October Voice 2017

HERITAGE AERO FLYING HIGH PAGE 3

CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS PAGE 12

The Voice is online at rockfordchamber.com

October 2017 | Volume 30 | No. 10

Business Expo

NEW LOCATION, GREAT CONNECTIONS There was an air of excitement at this year’s Rockford Chamber of Commerce Business Expo thanks to the new host site and the 10th anniversary of the event.

Nearly 1,500 people turned out for the annual event, which was held for the first time at the Sports Factory in downtown Rockford, on Sept. 21.

“This building lends itself well for an expo,” said Julie Williams, an interior designer from Larson & Darby Group, an architectural, engineering and interiors firm that had a booth at this year’s event. “People have heard about this facility, but maybe haven’t been here before. This building offers a breath of

■ online registration ■ keynote speaker video clips ■ event photos ■ list of Chamber events

Questions? 815-987-8100

Join the Chamber’s LinkedIn Group

State and local officials kicked off the 100 Day Countdown to the Illinois Bicentennial Celebration on Aug. 26 in Kaskaskia Island, the first State Capitol of Illinois.

Illinois was recognized as a state on Dec. 3, 1818, and the official Illinois Bicentennial will be celebrated in 2018 with events planned across the state on Constitution Day, Aug. 26, 2018, and the grand birthday celebration on Dec. 3, 2018.

Visit https://illinois200.com

MARK YOUR CALENDAR! PHOTOS BY BRIAN THOMAS PHOTOGRAPHY

fresh air for the expo and what we’re trying to do here.”

The expo featured 82 booths, with businesses ranging from healthcare to retail to staffing agencies. The mix of businesses included many returnees, along with a handful of companies taking part in their first expo, which is free to attendees. In addition, there was a Business After Hours incorporated into the last few hours of the expo.

“The exhibitors love being here,” said Einar Forsman, president & CEO of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce. “They love the bright space, the ample room

and plenty of parking. Plus, it’s good that we get to highlight a new facility in the community.”

“There were four manufacturers here, which is a bit unusual,” he added.

“They’re here to get their name out; they’re not expecting to gain business.

I talked to one of those companies and they picked up three leads they weren’t expecting to get at this event. That’s the positive side of being here.”

Bourn & Koch, Inc. was one of those manufacturers. The Rockfordbased company concentrates on gear Continued on page 4

Superintendent encouraged about district’s future

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ILLINOIS’ BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION

It’s been nearly 4½ years since Rockford Superintendent Ehren Jarrett took over the top spot in the Rockford Public Schools.

“I can’t believe it’s gone so fast,” he said.

“I’m really proud of our accomplishments and what we can do in the future.”

Plenty of good things have happened since Jarrett took the reins. RPS is working on a 10-year, $250-million facilities plan, created high school career academies, building two new elementary schools – one in Cherry Valley and another to replace Kishwaukee and Nelson elementary schools. Rockford is also a Ford Next Generation Learning Model Community.

The superintendent talked about these accomplishments and the district’s future priorities during his presentation before a crowd of 350 during the Rockford Chamber of Commerce Education Outlook Luncheon, Sept. 7, at the Radisson Hotel & Conference Center.

“I was so excited to talk about the past four years and the things we’ve done to move forward,” Jarrett said. “And to talk

about where we need to go next to make sure our students are college-, career- and life-ready. We need the support of the community and the business community to build pathways to careers to make that connection between our students and our employers unbreakable. Everyone in this room has a role in that.”

Career Academies Jarrett talked numbers, including the district’s SAT results – high school students continue to trail behind the state average in reading and writing and math.

“This is a long, long march, and we still have a lot of work to do,” he said.

“It’s not going to happen overnight. It’s generational change that we’re doing, not only as a school district but as a community.”

In 2011, the district had low numbers in athletic and fine arts participation.

Since then, RPS changed its athletic participation policy, dropping the 2.0 GPA requirement, which resulted in a 51 percent increase in athletic participation Continued on page 6

Healthcare Industry

UPDATE LUNCHEON Oct. 19 • Franchesco’s Ristorante For more info, see page 35 SPONSORED BY

BOOST VOTER PARTICIPATION Gov. Bruce Rauner signed a law on Aug. 28 aimed towards increasing voter participation. Senate Bill 1933 requires the Secretary of State and Board of Elections to establish an automatic voter registration program.

An application for a driver’s license or state identification card will serve as an application to register to vote in Illinois, with the exception of a temporary visitor’s driver’s license.

When applicants meet the standards of the REAL ID Act of 2005, and unless an applicant declines, the Secretary of State will transmit records to the State Board of Elections to complete the person’s registration. Safeguards include address verification distinctions between IDs that meet the requirements of the federal REAL ID Act of 2005 and those that do not.

RACVB LAUNCHES BUSINESS IS BLOOMING The Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau launched “Business is Blooming” to encourage and acknowledge business owners’ efforts towards making Rockford a beautiful place to live. Judges visited the exterior grounds of selected businesses in the River District Association, Midtown District and Coronado Haskell Neighborhood Association. Out of 23, six were chosen as “Businesses of Distinction” to serve as models for a contest in 2018: The Loc Shop, Community Foundation of Northern Illinois, HolmstromKennedyPC, Abreo, Prairie Street Brewing Company and Woodfire Brick Oven Pizza.

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Guest Perspective VIEWPOINT

Civility in the workplace can be a game-changer From a workplace training pointof-view, when civility is reduced to politeness, it’s often categorized along with other social courtesies such as thank you notes, hygiene, eye contact, and handshakes – and in many organizational contexts these are considered “nice to have.” Even if politeness is understood to be an important element of customer service, or maybe courtesy is recognized as one aspect of working well with others, it’s still not usually deemed important enough as a stand-alone skill to warrant spending time, money, and energy on it.

This dismissal can have BIG consequences. The fact is, words matter.

And so to ensure people recognize civility training as a real solution, I’ve found it helpful to define the term civility in a way that expands the thoughts and emotions that using the word typically conjures.

Civility must be defined in a way that is comprehensive enough to makes people think differently. And at the same time it has to have immediate personal relevance for people, given whatever environment or situation they happen to be in. When a person hears the word, they need to see the possibilities and imagine some of the outcomes that I have come to know are absolutely possible. The definition has

to include elements that expand it from a vague, subjective notion, to a practical, measurable concept with applications for skill development in a range of different contexts: ■■ A conscious awareness of the impact of one’s thoughts, actions, words and intentions on others; combined with, ■■ A continuous acknowledgement of one’s responsibility to ease the experience of others (e.g., through restraint, kindness, non-judgment, respect, and courtesy); and, ■■ A consistent effort to adopt and exhibit civil behaviour as a non-negotiable point of one’s character.

In our definition, conscious awareness is intended to make the point that it’s not enough to extend courtesy out of habit, and it’s not a good excuse when you do not extend appropriate consideration to say you weren’t aware or weren’t paying attention. When we are conscious of the impact of our thoughts and words and actions, when we focus and attend to our surroundings, we are reminded that we have the power to impact people and situations and communications. In attending, we become thoughtful and when we are thoughtful, we become

thinkers. As Dr. Forni says in his book, The Thinking Life-How to Thrive in the Age of Distraction, “You are thoughtful if you are a thinker, but you are also thoughtful if you are considerate. To be considerate you need to first pay attention to other people … you need to think about them and their well-being.”

Few could argue that we do not live in an age of distraction. When someone is deliberate in thinking before they act or speak, and then intentionally choose a civil action—even when it may not be comfortable, cost-free, or convenient to do so—speaks volumes about that person’s character. Many of us are distracted and often not present to, or caring about anyone. The breadth of incivility we experience every day is a good indication that thinking is not as common a pursuit as it once was.

When we talk about a “continuous acknowledgement of one’s responsibility” we are referencing ethics and the inherent human dignity of others. Easing the experience of others echoes the “do no harm” principle that has been the bedrock of religious traditions. In the workplace, this responsibility ties to accountability and includes obligations related to common courtesy, non-judgment, and restraint— regardless of whether they are written into

a job description or code of conduct.

Lew Bayer Civility Experts, Inc. “Consistent effort” relates to the point that when standards are at issue, as happens in most workplaces, being civil some of the time isn’t enough. Civility must be an everyday, all day endeavor.

This is essential to building trust.

Choosing civility must become embedded in the workplace culture to the point it becomes a key part of the character of the organization and a reflection of the character of the people who make up the organization. This also suggests the ongoing hard work and commitment that is required to build a culture of civility.

Truly, if it were easy to choose civility, wouldn’t everyone would be doing it?

Lew Bayer is CEO of Civility Experts. For 17 years she has been recognized as a leading civility expert. With a focus on social intelligence and culturally-competent communication, the team at Civility Experts – which includes 83 affiliates in 24 countries has supported organizations in building better workplaces.

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

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October 2017

Member Profile PROFILE

The plane truth about Heritage Aero’s success

By Paul Anthony Arco Cliff Wilewski loves everything about airplanes.

Wilewski’s passion for aviation dates back to his days as a young teenager.

“My older brother took flying lessons, which got me into it,” said Wilewski, who earned his wings at 17 and later earned a degree in aviation maintenance at Lewis University in Romeoville, Ill. “At first, I thought I’d become a professional pilot, then I decided to head into the maintenance field instead.”

Today, Wilewski is the president of Heritage Aero, Inc., a company that provides maintenance services for general aviation aircraft for both civilian and warbirds owned by private individuals.

Wilewski moved to Rockford from Chicago in 1986, when he went to work for Harwood Aviation, and later Courtesy Aircraft and Emery Air in maintenance positions. In 2004, he left Emery Air to start his own business.

“The time was right,” he said. “It was time to specialize in general aviation aircraft and civilian-owned warbirds. I had been working on a lot of former military types of aircraft anyways since I first met Mark Clark of Courtesy Aircraft in 1986.”

Heritage Aero, Inc., started with two

employees and has since grown to 10, including technicians and office support staff. Five members of the crew are pilots, including Wilewski, who flies any chance he gets. The staff maintains, repairs and refurbishes planes – Cessnas, Pipers, Beech, and Warbirds – that come from a number of states including North Carolina, New York and Oklahoma.

Their crew will also travel off site and has customers as far away as Norway. In addition to repair work, Heritage also offers pre-purchase inspections.

“All airplanes are required to have inspections at least annually,” Wilewski said.

“We also perform major repairs and modifications to airplanes, as well as engine work, rebuilds, refurbishments and restoration on both civilian and warbird type aircraft. We source out avionics, painting and interior work to local vendors.”

Heritage works on single- and multiengine airplanes as well as turbine aircraft.

The “Warbird” type of aircraft including former military-operated aircraft such

HERITAGE AERO, INC. Cliff Wilewski, president 1651 Grumann Dr. 815-395-0500 www.heritageaero.com

(above) This North American F-86A Sabre Jet goes out on one of its first post heavy maintenance flights about 15 miles west of the Rockford airport. Owned by one of Wilewski’s longtime customers and manufactured in 1948 as the first swept wing fighter jet in the United States, it’s the oldest flying jet airplane in the world and the only one of its kind currently flying.

Heritage Aero experienced a slowdown in late 2008, when the company was hit

Cliff Wilewski, president of Heritage Aero, Inc., has grown his company, which maintains both civilian and warbirds owned by private individuals, to 10 employees. as the North American T28 Trojan, T6 Texan and P51 Mustang (The premier WWII fighter).

“The cream of the crop that we maintain is the North American F86 Sabre fighter jet,” Wilewski said. “There are approximately 12 of these fighter jets flying in the world, and we maintain two of them.”

Most of the company’s customers are a result of word of mouth. “We have a good base of customers and many tend to keep their planes for 20 or more years,” he said. “Most of the planes are stored in private hangers; others have them housed in museums. These people are aircraft and warbird aficionados.”

hard by the economic downturn. While Wilewski didn’t have to let any employees go, he did tighten up the company’s overall expenses.

“The stock market impacted our customers, and suddenly they started parking their planes in the hanger due to the uncertain state of the economy,” he said. “But by the spring of 2009, everyone realized that the sky was not going to fall and then they wanted to get their airplanes back up in the air.”

It’s been smooth flying ever since for Wilewski, who credits the Chicago Rockford International Airport, in part, for his success. “Rockford has been a very good location for our business. It has a great airport with long runways, full service and convenient transportation.

The airport is a top-notch facility.”

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Chamber Expo (continued from front page)

manufacturing, precision grinding and specialty machines. “We get a lot of people asking us “what is Bourn & Koch? Very few people know what we do; it’s important to get our name out in the community and start to meet new people,” said Joe Goral sr., technical support engineer. Rockford is a manufacturing-rich community.”

A New Spin on Sales The day kicked off with a luncheon featuring speaker and business coach Tom Kelly, whose presentation “The Attraction Principle: How to Shift from Working to Get Clients to Attracting Them Effortlessly,” drew a sold-out crowd.

“I loved his message,” said Julie Williams. “It put a new spin on sales. The attraction system sounds more appealing and doable. At Larson & Darby we are not directly in sales, but we’re constantly selling our ideas. It’s a tough market because our services are intangible, until a building gets built. It was good to hear some new takeaways on old ideas.”

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There were plenty of nonprofits promoting their services, including Heartland Hospice, an organization that provides end of life care for people in their homes. “This expo is a great opportunity to get our name out there in the community,” said volunteer coordinator Janine Idstein. “This is a chance to reach a new group of people and let them know what hospice is and how we can provide assistance.

Community education is a big part of what we do, and we are always looking for volunteers.”

Larson & Darby has a booth every year. “We like to network and see other partners who we work with, and we like to support the chamber,” Williams said. “Many businesses know our name but might not know about all of our services. This is the first time I’ve worked our booth. I enjoy meeting people and telling our story.”

The presenting sponsor of this year’s event was Ticomix, a local IT company that manages and protects business technology. theVoice

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

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

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

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

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

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Illinois to issue up to $6 billion in bonds

Part of plan to pay down state’s bills Gov. Bruce Rauner announced on Sept. 7 his intention to issue $6 billion in bonds to pay down a portion of the state’s bill backlog. The governor stated that even with the tax hike passed by the General Assembly, the budget is more than $1 billion out of balance.

The General Obligation Bond Act, amended by the legislature as a part of the fiscal year 2018 budget package, grants the state the authority to issue up to $6 billion in general obligation bonds as Income Tax Proceed Bonds.

The bonds must be issued before Dec. 31, 2017, and pay for expenses vouchered from general funds or state employees’ group health insurance costs that were incurred before July 1, 2017.

The bonds issued must be paid within 12 years from the date of the sale and require level principal payments each year. For example, a $6 billion issuance would require 12 annual principal payments of $500 million, plus interest payments depending on the interest rate.

A significant portion of the bill backlog currently is subject to latepayment interest penalties at rates of up to 12 percent annually. The governor directed his staff to initiate a bond issuance to refinance this high-cost debt by borrowing from banks at a much lower interest rate, which will result in considerable savings to the state.

The governor named the firms that will handle the bulk of the state’s $6 billion bond sale, according to a Chicago Sun-Times article on Sept. 22.

The first series of bonds will go out in a $4.5 billion negotiated sale, and the state will competitively bid the remaining $1.5 billion in general obligation bonds, according to a statement from the governor’s office. Both series are expected to hit the market in October and close by mid-November. The state also plans to issue an additional $750 million in bonds in December to fund capital projects.

FEDERAL JUDGE STRIKES DOWN DOL OVERTIME RULE U.S. District Court Judge Amos L. Mazzant, III, Texas, invalidated the $47,476 salary threshold that the U.S. Department of Labor attempted to implement last year, which would have more than doubled the minimum salary level for white collar overtime exemptions.

The U.S. DOL still has the authority to increase the salary level for the “white collar” or “EAP” test, just not to the level of $47,476. The final decision, at this time, preserves the existing minimum salary of $455 per week ($23,660 per year) for exempt status from overtime pay. The decision still can be appealed to a higher court.

