents the RHS Ambassadors Golf Play Day at Rockford Country Club, 2500 Oxford St. Registration and lunch at 11 a.m.; shotgun start at noon, dinner reception and prizes at 5:30 p.m. Register at www. rockfordhealthsystem.org/golf or 815-971-4141.

Tuesday, August 18

Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful hosts a CD Collection for the Rockford Area Arts Council’s Madison Street art project, which requires 10,000 CDs, Aug. 18 and 25 at the Rockford Recycle Center and Aug. 22 and 29 at the Rockford and Roscoe centers. Visit www.knib.org or call 815-637-1343 for times and addresses.

Thursday, August 20

American Cancer Society presents a Kickoff Breakfast for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk, 7:30 to 8:30 a.m., at Franchesco’s Ristorante, 7128 Spring Creek Road, Rockford.

Friday, August 21

Comedian Bill Engvall performs and will film his new special, 8 p.m., at the Coronado Performing Arts Center, 314 N. Main St., Rockford. Tickets are available at BMO Harris Bank Center box office, 300 Elm St., 815-968-5222 or www.ticketmaster. com.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

August 2015

Members Caught on Digital ON DIGITAL Ceremonial ribbon donated by SERVPRO of Rockford.

Mosaic in Rockford held a ribbon cutting on June 29 at 1111 S. Alpine Road, Rockford.

Oak Street Health held a ribbon cutting on June 30 at 301 E. State St., Rockford.

Blackhawk Bank held a ribbon cutting on June 30 at 2475 N. Perryville Road, Rockford.

Rocktown Adventures held a ribbon cutting on July 21 at 313 N. Madison St., Rockford.

The Cheese Market held a ribbon cutting on July 24 at 641 S. Perryville Road, Rockford.

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August 2015

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Business Briefs BUSINESS BRIEFS

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

Chicago-based company, CC Industries Inc., purchased 111-year-old Rockford manufacturer J.L. Clark. With manufacturing facilities in Rockford and Lancaster, Penn., J.L. Clark employs 350 and was the only company operating in parent company CLARCOR’s packaging division. It’s one of the founding companies of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce when it formed in 1910.

SwedishAmerican Medical Center/ Belvidere joined SwedishAmerican Hospital in Rockford as a designated Lung Cancer Screening Center by the American College of Radiology; providing safe, effective diagnostic care for individuals at the highest risk for lung cancer.

Fehr Graham ranked #58 on the Zweig Group Hot Firm List. It climbed six spots from its 2014 ranking as one of the 100 fastest-growing, privately held architecture, engineering, planning and environmental consulting firms in the United States and Canada, based on its growth rate from 2011 to 2014.

Rockford Park District invited the community to a celebration of the 40th anniversary of Riverview Ice House with the 40th on the 4th event on July 4.

Rock River Valley Blood Center received a two-year AABB accreditation for donor center activities, based on an intensive three-day, on-site assessment.

Eickman’s Processing Company won second place, reserve grand champion, in the dried beef class, and third place, champion, in the heavyweight bone-in ham class at the American Cured Meat Championships at the 76th Convention of the American Association of Meat Processors in June in Springfield, Ill. Thayer Lighting recently hired V2 Marketing Communications to provide ongoing marketing services including graphic design work, social media, website development and project management.

GiGi’s Playhouse Rockford received $50,000 from Rockford Health System to be used towards a 2500-sq.-ft. “Building for Our Future” expansion for a new national program, GiGi U, for college-age students with Down syndrome.

Community Foundation of Northern Illinois awarded the Belvidere/Boone County Food Pantry a $7,500 grant for the Nutritional Food for People Living in Poverty project, which will supplement clients with additional proteins, fruits and vegetables.

KMK Media Group was hired by United Way of Rock River Valley to develop the organization’s 2015-2016 Workplace Giving campaign; campaign concept development, collateral, print ads, radio spots and video production.

OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center announced a new name for its expanded Center for Cancer Care, the Patricia D. Pepe Center for Cancer Care. Patricia D. Pepe was wife of John

M. Pepe, former president and CEO of John S. Barnes Corporation. She served on the Rockford Symphony Orchestra and Rockford Garden Club boards, and along with her husband, created the Garden of Hope at the center. She died from cancer this year.

