December Voice 2022

Housing and the workforce

Rockford’s residential struggles

By Andrew Wright, Director of Strategic Initiatives, Rockford Chamber of Commerce

Gary Anderson held a microphone in one hand and gripped the rail of the bus with the other as his guided tour took a turn onto Rockford’s Seventh Street.

“Ahead, you’ll see the landmark clock tower of the National Lock Building, built so that the workforce who lived in the neighborhood knew when to come to work,” he said.

As the bus, filled with professionals in the Leadership Rockford program, rolled through the neighborhoods in Rockford’s southeast manufacturing corridor, it passed boulevards and streets with rows of houses built for the workforce in the early 1900s,

some still well-kept and occupied and others showing years of neglect.

Anderson, founder and principal architect of the Rockford architectural firm Studio GWA, is a diligent student of Rockford’s history and can see how that past will intersect with the future.

“In the 60s and 70s and a little bit in the 80s, we started seeing our neighborhoods segregating by income levels. Prior to that, Rockford had mixed income neighborhoods where the middle class lived closer to people with higher income,” Anderson said.

This mixture of income levels often brought with it better schools, more parks and better living conditions.

“But that period [the 1960s through the 1980s] is when we started seeing more subdivisions with built-in exclusivity. These discriminatory practices, that really was the undoing of a sense of community. That’s part of Rockford’s DNA, unfortunately,” he said.

This separation by class of Rockford’s housing markets between exclusive subdivisions and older, decaying

neighborhoods has complicated an already complex modern problem—workforce housing for first-time homebuyers.

Searching for a habitat

In 2022, Rockford’s Habitat for Humanity built a record number of new houses for applicants with seven completed homes. Its aim for 2023, given enough volunteers and resources to meet their challenge, is to build 10 houses for home buyers who have met the requirements to be eligible for a new Habitat home.

According to Monique Brown, volunteer manager for Habitat for Humanity Rockford Habitat opened its application process to the community in August 2022 and received 279 applications.

To put this housing crisis in perspective, applicants nationwide must show proof of a minimum income threshold and commit to hours of involvement in the construction of their new home to be selected.

Even though Illinois has a higher minimum wage than neighboring states, and with the 2023 state minimum wage

(continued on page 4)

ROCKFORD RESCUE MISSION IN URGENT NEED

Rockford Rescue Mission finds itself in a urgent need and is asking the community for help.

One year ago, the Mission served an average of 345 meals each day. In early November, the mission served more than 500 meals a day. One year ago, the Mission provided lodging for an average of 109 people each night. During early November, they provided overnight lodging to nearly 150 people on site and an additional 60 off site, in partnership with the City of Rockford.

As a result, the Mission is running low on basic supplies— travel size shampoo, travel size soap, laundry detergent and more.

There are many reasons why crisis centers are overflowing with people in need: inflation has hit hard, COVID benefits have ended, affordable housing is in short supply, and the onset of winter weather.

“We are truly at a moment of crisis in our community,” said Mission CEO Sherry Pitney. “We are asking for your help in any way you can… it all helps immensely as we meet these daily needs with help and hope.”

www.rockfordrescuemission.org

SAVE THE DATE! THE FUTURE OF ROCKFORD

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14, 10 AM

Livestream panel featuring Michael Dunn, Jr., John Groh and Therese Thill PRESENTED BY

MEET THIS YEAR’S

AWARD

WINNERS Women in Business awards

2022 Woman Business Owner of the Year

Tracey Fults

Tracey Fults is the owner of Medicare 411, a Rockford business created to help seniors navigate their Medicare enrollment. Since opening her business in 2017, Fults has served nearly 4,000 clients and grown her team to 13 employees, 10 of which are women.

Fults was nominated for the award because of her commitment to coaching and mentoring, her ability to inspire and support her team and her dedication to making Rockford a better place for its aging population and the nonprofit community.

In addition to being a successful business owner, Fults is a supporter of CASA, Northern Illinois Food Bank, Rockford Rescue Mission, Alzheimer’s

Association, Mosaic, ALS Assocication, Rock House Kids and many other nonprofits.

One of her nominators described her as “an incredible leader that utilizes the power of connection to be a change maker in the community.”

2022 Excellence in Leadership Honoree

Dr. Maureen Richards, PhD

Dr. Maureen Richards is the assistant dean of medical education and evaluation and the clinical associate professor of health science education at the University of Illinois College of Medicine, Rockford.

During the COVID pandemic, Dr. Richards had the monumental task of transitioning the in-person clinical

CHECK OUT THE CHAMBER'S JOB BOARD

Looking for great talent to join your team? Post your open position to our job board. It’s free to members, with lowcost upgrade options available. Jobs uploaded to our website will be shared instantly on our Facebook page. Companies can collect resumes and applications through our site or redirect back to their own application process. The system is user-friendly and only requires a username and password to get started. Forgot your membership username and password? Call 815-9878100 or email Joan at jsundvall@ rockfordchamber.com for help.

You can upload your board member requirements and nomination process to our job board. Under “Industry Types”, choose “Board Positions” to list your open board seats.

of the rockford business community

DAN ROSS Rockford Chamber Board Chairman

Serving in turbulent times

Dan Ross takes a look back and a look ahead

This is my last column as chair of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce, and I am deeply grateful for the opportunity that I was given to play a small part in leading this vital organization. I cannot help but reflect on the past two years, and, if you will indulge me, I would like to share some thoughts.

When I wrote my first column back in early 2021, we were in the midst of a major covid surge. I was writing from an empty office with no idea when we would be back together as a team. At the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois, we were working to address the needs of our community, our donors and the greater nonprofit sector in ways that we had never done before. The needs were great on every level, and we simply had to figure out how to get it done.

As a Chamber, we were faced with many of the same issues. Several of our traditional avenues of serving our members were built around the premise of large and small group gatherings, faceto-face meetings and team members

working side by side. And just like many of our businesses, the Chamber had to find new and creative ways to serve our members. For quite some time, much of what we did was hidden from public view. We were essentially providing oneon-one service to individual members, helping them address the needs of their everchanging environment. We simply had to get it done.

There were a few false starts on returning to group programming as people and organizations tried to decide what they were open to. We tried to figure out what would allow people the maximum amount of comfort and protection. We had our first virtual annual meeting, which was a huge departure from the 800-person gatherings we had grown accustomed to. And we had to pull the plug on events at the last minute as the environment changed day by day. But our members still needed service, and we simply had to get it done.