Source: Wessels Sherman, E-alert

District’s Future (continued from front page)

and a 25 percent increase in fine arts studies. The change in athletics was profiled on an ESPN story. “That was special to see,” he said.

Under Jarrett’s watch, RPS has expanded its early childhood education program as well as all-day preKindergarten seats. Just as important, the district was named a Ford Next Generation Learning Community, a nationally recognized program intended to engage key community stakeholders to transform existing public high schools into career academies where students learn their academics through the lens of a potential career.

“It’s encouraging to hear that we’re staying the course, we have strategies we’re carrying out, progress is coming and we’ve shifted from talking about performance to talking about unique initiatives,” said Einar Forsman, president & CEO of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

More Community Engagement Another success is the surplus in volunteers. The district has seen an increase in volunteers in schools – 2,500 to 8,000 volunteers. “Help us build

those pathways,” Jarrett said. “We can’t get those connections for our students without great partnerships between business, higher education and K-12. The business community is the key link to that. We need support at all levels.”

Rodney Prunty brought a group from Racine, Wis., to hear Jarrett speak. Prunty is president of the United Way of Racine County and a former Rockford resident.

“We wanted to share with our community the educational updates – we love the model, we love the approach, we love the connection to the business community, so we want to replicate that in Racine.

“One of the biggest things that impresses me most is the partnership with Rockford University to grow teachers,” he added. “Isn’t that one of the obvious things to do? There’s a teaching shortage, so why not grow your own and create a climate where our students can be successful? It’s all about engagement with the business community. We’re going to duplicate this for sure in our community, in the near future. We’re going to have to cast a wider net if we want to have a successful school district.”

The event was sponsored by BMO Harris Bank, Humana and SwedishAmerican, A Division of UW Health. theVoice

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October 2017

Developing our talent pipeline Making it a seamless transition An unbreakable bond: That’s what develops when a community prepares its young people for college, career and life.

I spoke of the importance of that bond last month during the Rockford Chamber’s Education Outlook Luncheon. But I’m not telling the business people of this community anything they don’t know. They know how vitally important it is to make the bond unbreakable.

Time and again we’ve seen talented students leave Rockford and never come back. Rockford is not alone of course in suffering these losses.

Companies go where the talent is.

And talent goes where there is a great quality of life.

It’s easy to be envious of places where talent attraction and retention is seamless — places like Palo Alto, Calif., where the local high school has a graduation rate of 96 percent and nearly three out of four students take AP courses.

But such great preparation of students for college, career and life is not out of our grasp. In fact, Ford Next Generation Learning already recognized Rockford as one of three model communities in the nation. Ford NGL lauded us for how we are transforming secondary schools with our academy model and offering relevant and engaging learning.

Partners in Education We haven’t done it alone. With the help of the entire community, we’ve built innovative local pathways in which students can find their calling, pursue their education and start a career — all without leaving Rockford.

There’s the Rockford Public SchoolsRockford University Education Pathway, for example, in which as many as 20 students a year can become teachers for as little as $20,000 for all four years of college. The goal is a diverse teaching force, filled with educators who are guaranteed work at RPS 205 and guaranteed a free master’s degree in urban education.

There’s the pathway program the district is developing in partnership with Alignment Rockford to help build a workforce talent pipeline for the Rockford Police Department and Rockford Fire Department.

It’s not all about us. There’s the Rock Valley College-Northern Illinois University program in which young people can get an engineering degree without ever having to leave Rockford.

There are the nursing partnerships that RVC has recently expanded, providing nearly 60 percent of its graduates jobs so they can stay in Rockford. There’s the world-class AAR airplane maintenance

Over the next year, I will

share the ways in which you can join us to raise up our

young people and deepen the connection between them,

the region’s businesses and their community.

facility at Chicago Rockford International Airport. Now, if young men or women want to be airline mechanics, there are jobs readily available. They can stay and be part of our talent supply.

It’s a simple recipe. Working in partnership with one another, we can leverage local investment to create powerful incentives for young people to stay.

There’s more work to be done and there’s plenty of opportunity for you to help.

You can contribute to location-based scholarships through Rockford Promise, which sends graduates of RPS 205 to college. The organization awarded 10 of these scholarships last year and hopes to double that number this year.

You can join nearly 8,000 of your fellow community members by volunteering with the Rockford Public Schools. We’ve already seen a 215 percent increase in the number of volunteers in the last four years. They are making their investment in myriad ways, from helping children learn to read to helping high school seniors with their Capstone projects.

We know there’s even more people who are willing to help, so we’re setting an ambitious goal with a tight timeframe.

We’d like to reach the 10,000-volunteer mark by the end of this school year.

Help us by contacting Marsha Sisney at sisneym@rps205.com Rockford does not have the inherent advantages other communities do.

However, we make things. We get things done.

No passive strategy is going to work here. Over the next year, I will share the ways in which you can join us to raise up our young people and deepen the connection between them, the region’s businesses and their community.

Let’s make that bond unbreakable.

Dr. Ehren Jarrett is superintendent of Rockford Public Schools.

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

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IGNITE

Young Professionals

Changing your perspective

Give, and receive, through volunteering This experience grounds me to appreciate what I do have, because as anything else in life; nothing is guaranteed.

We often find ourselves caught up in day-to-day life that has trained us that the more we acquire, the more successful we are. We post, tweet and snap chat atrocities, like the bad service we got at Starbucks and about how our favorite sports team disappointed us.

That’s just to name a few things I have seen over the past hour.

At the end of the day, it all boils down to perspective. We have come to expect and take for granted the things we have in life. I am not saying that it is good or bad, but it is just the way it is. I live in a house, I drive a car, I go on vacations, and I have to subscribe to HBO for the next session of Game of Thrones. You get the idea.

Over the past seven years, I have chaired a golf outing for the children of Walter Lawson Children’s Home. This not-for profit organization provides 24hour care and housing for the profoundly disabled children who reside there.

It started for me as most other board positions start; someone steps down after serving a set term, and I accepted the role. At year seven, I have no plans on stepping down or backing away from the outing, even though it is very timeconsuming and can be stressful.

The truth of it is, I feel as though I get as much out of it as the kids who reside at the home. I actually feel good about volunteering to help this organization.

I know it makes a big impact, as the money goes towards improving the

Greg Lundquist

quality of IGNITE life for these children by supplying them with sensory equipment for therapy and new mattresses -- just to name a few items.

It truly only took one walk through the facility to come to the realization that while I get up every morning and choose what I want to do; these children do not get to make those choices. As I thought about it more, it dawned on me that the things that I get upset about actually are trivial in nature in the big scheme of things. While I still have goals within my family life and career, this experience grounds me to appreciate what I do have, because as anything else in life; nothing is guaranteed.

In closing, while volunteering and giving back to the community is the right thing to do, it also can be rewarding to the person volunteering. While I used the children’s home in my article, as most of you know, there are many worthwhile organizations out there that are deserving and needing our help.

Through IGNITE, we have a group entirely devoted to giving back to the community through organizing volunteer opportunities to participate in.

Most recently, we fed the homeless at the Rockford Rescue Mission and prepared meals for families at the food bank. So, if you are looking for opportunities, we can help you with that. If you are looking to change your perspective on things, take some time to give back and volunteer.

Greg Lundquist is VP of IGNITE and AVPcash management at Blackhawk Bank.

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

MEMBERSHIP SALES – ROCKFORD CHAMBER Seeking a dynamic, self-motivated, credible individual to complete our membership development/sales team. The ideal candidate must be sales oriented, willing to follow proven success methods and enjoy talking to business leaders.

This position is a match for someone who is: ■■ Goal oriented ■■ Works independently ■■ Values integrity ■■ Wants to work in a position that supports business ■■ Seeking a career rather than a job ■■ Understands the issues facing business

enhancement of the Chamber’s investment revenues. Responsible for achieving membership recruitment goals on a monthly basis.

EXPERIENCE: ■■ Proven track record of achievement ■■ Proven success in a professional sales environment ■■ Possess superior telephone skills ■■ Previous success in a fast-paced environment ■■ Ability to communicate with use of imagery, a must ■■ Must be able to laugh at yourself and with others

PURPOSE & AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY: Primary responsibility is to ensure the growth of the Chamber’s membership by creating, developing, sustaining and recruiting new members in a manner that will ensure a net gain in members and an EDUCATION: Bachelor’s degree preferred

Send resume and personalized cover letter including day-time phone number to: hgarner@rockfordchamber.com.

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October 2017

 Destination

ILLINOIS, USA

ADDING WEALTH TO THE REGION’S ECONOMY BY GROWING TOURISM

Announcing ‘Business is Blooming’

John Groh Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

Beautification, public art efforts continue to bloom This past January, I teased in this publication a new pilot program to further build on the Forest City Beautiful efforts aimed to beautify the Rockford region. And as of last month, we have announced the new program, Business is Blooming, which exists to build a culture of community involvement and visually appealing environments for our city. The program supports and acknowledges the positive values and efforts displayed by our business owners to make Rockford a beautiful and enjoyable place to live, work and play. For our RACVB board and staff, rewarding activity that strengthens civic pride is one of the vital links to long-term success in the Rockford region.

Since 2013, the Forest City Beautiful program has raised $500,000 in public and private money to help beautify and update the streetscapes and landscapes in our community. As the program has matured, we are evolving to continue that success and to encourage our partners to take active roles in the process.

To get the ball rolling for Business is Blooming, we sent a team of judges to look at the exterior grounds of selected businesses in the River District Association, Midtown District and Coronado Haskell Neighborhood Association. Out of 23 businesses, six were chosen as “Businesses of Distinction” in select categories: Small Business (1 to 10 employees) The Loc Shop and Community Foundation of Northern Illinois; Large Business (26plus employees) HolmstromKennedy PC; Restaurant Outdoor Dining: Abreo and Prairie Street Brewing Company; and Special Recognition Woodfire Brick Oven Pizza.

The selected businesses will be shining examples for the Business is Blooming contest that will be held in and voted on in July 2018. Business owners are encouraged to visit forestcitybeautiful. com/bloom to get more information about the program and to register to participate.

The goal is to recognize and incentivize businesses, organizations and property owners to improve the landscaping and facades of their buildings and properties; promote year-round activity/maintenance such as proper snow removal at businesses for customer access as well as lush summer landscapes and weed-free, litter-free environments. Outstanding or innovative beautification achievements will be selected and rewarded.

Rain Art Returns with a Splash As part of the Forest City Beautiful initiative, we also launched version 2.0 of Rockford Rain Art with the help of Rockford Community Partners, River District, Midtown District, Miracle Mile

and

SwedishAmerican.

The

program was well received in 2016, and we were encouraged to bring this whimsical public art program back to the community for a second year. The great thing about this project is that it is low cost but has big impact! In fact, Expedia.com included Rockford and the rain art project in their “Most Beautiful Towns in All 50 States” column this past spring.

The article stated: “Rockford is certainly a catch. Whether you’re picking honey crisp apples at Curran’s Orchard or doting on the intricate Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum & Gardens, you’re in for a treat when you explore this Midwest city. But if tut, tut, it looks like rain, don’t worry, it won’t put a damper on your sightseeing; Rockford Rain Art has a genius installation, in which artwork magically appears on wet sidewalks in certain parts of town!”

You can download a map of the Rain Art locations at www.gorockford.com/ rainart.

And speaking of public art, I must give a “shout out” to the tremendous work done by Nicholas Conservatory this year with its exhibit Bruce Monroe: LIGHT. The acclaimed artist’s work in Rockford has garnered attention from USA Today and Chicago Magazine among others. The large installation of lights has been magical to see glowing along the Rock River all summer long. Don’t miss your opportunity to stop by before the exhibit ends on Nov. 5.

It goes to show you that strategic efforts on both a large and small scale can have tremendous impact on how visitors and residents view our community.

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.

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October 2017

R O C K F O R D

C H A M B E R

O F

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

C O M M E R C E

Small Business Enterprise

Rockford Buzz celebrates three years of spreading good news

By Jake Bradt, Rockford Buzz The idea to start a business usually comes out of passion or frustration. Mine came out of both. I’ve always had a passion for my community, and I was frustrated at the attitude that seemingly everyone carried towards it. It was the spring of 2013, and I had had it up to my eyeballs with people talking smack about Rockford.

I was tired of hearing people say things like “I can’t wait to get out of here” or “There’s nothing to do in Rockford.”

When I quizzed people about the different activities, places and businesses within Rockford, most of them claimed ignorance.

So, I decided to do something about it!

I grabbed my cell phone and started taking short videos of the positive people, places and things within our community.

These videos went up on a Facebook page and Rockford Buzz was born. Granted, it wasn’t called Rockford Buzz at the time, but it didn’t take long for me to see that I had struck a nerve with people. I wasn’t

the only person that thought Rockford is awesome. I’d had the itch to do a community-based website for a long time.

After discussing it with some friends and local developers, we got to work in early 2014 on RockfordBuzz.com, and launched the first version of the website in September 2014.

It turns out that running a business, even a digital one, isn’t all that easy. There are a LOT of challenges involved, and that’s where NIU EIGERlab comes in.

I originally learned about them through a visit to the Small Business Development Center. I was encouraged to participate in the 2015 FastPitch Competition. My experience pitching my business was amazing. With the help of the NIU EIGERlab team and support of my peers, I managed to make it to the finals of the competition. Although I didn’t win, the experience and connections made at the event were priceless.

A Vision Realized Since then, I’ve continued to work with NIU EIGERlab as a resource to bounce ideas off of, learn about subjects that apply to me as a local entrepreneur, and connect with like-minded people. My only regret is that I didn’t contact them sooner in my journey. I’m sure I could’ve saved myself a few lumps from the school

In July of this year, a sudden microburst tornado tore the roof from Des Plaines Office Equipment’s headquarters in Elk Grove Village.

Gone in 60 seconds What is your disaster recovery plan?

By James Mitchell, Des Plaines Office Equipment In less than a minute, the roof from Des Plaines Office Equipment’s (DPOE) U.S. headquarters in Elk Grove Village, Ill., was torn off by a microburst tornado at 4:45 p.m., on Friday, July 28. Sixty seconds later, thousands of gallons of water poured into the building, trapping employees and instantly destroying 30 years of work, paper-based records, millions of dollars of equipment and supplies.

Minutes later, employees were scrambling to make sure everyone in the building was safe and accounted for. The amount of water coming in from the roof and storm caused many

employees to seek shelter under their desks, so every inch of the building had to be searched. This was all before the police, paramedics and the fire department arrived. Everyone was wet, but fortunately unharmed.

After this kind of emergency, many employers will ask: ■ How will I rebuild the business?

■ How will we STAY in business?

These are legitimate, major concerns.

Any business owner would be right to worry. Fortunately for DPOE and their thousands of customers, the company had a disaster recovery plan in place that was immediately implemented.

Fast Forward to Monday Morning As an IT provider, DPOE knew how important disaster recovery might be in the event of an emergency. They already had redundant servers in place, in

addition to a cloud-based phone system that they immediately utilized.

Ensuring that no client disruptions were incurred was paramount, as service is key to DPOE’s success. The delivery trucks for Monday’s deliveries were already loaded before the storm, so not a single delivery was missed.

Additionally, all phone calls from the main call center were rerouted to other offices, and employees were reassigned to those cities.

Parts and supplies had always been stocked in multiple locations to better serve customers regionally, but were now being used as auxiliary inventory to keep all of DPOE’s customers operational.

Suppliers were all notified immediately after the storm, and replacement copiers, printers, computers and Aquos boards were all rolling toward the various DPOE offices to provide additional customer

of hard-knocks had I done so.