Rockford Rescue Mission received a $75,513 grant from the Dr. Louis & Violet Rubin Fund of the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois for shelter and bedroom areas for women and children at Pitney Place.

For the second year in a row, Rockford Health System was named among the most wired health care organizations. The 2015 Most Wired™ survey and benchmarking study, in partnership with CHIME and sponsored by VMware, measures information technology use and adoption among hospitals nationwide.

Remedies Renewing Lives received a $3,531 grant from the Schneider Electric Buildings, LLC Management Program of the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois for lockers in its new shelter lobby for residents’ personal belongings. It received $10,220 from the Bengt and Mary Kuller Endowment Fund for beds for its new domestic violence shelter; increasing capacity to 62.

Colorwave Graphics, LLC, custom wrapped two vehicles for Rock Valley Fence & Deck and a 14-foot trailer for Ingersoll Cutting Tools and Motor Master Power Sports. It produced 60 custom-printed table skirts for a new Culligan Water product launch throughout Lowe’s stores, prototype graphics for a Rain Bird Irrigation product display and printed 40 Mule-Hide brand awareness banners for distribution in ABC Supply stores.

V2 Marketing Communications recently organized, promoted and facilitated an eight-day workshop and banquet event for Chicago National Association of Dance Masters.

CNADM’s 103rd Summer Dance Workshop featured five dance tracks and hosted over 500 participants.

Fresco at the Gardens opened daily at Anderson Japanese Gardens, 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., for breakfast and lunch.

The Community Foundation of Northern Illinois awarded grant funds to support the Midtown Ethnic Parade and Festival on Aug. 30, hosted by the Midtown District to highlight Rockford’s global culture.

KMK Media was hired by Illumination, a local cyber security firm specializing in the medical industry and credit card processing services, for website development and brochure design. The site will feature intuitive navigation, responsive design and a CAPTCHA system to block spam.

The Winnebago County Bar Association moved to new office space at One Court Place Suite 401, Rockford.

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August 2015

New Chamber Members MEMBERS AIRGAS

FURRY BABIES

One of the leading single-source suppliers of gases, welding and safety products.

4646 Linden Road, 61109 Sean Bruckner 815-226-1900 www.airgas.com

Family pet store 7200 Harrison Ave., F38, 61112 Carrie Trolinger 815-332-2437 www.furrybabiesinc.com

ARACHNID - BULLSHOOTER

A full-service cosmetic skin care practice 195 Buckley Dr., Ste A, 61108 Dylan Adams 815-329-6180 www.drkovak.com

Leader in soft tip electronic darts 6212 Material Ave. Loves Park, IL 61111 Tony Beall 815-654-0212 www.bullshooter.com

CENTRIC ADVISORY GROUP, LLC

A business consulting firm focused on ownership transitions 4320 Spring Creek Road, 61107 Ander Smith 815-985-3000 www.centricadvisory.com

THE CHEESE MARKET

Best cheese in the Midwest, also selling salsa, popcorn, meat, honey, maple syrup, smoked fish 641 S. Perryville Road, 61108 Corey Engle 815-708-6009 www.cheesemarketil.com

CUSTOM HOME BUILDERS New construction & remodeling 12841 IL Rte. 173 Lanar, IL 61046 Kevin Miller 815-493-6576

FELDCO WINDOWS, SIDING & DOORS An exterior home remodeling company specializing in replacement windows, vinyl siding, exterior doors and garage doors 4322 Maray Dr., 61107 Patti Freko 815-387-2788 www.4feldco.com/locations/rockford

42 TECH SOLUTIONS, INC.

We are here to serve individuals and businesses with their information technology needs 262 N. Phelps Ave., 61108 Chris Abramowicz 815-881-8009 www.42techsolutions.com

KOVAK DERMATOLOGY AND LASER INSTITUTE

MIDWEST STONE SOURCE From granite countertops to kitchen cabinetry, we are your one stop shop for all of your home interior projects 915 23rd St., 61108 Denise Phillips 815-395-8677 www.midweststonesource.com

NORTHERN ILLINOIS INSULATION Insulation for commercial and industrial -- all insulation-related needs.