During that period, we had great

organizational change. We turned over a large number of board members, with many moving to the Greater Rockford Growth Partnership (GRGP) board. We saw Einar transition from his role as head of the Chamber to becoming the CEO of the GRGP. We proudly promoted Caitlin to president of the Chamber while we embarked on the journey of integration with the GRGP and the Rockford Area Economic Development Council. We also decided to throw in a physical move in the midst of all of this. But the one consistent thing through all this change was that life had to go on for us and our members. We simply had to get it done.

As I write this, we have just completed several, successful large events—a sold out annual dinner, a capacity Pow(her) conference and the kickoff of one of the largest Leadership Rockford classes we have ever had. We are about to seat eight fantastic new board members, and we have a phenomenal new board chair in Jean Crosby. We have lined up several new program offerings for 2023 and a return of many of your favorites.

There will be many lessons we will learn as we blaze new trails, and there will be challenges and unforeseen pitfalls that may bump us onto a new course. That being said, I am confident we will

do what we have done for more than 100 years and get it done.

I want to thank all of our board members, the dedicated Chamber staff and the chamber members for all of your support and advice over the past two years. In particular, I want to thank Caitlin for taking on the challenge of leading this organization with drive and ambition and Einar for his many years of dedicated service to the Chamber and the community at large.

I am excited about what lies ahead and grateful for what we learned along the way.

The Rockford Chamber of Commerce welcomes and encourages member submissions for The VOICE of the Rockford Business Community.

Deadline is the 15th of the month preceding publication date. Send news releases and other items of interest to the business community to: The VOICE

Rockford Chamber of Commerce 308 W. State St., Ste. 350 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. 350, 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. 350, Rockford, IL 61101.

WOMEN HONOREES

YouTube channel has more than 30,000 subscribers and upwards of 85,000 monthly viewers. She also contributes to professional societies, associations and journals.

two business days rather than in the allotted 10 business days.

During the pandemic, Burke managed her team remotely and then led them through a smooth transition when it was time to return to the office.

and classroom environments to virtual settings. Serving at least three distinct audiences, all with different responsibilities and needs, she created an experience that was not only meaningful but rigorous and equitable.

As a female role model in a maledominated industry, Richards is viewed as a highly intelligent and dedicated scientist, scholar, educator and administrator. She was hailed by her nominators as a brilliant, gifted teacher with a tireless support for education.

Richards is an internationally recognized expert and instructor in microbiology and immunology. Her

2022 Emerging Leader of the Year Emily Burke

Emily Burke is a strategic planner for Thacker Wealth Management, a Northwestern Mutual affiliate.

Before joining the team at Thacker Financial, Burke worked for eight years with the YWCA of Northwestern Illinois, where she developed processes and procedures still in use throughout the State of Illinois today. She led her team of more than a dozen individuals to become efficient stewards of resources, completing tasks in one to

After working in the nonprofit sector for eight years, Burke joined Thacker Wealth Management in September 2021 as an associate financial representative. Her strong work ethic drove her to obtain new licensing and double multiple areas of revenue within the agency within the first year of her employment.

Outside the office, Burke continues to learn and grow through professional development opportunities and volunteerism. She served as a trustee for the Talcott Free Library in Rockton, Illinois, and currently sits on the board

of directors for Circle of Change, volunteers with the Governors’ Birth to Five Council, and assists the legislative committee for National Alliance on Mental Illness Northern Illinois. Recently, Burke was named among 40 Leaders Under 40 by the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

2022 Community Hero Carol Schuster

Carol Schuster is the assistant dean of operations at the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Rockford.

In the midst of the pandemic, Schuster was the driving force behind bringing the SHIELD COVID testing site and laboratory to Rockford. This gave the entire region access to free testing with a quick turnaround time.

Continued from front page

Above (l to r), Caitlin Pusateri, president of Rockford Chamber, Dr. Maureen Richardson, Excellence in Leadership and Erna Colborn Edward Jones; Emily Burke, Emerging Leader and Jean Crosby Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Crosby Starck Real Estate; and, Tracy Fults, Woman Business Owner of the Year and Patti Thayer Geissler, Thayer Energy Solutions. (continued

HOUSING

Continued from front page

increasing to $13 per hour, a housing applicant working a full-time, 40-hour per week job at that rate would not earn enough to qualify without added overtime or taking on a second job.

Even Brown herself is experiencing the difficulties of home-buying, “I’m currently shopping for a house, and the inventory in my budget and price range is almost nonexistent. I find something in my budget and it’s gone in the snap of a finger.”

Zabs Avery and Jodi Stromberg, realtors with Berkshire Hathaway Home Services in Rockford, agree there’s a home shortage in Rockford, and it’s affecting everyone.

“There’s a shortage of affordable shared living spaces for independent seniors, which means that seniors are staying in their homes longer than ever,” Stromberg said. “That trickles down to people my age and younger new in the housing search. We don’t have the housing turnover necessary for people in their early 30s and 20s coming in when they’re looking for a new house, partly because seniors are staying put and those homes aren’t coming to market.”

A national problem; a local crisis

The demand is there, and it isn’t unique to Rockford. Articles this fall in both the New York Times and The Atlantic underscored the worsening housing situation nationwide and suggested that demand for construction supplies will continue to keep costs elevated.

In December of 2020, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development reported that in the Rockford metro area, new housing sales dropped from 20% of all housing sales in 2005, representing 1,950 homes, and fell an average of 35% per year over the next eight years. In 2020, only 2% of all homes sold were new construction, far short of a national average of 11% new construction per municipality. From 2017 to 2019, Rockford added on average only 100 new homes per year to the market.

Aging houses and infrastructure are also seeing an increase in total cost of ownership. Rockford’s historic economic boom times were in the 1920s and again in the 1950s, when planned neighborhoods were built to accommodate workers for large manufacturing companies. Entire neighborhoods were built around boulevards for company management, flanked by houses of varying sizes for the workforce and their families. But today, these houses are frequently lacking in modern amenities, have insufficient utilities and insulation or require a significant cost to renovate.

“We are in a crisis, said Elias Soria, family self-sufficiency specialist with the Rockford Housing Authority. “The American dream is to buy a home, have a yard, family, maybe a dog and to pay your mortgage. But once you’re a homeowner, there’s not enough support for many people to fix their houses.”