This month RockfordBuzz.com is celebrating its third anniversary. In order to kick off year four with a bang, we’re launching a whole new website and mobile app. The original vision I had three-plus years ago is finally coming to fruition, and I couldn’t be more excited. I know for a fact that I wouldn’t be at this point in my business without the help of NIU EIGERlab and its team.

If you are thinking about starting a business adventure of your own, pick up the phone or send an email to NIU EIGERlab now. I know from experience that it’ll be well worth your time.

Jake Bradt is owner of Rockford Buzz and a proud Rockfordian and business owner.

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

NIU EIGERlab embraces startups. Programming and services are in place at both NIU EIGERlab locations to assist startups and existing businesses — entrepreneurs in all phases. To learn more visit www.EIGERlab.org or call 815753-2192.

inventory by Monday 8 a.m.

■ Not a single delivery was missed ■ Not a single service call was missed ■ Not a single impact was felt by customers, and in fact, most customers do not know about this incident even now.

DPOE is rebuilding its U.S. headquarters and continues to grow. The company’s owners now share this story about how they prepared DPOE for any disaster and how the event can be used to reflect on ways to improve, strengthen teams and augment customer support.

James Mitchell is Rockford sales manager for Des Plaines Office Equipment. Contact him at 224-938-3317 or jmitchell@dpoe.com. DPOE operates three locations in Loves Park, Chicago and Elk Grove Village, Ill. The views expressed are those of Mitchell’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

ABOUT THE SBDC The Illinois SBDC at the Rockford Chamber of Commerce offers services free of charge to aspiring entrepreneurs and small business owners in the Rockford area, both chamber members and non-members. As a partnership between the Rockford Chamber and the Illinois DCEO, it operates out of NIU EIGERlab, NIU-Rockford, 8500 E. State St., and maintains an office at the chamber’s downtown location. For questions, contact Bo Boger, SBDC director, at 815-316-4301.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

11

October 2017

Manufacturers in the News Rockford Chamber members appear bolded.

Thank you for your support of your fellow Chamber members.

and custom-molded syringes as well as autoinjectors.

The new labeler was built to achieve EU, FDA and Japanese quality standards for PCI production and includes a full vision control system for identification of defects and positional errors.

Making Work Safer for Machinists PCI has partnered with Marchesini Group on a bespoke, automated labeling solution to handle both standard and custom-molded syringes as well as autoinjectors.

PCI Invests More in Specialized Labeling Capabilities PCI Pharma Services (PCI) announced further investment in bespoke labelling technology at its Hayon-Wye site, Wales, UK. With breakthroughs in advanced therapies and specialized medicines in the pharmaceutical industry, PCI has experienced a surge in demand for more specialized packaging and labeling services. These advances often involve sterile and biological products with parenteral delivery forms that may include prefilled syringes which operate with safety devices, autoinjectors and pen devices. Due to the complex nature of these delivery forms, historical practices for labeling activities might employ manual process – however this can introduce a number of inefficiencies and opportunities for introduction of human error.

Recognizing the market trend for more specialized packaging and labeling services, PCI partnered with Marchesini Group to develop a bespoke, automated labeling solution, leading to the successful design, development and delivery of the important labeling technology able to handle both standard

Rockford Systems LLC and The Master Lock Company have partnered in an initiative to accelerate the adoption of safety technologies in North American manufacturing, leading to a reduction in workplace accidents, improving job efficiencies and ensuring manufacturers are in compliance with the latest OSHA, ANSI and NFPA 79 machine-guarding and lockout/tagout standards.

Rockford Systems estimates more than half U.S. manufacturers do not fully comply with critical requirements for machine safeguarding or lockout/tagout.

Even with strict machine and operator safety regulations in place, unguarded hazardous machinery remains a major source of fatalities, amputations and other traumatic injuries in manufacturing plants. According to OSHA, nearly 18,000 machine operators suffer non-fatal injuries each year in the United States.

The Master Lock Company, through its partnership with Rockford Systems, will broaden its services to include machine guarding assessments and physical safeguarding solutions, providing an end-to-end lockout and machine guarding solution.

Rockford Systems will provide on-site custom safety consulting services using the Machine Safety Assessment Tool (MSAT), which was jointly developed by the two companies. It helps companies identify situations that place machine operators or maintenance personnel in serious, life-threatening danger because of the absence of machine safeguarding.

Machinist job found through community collaboration The Rock Valley College TechWorks CNC Mill and Lathe training program has been providing students with the foundational skills to begin a career in manufacturing for several years. Students who are interested in the “Fast Track” CNC training have different reasons for inquiring about the program, but they are all looking for a job in a field that has immediate openings with a good starting hourly wage and room for growth. These students may be recent high school graduates, unemployed, under employed or looking for a career change. Depending on their situation, they might be a recipient of financial assistance, paying for the tuition with their own money or receiving help from a family member.

Scott Adams, a recent TechWorks graduate, received skills training assistance from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS Church).

The church has a program called Development Counseling Services, designed to assist members of the LDS who have employment barriers. The program can assist those not of the faith upon special approval from a local LDS bishop. Development Counseling Services has limited funds used to assist people overcoming employment barriers The LDS Church’s Development Counseling Services program is comprised of licensed professionals who work closely with individuals and their church leaders, mentors and family members. They coordinate educational and certified vocational training programs, funding resources and onthe-job training opportunities. Eric Jon Tanner, MRC, LVRC, CRC development counselor, assisted Scott Adams with his vocational plan, discussed his needs, resources and goals.

After reviewing Scott’s situation, a

local LDS bishop gave special Bernie Luecke consideration RVC BPI and his approval for him to participate in LDS church program.

Tanner confirmed Adams’ commitment to the TechWorks CNC Training program and not only assisted in skills training assistance, but monitored his employment goals until they were achieved. Adams successfully completed the week of job readiness, the six weeks of classroom and hands on training. Like every TechWorks student, Scott was drug tested and participated in the WorkKeys assessment to get a more comprehensive understanding of his current skill set.

In addition, he successfully completed two National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS) credentials. Both the Measurement, Materials & Safety credential along with the CNC Milling credential are nationally recognized.

After graduation from the TechWorks training program, Adams landed a machinist job with a local manufacturer making $15.60 an hour. “I had no idea I would begin earning this high of an hourly rate this quickly. I’m very grateful to the RVC TechWorks Training Program and the LDS Church for their great help finding me a career job.”

If you are interested in learning more about Rock Valley College’s TechWorks CNC Mill & Lathe training program, contact me at 815-921-2067 or B.Luecke@ RockValleyCollege.edu.

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

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

Manufacturing News is sponsored by RVC BPI.

12

Living Well — 360 Degree Health

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

October 2017

Guest Perspective INSIGHT

Regulating sleep-wake cycles In step with (circadian) rhythm For many employees, it can be hard to get through that first part of the work day without getting sleepy. Sometimes it can even be a struggle to sit through an early morning meeting without nodding off. The solution to these problems seems like it can be easily achieved by getting to bed earlier every night, but sometimes even doing that doesn’t get the job done.

Believe it or not, a good night’s sleep has less to do with when you get to bed and more to do with the light you are exposed to throughout the day.

Something called your “circadian rhythm” dictates the best time for your body to be awake and asleep. According to Psychology Today, the circadian rhythm is “a cycle that tells our bodies when to sleep, rise, eat — regulating many physiological processes.” Much of that rhythm can be attributed to the cycles of day and night, and the light you encounter during those times. When the sun starts to rise, you start to rise.

During the middle of the day, you are up and active. In the evening, you begin to settle down and get sleepy. You can thank the natural light from the sun for making you feel that way.

The Effect of Light However, over the course of centuries, humans’ circadian rhythms have gradually changed. With the introduction of artificial lights, we have changed the way our bodies feel during different parts of the day. With natural light, you start with large concentrations of blue light to wake you up, ease into less blue light throughout the afternoon, transition into reddish light by late afternoon or evening, and lay down to sleep when darkness hits.

With artificial light, that schedule is not always accurate. You might be feeling tired in the middle of the day if you’re under dim incandescent lights.

late afternoon or

evening,

helping

you

Patti Thayer Thayer Lighting Inc.

wind down at the end of the day.

What Else Can I Do? There are other steps you can take, without using LED lighting, to more properly follow your circadian rhythm.

Try keeping your phone away from you and not watching television right before getting into bed, as the bright blueish lights from both can make it difficult to fall asleep. Some smart phones also include a “blue light filter” in settings, so you can continue to use your phone late at night and not worry about negatively affecting your circadian rhythm. Any Staying awake in front of the blue glow of a television could make it harder for you to sleep at the end of the day. Overall, messing with your circadian rhythm can be detrimental to your health, cause depression, obesity, diabetes, and more.

Thankfully, technology through LED is coming back around to help correct these issues.

How LED Lighting Can Help LED lighting has reached the point where it not only is the most energy

efficient lighting on the market, but the most versatile too. LED lighting can come in an incredible array of colors and hues to match your preference and fit with your circadian rhythm. Brighter LED bulbs with bluish tints can be set up around your home or office to wake you up and keep you alert in the middle of the day, when you most naturally should be. Warm LED lights, which match your typical incandescent bulbs, can be used in your bedrooms or living rooms to properly simulate

RIDING THE COLOR WAVE “Fluorescent light bulbs and LEDs are prized for being energy-efficient, but the light they produce can contribute to insomnia. Both emit blue light, which promotes alertness while decreasing the amount of the natural sleep hormone melatonin. While blue light may be helpful in the mornings, exposure to blue light closer to bedtime can make falling asleep more difficult.”

NASA astronauts use a special LED light bulb that encourages the production of melatonin. Typical light bulbs emit high levels of short wavelength “blue” light that suppresses melatonin, but the NASA light bulb’s filter reduces blue light by 50 percent to facilitate a better night’s sleep.

Source: www.space.com

chance you get, let natural lighting guide your patterns. Allow sunlight to wake you up (if you don’t need to wake up early), and start to settle for the day when the sky begins to turn dark.

With not only the help of LED lighting, but by making some basic changes in your life, you can begin to adjust your circadian rhythm back to normal. You’ll find yourself waking up refreshed, staying alert during the day, having less trouble falling asleep at night, and being less at risk for certain conditions and sleep disorders. When it comes to improving your health, don’t mess around; change your life for the better!

Patti Thayer is president at Thayer Lighting Inc. The views expressed are those of Thayer’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

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Living Well — 360 Degree Health

October 2017

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Members’ advancements in the pursuit of wellness

By Barbara Connors Advances in technology, processes and procedures in healthcare may resemble science-fiction, but more often than not, they are becoming reality and reshaping the way we achieve better wellness. Diagnostic smartphones apps, virtual reality simulations as the new cognitive behavioral therapy, geneediting technologies for conditions such as sickle cell disease, and stem cell therapies for regenerating damaged tissues — all are in the realm of possibilities.

Healthcare and wellness organization in this area are using technology advances to better the way we do healthcare. Please visit www.rockfordchamber.com for more information from these Rockford Chamber members.

theFranaGroup clients awarded more than $1.7 million The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services awarded $1,757,000 to 10 Federally Qualified Health Center clinics, clients of theFranaGroup, for greater access to substance abuse and mental health services addressing the opioid epidemic in seven states: Illinois, Michigan, Kansas, California, Iowa,

Alaska and Indiana. The funds will go towards increasing access to treatment and recovery services for persons in high-risk populations, targeting the use of overdose-reversing drugs and better practices for pain management.

the NICU. “The unit aims to decrease overstimulation of the most fragile babies by incorporating much lower noise levels and lighting.”

The highly specialized team members complete advanced training and speak in hushed voices as they care for their tiny patients under special lighting. New mothers are encouraged to give their tiny babies skin-to-skin touch therapy, which is proven to help babies grow and develop.

Simulating the mother’s womb In the world of newborns, micropreemies are the most premature babies of all. These tiny ones are born after being in the mother’s womb less than 27 weeks or weighing less than 2.2 pounds. Mercyhealth HospitalRockton Avenue has the region’s only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the highest level of care available. In February 2017, the hospital opened its new six-bed Small Baby Unit to improve long-term developmental outcomes for these little infants.

“The main goal of the Small Baby Unit is to replicate the mother’s womb,” said Gillian Headley, M.D., neonatologist and medical director of

the same day with very little pain,” said Dr. Michael J. Chmell, OrthoIllinois.

The surgeons have performed more than 160 total joint replacements since rolling out its program in January 2016.

“By administering anti-inflammatory medication and a pure narcotic shortly before surgery, along with a local, long-lasting anesthetic into the knee joint toward the end of surgery, we can get ahead of the pain rather than playing catch up after surgery. With this method, patients typically take significantly less pain medication after surgery, which helps them recover and return to normal activities quicker.”

Outpatient total joint replacements becoming the norm Outpatient total joint replacements are becoming the norm rather than the exception thanks to improved technology, less invasive techniques and advances in pain management.

“Ten to 15 years ago I never would have imagined that outpatient knee replacement would be possible, and today, patients can walk into the surgery center, have a knee replaced and leave

Illinois AHEC Program receives federal funding The National Center for Rural Health Professions, a part of the University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford, received five years of additional grant funding, amounting to nearly $6.9 Continued on page 15

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Living Well — 360 Degree Health

October 2017

Healthcare in region (continued from page 14)

million, for the continuation and expansion of the Illinois Area Health Education Center Network Program.

Established in 2010, the program comprises eight regional centers serving rural and urban underserved residents in Illinois. Renewed funding will go towards enhanced education and training to increase the diversity and distribution of health professionals, promote healthcare quality and improve healthcare delivery — all long-term solutions to health and workforce disparities.

The main program office is in Rockford, with a satellite office in Chicago. A ninth regional AHEC center will be established to serve the suburban collar counties around Chicago.

Techniques reduce pain, infection during spine surgery Rockford Spine Center surgeons Drs. Michael Roh, Fred Sweet and Christopher Sliva have seen success with minimally invasive techniques that

produce less pain and blood loss than traditional surgery. Through incisions as small as the size of a fingernail, they remove bone spurs, herniated discs and spinal stenosis in the neck and back in procedures that take 20 to 30 minutes.

Patient often go home the same day, return to desk jobs within a few days and see full recovery in seven to 10 days.

RSC’s latest advanced treatment technique uses Exparel, a non-narcotic numbing medication, to help improve patients’ overall pain after a cervical, lumbar or thoracic fusion surgery.

A study by the OSF Saint Anthony Medical Center pharmacy department last fall showed that the drug helped patients recover faster with less postsurgical pain. The surgeons inject the medication at the surgical site towards the end of the procedure. As it wears off, other pain-reducing medications begin working.

RSC also has researched the use of Vancomycin antibiotic powder and published its research in Spine magazine. “The number of antibioticresistant bugs has increased steadily, and the infection rate has risen steadily during the past 10 to 20 years,” Dr. Sweet said. “That’s why we took matters into our own hands.”

Vancomycin is applied in powder form directly into the surgical incision, instead of through an IV. It stays in the wound and does not get into the patient’s blood stream, eliminating the potential for resistance. The team has

15

reduced the incidence of infection by 1,000 percent.

Disposing of medications safely Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful and other area organizations are advising residents to dispose of their expired and unused medications in a safe manner.

That is, never flushing them down the sink drain or toilet, putting them in the trash, giving or selling to them to others or burying them in the ground. Up to 90 percent of consumers improperly dispose of unused medicine down the toilet or in the trash.

■■ Prescription medicine is the number one source of drugs improperly/illegally used by teenagers and older adults.

■■ 78,000 children per year under age five are treated for accidental medication poisoning in the United States. Accidental ingestion can occur particularly among young children and pets if medicines are thrown in the trash.

■■ Eighty percent of water samples contained residues of prescription and non-prescription drugs, according to a U.S. Geological Survey test of 139 streams across 30 states. This could lead to reproductive and developmental problems in fish and other aquatic wildlife.

■■ Illegal use or theft, including identity theft, is occurring from discarded containers providing personal patient information.