7814 Forest Hills Road Loves Park, IL 61111 Bruce Johnson 815-979-7802

RICK LEVIN & ASSOCIATES INC. Specialize in working with the real estate auction industry professionals in all aspects of marketing properties 1050 N. State St., Ste. 202 Chicago, IL 60610 Rick Levin 312-440-2000 www.ricklevin.com

WPS HEALTH INSURANCE A not-for-profit health insurer offering affordable health insurance for individuals & families -- short-term; flexible and affordable group plans, and high deductible plans P.O. Box 8190 Madison, WI 53708 Chris Noffke 608-223-2960 www.wpsic.com

Nominations are being sought for local African-American leaders who warrant recognition for their contributions in business, community and civic leadership. Soul News Network.com announced its upcoming awards recognition event: 25 Black Leaders to Watch Awards on Friday, Aug. 28 at Rockford First. Doors open at 6:30 p.m.; awards event at 7 p.m. Cost is $35 per person; $400 for corporate seats of 10.

Nominations are being sought in the following categories: ■ Young Leaders on the Rise ■ Women to Watch ■ Leading Black Men ■ Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs ■ Civic/Community Movers & Shakers Five leaders in each category will be recognized. Award nominations are NOT limited to executive-level professionals or business owners. We welcome everyday people who are making a difference in our community. Nominees can be self-nominated or nominated by someone else.

Nominations should be made by August 7 online at www.25towatch.com or by downloading a paper nomination form. Visit the website for more information, event registration and nomination forms. Contact Kimberly S. Buchanan, 815-978-2385 or info@25towatch.com.

Nominations should be made by August 7 online

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August 2015

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Membership: 101 101 MEMBERSHIP

Membership Web Enhancement Packages The Chamber offers web enhancement packages on its website. These web enhancements can turn your basic business listing into an eye-catching, search engine optimized (SEO) advertisement. The enhanced listings, in our online directory allow for even greater visibility and help increase the amount of traffic your business receives when people search for products and services in and around the Rockford area using search engines such as Google, Bing and Yahoo!.

If you currently have an Web Enhancement Package, are you fully utilizing it? If not, we suggest making your listing more robust to further increase your visibility in the directory.

If you would like a Web Enhancement Package, we would be happy to add one to your existing membership so you can start taking advantage of the enhanced benefits today.

Web Enhancement Packages can get you...

■ Listing in up to five separate categories ■ Inclusion of up to 250 words of business description.

All verbiage in the description pulls as key words in a search, thus enhancing your listing displays.

■ Separate listing of your products/services ■ Inclusion of your logo ■ Embedding a video in your listing ■ Embedding a picture in your listing ■ Including a discount/ecoupon offer in your listing ■ Services and programs that provide our smaller businesses with access to better prices and discounts, normally available only to larger businesses ■ Valuable resources and implements important initiatives to help members grow their business ■ And more…

Find out more about member programs and opportunities!

Contact Lynette Jacques, V.P., Member Investment, at ljacques@rockfordchamber.com

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August 2015

Membership Renewals Thank you to members who renewed with the Rockford Chamber of Commerce in June, 2015.

Access Services of Northern Illinois Alzheimer’s Association, Greater Illinois Chapter ARCO Machinery Movers/MRS Industries Inc. Barrick, Switzer, Long, Balsley, Van Evera Beggin Tipp Lamm, LLC Bickford of Rockford Black & Jones Attorneys at Law Blackhawk Bank Blake Oil Company Bourn & Koch, Inc. Brookdale Rockford Caraotta Chiropractic Orthopedics P.C. CHIP Alumni of Rock River Valley Chuck Brauer Trucking Inc. Cicero & France, Barch & Alexander, P.C. Court Street United Methodist Cricket Communications DHS Division of Rehabilitation Services DMTG Ingersoll Production Systems Dry Otter Basement Water Proofing/ Concrete Raising Ege WorkSmart Solutions, PC EIGERLAB - NIU EIGERLAB Innovation Network Emery Air, Inc. Fairhaven Christian Retirement Center FIELD First Midwest Group Forever Green, Inc. Franchesco’s Ristorante Gene’s Place GinestraWatson Co. Gommel Design

Heinzeroth Marketing Group Helen Hill Communication HR Capital Management Consultants Ideal Welding Systems, L.P. Intouch Home Care Services of LSSI JC Milling Co., Inc. Jerome S. Weiskopf, MD, PC Kadon Precision Machining Kinovate Heating, Cooling & Indoor Air Quality Lucha Cantina, Inc. Macianos Pizza (Perryville Pizza, LLC) Mainstreet Financial Group Midwest Community Bank Montessori Private Academy Mosaic in Rockford Nexus Office Systems, Inc.