Shared efforts to build, rebuild and renovate

The city of Rockford and Habitat for Humanity are working on programs to assist residents coping with the housing crisis.

Sarah Brinkmann, housing and program manager for the city’s Community & Economic Development Neighborhood Development Department, said there are public and private funds available for homeowners looking to improve aging houses.

One issue that homebuyers may have getting assistance from the city for home repairs is federal laws about lead abatement. In 1994, the Federal threshold for repairs funded through the HUD program was $25,000. Anything above that threshold meant that many government programs would require that the whole project meet code, including a lead abatement plan.

“We would see a request to replace an electrical panel that might start at $6,500 balloon into a project that included a required $45,000 lead abatement,” Brinkmann said.

But the city collaborated with Habitat for Humanity, Winnebago County, the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois and private investors to create a Critical Home Repair program to help homeowners avoid complicated and expensive red tape.

“There are so many people in Rockford that own homes but don’t have the income and ability to maintain their homes, and that’s where we come in,” Brown said. “Whether it’s a leaky roof, a wheelchair ramp or a walk-in shower, we can help.”

According to Brinkmann, seniors are the largest demographic using these programs.

“My staff has a real heart for these seniors, because where would they go? They can’t get a second job to keep up with the maintenance, that’s not possible. And so, their house is starting to decay,” Brinkmann said. “Even if they could move to a senior living space today, the house will need $20,000 to $40,000 in rehab to catch up to what the market demands. And you can’t just sell the property and move to an apartment, because rent is often higher than a mortgage.”

One way Rockford can address the needs of the community is to identify vacant and abandoned properties. Several undeveloped or depressed properties in Rockford

Keri Asevedo and Mike Dunn Jr. hold a press conference about the new partnership between RPS 205, Region 1 Planning and Habitat for Humanity on Rockford's west side.

HOUSING

and surrounding communities are being returned to the market through a land bank program managed by Region 1 Planning Council.

“Rockford is experiencing an influx of workers filling new jobs at places like the Chicago-Rockford International Airport and the new Hard Rock Casino. At the same time, we’re losing housing to fires and other damage. And we’re not building enough houses to keep up with demand,” said Mike Dunn Jr., executive director of Region 1 Planning Council.

In addition to periodically losing houses to fires, Rockford and Machesney Park have demolished dozens of houses that have flooded over the past 20 years, both along the Keith Creek waterway and along Shore Drive on the Rock River.

Dunn, who joined the planning council in 2015, has led the movement to reclaim vacant and abandoned properties and put them in the hands of people intending to develop them, with the idea that they’ll better serve the community and return to generating property tax income for the city.

“A land bank is a unit of government that has a restricted form of home rule power that allows us to dispose of [publicly-owned] property the way the land bank board wants it to, rather than to go a traditional municipal route. We can be a lot more deliberate and creative in how we dispose of these properties,” Dunn said.

Putting the land bank to work

On a cold November afternoon, Dunn, along with Rockford Mayor Tom McNamara, Sen. Steve Stadelman, Rep. Maurice West and Keri Asevedo, executive director of Habitat for Humanity, stood in an empty lot on the Rockford’s west side, wind whistling through the trees that separate the lot from Wyeth Stadium at Auburn High School. There, they celebrated the latest use of the land bank resource—housing for teachers and opportunities for students in Rockford Public Schools.

“Years ago, I remember being in a room with a teacher from Guilford who was looking for construction projects for his students. I immediately raised my hand and said ‘I do,’” Asevedo recalled of an early opportunity to partner with the district. “That very first year, Guilford students in the construction trades program built the walls for one of our homes. The following year, they agreed to come out on site. The superintendent agreed to both staff and

transportation to bring students to a Habitat worksite. We were able to build eight homes for Habitat for Humanity families partnering with Rockford Public Schools.”

Asevedo explained how the partnership extended to help employees of public schools become home owners and the important role land banks play in helping Habitat find lots to build on and improve for their programs. She talked about their partnership with energy provider ComEd to ensure that houses built for their programs are energy efficient, using highquality windows, modern insulation, highefficiency air conditioning and innovations like geothermal energy.

“We literally have hundreds of students who now have authentic college and career readiness skills and life skills [because of the partnership],” said RPS Superintendent Dr. Ehren Jarrett. “This does make a difference in the lives of our students.”

Looking around the lots in the proposed subdivision, the program partners can see how the new houses built by Habitat will blend into a modern neighborhood,

with new residents entering an established neighborhood. In addition, faculty and staff at Auburn who move into the houses will enjoy walking access to their classrooms and tailgating for the Knights on autumn Saturdays.

And while there’s great promise this program will provide future homes for several Rockford families, the demand for workforce housing doesn’t appear to be going away.

“Of the 279 applicants for our Habitat housing in August, more than 170 of them had met the income requirements,” Asevedo said as looked out on the open field west of Auburn where 30 new houses will be built over three years.

“We obviously need more and more safe and affordable housing,” Mayor McNamara said. “This is a really unique way for all these [organizations] to come together and help create this program.” v

This newly constructed house by Habitat for Humanity is ready for new home owners. Monique Brown, Volunteer Coordinator for Habitat for Humanity, knows both the pride and the struggles of home ownership in the current housing market.

Survey says…

Employers think graduates lack soft skills

After more than five years, Rockford Chamber members were surveyed about Rockford Public Schools (RPS) in spring of 2022, resulting in 160 responses.

The survey identified concerns about how well RPS 205 graduates are prepared to enter the workforce. The largest group of survey respondents (32%) who hire RPS 205 graduates said employees are not prepared for the workforce, while only 18% said graduates were prepared or well prepared for the workforce.

In this case, perception is reality. Even if we think we’re doing a great job preparing our students for the workforce and life after graduation, the people hiring job applicants and reviewing candidates disagree.

One thing we hear over and over again is that our students lack soft skills. That’s why we’re launching a work study program in the second semester of this school year.

■ Students earn credit for work during their senior year.

■ Job coaches check in on students at their jobs.

■ Students can earn digital badges for soft skills demonstrated on the job. This applies to any job they have outside of school hours.

■ RPS job coaches will work with employers and students to ensure they’re demonstrating the soft skills that our community and employers are looking for.

Another data point in the survey showed that 66% of Chamber members do not believe RPS 205 provides adequate vocational training to address workforce needs. RPS 205 offers more than a dozen industry certifications, but, according to the survey, there’s a disconnect between what’s offered and what’s useful postgraduation.