An area pharmacist participates in a Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful household medication collection to help combat painkiller addiction, accidental poisonings and water and soil pollution.

Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful hosts Household Medication Collections to help combat pain-killer addiction, accidental poisonings and water and soil pollution. Over-the-counter and prescription medications, including liquids, patches and inhalers are accepted, preferably in original packaging. (Needles or bio-hazardous materials cannot be accepted.) Patient names should be marked out, with the drug name and strength visible. The Continued on page 16

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Living Well — 360 Degree Health

Healthcare in region (continued from page 15)

medications are incinerated and the packaging recycled.

did push-ups to try to lower my blood sugar,” Nikolas said. “I know I’m not the only one who has gone through an emergency like this.”

Safeguards in the new law: ■■ Emergency refills only can be issued at a pharmacy that has previously dispensed a prescription for the same patient and same medicine.

■■ Pharmacists must determine that a disruption of the medicine would be medically harmful or painful for the patient.

■■ Controlled substances are excluded, and refills cannot be issued for a period longer than 30 days.

New Stadelman law protects patients from missing vital medications Gov. Bruce Rauner signed a law giving Illinois pharmacists the discretion to dispense vital medication to patients when a refill isn’t immediately available through a doctor. Illinois Senator Steve Stadelman discussed Senate Bill 1790 at a news conference in August at the University of Illinois College of Pharmacy in Rockford.

Stadelman’s son Nikolas, a Type 1 diabetic, recounted at the conference coping without insulin for 36 hours.

He was 13 years old, and his parents made unsuccessful attempts to refill his prescription during a family vacation at Yellowstone National Park. “I swam and

October 2017 effective, with the removal of the cloudy lens inside the eye and replacement with an artificial mono-focal lens implant (called an Intraocular Lens or IOL) to restore clear vision. But for those patients that receive today’s advanced technology, multi-focal implants, the results will be even better: The reduction or elimination of reading and distance glasses, according to Dr. Richard A. Miller.

Miller Eye Center has performed more than 3,000 of these advanced technology implants, with 93 percent of these patients having greatly reduced or eliminated their need for glasses altogether. The center has seen the best possible results with ReSTOR®, the most widely-used of these products in the United States.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

in 60 seconds and is safe on drains and septic systems. They can compost it, as it biodegrades in 60 days or less in a moist soil environment. They can burn it cleanly and safely in fireplaces and fire pits.

Rockford Park District reports top recreation The Rockford Park District received its annual report on residents’ usage of its healthy lifestyles programs and services.

■■ 1,027,450 used the recreation and bike paths.

■■ 637,054 enjoyed local museums such as Rockford Art Museum, Discovery Center Museum, Burpee Museum, Midway Village Museum and Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum.

■■ 161,355 enjoyed the outdoors at Sinnissippi riverfront and gardens.

Cataracts: Advanced technology, freedom from ‘readers’ By age 65, 90 percent of us will have heard our eye doctor say: “You have cataracts.” Cataracts are among the most common of health problems, affecting more than 20 million Americans. This number is expected to reach 30 million by year 2020, and 4,000,000 cataracts surgeries are performed each year in the United States.

For most, the process is routine and

■■ 86,3641 participated in “Books for Fun” at Magic Waters Waterpark.

Packaging medications the green way SwedishAmerican, A Division of UW Health’s pharmacy has implemented a new solution to sending temperature-sensitive pharmaceuticals to patients using Green Cell Foam, a new packaging material that is 100 percent biodegradable. Patients can dissolve the packaging, as the foam dissolves in water

■■ 8,309 listened to live music and watched area talent perform at Live at Levings and Domingos en el Parque at Levings Park.

■■ 1,790 participated in swim lessons.

■■ 1,271 played pickleball.

The entire report is available at www.rockfordparkdistrict.org.

Barbara Connors is editor of The VOICE.

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Living Well — 360 Degree Health

October 2017

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Guest Perspective INSIGHT

How your job affects your veins Keeping healthy circulation

■■ Itchy feelings around leg veins

calf raises or work in a couple of squats when you have the chance.

■■ Skin surface ulcers on the lower legs (only in very severe cases)

■■ Shift your standing position as often as possible.

Connection: Your Job and Your Veins

More than 40 million Americans suffer from varicose veins. And contrary to popular belief, it’s not just a cosmetic, female or elderly problem. The bulging, twisted veins can affect anyone at any age and can lead to serious medical issues such as blood clots.

Varicose veins are a medical condition in which the veins cannot sufficiently send blood from the legs back to the heart.

There are many factors that increase your risk for developing varicose veins, and your job can be one of them. If you’re required to sit or stand for extended periods of time, it’s possible your job is contributing to the development of varicose vein problems which can be painful and cause the following symptoms:

Tips for Healthier Veins on the Job

■■ Burning, throbbing or cramping in the legs

■■ If you’re sitting most of the day, prop your feet up on a foot rest or stool.

■■ Tired, achy or heavy feeling legs

■■ If you’re standing most of the day, try

Our veins are equipped with tiny internal valves that enable the blood to flow forward in one direction, upward back to the heart. When these valves become damaged or weakened, the blood cannot sufficiently flow upward, flows backward (reflux) and results in pooling of blood and increased pressure on the other valves. Long periods of sitting or standing add to gravity’s pull on the blood, further contributing to inhibited blood flow.

So, if you find that you’re consistently sitting at your desk or standing on your feet while working, your job may be having adverse effects on your veins.

■■ Walk around at least once every 30 minutes.

■■ To improve circulation, wear compression stockings while working.

■■ Wear appropriate footwear with cushioned socks or insoles.

■■ Wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothing to prevent circulation restriction.

■■ Ice swollen veins or legs, or try a hot compress if ice isn’t helpful.

Don’t Leave the Healthy Habits at Work Maintaining a healthy weight with regular exercise and consuming a wellbalanced, low-salt diet can also help reduce your risk of developing vein disease.

Regular exercise will promote healthy circulation, a low-salt diet will reduce high blood pressure, and a healthy body weight will reduce the strain on your veins.

Elevating your legs while at rest is one of the best ways to prevent blood

from pooling Dr. Rimas Gilvydis in your calves Northern Illinois and ankles.

Vein Clinic When resting, especially in the evening hours, prop your feet up on a couple of pillows or relax in a recliner chair. This will ease pressure and aid in healthy circulation.

If you suffer from varicose veins, you’re probably familiar with the embarrassing and painful signs and symptoms that come with the condition. You may have asked yourself why you’ve developed varicose veins, or if there was something you could have done to prevent it. There are many reasons why you may be suffering from vein disease, and you’re not alone.

Fortunately, there are things you can do on your own to help reduce your risk or lessen symptoms.

Dr. Rimas Gilvydis is a board-certified interventional radiologist with Northern Illinois Vein Clinic and has been treating varicose veins with minimally invasive techniques since they were first introduced in 2001.

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

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Living Well — 360 Degree Health

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

October 2017

Guest Perspective INSIGHT

Mental health considerations in the workplace Confronting a major cause of absenteeism The costs associated with mental and behavioral health issues hurt not only the families and individuals who deal with them — but they also have a negative impact on the businesses that fail to acknowledge and address the existence of mental health problems in the workplace.

A 2015 study from Harvard and Stanford University business schools found that depression alone is estimated to cost the U.S. $210 billion a year, half of which are workplace costs, including missed work days and reduced productivity. By 2020, the World Health Organization estimates that depression will be the second leading cause of disability worldwide.

Focusing on workplace mental health is no longer just the right thing to do, but it also should be a fiscal priority.

A recent 2016 U.S. News article states that every $1 spent by governments on mental health treatment generates an average net benefit of $4 — an impressive return on investment.

What Are the Costs?

Mental health problems affect many employees (and employers). One-infive people take the step to reach out for treatment to address issues such as depression, anxiety, work-related stresses, family communication issues, substance abuse and more. But the stigma of admitting the need for help leads many employees to hide their problems and not seek help. These unaddressed issues will impact your company in many ways: Absenteeism — Lost productivity because an employee calls in sick or takes a “mental health day.” Isn’t it telling that we even have a term named mental health day? In a public opinion poll conducted by the American Psychological Association, two-thirds

and

also

in

the company’s

Eileen Liezert Family Counseling Services

financial health.

Optimally, employers will offer their employees an affordable group health insurance plan that includes mental health coverage. Unfortunately, many businesses, particularly smaller employers,

can

no

longer

afford

to provide insurance coverage for employees, leaving them to search for individual plans that may not include mental health coverage. of men and women say work has a significant impact on their stress level.

Job stress alone is estimated to cost U.S. companies $300 billion a year in absenteeism, as well as diminished productivity, employee turnover and direct medical and insurance fees.

Presenteeism — Lost productivity because an employee comes to work, but simply isn’t productive. With issues properly treated, studies show that companies will reduce job-related accidents, improve the number of hours worked and improve the productivity of those hours.

Compensation Claims — It’s not always physical injuries that lead to costly workers compensation claims — psychosocial issues also can increase claim costs. Hartford Financial Services Group Inc., in 2016 analyzed its workers comp claim data from 2002 to 2015. The analysis found that 10 percent of claims featured at least one psychosocial issue, and that those claims account for 60 percent of claims costs.

What Are the Benefits?

Simply

put,

a

mentally-healthy

workplace fosters employee health and wellbeing, while enhancing organizational performance. It’s a winwin for everyone.

Benefits to employees: ■■ Increased job satisfaction ■■ Improved morale

However, there are still ways they can support the mental health needs of their employees, e.g., provide a positive and supportive company culture that encourages and promotes work life/ balance, provide EAP services, and maintain a list of local resources like Family Counseling Services for

■■ Enhanced motivation

employees in need of mental health

■■ Improved ability to manage stress

services. If you, or someone in your

■■ Benefits to employers:

company, suffer from any mental or

■■ Improved quality and productivity ■■ Reduced absenteeism, presenteeism ■■ Reduced accidents and injuries ■■ Reduced turnover

behavioral health issues, don’t assume it will get better with time. Reach out to a licensed professional clinician and get started on the path to health and wellness.

■■ Lower healthcare costs

Investing in Mental Health

Eileen Liezert, LCSW, ACSW, is executive

While mental health is often still viewed as an invisible disease, it is clear that the personal toll on employees — and the financial cost to companies — could be eased if people who need treatment are able to access it, without fear of recrimination. In the long run, money and time spent on mental health care may represent an investment that will pay off in healthier employees,

provides professional mental and behavioral

director of Family Counseling Services, which health services, available on an incomebased fee scale, to offer everyone the benefit of professional counseling whether they have insurance or not.

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

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Living Well — 360 Degree Health

October 2017

19

Guest Perspective INSIGHT

The opioid epidemic

What it means for the healthy workplace The Opioid Crisis is getting a lot of attention in our nation, and particularly in our region. It’s an ominous title, good for click bait to online news stories and raising heads toward the nightly news.

It’s difficult to pick up a paper or watch television without some kind of report making its way into the daily news cycle. These stories generally contain the shocking imagery of dark, backalley drug deals, hypodermic needles, and belt-wrapped arms. While these photos can be effective in drawing in the audience, they only tell part of the story.

Let’s be clear: our nation certainly has an opioid epidemic, and our regional statistics reflect that fact. Legislative focus for prevention and treatment at any level is appropriate, necessary and welcome.

Fast Facts According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), unintentional overdose deaths in the United States involving opioid pain relievers have more than quadrupled since 1999 and have outnumbered those involving heroin and cocaine since 2002.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration cites a 2014 national survey which indicates about 15 million people aged 12 or older used prescription drugs non-medically in the previous year, and 6.5 million did so in the previous month. Prescription drugs are misused and abused more often than any other drug, except marijuana and alcohol.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that the total economic burden of prescription opioid misuse alone in the United States is $78.5 billion a year, including the costs of healthcare, lost productivity, addiction treatment and criminal justice involvement.

At the current rate, the opioid

epidemic will claim the lives of more than 2,700 Illinoisans in 2020. Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner recently launched the Illinois Opioid Action Plan focused on a variety of pillars, priorities and strategies to reduce the number of projected deaths in 2020 by a third. We are grateful the governor is taking an aggressive stance to tackle this issue.

At the local level, the Winnebago County Coroner’s report for 2016 released earlier this year indicated that 96 people died from illegal and prescription drug overdoses. Sixty-eight of those were specifically heroin or a heroin combination.

At the Rosecrance Harrison campus, opioid admissions were nearly nonexistent in 2006. In 2016, nearly half of all adult clients were admitted to Rosecrance seeking treatment for opioid addiction. The opioid epidemic continues to be most prevalent among the young adult population, with 60 percent of Rosecrance Harrison campus clients ages 18 to 24 reporting opioid use.

The Risks While heroin is an opioid, we’ve never had a doctor prescribe it. But chances are at some point our family medicine cabinet has contained any one of these: Oxycodone (OxyContin, Percodan, Percocet); hydrocodone (Vicodin, Lortab, Lorcet), diphenoxylate (Lomotil); morphine (Kadian, Avinza, MS Contin), or codeine. These drugs are typically prescribed to treat pain due to injury or following surgery.

Opioids are chemically related and interact with opioid receptors on nerve cells in the brain and nervous system to produce pleasurable effects and relieve pain. If prescription opioids are misused or abused, addiction can result, often leading to street purchase and eventually the purchase of heroin, which is less

expensive and more available through illegal sources. What may have begun as an injury from sports or a home improvement project has the potential to evolve into something much more severe, and possibly fatal.

Resources Clearly, not everyone who is prescribed an opioid will become addicted. Addiction is a complex brain disease with many risk factors, including genetics. As with any treatment plan, patients should feel comfortable asking questions about the protocol, including prescription medications. Awareness is critical, and employee wellness programs provide an excellent opportunity for education regarding medications, risks and alternatives. Rosecrance can provide printed materials as well as small group training sessions for employees or specific departments such as human resources or supervisors.

NIDA also offers suggestions for patients prescribed opioids: ■■ follow the directions on the label or by

the pharmacist

Phil Eaton Rosecrance Health Network

■■ be aware of potential interactions with other drugs and alcohol ■■ never stop or change a dosing regimen without first discussing it with the doctor ■■ never use another person’s prescription or give prescription medications to others ■■ store prescription stimulants, sedatives and opioids safely; properly discard unused or expired medications As members of the business community, we have an obligation to encourage our workforce to be educated consumers of all medical treatment, including prescription drugs. If concern arises about an employee’s possible misuse, seek guidance without delay.

Phil Eaton is president/CEO of Rosecrance Health Network.

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

20

Living Well — 360 Degree Health

October 2017

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

To sit or to stand?

What is the right answer?

By Scott Ege, PT, MS, Ege WorkSmart Solutions, PC.

University, “Standing causes a whole variety of problems, just as if you sit for too long.”

People are more sedentary now than ever. Whether it’s time spent working (in the office, school or home), driving, eating or watching TV, the impact of our sedentary lifestyle is one of the most unanticipated health threats of modern time. Numerous research articles have demonstrated that people who sit for prolonged periods of time have a higher risk of dying from all causes — even those who exercised regularly.

In response to the threat of “sitting disease,” there’s been a significant shift in office ergonomics over the past 10 years. Chairs that offer adjustable ergonomic features are critical for proper support with seated tasks. But now standing seems to be the “new sitting” for sedentary work. As a result, SitStand desks and standing workstation designs have exploded over the past five years. However, several recent studies have indicated that there are negative health effects associated with too much standing! According to Alan Hedge, professor of ergonomics at Cornell

Remember the ‘20-8-2’ Rule So, what’s the right answer? A balance of sitting, standing and MOVEMENT! That’s right -- MOVE! Numerous studies show that interspersing periods of sitting with standing and moving promotes blood flow and helps regulate risk factors for obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and some cancers. Follow this general rule: Sit for 20 minutes out of every half hour at work, stand for eight minutes and move around for at least two minutes (walk, take the stairs, whatever …). Don’t wait for discomfort or pain to be your “indicator” to change postures!