North Park Rental Service, Inc. Northern Illinois University Northwestern Illinois Building & Construction Trades Council Parker Hannifin Corporation Pearson Raymond James & Associates RBC Wealth Management Reinhart Boerner Van Deuren P.C. RJ Link International, Inc. Rock House Kids Rock River Tower LLC Rock Road Companies, Inc. Rockford Heat Treaters, Inc. Rockford Linear Actuation, Inc. Rockford Litho Center Rockford Mutual Insurance Company

August 2015 Member Anniversaries Thank you to the members celebrating their anniversaries with the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

50-YEAR MEMBER

10-YEAR MEMBERS

Rockford Electric Equipment Company

American Advertising Federation of Northern Illinois Holiday Inn Express

30-YEAR MEMBERS NyClo Screw Machine Products Rockford Carpetland USA, Inc.

15-YEAR MEMBERS Focus Financial Advisors, Inc. It’s My Credit Union NRG-Rockford Natural Land Institute

5-YEAR MEMBERS Alzheimer’s Association, Greater Illinois Chapter C & H Design Center Unlimited Services Wired Café

Rockford Spine Center Rockford Structures Construction Company Servpro of Rockford Shelter Insurance Companies SPX Hydraulic Technologies Staff Management, Inc. Staff On Site Midwest Inc. Stateline Staffing Services, Inc. Stateline Youth for Christ Sunset Funeral Home & Memorial Gardens The Arc of Winnebago, Boone and Ogle Counties The Atrium - Meridian Senior Living The Brian Boyer Group - State Farm The Ridge Condominium Association The Salvation Army The Terrace Senior Apartments Thrifty Boutique Resale Shoppe Ticomix, Inc. Todd Transit, Inc. Two Men and a Truck UNION Savings BANK Universal Die Cast UPS US Bank USANA Health Sciences VITAS Healthcare Corporation Warner Furniture Refinishing Wired Café Womanspace, Inc. Youth Service Bureau of Illinois Valley Zavius Jewelers, Inc.

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August 2015

EVENTS

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Upcoming Chamber Events AUGUST, 2015 Tuesday, August 4

Business Women’s Council, 11:15 a.m. to 1 p.m., Rockford Country Club, 2500 Oxford St., Rockford.

A Chat with Women in Leadership — What did they do differently?

Join us for a panel with three local leaders: Saba Jaffery, UTC Aerospace Systems; Paula Carynski, OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center, and Amy Ott, Boylan Catholic High School.

Sponsored by Siena on Brendenwood.

Transform Rockford Community Idea Exchange ‑ Economy & Jobs, Physical Infrastructure and Quality, 5:30 to 7 p.m., Rockford University, Regents Hall, 5050 E. State St. Brainstorm and exchange ideas on how to become a top 25 community by 2025. Visit www.transformrockford.org.

Wednesday, August 5 11:30am - 1:30pm Giovanni’s 610 N. Bell School Rd., Rockford

Real Estate Economic Forecast BUSINESS LUNCHEON Rockford Area REALTORS and the Rockford Chamber welcome Lawrence Yun, chief economist and senior vice president of research, National Association of REALTORS, on an economic forecast for the nation and Rockford region. Get an understanding of current and future home sales statistics, affordability index, and real estate market trends.

Tuesday, August 11 Advantage Club – Superstars, 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m., Giovanni’s, 610 N. Bell School Road, Rockford.

Contact Nick Nelson, Harvard State Bank, 815-289-0880 or nnelson@ thehsb.com.

Wednesday, August 12 7:30 - 9:30 am Rock Valley College, Woodward Technology Center 3301 N. Mulford Rd., Rockford

Breakfast Buzz Executive Director Mike Dunn will present, Selling the Chicago Rockford International Airport.

Sponsored by McGladrey.