To address the gaps, we’re working with our partners at Rock Valley College to develop a Career Running Start program. The program will allow senior students to attend their high school in either the morning or afternoon, then attend Rock Valley College the other half of the day. Students will have the opportunity to earn a certificate of completion in mechatronics,

manufacturing, welding or aviation maintenance. This district-sponsored program will connect students directly to high-wage, high-demand jobs in our region.

Our vision hasn’t changed. We want Rockford Public Schools to be the first choice for all families. And we want Rockford Public Schools to provide the talent pool local companies need to make the Rockford community the first choice to live, work, learn and play.

That vision can’t rest solely on the school district. We need the Rockford community to support our students and families. There are so many ways to get involved. To find

WHAT ARE SOFT SKILLS?

At a minimum, employees need role-specific knowledge and abilities to perform their job duties. But those who usually stand out as high performers need some additional qualities, such as the ability to communicate clearly, the ability to work well with others and the ability to manage their time effectively. These abilities are examples of soft skills.

out more, visit www.rps205.com. Thank you for your feedback on the survey. We plan to repeat the survey every two years. Let us know how we’re doing in the next school year (2023-24). Continuous improvement is one of our core values, and we are dedicated to providing students a world class education.

Bridget French, executive director of College & Career Readiness

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

Here are 15 soft skills examples that are essential traits among employees:

Communication Teamwork

Problem-solving Critical thinking Time management Organizational Decision-making Adaptability Stress management Leadership Conflict management Creativity Resourcefulness Persuasion Openness to criticism

We want Rockford Public Schools to provide the talent pool local companies need to make the Rockford community the first choice to live, work, learn and play.

profi le MEMBER PROFILE

AW Anderson Agency

Art Anderson opened the AW Anderson insurance agency shortly before shipping out to serve in World War II. Upon returning home, he set up shop in the Meadowmart Shopping Mall, where, today, Doc’s Diner serves legendary biscuits and gravy.

In 1959, he built the iconic building with the blue awning at 6464 North Second Street in Loves Park. Drivers passing by can navigate from the brick building with the analog clock out front, hands helpfully reminding commuters of the time, and of AW Anderson Agency’s years of service.

Today, the third generation of Andersons, Art’s grandsons Christopher and Kyle, run a bustling office of 11 licensed personnel and are looking to grow their staff. In 2022, AW Anderson Agency celebrated their 81st year in business and their 50th year as a member of the Rockford Chamber of Commerce.

AW Anderson Agency is an independent insurer, which means they can shop for policies in various lines of business for their customers. Having property, casualty and life insurance contracts with many carriers allows their agency to seek policies to fit a wide variety of clients. They take great pride in helping anyone from the businessowner that has 50 employees to the individual looking to purchase their first home.

The Anderson brothers grew up in Roscoe, graduating from Harlem High School. Both sought higher education at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin before returning to Rockford and joining the family business.

“I remember when I was starting to learn how to read and write, I was writing a paper about selling insurance and didn’t know what that meant,” said Chris.

“Our father, Steven, never pushed us to come into the business. When I graduated from Carthage in 2008, in the heart of the recession, it was hard to

AW Anderson Agency is an independent insurer, which means they can shop for policies in various lines of business for their customers.

find a job. But the firm here offered me a position going into my senior year, and that offered me a sense of security,” said Kyle. “That offer came in the last year of my grandfather’s life, and I remember him thinking it was neat that I was going into the family business.”

In November of 2022, Kyle was promoted to president of the AW Anderson agency, continuing the legacy of service his grandfather began.

“An insurance policy is just a piece of paper until you have to use it,” Kyle explained. “Every conversation we have is designed to educate our customers as much as we can. The numbers and endorsements on the paper mean something, and it’s our job to explain what they mean.”

AW Anderson Agency has policies in effect that were issued as many as 50 years ago, and they find that new business is driven by referrals. “Happy customers create word of mouth,” Chris said. “Referrals have driven the bulk of our new business for many years.”

“Our service builds relationships. Relationships build trust. Trust is why people choose to insure with us for 30 or 40 years. We’re here to help people and intend to continue to do that for many years to come,” Kyle said.

For more information about AW Anderson Agency, visit www. AWAnderson.com.

CELEBRATING THREE GENERATIONS AND 81 YEARS IN BUSINESS

Kyle and Christopher Anderson.

What’s triggering about social media?

Youth and technology expert Amanda Lenhart’s 2015 Pew study of teens, technology, and friendships reveals a range of social media-induced stressors:

■ Seeing people posting about events to which you haven’t been invited

■ Feeling pressure to post positive and attractive content about yourself

■ Feeling pressure to get comments and likes on your posts

■ Having someone post things about you that you cannot change or control In addition, even more challenges:

■ Feeling replaceable: If you don’t respond to a best friend’s picture quickly or effusively enough, will she find a better friend?

■ Too much communication: A boyfriend or girlfriend wants you to be texting far more often than you’re comfortable with.

■ Digital “FOMO”: If you’re not up-todate on the latest social media posts, will it prevent you from feeling like you can participate in real-life conversations at school the next day?

■ Attachment to actual devices: If your phone is out of reach, will your privacy be invaded? Will you miss a message from a friend?

For parents, strategies on mitigating anxiety — without overreacting

A key piece of advice for parents is to individualize your approach. Don’t just take your teen’s phone away if you suspect drama. In most situations, it’s best to work with your teen around social media expectations. It could potentially make your teen more upset by separating her from her friends and other aspects of digital media she enjoys.

However, as a family, you can also set screen-free times — whether it’s every evening after 9 p.m., on the car ride to school or an occasional screen-free weekend.

A significant part of your teen’s phone habits may be related to her parents, too. Be good role models in your own use of tech.

It’s best to work with your teen to set social media expectations. You want to build consensus and get their buy-in. Constant surveillance or control won’t build trust. Make it an open, mutual discussion. You want to get teens to put their devices down on their own.

Excerpted from Harvard School of Education, https://www.gse.harvard.edu/news/uk/17/12/ social-media-and-teen-anxiety.

GUEST COLUMNIST

Adolescents and social media

Too much screen time could point to other concerns

Does social media cause poor mental health, or does anxiety cause teens to immerse themselves in Twitter and TikTok?

According to research, it could be a bit of both. Recent studies indicate:

■ Nearly 90% of teens and adolescents active on social media have witnessed cyberbullying

■ The number of sexual assault cases related to social media continues to rise dramatically.