Make this “20-8-2” habit stick by using a timer app on your phone or computer.

Bottom-line … movement is the KEY! Scott Ege, PT, MS, is president at Ege WorkSmart Solutions, PC. The views expressed are those of Ege’s and do not necessarily represent those of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

22

October 2017

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Overcommunicating clarity Recently leaders in the Rockford community have been focusing on organizational health as laid out in Patrick Lencioni’s The Advantage. To that end, September’s topic of the Rockford Leadership Alliance centered around Discipline 3: Overcommunicating Clarity. Bryan Dumford, managing partner at The Anser Group, offers some supporting thoughts on this important discipline.

So you had a big offsite. And boy was it a good one. Your leadership team really became a cohesive unit, and you all walked away with clarity and alignment on the direction of your company. Energized by the momentum created, you get back to the office and craft one of your most inspiring emails ever. It’s chock full of great information about purpose and values and goals. You click ‘send’ and smugly lean back in your

“The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place.”

GEORGE BERNARD SHAW chair, convinced that it’s just what your employees need. They will read it, have all of their questions answered and will be motivated to carry out your vision.

Moreover, your company’s annual employee engagement survey is coming up in a few weeks, and you are excited to see those low scores finally improve.

Fast forward … There you are with your head in your hands and the same bad survey results spread out on your desk. “I wish management would just tell me what to focus on.” “I sure could use

some better objectives.”

“I’m not even sure what my job is anymore.”

Bryan Dumford Wait, what?

The Anser Group What went wrong? You clearly articulated these things in your epic email. You KNOW they read it.

You saw the open rate stats. And then it hits you. … You failed to reinforce.

Not only that, you didn’t follow up with your leadership team to make sure that they were doing the same. But why do I always have to do that?

Most times we dislike reminders -getting them and giving them to others.

They seem to be insulting, so leaders are reluctant to repeat themselves. The need for repetition is not a product of employees being unmotivated; it is the result of the many generic, numbing communications that take place within so many organizations. The problem is that leaders confuse the mere transfer of information to an audience, with the audience’s ability to understand and internalize the message that is being communicated.

The only way for people to embrace a message is to hear it over a period of time, in a variety of different situations, and preferably from different people.

That’s why great leaders see themselves as Chief Reminding Officers as much as anything else. Their top two priorities are to set the direction of the organization and then to ensure that people are reminded of it on a regular basis.

Some leaders believe that repetitive messages are inefficient and quite frankly,

Leadership Development news is sponsored by Comcast Business.

“People need to be reminded more than they need to be instructed.”

SAMUEL JOHNSON (PARAPHRASED) boring. But effective leaders remind and repeat all the time, in different ways, using different media, and hold their direct reports accountable for doing the same. It’s like the band that gets tired of playing the song that put them on the charts 20 years earlier. But reminders – repeating what’s important – are a hallmark of good leadership. And like listening to the band play their favorite tune, employees appreciate it, recognize it, and sing along.

So as unnatural as it might feel, you not only need to repeat your message, but you need to ensure your other leaders are doing it as well. Properly cascading information is a critical function for any healthy organization. Most often, the seeds of poor cascading are sown toward the end of leadership team meetings, a time when executives are usually trying their best to get out the door. So before you adjourn, make sure you have an answer to the question: “Hey, what are we going to go back and tell our people?”

And take five more minutes to shore up your rollout on that.

Don’t be surprised if it takes your employees several replays of the same stuff before they get it. Be the band who had the hit, and just keep on singing it. Spice it up with some new music, slow it down or speed it up. Give it a personality and a rhythm. You’ll have your employees singing along in no time.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

23

October 2017

people. According to ISBE numbers, 65 percent of Naperville’s students were at or above state standards.

But only 17 percent of Naperville’s students qualified for free or reducedprice lunches. What Education Cities essentially is saying is that based upon the wealth of the students in Naperville, their PARCC scores should be higher.

We’re Improving

Education researchers give District 205 improving marks

By Alex Gary The Rockford School District always is at the center of any conversation about Transforming Rockford.

The most recent Illinois State Board of Education data, which is from the 2015-2016, showed that just 19 percent of its students were ready for the next level, meaning they met or exceeded state standards on the annual PARCC tests. The state average for 2015-2016 was 34 percent.

A recent media report highlighted the fact that District 205 has become highly segregated again since eliminating a controlled-choice system in favor of school zones and laid much of the blame on the district’s poor test scores on school zones. Education Cities, a nonprofit network of 30 organizations in 25 cities working to increase the number of great schools in the United States, actually gives District 205 a slightly above average grade and believes the quality of education in the district has been steadily rising throughout the decade.

According to Education Cities (www.educationequalityindex.org), in the 2014-2015 school year, District 205 earned an EEI score of 52.9 with 50.0

being the benchmark for average. The EEI – Education Equality Index – score is a very convoluted ranking, where Education Cities looked at the percent of students that score at or above state tests and weighs it with its percentage of students who qualify for free and reduced-priced lunches.

Much of educational research shows the strongest correlation to test scores isn’t with race, instead it’s with income.

A district comprised of mostly middleand upper-class students is going to outperform a school of lower-income students, regardless of race.

The Education-Poverty Connection That’s why it’s not statistically valid to compare Rockford with any other school district in Boone, Winnebago, Ogle or even Stephenson counties. Over the past 45 years, Rockford has become one of the poorest school districts in the state. According to Education Cities, in the state of Illinois only Chicago, with 86 percent of its students qualifying for free and reduced-price lunches, was higher than Rockford’s 84 percent.

Seeing Rockford ranked above Naperville will be a shock for most

STOP

TALKING

START DOING.

Perhaps even more importantly, Rockford’s EEI scores have been steadily improving.

If you dig deeper into the data by looking at individual schools, at first glance, you see some correlations between race and scores. The top two schools in Rockford were Washington Gifted School and Marshall Middle School, which also had the highest percentage of white students at 68 and 58 percent respectively. Those also house the gifted programs in Rockford and have markedly fewer poor students. The FRL percentage of Washington was just 31 percent and 45 percent at Marshall.

Those two schools ranked among the top 60 nationally in terms of EEI scores at 99.7 and 99.5.

The first zoned school on the list was Thompson Elementary with an EEI score of 78.3. Thompson was 50 percent white in 2014-2015, while AfricanAmerican and students of two or more races made up 24 percent of the district.

Gregory Elementary was next with EEI score of 68.7. Its racial makeup was 40 percent Caucasian, 18 percent African-American, 15 percent Asian and seven percent two or more races.

Swan Hillman, though, was fifth on the list with an EEI score of 64.1 and just 18 percent of its student-body was Caucasian and 55 percent was Hispanic.

Among the 23 schools that had an EEI score of above 50 (the benchmark) six had higher percentages of black students than white students: Barbour Two-Way Language Immersion Magnet,

Galapagos Rockford Charter School, Kishwaukee Elementary, West Middle School, Legacy Academy and Conklin Elementary.

If you add in the students of two or more races, then the number of schools where African-American students outnumbered the white students jumps to 10: Swan Hillman, Nelson Elementary, RESA and Whitehead Elementary.

At the other end of the spectrum, of the 10 schools with the lowest EEI scores, five had the highest percentage of African-American students. Again, though, the scores tracked most strongly with income. Eight of the 10 schools on the bottom 10 had student populations where 98 or 99 percent of the students qualified for free or reduced-priced lunches.

This is a long-winded explanation that suggests it isn’t the racial makeup of the district or of particular schools that is holding down test scores, it’s the fact that so many middle- and upper-income families have left the district. Of course, this doesn’t mean District 205 doesn’t have its problems. After all, Education Cities is saying Rockford Public Schools is doing an average job of educating its students. Transform Rockford’s goal is to make the area one of the 25 best places to live in the country.

Looking at the Education Cities data, that means we should be striving to learn from cities such as Brownsville, Texas, which earned an EEI score of 79.9 even with a population where 94 percent of their students received free or reduced-priced lunches, or El Monte, Calif., which got a 65.8 EEI score even with a FRL percentage of 93 percent.

Alex Gary is communications manager for Thinker Ventures.

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

Time to ‘Dive Into Doing’ Transform Rockford and the Northern Illinois Center for Nonprofit Excellence, a program of Rockford University, invites community members to participate in a free, day-long, facilitated workshop, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., on Oct. 12 at NIU Rockford, 8500 E. State St. Expert trainer Liz Weaver, vice president of the Tamarack Institute, will take participants through a process to determine which issue the community is ready to face head on, after its intense process of selfevaluation to identify the most urgent community issues.

Dive Into Doing will identify where energy and urgency aligns and secure a commitment to pull together in the same direction to address the issue.

To learn more about the Tamarack Institute, which helps communities throughout the world develop strategies that engage local people in solving major issues, visit www. tamarackcommunity.ca.

Register online at CIRockford.eventbrite.com.

24

October 2017

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Rockford University PERSPECTIVE

Time to think about college financial aid File for FAFSA earlier than ever

The FAFSA is the standardized process for determining both the ability to pay for college as well as financial need, as it generates the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) that colleges use to award financial aid.

Are you or a family member planning on attending a college or university in the 2018-2019 school year? If so, the 2018-2019 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) will be available online beginning Oct. 1.

2016 was the first year that filing the FAFSA could be done as early as Oct. 1.

It implements the use of prior-prior year tax information, which allows families to file earlier based on completed taxes verses having to wait until after the first of the year for the immediate past year’s tax information. Filing earlier allows students and families more time to fully understand the costs associated with a post-secondary education and to plan accordingly. Schools also have access to your information sooner.

Many people wonder why they should file the FAFSA, or falsely think that they won’t qualify for financial aid, so it’s not worth the effort. This can be a costly assumption to make. The FAFSA is the standardized process for determining both the ability to pay for college as well as financial need, as it generates the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) that colleges use to award financial aid.

It is considered the gatekeeper for access to federal and state funding, which includes grant and federal student loans.

It also is necessary for students who might, regardless of financial needs, want to seek jobs on campus offered through the federal work study program.

Not a Difficult Process Filing for the FAFSA can seem like a daunting task, however while it takes some time and organization, the process is not difficult. There are two options for filing: online and by paper. The easiest and fastest way is at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

Before you file, you will need create an FSA ID at https://fsaid.ed.gov. It will be your secure logon and signature while using the U.S. Department of Education sites. Please keep in mind that at least one parent of dependent students will

Stacy Simms Rockford University

need to have a FSA ID as well. It’s helpful to have your 2016 federal tax return and W2s, cash/savings/checking balances and investment balances readily available for both the student and parent(s).

Printed FAFSA forms will be available to be downloaded from the www.fafsa. ed.gov website or by calling 1-877-4-EDPUBS (1-877-433-7827). The 2018-2019 FAFSA will use tax information from the 2016 tax year. When filing online, you can use the IRS Data Retrieval Tool to transfer your tax information onto the FAFSA.

Some Helpful Tips When Filing ■■ It needs to be filed each year, for each college student.

■■ Filing is free! You should never have to pay for this service.

■■ File early to ensure access to state and federal funds for those that qualify.

You can list up to 10 colleges to receive your information. If you are an Illinois resident, please list an Illinois school on your FAFSA so that your Illinois Monetary Award Program (MAP) grant eligibility can be determined for use at approved MAP grant schools. Please refer to www.isac.org for eligibility requirements as well as MAP grantapproved schools.

Your information is sent to the schools you listed on the form. You will also receive a Student Aid Report from the office of Federal Student Aid, which basically is a summary of the information you provided on the FAFSA. It’s important to carefully review the report to ensure that there aren’t any errors. If you notice an error, don’t panic as you can either make the correction online or submit the correction by paper.

Schools may also request additional documentation in order to complete the awarding process. Make sure you turn in any requested documentation in a timely manner.

If you have any questions about completing the FAFSA, it’s always okay to check in with your school’s financial aid office. You can also contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-433-3243.

Stacy Simms is assistant director of student administrative services and student loan coordinator at Rockford University.

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

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

25

October 2017

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

OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony College of Nursing holds a blessing with Bishop David J. Malloy and tours on Aug. 8 for its new facility on the top floors of Rock Valley College’s Health Sciences Center, 3301 N. Mulford Road, Rockford. More than 300 nursing students are in attendance. The College of Nursing signed a 20-year lease.

Event Floral holds a ribbon cutting and open house on Aug. 29 at 7302 Rock Valley Pkwy., Loves Park.

Choice Furniture, Inc., holds a ribbon cutting on Sept. 1 at 199 Deane Dr., Rockford.

Discount Med Direct holds a ribbon cutting on Sept. 5 at 129 S. Phelps Ave., Ste. 213 Rockford.

Rockford Star Tours hosts a ribbon cutting on Sept. 6 at Windstar Lines, Inc., 3510 Merchandise Dr., Rockford.

Rockford Rescue Mission Ministries holds a ribbon cutting on Sept. 22 for Rockford Remade at 611 W. State St., Rockford.

26

October 2017

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Welcome Chelsea Fray to the RAEDC team Rockford Region represented at NBAA As investor relations coordinator for the Rockford Area Economic Development Council, Fray is responsible for engaging investors in economic development, managing accounts receivable, coordinating and assisting with key events, scheduling meetings with new and prospective investors and overseeing the maintenance of the organization’s contact management database. She also provides support to the Rockforward! Leadership Council.

Fray grew up in Rockford and attended Boylan High School. She received her bachelor of arts degree, as well as a Nonprofit Leadership Development Certification, from Augustana College and earned her master of arts degree from Illinois State University.

Prior to joining the RAEDC staff in 2017, Fray supported the organization for several years in an internship capacity. Most recently, she held an investor research and proposal specialist position at Rockford University, as well as marketing and public relations positions in western Illinois. She served in various nonprofit board and mentorship roles, as well as assisting with event planning and organization.

The

Rockford

be

investor relations, and Gerald Sagona,

represented by half a dozen companies

vice president of development for

at the National Business Aviation

the RAEDC, will present on the

Association

opportunities

–

Region

Business

will

Aviation

Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-

found

here

in

the

aerospace industry.

BACE), Oct. 10 to 12 in Las Vegas.

Events such as NBAA provides an

NBAA is the sixth largest tradeshow

opportunity for the RAEDC to touch

in the United States, and attracts

base with contacts who have been

more than 1,100 exhibitors and 27,000

at previous events as well as extends

business leaders, government officials,

the awareness with new contacts.

manufacturers,

aviation

These face-to-face meetings allows

department personnel and individuals

for conversations about the region’s

involved in nearly every aspect of

opportunities

business aviation.

advanced manufacturing and how our

corporate

in

aerospace

and

Members of the Rockford Area

region can provide opportunities for

Aerospace Network, together with

growth and development within their

Jimsi

businesses.

Kuborn,

vice

president

of

A true source of growth Looking to our own

More times than most would assume, a business relocates to our region due to an established relationship with a business already located here. In fact, 80 to 90 percent of projects come from businesses already located in our region or from a local company’s connections, acquisitions, supply chain and such: expansions, relocations or hiring additional staff to accommodate increased

products

or

additional

services.

These reasons are why economic development organizations need to stay connected to businesses in their regions.

The RAEDC meets with a minimum of

125

companies

each

year

to

understand these opportunities as well as to have an overview of industry trends and workforce trends. It is our mission not only to market the region outside of the region, but also to assist those businesses within our region.

Additional projects come from pure attraction efforts enticing a business into the region, such as strengthening an existing supply chain or diversifying into a new supply chain that compliments the existing businesses located in our region.

Attracting a Business There are many moving pieces and people who work together to attract a business. This includes people who work for municipalities, the State of Illinois, economic development organizations, statistical and data organizations, site selectors or real estate professionals, and the business itself.