Wednesday, August 12

Advantage Power Network Club, 11:45 a.m., Franchesco’s, 7128 Spring Creek Road, Rockford.

Contact Teri Watts, Key Realty, Commercial & Industrial, Teriw1214@ gmail.com.

Advantage Club – Originals, 11:45 a.m., various locations. Contact Deanna Watts, 815-968-9881 or Deanna@rockfordcc.com.

Thursday, August 13

Ribbon Cutting & Open House at Envoy Mortgage, 483 N. Mulford Road, Ste. 7, Rockford, 4 to 6 p.m.

Friday, August 14

Government Affairs Council, 7:30 to 8:45 a.m., Stockholm Inn, 2420 Charles St., Rockford. Congressman Adam Kinzinger will present an update on what is going on in Washington, a legislative outlook for the end of the year and how it will affect the Rockford area. To join, contact Heidi Garner at 815-316-4312.

Wednesday, August 19

Ribbon Cutting at 42 Tech Solutions, Inc., 262 N. Phelps Ave., Rockford, 11 a.m. to noon.

Thursday, August 20

Reopening Ribbon Cutting and Celebration at the Goodwill Rockford Store, 4618 E. State St., 10 to 11 a.m.

Tuesday, August 25

Advantage Club – Superstars, 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m., Giovanni’s, 610 N. Bell School Road, Rockford.

Contact Nick Nelson, Harvard State Bank, 815-289-0880 or nnelson@ thehsb.com.

Wednesday, August 26

Advantage Power Network Club, 11:45 a.m., Franchesco’s, 7128

Spring Creek Road, Rockford.

Contact Teri Watts, Key Realty, Commercial & Industrial, Teriw1214@ gmail.com.

Advantage Club – Originals, 11:45 a.m., various locations. Contact Deanna Watts, 815-968-9881 or Deanna@rockfordcc.com.

SEPTEMBER, 2015

Tuesday, September 8 Advantage Club – Superstars, 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m., Giovanni’s, 610 N. Bell School Road, Rockford.

Contact Nick Nelson, Harvard State Bank, 815-289-0880 or nnelson@ thehsb.com.

Wednesday, September 9

Manufacturers’ Council Meeting, 7:30 to 8:30 a.m., at Danfoss. Topics to be discussed: Academy updates and Manufacturing Day.

Advantage Power Network Club, 11:45 a.m., Franchesco’s, 7128 Spring Creek Road, Rockford.

Contact Teri Watts, Key Realty, Commercial & Industrial, Teriw1214@gmail.com.

Thursday, September 3 11:30am - 1:30pm Radisson Conference Center 200 S. Bell School Rd., Rockford

Advantage Club – Originals, 11:45 a.m., various locations. Contact Deanna Watts, 815-968-9881 or Deanna@rockfordcc.com.

Wednesday, September 2

Education Outlook LUNCHEON Rockford Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Ehren Jarrett has overseen the passage of a $250 million facilities plan, high school redesign, expanded access to early childhood and more.

Sponsored by BMO Harris Bank (presenting), SwedishAmerican, A Division of UW Health (gold), and Larson & Darby Group and Rasmussen College (bronze).

Friday, September 11

Government Affairs Council, 7:30 to 8:45 a.m., Stockholm Inn, 2420 Charles St., Rockford. To join, contact Heidi Garner at 815-3164312.

Tuesday, September 22

Advantage Club – Superstars, 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m., Giovanni’s, 610 N. Bell School Road, Rockford.

Contact Nick Nelson, Harvard State Bank, 815-289-0880 or nnelson@ thehsb.com.

Wednesday, September 23

Advantage Power Network Club, 11:45 a.m., Franchesco’s, 7128 Spring Creek Road, Rockford.

Contact Teri Watts, Key Realty, Commercial & Industrial, Teriw1214@gmail.com.

Advantage Club – Originals, 11:45 a.m., various locations. Contact Deanna Watts, 815-968-9881 or Deanna@rockfordcc.com.

Wednesday, September 23 Expo1:30 - 5:30pm; BAH 5:30 - 7:30pm Giovanni’s 610 N. Bell School Rd., Rockford

ROCKFORD CHAMBER

Business Expo Booths, giveaways, luncheon speaker, networking activities, breakout sessions and Business After Hours, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., in Big Al’s Bar. Sponsored by Ticomix, Inc. (presenting) and SwedishAmerican, A Division of UW Health, (silver); WPS Health Insurance (bronze).