■ Teens who spend at least three hours a day on social media experience depression or anxiety.

Over 40 percent of young people turn to social media to make themselves feel better when they are depressed, stressed or anxious.

Studies also show that excessive use of social media can lead to:

■ Loss of sleep.

■ A sedentary lifestyle.

■ Lack of interpersonal relationships.

■ Increased risk of cyberbullying.

After nearly two years of virtual learning, school teachers and staff are noticing many of these symptoms in students who have difficulty focusing in the learning environment. And young people often have a distorted sense of reality, because it’s hard for them to know who is behind social media accounts that may be harassing them.

While excessive social media use can affect self-esteem, social skills and life perspective, it can also be an indicator of other mental health concerns.

The smart phone has become the default coping mechanism for adolescents and teens. When faced with down time, anxiety or depression, they scroll through social media, watch YouTube or play games.

But when a person recognizes their reliance on screen time, it creates a breakthrough moment—when a young person realizes they, not the technology, are in control. Over time, healthy connections and a balanced understanding of online habits replace the initial fear of missing out.

To maintain an appropriate level of digital technology use, watch for signs of:

■ Isolation.

■ Poor sleep habits.

■ Avoiding human interaction in favor of device time.

■ The inability to set devices aside during conversations.

When addressing the subject, the key

While we’re seeing social media impact self-esteem, social skills, and life perspective, we’re also observing that excessive social media use has become a frequent indicator of other mental health concerns.

is to talk about the individual’s general usage habits rather than immediate restrictions. Positive reinforcement that acknowledges successes over time will likely enable long-lasting change.

To change digital media habits, a great place to start is by replacing the negative habit with something else, such as more interpersonal activities or screen-free time reading a book or enjoying nature.

As healthy coping skills are developed through counseling and life experience, teens will find themselves engaging more frequently in face-to-face interactions and real-world relationships. Plus, they will find it easier to self-regulate without the need of a device in their hands.

Teens aren’t the only ones at risk of unhealthy smart phone habits. Adults should be mindful of how often they check email or social media. Has technology become a quick fix for interpersonal connection and validation? Focus on experiencing those things in real life.

If you or a loved one need help, please call Rosecrance’s caring Access team at 888-928-5278.

Carlene Cardosi is regional president of Rosecrance, Inc., a subsidiary of the Rosecrance Health Network.

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

CARLENE CARDOSI, MSW, LSCSW Rosecrance

Aristotle once equated the essence of life to serving others and doing good. While the philosophy seems like a fulfilling endeavor, it’s not quite practical given that we lead super busy lives. With our already jam-packed schedules, it’s impossible to think of giving away your time and energy for free without a financial reward.

However, volunteering is beneficial for several reasons, and the best part about it is that it doesn’t have to take up much of your time and effort. The advantages of volunteering not only benefit the community or person receiving the assistance, it also benefits the individual or the organization offering the help.

Such benefits probably explain why there has been a steady rise in volunteerism in the past few years.

Research shows that more than 25% of adults in the U.S. volunteered from 2008 to 2017, with women taking the lead at 27.8% compared 21.8% of men.

So why is there a spike in volunteering? Well, it seems more and more people are discovering the immense benefits of volunteering. People are beginning to see how helping each other benefits all parties involved, and more businesses are joining the helping bandwagon.

Benefits businesses derive from volunteering

Connecting with the community

A huge benefit that volunteering has is its impact on the community. It allows organizations to connect to the community to improve it. Even helping out with small tasks can make a significant difference to the lives of those in need, and it’s a two-way street.

Company-sponsored volunteerism helps employees network and make new contacts and friends through shared activities. Volunteering allows employees from different companies in the Chamber to meet for a common goal and form connections. These connections provide opportunities to expand business ties outside the organization.

Health benefits

Scientists coined the term “helper’s high” to describe the physical effect doing good deeds has on the human body. Volunteering promotes good physical

Discover the benefits of volunteering

Help your organization by helping others

and mental health by counteracting the effects of anger, stress and anxiety, while also combating depression through regular contact with others. It also increases self-confidence and provides employees with a sense of purpose, thus increasing employee empowerment.

Team bonding

Teaming up employees outside the work environment to participate in a worthwhile activity fosters a sense of teamwork. Pulling together to partake in a common goal, especially a community project or charity, helps employees build bonds that last long and create a renewed sense of commitment to the job and one another.

Business success

According to research, organizations that integrate community service into their daily processes can increase sales by about 20% and productivity by 13%. Such organizations also reduce employee turnover while increasing the company’s share price by up to 6%.

Enhanced skills

Volunteering lets employees use their skills to better the community. They can also use the opportunity to acquire new skills that can come in handy in the work environment. This skills enhancement benefits the employee and the employer.

Increased brand awareness

Organizations that go out of their way to help the community usually earn a positive reputation for their good deeds. Nowadays, people want to associate themselves with brands that are working to create change in society. Therefore, volunteering in new or familiar environments helps establish relationships with customers and helps build brand awareness and loyalty.

JENNIFER SMITH Community Foundation of Northern Illinois

GUEST COLUMNIST

Growing connections

Managing your “people portfolio”

This has been one of those years where, depending on your age and propensity for risk, monitoring an investment portfolio has been an invitation for panic. This instability, combined with losing some people who were very close to my heart, has led me to reflect on other forms of investment. For example, how is our community strengthened as the connections among people increase in quantity and quality?

In my own life, I have seen how the willingness of others to be generous with their networks has advanced professional and personal opportunities. Soon after moving to Rockford, I pushed the reset button on my career, returning to school to pursue a degree which would lead me in a very different professional direction. The content of the program was great. The connections I made, thanks to the “network generosity” of professors, staff, and peers alike, were better. These connections opened doors I might never have even known existed, allowing me to deepen my understanding of our community and my ability to serve that community in return.

This same principle comes into play at my employer, the Community Foundation of Northern Illinois. CFNIL celebrates its 70th anniversary in 2023. As we perused seven decades of pictures, board minutes, fund paperwork and grant records to prepare for this celebration, one element of our work which had not been top of mind came into focus—the role of connecting.

As much as we are privileged to connect the financial generosity of past and present generations to the needs of today and tomorrow, we are equally privileged to grow other forms of connection. In fact, we consider this

responsibility of building a network of allyship for the betterment of our region one of our highest priorities.