Once the Request for Information (RFI) is received, the region must determine how to best highlight and differentiate our region, and why the Rockford Region is Your Opportunity Region. Recent requests have trended on workforce as one of the top priorities; an asset in which this region excels. No two projects are the same.

There are different requirements and considerations, even within the same industry.

The exciting part is demonstrating why the Rockford Region is Your Opportunity Region for each project.

The RAEDC often works behind the scenes due to the confidential nature of business projects. Big deals take time. The average time from start to completion on a project win is 329 days, with some projects lasting more than three years!

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

27

October 2017

Regional, National Indicators THE ECONOMY U.S. Indicators August 2017



Consumer Price Index Unemployment Rate

0.4 percent 4.4 percent

      

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

156,000 $0.03 0.2 percent 0.5 percent (second quarter, 2017) 1.5 percent (second quarter, 2017) 0.6 percent 0.6 percent

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Unemployment Rates Region / State / Nation May 2017

June 2017

July 2017

August 2017

Rockford

6.1

5.8

5.8

----

Chicago

4.1

5.1

4.8

5.4

Illinois

4.6

4.7

4.8

5.0

United States

4.3

4.4

4.3

4.4

Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Illinois 19th Best State for Health Care in 2017 WalletHub’s analysts compared the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 35 key measures of health care cost, accessibility and outcome.

Illinois Ranked 19th Overall 1=best; 25=avg.

17th

Avg. Monthly Insurance Premium

15th

Hospital Beds per Capita

16th

Physicians per Capita

23rd

Dentists per Capita

12th

Physician Medicare-Acceptance Rate

23rd

Percentage of Insured Adults Aged 18 to 64

5th

Percentage of Insured Children Aged 0 to 17

30th

Percentage of At-Risk Adults with No Routine Doctor Visit in Past Two Years

32nd

Percentage of Adults with No Dental Visit in Past Year

18th

Percentage of Medical Residents Retained Source: wallethub.com

SMOKING COSTS THE AVERAGE ILLINOIS SMOKER

$1,770,563 Over a Lifetime

WalletHub’s analysts calculated the potential monetary losses — including the lifetime and annual costs of a cigarette pack per day, health care expenditures, income losses and other costs — brought on by smoking and exposure to secondhand smoke.

Out-of-Pocket Cost per Smoker . . . . . . . $141,660 Financial-Opportunity Cost per Smoker . $1,193,287 Health-Care Cost per Smoker . . . . . . . . . $188,453 Income Loss per Smoker . . . . . . . . . . . . . $234,902 Other Costs per Smoker . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $12,261 Total Cost Over a Lifetime per Smoker . . $1,770,563 Total Cost per Year per Smoker . . . . . . . . $34,717 Source: wallethub.com

28

October 2017

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

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

OCTOBER, 2017 Sunday, October 1

University of Illinois Extension presents Boone County Farm Stroll, noon to 5 p.m. Visit facebook.com/ northernilfarmstroll or call 815-5443710.

Monday, October 2

SwedishAmerican, a division of UW Health, presents Planting the Seeds of Hope, a free breast cancer awareness program, 5:30 p.m., at Giovanni’s, 610 N. Bell School Road, Rockford. Healthcare exhibits, update

by Dr. Michael Born, “Laughter: The (Almost) Best Medicine!” with Kelly Epperson and expert panel on innovations in breast healthcare.

Register at tiny.cc./SeedsofHope or 779-696-7081.

University of Illinois Extension presents a free Growing Healthy Kids with School Gardens workshop, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m., at University of Illinois Extension, Winnebago Office, 1040 N. Second St., Rockford. Register at web.extension. illinois.edu/jsw or 815-986-4357.

Tuesday, October 3

Rosecrance Health Network hosts a free program, Raising Responsible, Resilient, Drug-Free Kids, 6:30 to 8 p.m., at Rosecrance Griffin Williamson campus, 1601 University Dr., Rockford. Register at Rosecrance.org/ drugfreekids.

Wednesday, October 4

Rock Valley College hosts an Hour of Code Challenge, “Coding with Minecraft,” for ages 4 and up, 5 p.m., at the RRStar building, 99 E. State St., room 2108, Rockford. RSVP at rvchourofcode.com/rsvp.html or email Chuck Konkol, c.konkol@ rockvalleycollege.edu.

Thursday, October 5

The Construction Business Development Center, Rock Valley College and Illinois Tollway host Are You Ready to Bid? a free, four-hour workshop at Rock Valley CollegeStenstrom Center, 4151 Samuelson Road, Rockford. Time TBD. Learn what’s needed to submit a bid and upcoming bid opportunities. Register with Erin Violette at 708-709-3791 or eviolette@prairiestate.edu or LaTasha Binder at lbinder@prairiestate.edu

Friday, October 6

Rockford Systems hosts an Open House for National Manufacturing Day, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., at its Headquarters Training Center, 4620 Hydraulic Road. Five, two-hour sessions include a machine safety presentation and interactive demonstration with safeguarding specialists. Free. Register by Oct. 2 at rockfordsystems.com.

Rockford Area Arts Council presents the 30th annual Fall ArtScene, Oct. 6, 5 to 9 p.m., and Oct. 7, 4 to 9 p.m., at various locations.

Visit FallArtScene.com.

Saturday, October 7

American Red Cross hosts Sound the Alarm, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., at 727 N. Church St., Rockford. Call Emily Barrile at 815-963-8471, ext. 8819, or emily. barrile@redcross.org.

Edgebrook presents the Cider n Cinnamon Arts & Craft Fair, Oct. 7, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Oct. 8, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at 1639 N. Alpine Road. Visit edgebrookshops.com/events/cider-ncinnamon.

Rock Valley College continuing education presents an eight-session Welding for Beginners course, Saturdays, 1 to 5:30 p.m., Oct. 7 to Dec. 2 at the Stenstrom Center for Career Education, 4151 Samuelson Road, Rockford. Special safety gear required at an additional cost. Visit rockvalleycollege.edu/cceonline or call 815-921-3900.

Rockford Symphony Orchestra presents Classics 1, The Universe at an Exhibition, 7:30 p.m., at 711 N. Main St., Rockford. Symphonic multimedia production featuring the work of renowned astronomer and filmmaker Dr. José Francisco Salgado with Modest Moussorgsky’s “Pictures at an Exhibition.” Tickets at 815-9650049 or rockfordsymphony.com.

Rockford Park District presents Ales & Trails, an upscale indoor/outdoor camp-themed event, 4 to 8 p.m., at Atwood Center, 2599 New Milford School Road, Rockford. Register at 815-966-8747.

Sunday, October 8

Mischief Live – America’s Most Wanted Magicians Bringing TV’s Funniest Magic to Rockford, 7 p.m.

Coronado Performing Arts Center, 314 N. Main St. For tickets visit the BMO Harris box office, ticketmaster.com or 815-968-5222.

WWE Live, 5 p.m., BMO Harris Bank Center, 300 Elm St., Rockford.

For tickets visit the box office, ticketmaster.com or 800-745-3000.

Tuesday, October 10

The University of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford presents Let’s Talk About Breast Cancer, 5:30 p.m., at 1601 Parkview Ave. Plastic surgeon Pedro Rodriguez, M.D., will facilitate a panel discussion and question-andanswer session. Register at 815-3955649 or prrockford@uic.edu.

Cucina di Rosa is raising awareness and donations for domestic violence victims with Remedies Renewing Lives. Bring donations to 1620 N. Bell School Rd., Rockford from Oct. 10 to Nov. 10. More at thecucinadirosa.com.

Wednesday, October 11

Rock Valley College will have financial aid representatives available for

students and parents in Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, 6 to 8 p.m., in the Student Center, 3301 N. Mulford Road.

For questions, contact 815-921-4250 or RVC-FIA@RockValleyCollege.edu.

Thursday, October 12

SwedishAmerican, a division of UW Health, presents Wine, Women & Purses, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m., at Giovanni’s Restaurant, 610 N. Bell School Road, Rockford. Wine tasting, heavy hors d’ oeuvre menu pairings, boutique shopping with local merchants, silent auction and music by Jordan and Jef. Tickets at ywcanwil.org/event/winewomen-purses-2017.

RAMP presents its 27th annual Changing Attitudes Breaking Barriers Luncheon, 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., at Giovanni’s, 610 N. Bell School Road, Rockford. For tickets visit Give.Classy. org/RAMP LUNCHEON or call 815-9687467.

Friday, October 13

Discovery Center Museum presents a fundraiser, Discover the Spirits: Sip, Sample, Support, 7:30 to 10:30 p.m., at 711 N. Main St., Rockford.

Spirit and food samplings, music and silent auction. For tickets visit www. discoverycentermuseum.org.

Rockford. Includes the 2017 Spirit of Caring Awards, themed dinner, electronic auction, raffle and live music from 1972 by the Groove Hotel. Buy tickets by Oct. 13 at crusaderhealth.org.

Saturday, October 21

Rockford Park District and the Bulls/Sox Academy present a Bulls Basketball FUNdamentals Camp, 9 a.m. to noon, for boys and girls, ages 5 to 14, and Bulls Basketball Advanced Camp, 1 to 3 p.m., ages 9 to 17, at UW Health Sports Factory, 305 S. Madison St. Register by Oct. 14 at rockfordparkdistrict.org.

Friday, October 27

Discovery Center Museum presents Spooky Science, 6 to 9 p.m., at 711 N. Main St., Rockford. Call 815-963-6769 or visit discoverycentermuseum.org.

Saturday, October 28

The Rock Valley College Computers and Information Systems department hosts a “Learn Coding with Robots” workshop, 10 a.m. to noon, in the Woodward Technology Center, 3301 N. Mulford Road. Tickets at rvchourofcode.com/coderobots. For questions, email Professor Konkol, c.konkol@rockvalleycollege.edu.

Rockford Art Museum opens a new feature exhibition Misfits at 711 N. Main St., Rockford. Preview reception for museum members, 5 to 6:30 p.m. Free, public opening, 6:30 to 9 p.m., and motorcycle rally, 8 to 10 p.m. Exhibit runs through Jan. 28. For questions call 815-968-2787 or visit www. rockfordartmuseum.org.

Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden will host a reenactment of Roy Orbison’s Black and White Night, originally held in 1987 at Coconut Grove, Los Angeles, 7 to 11 p.m., at 2715 S. Main St. Trinadora Rocks! will play Patsy Cline, Buddy Holly, Paul McCartney, Julie London and others. Contact Carrie at 815965-8146 for tickets.

Keep Northern Illinois Beautiful Clothing Drive, 9 a.m. to noon, at eight locations. Wearable items will be resold in the United States and developing nations. Unwearable will be repurposed into materials such as automotive insulation or carpet padding. Visit knib. org or call 815-637-1343.

Rockford Symphony Orchestra presents Pops 1, The Wizard of Oz, 7:30 p.m., at 711 N. Main St., Rockford. Attend the complete 1939 classic film “The Wizard of Oz,” as the RSO performs the beloved soundtrack. Tickets at 815-965-0049 or rockfordsymphony.com.

Saturday, October 14

Wednesday, October 18

Business Succession Planning Seminar, 6:30 to 8 p.m., at Franchesco’s Ristorante, 7128 Spring Creek Road, Rockford. Presenters include Jody Booher, Barrick, Switzer, Long, Balsley, & Van Evera LLP, and Jennifer Reisinger, Edward Jones. RSVP no later than 4 p.m., Oct. 16 at 815-3975157 or Kathlene.Collins@edwardjones. com.

Thursday, October 19

Rockford Regional Health Council presents the 20th-annual Clinical Aspects of Medical Psychiatry, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., at Forest Hills Country Club, 5135 Forest Hills Road. For more information contact Jane Mordick, 815971-7082 or jmordick@mhemail.org.

Friday, October 20

Crusader Community Health presents Evening of Caring at Giovanni’s, 610 N. Bell School Road,

NOVEMBER, 2017 Wednesday, November 1

Rock Valley College hosts an Hour of Code Challenge, “Code with Anna and Elsa,” 5 p.m., at the RRStar building, 99 E. State St., room 2108, Rockford. RSVP at www.rvchourof code.com/rsvp.html or email Chuck Konkol, c.konkol@ rockvalleycollege.edu.

Friday, November 10

Greater Rockford Italian American Association and the Amici Italiani Dance Troupe host the 2017 Italian Folk Art Federation of America conference, Nov. 10 and 11 at Hoffman House, 7550 E. State St., Rockford.

Saturday sessions run from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., followed by a dinner dance.

Rockford last hosted the event in 1995. Email kcantele@comcast.net or BeaRicotta@gmail.com.

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Issues to Watch LEGISLATIVE New Illinois Laws for 2017

Here are some laws related to health and human services that have taken affect this year. For specific language of the laws, visit www.ilga.gov.

HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Health Care License - Forcible Felony SB 42/PA 99-0886 Provides that a felon cannot apply for reinstatement of a healthcare license until at least three years from release from incarceration or five years after conviction, whichever is the later date.

Patient Safety Closed Meetings SB 384/PA 99-0687 Allows a public body to hold a closed meeting to discuss matters protected under the federal Patient Safety and Quality Improvement Act of 2005 or HIPAA (or the regulations adopted under either act) by a hospital or other institution providing medical care, that is operated by the public body.

Complex Needs Patient Act SB 420/PA 99-0895 Requires the Department of Healthcare and Family Services to provide separate recognition within the state’s Medicaid program for individually configured complex rehabilitation technology products and services for complex needs patients.

Defines “complex needs patient” to

mean an individual with a diagnosis or medical condition that results in significant physical or functional needs and capacities. Requires separate recognition for technology products and services for complex needs patients. Sets forth several additional rules and coding guidelines for complex needs patients and their medical providers.

Conscience Based Medical Objections SB 1564/PA 99-0690 Requires health care facilities to adopt written access to care and information protocols that are designed to ensure that conscience-based objections do not cause impairment of patients’ health and that explain how conscience-based objections will be addressed in a timely manner to facilitate patient health care services.

Medicaid Algorithm SB 2306/PA 99-0898 Requires HFS to develop and implement an algorithm that is based on quality scores and operational proficiency criteria to automatically assign Medicaid enrollees into managed care entities with the highest

quality scores and levels of operational proficiency criteria established.

Disabled Continued Care SB 2610/PA 99-0892 Authorizes a new type of license, a Continuum of Care License, for services that provide for individuals with developmental disabilities.

Emergency Medical Systems SB 2704/PA 99-0661 Defines “clinical observation” as the on-going observation of a patient’s condition by a licensed health care professional. Defines “medical monitoring” as the performance of medical tests and physical exams to evaluate potentially negative effects to an individual’s health. Includes medical monitoring and clinical observation into “Basic Life Support Services” of pre-hospital and interhospital emergency care.

DHS Work Equivalency SB 2906/PA 99-0746 Requires the Department of Human Services to treat participation in high school and high school equivalency programs as work activities, and count this participation toward the

TANF program. Gives DHS the flexibility to determine whether it’s ideal for the TANF recipient to go through these programs. Addresses a situation wherein a constituent wanted to obtain their GED, but was told it wouldn’t count toward the requirements of their employment plan until they completed other plan activities.

DCFS Living Adult Relatives Finder SB 2512/PA 99-0625 An initiative to bring DCFS into federal compliance by providing that the court shall ensure, by inquiring in open court of each parent, guardian, custodian or responsible relative; that the parent, guardian, custodian or responsible relative has had the opportunity to provide DCFS with all known names, addresses and telephone numbers of each of the minor’s living maternal and paternal adult relatives. The court shall advise those persons to inform DCFS if additional information regarding the minor’s adult relatives becomes available.