Thursday, September 24 Ribbon Cutting & Open House at Home Instead Senior Care, 929 S. Alpine Road, Ste. 202, Rockford, 4 to 6 p.m.; ribbon cutting at 4 p.m.

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August 2015

Advertisers Index ADVERTISERS

Alpine Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Blackhawk Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 BMO Harris Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Boylan Catholic High School. . . . . 14 Brian Thomas Photography. . . . . . 25 Broadmoor Agency, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . 8 Catholic Diocese of Rockford. . . . . 16 Comcast Business. . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Concordia University. . . . . . . . . . . 17 Entré Computer Solutions . . . . . . . 23 Honquest Family Funeral Home with Crematory. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Illinois Bank & Trust. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Keith Country Day School . . . . . . . 15 Klaas Financial . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 The Mauh-Nah-Tee-See Club/ Forest Hills Country Club. . . . . . . . 10

McGladrey LLP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 MembersAlliance Credit Union. . . . . 4 MercyRockford Health System. . . . . 5 Northern Public Radio . . . . . . . . . . 26 Rockford Bank & Trust. . . . . . . . . . . 2 Rockford Chamber of Commerce . . . . . . . . . . 19, 26 - 31 Rockford University . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Rock Valley College . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 RVC BPI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Saint Anthony College of Nursing. . . 13 Stillman Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Thayer Lighting. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 UIC Rockford . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Upper Iowa University . . . . . . . . . . 12 Van Galder Bus Co. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

Chamber Staff / Call 815-987-8100.............................................. Direct Line Einar K. Forsman, President & CEO.......................................... 815-316-4304 Heidi M. Garner, Executive Assistant to the President.................... 815-316-4312 Doug Hessong, Director of Publications & Technology................... 815-316-4338 Lynette Jacques, Vice President, Member Investment. . .................. 815-316-4317 Vee Jevremovic, Manager of Education Programs and Events. . ........ 815-316-4337 Joy Moriarty, Vice President, Finance........................................ 815-316-4316 Stacy Mullins, Director of Events. . ............................................ 815-316-4302 Sue Boyer, Member Relations................................................. 815-316-4315 Mary Ann Suprenant, Membership Development Manager.............. 815-316-4336 Joan Sundvall, Membership Contact Coordinator......................... 815-316-4320

Chamber Board of Directors & Officers EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

DIRECTORS

Chairman of the Board Patti Thayer Thayer Lighting, Inc. Vice Chair Richard Zumwalt OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center Vice Chair Michele Petrie BMO Harris Bank Treasurer Larry Bridgeland Mid-City Office Products Immediate Past Chairman Richard Walsh Zimmerman & Walsh, LLP

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

Send news releases and other

items of interest to the business community to:

The VOICE, Rockford Chamber of Commerce 308 W. State St., Ste. 190, Rockford, IL 61101

DEADLINE IS THE 15TH OF THE MONTH PRECEDING ­PUBLICATION

Andrew Benson Benson Stone Company, Inc. Jan Bowman TLC Construction Joe Castrogiovanni Giovanni’s, Inc. Dr. Rena Cotsones Northern Illinois University Rebecca Epperson Chartwell Agency Darlene Furst FurstStaffing Ira Grimmett UTC Aerospace Systems Dr. Robert Head Rockford University Tim Honquest Honquest Family Funeral Home Jeff Hultman Illinois Bank & Trust

Michael F. Iasparro Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP

Henry Seybold Rockford Health System

Mike Mastroianni Rock Valley College

Patrick Shaw McGladrey LLP

Paul McCann Stanley Steemer of Rockford

Laura Pigatti Williamson Rockford Park District

Patrick Morrow Alpine Bank Amy Ott Boylan Catholic High School Mike Paterson Mid-West Family Broadcasting Mark Peterson CBL Associates CherryVale Tim Rollins WilliamsMcCarthy Dan Ross Williams-Manny Insurance Group

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

September 2015 Special Section:

Your Best Health Now For information on advertising, call 815 987-8100