It was recognizing and acknowledging this priority which brought an anniversary theme into focus, “Growing Connections.” This theme manifests itself in our work in different ways, but it always means being open to sharing knowledge and quick to offer an introduction. I can say without reservation that every member of our team is on board with this philosophy; we have all seen how being ready and willing to open our “people portfolio” strengthens our community, whether it will mean a direct financial benefit for our organization or not.

The Rockford region is, in many ways, a big, small town. Some days that can feel oppressive, but, for the most part, I think it’s a great benefit for locals and transplants alike. It only takes a few connections, a quick flip through a contact list, to make a big difference in someone’s personal and professional trajectory. The maximum return on investment of a “people portfolio” can only be realized when those connections are shared.

As you consider the form your generosity will take in the New Year, I encourage you to consider how giving of your personal network, your unique “people portfolio,” might lead to impressive returns. Our future community thanks you.

Jennifer Smith is engagement director at Community Foundation of Northern Illinois.

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

Volunteering is beneficial for several reasons, and the best part about it is that it doesn’t have to take up much of your time and effort.

GUEST COLUMNIST

Wishes fulfilled Amelia’s

story

Amelia, 19, from Wisconsin is fighting refractory high risk acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). When she received her cancer diagnosis, Amelia was enjoying her senior year in high school and looking forward to joining her sister Hannah at University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire this fall.

After Amelia completed her first two rounds of inpatient induction chemotherapy (each round requires a one-month hospital stay), a bone marrow biopsy was done. Unfortunately, when remission was expected, Amelia’s bone marrow leukemia count increased.

Amelia was admitted for alternative therapies, which resulted in a decrease of the disease but not remission. She is currently in the hospital for intensive chemotherapy, with the hope that she will go into remission. If Amelia can get into remission, she will still need to undergo a bone marrow transplant.

The Nikolas Ritschel Foundation recently learned of Amelia’s diagnosis and ongoing treatments and helped her fulfil an important wish—a Zoom call with her favorite musician, Cody Fry.

The Foundation receive a thank you note from Amelia’s UW Health Kids social worker, Kim Sue Lamster:

I just popped in on Amelia, Amelia’s whole face lit up as she told how unexpected and amazing it was to meet him. She said she has been corresponding with you to plan a trip as well. This is the most color and joy we have seen from Amelia in quite some time. We truly cannot thank you enough. Her mom got tears in her eyes when she saw Amelia light up as we talked together. Thank you so very much for everything. Seeing Amelia smile, and the joy in her voice, was priceless today.

Although her condition is extremely guarded, Amelia continues to be in great spirits with a positive and hopeful attitude, which is mirrored by her family.

Nik’s Wish has delivered nearly 300 wishes across 40 states. Donors and supporters can help sponsor wishes, which typically average around $7,500 to fulfil.

The Nikolas Ritschel Foundation was established in 2012 in Rockford as an all-volunteer 501(c)(3) charity, whose mission is to bring to young adults ages 18 to 24, and their loved ones, fighting cancer. They do this by fulfilling wishes for young cancer patients who have aged beyond other wish-style programs.

Nik’s Wish has delivered nearly 300 wishes across 40 states. Donors and supporters can help sponsor wishes, which typically average around $7,500 to fulfil.

“Often at Nik’s Wish we hear about the joy that a wish brings and how important it is for parents to see the happiness in their child’s face as they endure some of their darkest times together,” said Kelli Ritschel Boehle, founder and executive director of the Nikolas Ritschel Foundation. “A wish also brings hope, something wonderful to tightly hold on to during their grueling, seemingly endless, cancer treatments.”

To learn more, volunteer or donate, visit www.nikswish.org or visit the Nikolas Ritschel Foundation Facebook page.

Kelli Ritschel Boehle is founder and executive director of Nikolas Ritschel Foundation.

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

A wish also brings hope; something wonderful to tightly hold on to during their grueling, seemingly endless, cancer treatments.

Amelia received a Zoom call from her favorite musician, Cody Fry.

KELLI RITSCHEL BOEHLE Nikolas Ritschel Foundation

Study underscores nonprofits’ resilience, challenges

2022 State of the Sector report

By Northern Illinois Center for Nonprofit Excellence

The 2022 State of the Nonprofit Sector report issued by the Northern Illinois Center for Nonprofit Excellence (NICNE) found that nonprofit organizations in Northern Illinois appear cautiously optimistic about the future as they emerge from nearly three years of the COVID pandemic. But they also are realistic about the challenges they face, especially when it comes to competing for talent.

The report, compiled by Dr. Alicia Schatteman, director of the Center for Nonprofit and NGO Studies at Northern Illinois University, is based on a survey of nonprofit organizations in Winnebago and Boone counties conducted earlier in the year. Sixty-eight individuals responded to the survey.

The report is the first snapshot of the local nonprofit sector as it emerges from the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic made it impossible for organizations to engage with donors in person and drove away many volunteers. “Human service organizations were on the front lines of the pandemic, helping our most vulnerable people with an increased demand for services,” said Pam Clark

Reidenbach, NICNE’s CEO. “Other organizations had to shutter their doors and wait until it was safe for staff and participants.”

Nonprofit organizations in the region provide a wide variety of services, including education, health, cultural enrichment, animal welfare and environmental advocacy. All told, they employ several thousand fulland part-time workers and provide volunteer opportunities for thousands of individuals.

More than 70% of respondents said they expect to hire in the coming year, with the greatest need for program and clinical workers and fund development professionals. Nearly 95% of organizations have increased employee compensation in the past year, with most of the pay raises falling in the 3-4% range. Even so, 74% said that offering competitive salaries was their top human resources challenges, followed by hiring and recruiting qualified workers at 45% and 42%, respectively.

Still, lack of workers was cited as a challenge to service delivery by nearly 70% of respondents—a stiffer challenge than lack of financial resources at 52%; visibility and reputation at 43%; and lack of technology resources at 35%.

Attracting volunteer talent is an additional H.R. challenge, with 18% of organizations reporting that finding long-term volunteers is one of their greatest challenges, followed by finding volunteers in general at 14% and volunteer retention at nearly 12%.

Ninety percent of organizations that responded use volunteers. Organizations averaged 224 volunteers, and respondents reported a total of more than 580,000 volunteer hours contributed.

A large majority of respondents, 97%, said they collaborate with other nonprofit organizations to fulfill their missions—84% to enhance services, 76% to share resources and 66% to raise community awareness.