(continued on page 34)

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the News IN Members THEin NEWS

1. John J. Holevas

2. Thomas P. Sandquist

3. Daniel A. Huntley

4. Tim Gaumond

5. Dr. Mathew Legel

6. Dr. Marden Torrijos

7. Dr. Krystle Lange

8. Tracy Stevens

9. Dr. Mack Worthington

10. Dr. Naushin Shareef

11. Dr. Thomas McFarland

12. Amber Latsch

13. Dr. Anthony Rizzo

14. Ross Grimes

15. Jacob Bergeron

16. Gregg Breese

17. Jared Fewell

18. Kathy Sink

19. Kevin King

20. DaShanda Mosley

21. Francesca Spradlin

22. Kristin Hollinger

23. Brian Gustafson

24. Dr. Christopher Callahan

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

BOARD APPOINTMENTS Jack Schultz, Midland States Bank, retired from the bank’s board, but remains chairman of the company. Jeffrey C. Smith, a director of the bank and the company, was elected as chairman of the bank.

Attorneys John Holevas (1), partner; Thomas Sandquist (2), partner, and Daniel Huntley (3), associate, WilliamsMcCarthyLLP, were appointed to various councils of the Illinois State Bar Association for 2017-2018.

Golden Apple Foundation of Rockford board named new members: Thomas Kress, Associated Bank; Dr. Michael J. Born, SwedishAmerican, a division of UW Health; Diane Graf, Graf’s Lakeside Haus, and Dan Pickerill, United Technologies Aerospace Systems. Mark Luthin is the new Golden Academy representative.

Illinois Senate Republican Bill Brady announced that Senator Dave Syverson (R-Rockford) was named as deputy Republican leader.

25. Aaron Holverson

26. Dr. David G. Cable

Tim Gaumond (4), architect and principal, Larson & Darby Group, was appointed to the National Alliance on Mental Health, Northern Illinois board for a three-year term.

NEW HIRES, PROMOTIONS, RETIREMENTS Larry Williams, former CEO of the Housing Authority of the City of Freeport, will be the next CEO of the Rockford Housing Authority.

SwedishAmerican, A Division of UW Health, welcomed Mathew Legel, D.O. (5), as orthopedic surgeon at Lundholm Orthopedics; Marden Torrijos, M.D. (6), as family physician at Five Points Clinic; Krystle Lange, D.O. (7), as general surgeon; Tracy Stevens (8) as advanced practice nurse, and Mack Worthington, D.O. (9), as family physician.

Mercyhealth hired Naushin Shareef, M.D. (10), medical

oncology and hematology, and Thomas McFarland, M.D. (11), oncology, at the Mercyhealth Cancer; Amber Latsch (12), MSN, as certified nurse midwife, and Anthony Rizzo, D.O. (13), to Mercyhealth Rockton Avenue and Mercyhealth Orthopedic Specialists.

Fehr Graham promoted Ross Grimes (14) to project manager and Jacob Bergeron (15) to hydrogeologist, and hired Gregg Breese (16) as senior environmental scientist.

Blackhawk Bank promoted Kristi Cornelius to universal banker, Roscoe; Georgia Ruggles to assistant vice president, personal banking, Belvidere, and Hunter Kurpeski to universal banker, Cranston Road. The bank hired Eric Peterson as personal banker, Jared Fewell (17) as mortgage planner, Machesney Park; Kathy Sink (18) as assistant vice president, business banking, Rockford Perryville, and Kevin King (19) as senior vice president, commercial operations.

Tonsil cancer survivor Dan Zaccard, chief, Rockford Fire District, and Wayne Schoville, secretary, Local 413 Union, drop off 30 cases of Ensure to cancer patients at SwedishAmerican, A Division of UW Health, from a $1,700 T-shirt fundraiser. Pictured are Schoville, 7th floor

KMK Media Group hired DaShanda Mosley (20) as communications specialist.

nurse manager Christine Sheik, Zaccard’s wife and oncology nurse Kelsie Whitehouse-Zaccard and Zaccard.

27. Dr. Michael A. Hart

(continued on page 31)

28. Monica Longnecker

29. Dan Escatel

30. Rebekah Wagner

31. Susan Vaughn

32. Dr. Michael Born

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the News IN Members THEin NEWS

33. Eve Whitaker

34. Dr. Thomas Wright

Continued from page 30 Carz R’ Us hired Francesca Spradlin (21) as media and marketing assistant.

Northwest Bank promoted Amanda McClellan to AVP, senior human resource generalist.

CoyleKiley Insurance hired Kristin Hollinger (22) as a personal insurance advisor.

Woodward promoted Dan Bowman to corporate vice president of strategy and business development.

Forest City Gear hired Brian Gustafson (23) as a process engineer.

Hulsebus Rockford hired Christopher Callahan (24), Mex. Phy., D.C., as a chiropractor.

Aaron Holverson (25) joined Gary W. Anderson Architects as project architect.

Cardiothoracic surgeons David G. Cable, M.D. (26), and Michael A. Hart, D.O. (27), joined OSF Surgical Group – Rockford, and are seeing patients in DeKalb/Sycamore.

Monica Longnecker (28), APN, joined Dr. Bruce Stiles at SwedishAmerican Valley Clinic Rockford.

Des Plaines Office Equipment hired James Mitchell as sales manager, Windsor, and Sherry Gottlieb as account executive, Rockford.

Rockford Mass Transit District promoted Adam Williams to fixed route dispatch supervisor, East Side Transfer Center, and Danielle Nichols and Angela Milroy to paratransit dispatch supervisors.

Stillman Bank hired Dan Escatel (29) as mortgage lender.

EMPLOYEE/COMMUNITY RECOGNITIONS, AWARDS YWCA La Voz Latina named Linda Zuba, attorney at law, as Latino of Distinction, and Sergio Jimenez, mathematics teacher, as Community

35. Rick Bastian

36. Dr. Mark Barba

Member of Distinction at its annual recognition banquet at Giovanni’s.

Rebekah Wagner (30), physical therapist, DPT, NCS, OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center, completed “Vestibular Rehabilitation-A Competency Based Course” at Emory University, Atlanta.

OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center gave 2017 OSF Nursing Excellence awards to Karmela Londo, Theresa Geraci, Hayley Emford and Lisa Bruno (empowerment); Kim Conley (exemplary professional practice), and James Plasky (nurse lead team).

Meridian named Susan Vaughn (31) as its August employee of the month.

Becker’s Hospital Review, included Dr. Michael Born (32), president and CEO, SwedishAmerican, a division of UW Health, in its “Physician Leaders of Hospitals and Health Systems to Know” list.

OF GENERAL INTEREST Eve Whitaker (33), Spectrum Insurance Agency, attended “Dynamics of Selling” by the National Alliance for Insurance Education & Research in August.

Dr. Thomas Wright (34), chief medical officer/senior vice president of medical affairs, Rosecrance, participated in a panel discussion at the 2017 National Conference on Addiction Disorders in Baltimore in August.

Rick Bastian (35), chairman and CEO, Blackhawk Bank, spoke on succession planning and its influence on company value at the Fabricators and Manufacturers Association Executive Summit in Elgin.

Mark Barba, M.D. (36), OrthoIllinois, co-authored an article appearing in the September 2017 Journal of Orthopaedics, “Comparison of metal ion levels in patients with hip resurfacing versus total hip arthroplasty;” retrospective findings of research on patients over a five-and-a-half-year period.

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BUSINESS BRIEFS Business Briefs

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

Chartwell Agency completed a website redesign for WilliamsMcCarthy LLP at www. wilmac.com. It was hired by Rockford Gastroenterology Associates, Ltd., as its agency of record. It created and launched a new advertising campaign “Get a Leg Up on Life” for Northern Illinois Vein Clinic and Gilvydis Vein Clinic. Ingenium Aerospace hired Chartwell to create a brochure and creative signage for the Paris Airshow this summer.

Mercyhealth was named one of the nation’s most wired health systems in 2017 by Health and Hospitals Networks magazine, based on the 19th annual Health Care’s Most Wired® survey released in July by the American Hospital Association’s Health Forum.

Woodward, Inc., announced that its board declared a cash dividend of $0.125 per share for the quarter, payable on Sept. 5, 2017, for stockholders of record as of Aug. 22, 2017.

For the ninth straight year, Financial Advisor magazine ranked Savant Capital Management in its annual list of top RIA firms. It ranked #53. It has been recognized by Financial Advisor, Financial Times and InvestmentNews as one of the leading Registered Investment Advisors in the nation and

by Accounting Today magazine as one of the nation’s leading CPA firms by assets under management.

SwedishAmerican, A Division of UW Health, announced in August the construction of a new, 40,000-sq.-ft., $11.5-million clinic on North Main Street and a new, 70,000-sq.-ft., $24-million clinic on Bell School Road.

This will add roughly 500 union labor construction jobs and dozens of new, permanent healthcare jobs.

Construction is expected to start this winter, with completion slated for early 2019. The Davis Junction clinic celebrated its 10th anniversary in August. SwedishAmerican Medical Center/Belvidere presented two $1,000 checks to local school districts: North Boone Community School District 200 and Belvidere School District 100.

The Rosecrance Recovery 5K Walk/ Run Nearly drew 450 participants and raised nearly $40,000 to support programs and families seeking treatment for substance use and mental health disorders.

In three months, First Free Rockford raised nearly $140,000 for its Tabitha Centers initiative, providing resources to oppressed women and children in DR Congo. The goal was $30,000.

The church can completely fund the start of 92 Tabitha Centers for young women struggling to make a living.

In 2016, theFranaGroup clients,

Ambassadors on the move

The Rockford Chamber Ambassadors meets for its monthly luncheon and tour on Sept. 14 at Woodward’s Rock Cut campus, 5257 Harlem Road in Loves Park.

Federally Qualified Health Centers in 15 states, served more than 585,000 unduplicated patients with more than 1,750,000 outpatient visits. Its client, Aspire Indiana Health, Inc., was certified as a Federally Qualified Health Center Look-Alike.

KMK Media Group was hired by Boylan Catholic High School to capture drone footage of the first day of school convocation in the courtyard. It designed signage for the student entrance to the building, which many families used as a backdrop for taking photos on the first day of school. KMK developed a logo for the Rockford Public Schools’ STEAM Academy. Housed at Haskell School, the new K-5 special program integrates science and technology, interpreted through engineering and the arts, and based in mathematical elements. It completed production of a recruitment video showcasing student life, extracurricular activities and the fun, social opportunities available at Rock Valley College. Visit www.kmkmedia.com/portfolio/ tv-video/70-rock-valley-college.

V2 Marketing Communications completed the design, layout, e-book and printed version for the book, “After 40 Years in Therapy, What Have I Learned?” by local author and psychotherapist Norman C. Dasenbrook.

Inc. magazine ranked Field 4,216th on the 36th annual Inc. 5000, the most prestigious ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies.

It’s the seventh consecutive year Field made the list.

Mike Mastroianni, president of MDM Consulting and former Rock Valley College president, is teaming with The Workforce Connection to teach essential, “soft skills” to those looking for employment, such as communication, time management, professionalism and working in teams.

YouthBuild Rockford, a program of Comprehensive Community Solutions, Inc., received a $1.1 million pre-apprenticeship grant from the U.S. Department of Labor that will allow it to continue its work over the next two years. The program has enrolled more than 1,100 young people in 22 years and built or

renovated 50 units of affordable housing in Rockford neighborhoods.

SwedishAmerican, a division of UW Health, and its employees, donated more than 1,500 school supply items to RPS 205 students. Employees also donated $1,002 and the SwedishAmerican Foundation $300 to the Rockford Public Schools, for a total cash value of roughly $3,800.

SwedishAmerican, a division of UW Health, announced that its cardiovascular/rehab program was recertified by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation. It received the American Heart Association/ American Stroke Association’s Get With the Guidelines Stroke Silver Plus Quality Achievement Award with Target: Stroke Honor Roll.

Keith Country Day School ranked among the best private schools in Illinois and received an overall A+ rating by Niche. Locally, it ranked first among private schools in Winnebago County for private K-12 school, private high school, college prep private high school and high school for STEM. EWT/3DCNC hired V2 Marketing Communications to redesign its website and optimization for use on mobile devices. Rockford Symphony Orchestra hired V2 for ongoing marketing services.

Bergstrom Stateline Quiz Bowl half-hour television show returns for a 32-week-run; testing the knowledge of roughly 270 students from 32 local high schools. The show kicks off on Oct. 15 at 9 a.m., on WTVO 17 and 9:30 p.m., on WQRF FOX 39.

Gameplay begins Oct. 22 with champions Auburn High School squaring off against Rockford Christian. Anchor Eric Wilson will serve as the show’s host.

Natural Land Institute purchased 160 acres of land in Ogle County, known as parcel 7 of the Leaf River Ranch (Ferguson Farm), in part through a loan from The Conservation Fund, to protect its natural habitat.

NLI will hold the parcel for Byron Forest Preserve District for up to three years.

Daniel Schmitt, Freeport Community

Foundation, and Dick Drogosz, founder of the John M. Drogosz Fund, gave a grant to Rosecrance Health Network to transform an existing space at the Griffin Williamson campus adolescent facility into a sensory room, which will closely mimic the sensory room at the Harrison campus for adults.

Midway Village Museum received a major leadership gift from Alpine Bank of $15,000 and is closing in on its goal to raise $150,000 as part of the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois Carroll Starr Endowment Challenge campaign.

Since December 2016, $100,000 has been received.

University of Illinois Extension nutrition educators, in partnership with Illinois State Board of Education, taught 41 school food service staff from Winnebago and Stephenson counties in August on USDA nutrition guidelines and ways to reduce sodium by using flavor shakers.

Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau announced that the North American Fastpitch Association returned to the Rockford region to host the NAFA Masters East World Series, Sept. 8 to 10 at Mercyhealth Sportscore One. It generated approximately 750 room nights and $135,000 in estimated economic impact.

Savant Capital Management has been certified for fiduciary excellence for the 10th consecutive year by the Centre for Fiduciary Excellence.

Doc’s Enterprises hired Digital Hive Mind to produce its 46th Annual Doc’s Sports Journal, a 150-pluspage book that contains a consolidated football schedule with every NCAA and Pro football game from preseason through the Super Bowl, historical angles, statistics, odds, trends and exclusive handicapping information and articles.

Blackhawk Bank announced that the bank has purchased the property at 5506 Clayton Circle, Roscoe to accommodate the relocation of its full-service banking center.

Crusader Community Health received a $25,000 in cumulative grants from the Goldstein Family Foundation and its affiliates Alter Trading Corporation, and Behr Iron and Metal to support the new Crusader Community Health on Alpine.

Rockford IceHogs, in partnership with BMO Harris Bank and Rockford Area Venues and Entertainment, announced an exclusive entrance to the BMO Harris Bank Center for its current bank customers. The entrance will be alongside the Main Street entrance as a part of the bank’s new initiative, “BMO Effect.”

YWCA La Voz Latina named Crusader Community Health as Corporate Partner of Distinction.

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October 2017

Membership Renewals Thank you to members who renewed with the Rockford Chamber of Commerce in August, 2017.