Among other findings:

■ 55% report expended demand for services; just 8% reported reduced demand.

■ 74% of executive directors and CEOs are women.

■ 13% of executive directors/CEOs said they plan to retire in the next three years.

■ 51% of organizations said they have no succession plan for the CEO.

About half of respondents, 47%, expect their organization’s financial outlook to remain stable over the next year, and 36% expected finances to improve.

The full report will be released next year to NICNE members, with a public release to follow.

Source: NICNE member newsletter

NATE JORDAN Small Business Development Center

Small Business DEVELOPMENT CENTER

Controlling costs through technology

SBDC helps small businesses find the right tools

With increasing inflation and tightening of the U.S. economy, small business owners may begin to see new challenges in maintaining their current business or continuing on their projected growth trajectory.

This strain could leave businesses needing to cut operational expenses while still providing a high quality product or service. One small recommendation with the potential for a large impact is to optimize the use of technology.

Here are technologies that could help small business owners save time and money while cultivating growth in times of economic downturn.

1. Social media marketing tools are commonly used to schedule social media

posts, analyze social media analytics and identify potential customers. Popular social media marketing tools include Hootsuite and Sprout Social.

2. Customer relationship management (CRM) so ware tracks customer data, sales data and marketing data. It also helps with tasks like automated emails and customer segmentation. Larger organizations may consider Salesforce or HubSpot, while smaller organizations should consider budget-friendly options like Notion or Airtable.

3. Accounting so ware helps small businesses manage their finances, invoices and expenses. It can also help with bookkeeping and tax preparation.

Popular accounting software includes QuickBooks Online and Xero.

4. E-commerce platforms give small businesses affordable options for creating and managing online stores. They also offer marketing and order management services. E-commerce platforms like Shopify or BigCommerce currently offer competitive pricing models and intuitive design functionality.

5. Delivery food service platforms can help restaurants increase their revenue by driving traffic and exposure to their business. Companies like Grubhub, DoorDash, Uber Eats and Postmates are popular options for restaurants.

6. Marketing automation so ware helps with tasks like email marketing, lead nurturing and lead scoring. Marketing automation software such as HubSpot Marketing and Mailchimp are good options to consider.

7. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tools assist with tasks like keyword research, link building and web page optimization. SEO tools like Moz orSEMrush can help facilitate those tasks.

8. Project management so ware help small businesses with task management, team collaboration and project tracking. Asana, Trello and Monday.com are popular options with free tiers.

9. Business intelligence so ware provides data analysis, reporting and dashboards. Tableau, Looker and Domo are recommended options.

While there are many technology options available that can help small businesses, it’s important to remember that not all of them will be a good fit for every business. Small business owners should carefully research all options to determine which will suit their business the best.

For help identifying which combination makes the most sense for your particular business, the Small Business Development Center (SBDC), hosted by the Rockford Chamber of Commerce, can help create a strategy around which technologies best suit your business.

Contact Nate at Nathaniel.sbdc@ rockfordchamber.com for more information on the SBDC and the free services it offers.

ANNE MANK Savant Wealth Management

GUEST COLUMNIST

Mindful holiday spending

Wish lists can help you stick to a budget

The holidays are right around the corner, and this is usually the time of year when we throw our budget right out the door. You have too many people to buy for, or you want to show people how much you care about them. Maybe you’ve found a great shopping deal you can’t possibly pass up. Or your child has entered middle school and needs gifts for six teachers instead of one. You have family gatherings and meals to prepare and Secret Santa gifts to buy. Your outdoor decorations were fine last year, but your neighbor had such a great display that you should probably buy a couple more things for this year. No wonder we are so stressed this time of year. We have so much to keep track of, and it can get expensive fast.

Plan ahead by creating two separate wish lists

On the first list, write down what your ideal holiday experience would look like. Think about who would be sitting around your table or spending time with you. Think about the emotions you would like to have and how much time you would like to spend with your loved ones. Really think about the entire experience—the who, what, when, where and why.

On the second list, write down all the people to whom you would love to give a gift. Be honest. Don’t include anyone you feel obligated to give to. Think about who you listed on your first wish list. Think about those who you love spending time with and really care about. This list should make you feel good and thankful to have the ability to give these individuals or charities a gift. When you look at this list, you can’t wait to go out and find them something special.

If you were paying close attention, you might have noticed that I haven’t mentioned anything about a budget or spending limits yet. There is a reason for that. We feel so stressed and anxious around the holidays that we hardly have time to sleep. But by taking the time to compile these wish lists, you have made the season so much easier because you are now focused on what matters. And if you look at those lists again, I bet many of those people or charities would rather have your time than money.

Now that you have your two lists, figure out how much you’d like to spend and then allocate an amount to each person on your list. Then I challenge you to do something more. I want you to think outside the box. Maybe

come up with an agreement with the person to surprise them with a gift sometime during the year instead of at the holidays. How cool would that be if a holiday present showed up in May?

If you are crafty, make them something special like a one-of-a-kind piece of art.

If you are handy, offer to come to their house and fix a couple of small things that are particularly annoying to them.

A little planning can go a long way toward helping you keep your budget and make it the best holiday season ever.

How to use your wish lists

Here are a few things to keep in mind as you go through your wish lists:

■ Use those two lists as your filter for the season. If it isn’t the experience you’re looking for or a person you want to give to, it doesn’t make the cut.

■ Beware of a perceived obligation: This person gave me something, so I have to return the favor.

■ Old patterns can be hard to break.

Just because you did it in the past doesn’t mean you have to continue the pattern. Be open with the other person and let them know that you are doing something a little different this year.

■ Having a “budget buddy” is a great way to stay accountable and have some fun.

There are a lot of ideas here, so find one thing you can easily implement and get to it. The hardest part is the first step, so I’m cheering you on and hope you have the best holiday experience possible.

Anne Mank, CFP, CPA, co-hosted the weekly radio show, Money Sense, and is a Certified Integrative Holistic Coach.

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

By taking the time to compile these wish lists, you have made the season so much easier because you are now focused on what matters.

economic development

Rockford Area Economic Development Council news

RAEDC engages Next Move Group

The Rockford Area Economic Development Council (RAEDC) selected Next Move Group to help develop the next iteration of the organization’s strategic plan. The Vision-Now research will on what’s most important to the community and will result in a strategic plan with recommendations for metrics and actions to implement in the short and medium term.