Project First Rate Alzheimer’s Association, Radisson Hotel & Conference Center Greater Illinois Chapter Rock River Service Company American Advertising Federation Rockford Art Museum of Northern Illinois Rockford Carpetland USA, Inc. American Heart Association Rockford Charter School American Red Cross, Organization/Jackson Rock River Chapter Charter School Auto Body Specialist Inc. Rockford Generation Baymont Inn & Suites C. Ander Smith, Attorney at Law, PC Rockford Lutheran School Cedar Hill Condominium Association Rockford OMS Rockford Rigging, Inc. Charles Schwab Rockform Carbide Manufacturing Concordia University of Wisconsin Rogers Brothers Galvanizing Corporate Services, Inc Sam’s Club, A Division of Cream City Scale LLC Wal-Mart Stores Cremation Society of Illinois Satori Pathway Network Crystal Precision Drilling, Inc. Satori Pathway Network Digital Hive Mind Anam Glen Fabricators & Manufacturers Security First Title Company Association, International (FMA) ServiceMaster Restoration by DSI Forest Ridge Events GreenFire Restaurant, Bar & Bakery Skandia, Inc. Springfield Electric Supply Company Greenlee Textron State Farm Insurance & Header Die & Tool, Inc. Financial Services Honest Pest Control Inc. Tavern on Clark Honquest Family Funeral Home The Alliance With Crematory The Anser Group Ignition Studio, Inc. the groundUP s.s.i. (gUs, inc) Illinois State Credit Union The Leukemia & Lymphoma InterActive Safety Solutions Inc. Society (LLS) J. Carlson Growers, Inc. The Music Academy JC Milling Co., Inc. The Pension Specialists, Ltd. Johnny Pamcakes Ticomix, Inc. Johnson Controls, Inc. Tovar Snow Professionals Key Realty, Inc. Transform Rockford Laurent House Foundation, Inc. United Association of Plumbers & LDR Cleaning & Restoration Pipe Fitters Local Union 23 Morgan Building Maintenance Inc. United States Postal Service Nelson Fire Protection Northern Illinois Hospice Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers Northern Illinois Insulation (K & K Foods Inc.) - Riverside Northern Public Radio Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers (WNIU/WNIJ/NIRIS) (K & K Foods Inc.) - 6390 E. State St. Nutrition Works, Inc. Wendy’s Old Fashioned Hamburgers Pathfinder Wealth Management, Inc. (K & K Foods Inc.) - 1110 E. State St. Peterson Meadows Wired Café Prairie Street Brewing Co. Youth Services Network

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

45-YEAR MEMBER Bergstrom Inc.

25-YEAR MEMBERS Entré Computer Solutions Leland L. Freberg, CPA, LLC

20-YEAR MEMBERS Creative Crane & Rigging, Inc. The Harvard State Bank Physicians Immediate Care

15-YEAR MEMBER HomeStart

10-YEAR MEMBERS Comprehensive Community Solutions Critter Camp Exotic Pet Sanctuary Minuteman Press

Rockford Cemetery Association, Greenwood Cemetery & Crematorium S.J. Carlson Fire Protection Stateline World Trade Association, Ltd. c/o Greater Beloit Chamber of Commerce

5-YEAR MEMBERS BelRock Asphalt Paving Inc. EverSmart Insurance Agency GreenFire Restaurant, Bar & Bakery Honquest Family Funeral Home with Crematory Panino’s Restaurant (Main Street) Panino’s Restaurant (State Street) Roy Gayle Pony Baseball Softball T. Pratt & Associates, Ltd.

New Chamber Members COUNTRY FINANCIAL KARALYN PETERSON

Auto, home, commercial and life insurance 7015 Rote Road, Ste. 101, 61107 Karalyn Peterson 815-491-7037

EVENT FLORAL

Full-service florist specializing in custom-designed flowers and artistic decor for weddings and special events.

7302 Rock Valley Pkwy.

Loves Park, IL 61111 Erin Stoffregen 815-885-3900 www.event-floral.com

FASTSIGNS OF ROCKFORD

Working with you to provide the right communications solutions for your business.

7310 Walton St., Ste. C, 61108 Zach Kneubuehl 815-516-1276 www.fastsigns.com/2190

GRANITE TERRITORY STONE CRAFTERS, LLC

Family-owned and -operated natural stone countertop fabricator and installer.

5025 26th Ave., 61109 Jose Galarza 815-227-1714 www.graniteterritorystone.com

THE GUMMOW WEALTH ADVISORY GROUP OF WELLS FARGO ADVISORS

Over 30 years of experience in serving the unique needs of a select group of highly valued clients.

6801 Spring Creek Road, 61114 Thomas Weightman 815-921-0531 www.bradleygummow.wfadv.com

HOPE IN RECOVERY EMPLOYMENT

ORANGETHEORY FITNESS

A one-of-a-kind group personal training workout resulting in more energy, visible toning and extra calorie burn for up to 36 hours.

6575 E. State St., 61108 Carrie Deveney 815-414-9900 rockford.orangetheoryfitness.com

MR. GOODWATER, INC.

A family-owned business that specializes in the sales and service of water treatment and drinking water systems to meet individual needs in northern Illinois and the western suburbs.

596 N. Appleton Road Belvidere, IL 61008 Butch Rosecke 815-544-0800 www.mrgoodwater.com

ROCKFORD BOARD OF ELECTION COMMISSIONERS

Conduct impartial, open and honest elections and maintain voter registration files as dictated

by Illinois and federal laws.

301 S. 6th St., 61104 Stacey Bixby 815-987-5750 www.voterockford.com

THRIVE CAFÉ

Healthy café 6731 Broadcast Pkwy.

Loves Park, IL 61111 Nancy Isaacson 815-977-4281 www.mythrivecafe.com

WATT GLOBAL MEDIA

Serving global B2B agribusiness content and solutions for 100 years.

401 E. State St., 3rd Fl, 61104 Greg Watt 815-966-5400 www.wattglobalmedia.com

We offer flexible employment and rely on accountability partners in the community to provide structure and hope for individuals committed to pursuing new, productive paths.

215 N. Court St., Ste. 109, 61103 David Armstrong 815-979-4473 www.hope4hire.com

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

34

October 2017

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

Issues to Watch LEGISLATIVE Continued from page 29 Medicaid Long Term Care Services Act SB 2929/PA 99-0857 Enables a nursing home resident who is Medicaid eligible to have their care paid retroactive to the date of admission, or the date of conversion from Medicare of private pay.

Regardless of whether a case coordination unit had completed a screening in advance of admission or conversion. Also, prohibits HFS from closing a pending Medicaid application based solely on the applicant’s death if services were provided pending a determination of eligibility. Then requires HFS to take steps in an effort to collect financial information if necessary and determine if outstanding obligations for authorized services exist.

Genetic Counseling Referral Act SB 2985/PA 99-0633 Removes language prohibiting a genetic counselor from providing genetic counseling without a referral.

EMT’s Epinephrine Administering Act SB 3335/PA 99-0862 Authorizes EMT-Basics, EMTIntermediates, Advanced EMT’s and EMT-Paramedics to administer epinephrine drawn from a glass vial, using a syringe, as opposed to using a pre-filled epinephrine auto-injector, such as an Epi-Pen, once the individual completes a departmentapproved course.

Disability Wallet Card HB 4257/PA 99-0829 Requires the Secretary of State (SOS) to issue a “person with disability” wallet card that specifies the cardholder has been medically diagnosed with a disability (i.e. autism). The wallet card may only be available to applicants with a Type 2 (developmental disability) or Type 5 (mental disability). Requires the Department of Human Services (DHS) to work with the SOS to design the card and then requires DHS to produce and distribute the cards to the SOS. Also requires DHS and SOS to work together to adopt rules.

Prophylaxis Medicaid Coverage HB 4554/PA 99-0772 Requires Medicaid coverage for all FDA-approved drugs that have also been recommended by the federal Public Health Service or the CDC for pre-exposure prophylaxis.

Rare Disease Commission HB 4576/PA 99-0773 Creates a 15-member Rare Disease Commission. Each legislative leader gets one appointment. The commission will focus on advisement on issues concerning the care and treatment of individuals with rare diseases. The sunset date of this commission is Jan. 1, 2020.

Contraception Coverage HB 5576/PA 99-0672 Provides that any accident or health insurance policy must provide coverage for all contraceptive drugs, devices and other FDA-approved products. Currently, ACA requires insurance to cover the complete cost of at least one version of each type of contraception. This measure requires an insurance company to cover any difference in cost with no ability to cost-share, if the patient or physician prefers a different version of contraception than normally provided by the insurance network.

Opioid Addiction Treatment HB 5593/PA 99-0553 Requires all programs serving persons with substance use issues licensed by DHS under the act to provide educational information concerning treatment options for opioid addiction, including the use of a medication for the use of opioid addiction, recognition of and response to opioid overdose, and the use and administration of naloxone.

Public Health Hygienists HB 5948/PA 99-0680 Provides increased education requirements for newly expanded scope of practice for “public health hygienists,” which was created a public act from 2015.

Medicaid Facility Groupings HB 6060/PA 99-0684 Adds the percentage of Medicaidfunded residents as one of the factors the Department of Healthcare and Family Services must consider in grouping nursing facilities for purposes of payment. Provides that a resident of a nursing facility whose application for long-term care benefits is awaiting final action shall be included in the calculation as a Medicaid-funded resident.

Urgent Need of Services List HB 6086/PA 99-0716 Requires the Department of Human Services to consider the length of time spent on the Prioritization of Urgency of Need for Services waiting list. Also requires other factors to be considered - such as age of requestor - when selecting individuals on the list for services.

Multiple Care Worker Registries HB 4515/PA 99-0872 Requires the Department of Public Health (DPH) to maintain two versions of the Health Care Worker Registry.

Requires the public registry to report that an individual is ineligible for employment if he or she has a disqualifying offense under the Health Care Worker Background Check Act. Requires that the public registry report that an individual is eligible for employment if he or she has received a waiver.

theVoice rockfordchamber.com

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October 2017

EVENTS

Upcoming Chamber Events OCTOBER, 2017 Tuesday, October 3

Business Women’s Council, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Rockford Country Club, 2500 Oxford St. Crucial Conversations: When it matters most, the majority lack the skills and confidence for difficult, but meaningful conversations. We’ll help you identify a crucial conversation and provide some insight into making it productive. Sponsored by First Northern Credit Union.

Tuesday, October 10

Transform Rockford and the Rockford Chamber present Choose Civility, 8 to 11 a.m., Rockford University, Regent’s Hall, 5050 E. State St. The workshop will touch on research and insight captured in The 30% Solution, a new book by Lew Bayer.

Wednesday, October 11 7:30 - 9 am NEW LOCATION Rockford University Burpee Center 5050 E. State St. Regents Hall, 2nd Floor, Rockford

Breakfast BUZZ

What is the ‘Zero Moment of Truth’ and Are You Winning the Online Game? Joe Daguanno, Mid-West Family Marketing, will talk the “Zero Moment of Truth” (ZMOT); the online decision-making moment when the consumer researches a product just prior to purchase.

NOVEMBER, 2017 Thursday, November 2

Good Morning Rockford, 7:30 to 9 a.m., Hilton Garden Inn, 7675 Walton St., Rockford.

Wednesday, November 8 7:30 - 9 am NEW LOCATION Rockford University Burpee Center 5050 E. State St. Regents Hall, 2nd Floor, Rockford

Breakfast BUZZ

Rebecca Epperson, Chartwell Agency will present: “How to Communicate Like a Pro.” Sponsored by RSM US LLP.

Tuesday, November 14

Chamber 101 with Speed Networking, 4 to 5:30 p.m., Century Plaza Business Center, 7210 E. State St., Ste. 102, Rockford. Sponsored

by MembersAlliance Credit Union.

Thursday, November 16

Mayor’s Business Address Luncheon, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., Giovanni’s, Inc., 610 N. Bell School Road, Rockford. Sponsored by BMO Harris Bank (presenting) and AT&T (gold) and Humana (bronze).

Friday, November 17

Thursday, October 12

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

Friday, October 13

Ribbon Cutting, 11 a.m. to noon, Associated Bank, 2714 11th St., Rockford.

Sponsored by RSM US LLP.

Ambassador October Luncheon Mary’s Market, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., 4431 E. State St., Rockford.

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

Wednesday, October 18

Ribbon Cutting, 10 to 11 a.m., Project SEARCH at Mercyhealth and RAMP, 2400 N. Rockton Ave., Ingersoll building, classroom #5, Rockford.

Thursday, October 19 11:30 am - 1 pm Franchesco’s Ristorante 7128 Spring Creek Rd., Rockford

HEALTHCARE Industry Update With so much change anticipated at the federal level for 2017, what can businesses expect when it comes to healthcare?

Sponsored by BMO Harris Bank (presenting), and Humana, Rosecrance Health Network, SwedishAmerican, A Division of UW Health, and Employers’ Coalition on Health (ECOH) (gold); Schmeling Construction Co. and Wipfli LLP (bronze).

Agrace Hospice & Palliative Care. . . 12 The Alliance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Alpine Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Blackhawk Bank. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 BMO Harris Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Broadmoor Agency. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Brian Thomas Photography. . . . . . . .24 Comcast Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Discount Med Direct. . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Discovery Center Museum . . . . . . . . 19 Ege WorkSmart Solutions, PC. . . . . .19 Entré Computer Solutions. . . . . . . . . 29 Humana. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Illinois Bank & Trust. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Illinois Small Business Development Center. . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Klaas Financial Asset Advisors, LLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Mercyhealth. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

NOVEMBER VOICE SPECIAL

SECTIONS

Legal Matters and Accounting Services For information on advertising, call 815

987-8100

Miller Eye Center. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Northern Public Radio . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Oak Street Health . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 OrthoIllinois. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 OSF HealthCare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Quartz. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Rockford Bank & Trust Co.. . . . . . . . . 8 Rockford Chamber of Commerce. . . . . . . . . 22, 27, 31, 34, 36

RSM US LLP. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 RVC BPI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Stillman Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 SwedishAmerican, A Division of UW Health . . . . . . . . . . 16 Thayer Lighting, Inc.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Van Matre Healthsouth Rehabilitation Hospital . . . . . . . . . . . 15 WPS Health Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . 17

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

Harold “Bo” Boger, IL Small Business

Development Center Director.............................................................. 815-316-4301

Sue Boyer, Member Relations................................................. 815-316-4315 Einar K. Forsman, President & CEO.......................................... 815-316-4304 Heidi M. Garner, Chief Operating Officer.................................... 815-316-4312

Doug Hessong, Director of Publications & Technology................... 815-316-4338 Lynette Jacques, Vice President, Member Investment. . .................. 815-316-4317 Stephanie Mathews, Administrative & Finance Assistant .................... 815-987-8100 Stacy Mullins, Director of Events. . ............................................ 815-316-4302

Caitlin Pusateri, Vice President, Leadership Development................... 815-316-4337 Doug Rand, Accounting Manager/Controller............................... 815-316-4316

Joan Sundvall, Membership Contact Coordinator......................... 815-316-4320

Chamber Board of Directors & Officers

Tuesday, November 28

Thursday, October 26

Business After Hours, 5 to 7 p.m., Rock River Valley Pantry, 421 S. Rockton Ave., Rockford. Tours include the 28 raised-bed organic garden, and music by Harlan Jefferson. Sponsored

by Associated Bank.

Advertisers Index ADVERTISERS

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

DIRECTORS Andrew Benson Benson Stone Company, Inc.

Chairman of the Board Richard Zumwalt Z Resource

Jan Bowman TLC Construction

Vice Chair Michele Petrie Wintrust Bank

LaVonne Brown Savant Capital Management

Vice Chair Dan Ross Williams-Manny Insurance Group

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

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

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

Rebecca Epperson Chartwell Agency

Patrick Shaw RSM US LLP

Ira Grimmett UTC Aerospace Systems

Karl Swanson Rockford Bank & Trust Co.

Tim Honquest Honquest Family Funeral Home with Crematory

Jon Thompson Butitta Brothers Automotive

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

Laura Pigatti Williamson

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

John Schuster Rosecrance Health Network

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

ROCKFORD CHAMBER OF COMMERCE Confluence: A convergence of forces, people or things

Confluence Honors Celebrating Partnerships

Join us

Thursday, DECember 7, 2017 » 5:30 – 7:30 pm Rockford Art Museum 711 N. Main Rockford, IL 61103

Plan on joining us as we recognize companies, organizations and individuals for their work on impactful partnerships. $45/person includes hors d’oeuvres and beverages Registration at rockfordchamber.com or Mail 308 W. State Street, Ste. 190, Rockford, IL 61101 Phone 815-987-8100

PRESENTING SPONSOR