“Our region has the good fortune to develop strategies with our partners that will cultivate opportunities for primary job growth and retention, increasing the economic well-being of our area,” said Therese Thill, President of the RAEDC.

The Next Move Group’s mission is to create economic growth in small and mid-sized communities by supporting

economic developers.

Business retention and expansion program

Research suggests that 80% of new jobs and capital investment comes from companies that already exist in a community.

The main goals of a business retention and expansion (BRE) program are to help existing businesses grow and assist with issues that could force them to fail, close or relocate to a new community.

A successful BRE program also provides data and intelligence to strategically attract new companies to a community and foster the creation of new businesses.

A business retention and expansion (BRE) program

■ Preserves and increases local jobs.

■ Preserves and increases local tax

revenues.

■ Maintains or diversifies the local economy.

■ Maintains or diversifies access to goods and services.

What help do businesses need?

■ Finding land or buildings for future operations.

■ Securing financing for new equipment or operations.

■ Finding or training new workers.

■ Help with permitting, licensing, or infrastructure needs.

■ Technical assistance for exporting, market development, post-disaster continuity, and other growth opportunities and challenges.

Everyone benefits from a business retention and expansion program:

■ Businesses benefit from community support to solve problems that would

cause them to fail, close, or move away.

■ Residents benefit from having local job opportunities, choices among a range of employers, types of jobs and industries, and local access to shopping and services.

■ The community benefits from a stable tax base, business civic engagement, vitality and local pride.

Contact RAEDC to schedule a Business Retention and Expansion visit: Therese Thill, president TThill@RockfordIL.com

Alex Keedi, business development manager AKeedi@RockfordIL.co

Visit RockfordIL.com/BRE to learn more.

Local workforce investment area sees 2+ point drop in unemployment year over year

The Local Workforce Investment Area Three, which includes Winnebago, Boone, and Stephenson Counties, has seen more than a two-percentage point drop when comparing September 2022 to September 2021 as reported by the Illinois Department of Employment Security Economic Information and Analysis Division.

In addition to the year-over-year move from 7.3% to the current 5.7%, the month-over-month unemployment rate has also decreased a significant amount from 6.5% in August of 2022 to the current 5.7%. The last time these numbers reached this level in September was 2019.

Manufacturing and trade, transportation and utilities were the biggest industries contributing to this decrease by adding 1,700 and 2,300 jobs respectively since last year. These industries continue to be the largest employment sectors in the area and have been mainstays of our region’s economy. Strong industry sectors like these will continue to provide opportunities for diversification and our economic well-being.

“This means our community has more employment opportunities, the ability to continue educational pursuits within different fields and sustainable growth for employers located here. All of which demonstrate our region is a great place to live and work,” states Therese Thill, president of RAEDC.

The region has continued to develop education-to-workforce pipelines to support manufacturing and primary employers with the skilled workforce needed to grow, offer more services and continue to be an economic driver for the region.

Learn more about the industries in our region at www.rockfordil.com.

SAMUEL J. CASTREE, JR. Staff Management, Inc.

GUEST COLUMNIST

New Year, new employment laws

State and federal laws affecting employers

The new year is just around the corner, and 2023 will bring new employment law obligations for many employers. Here is a brief summary of some changes effective January 1, 2023.

Family Bereavement Leave. The Family Bereavement Leave Act, an amended version of the current Child Bereavement Leave Act, will expand the availability of unpaid bereavement leave to some Illinois employees. Employers covered by the Family Bereavement Leave Act are employers as defined by the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA). Likewise, employees eligible for bereavement leave are eligible employees under the FMLA.

The law provides up to 10 work days of unpaid bereavement leave for qualifying reasons related to a “covered family member.” A covered family member is an employee’s child, stepchild, spouse, domestic partner, sibling, parent, mother-in-law, father-in-law, grandchild, grandparent or stepparent. Note that “domestic partner” has an expansive definition and includes not only an unmarried employee’s domestic partner recognized under any state or local law but also an unmarried adult person who is in a committed, personal relationship with the employee, who is not in such a relationship with any other person, and who is designated by the employee as that employee's domestic partner.

Reasons for leave include the need for an eligible employee to attend the funeral

of, make arrangements necessitated by the death of, or to grieve the death of a covered family member. Other reasons for leave include:

■ A miscarriage.

■ An unsuccessful assisted reproductive technology procedure.

■ A failed adoption match or an adoption that is not finalized because it is contested by another party.

■ A failed surrogacy agreement.

■ A diagnosis that negatively impacts pregnancy or fertility.

■ A stillbirth.

One Day Rest in Seven Act. The One Day Rest in Seven Act requires employers to provide all employees (with some exceptions) at least 24 consecutive hours of rest per calendar week. Under current language, an employee could end up working 12 days in a row, with one day off at the beginning of a calendar week and another day off at the end of the next calendar week. This piggybacking of weeks will no longer be allowed under amended statutory language. Effective January 1, the Act will require at least 24 consecutive hours of rest in every consecutive seven-day period.

Exceptions to the Act remain unchanged, the most common being part-time employees working 20 or fewer hours per week; employees needed in case of machinery or equipment breakdown or other emergency to

The One Day Rest in Seven Act requires employers to provide all employees (with some exceptions) at least 24 consecutive hours of rest per calendar week.

prevent injury to person, damage to property, or suspension of necessary operation; and exempt white-collar employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act and supervisors under the National Labor Relations Act.

The amendment also adds an expanded employee meal break requirement. Employers still need to permit employees who are to work 7.5 continuous hours at least a 20-minute meal break beginning no later than five hours after the start of the work period. Also, employees who work more than 7.5 continuous hours will be entitled to an additional 20-minute meal break for every additional 4.5 continuous hours worked.

CROWN Act. The CROWN Act amends the definition of “race” under the Illinois Human Rights Act. The definition of race will be expanded to include “traits associated with race, including, but not limited to, hair texture and protective hairstyles such as braids, locks and twists.”

Minimum wage. With the new year comes a new minimum wage in Illinois. The minimum wage increases to $13, the minimum wage for so-called “tipped employees”, will be $7.80, and the subminimum wage for youth under age 18 and working fewer than 650 hours in a calendar year is $10.50.

Wage reporting. Although signed into law March 23, 2021, certain amendments to the Illinois Business Corporation Act are not effective until 2023. The annual report provisions of the law will mandate that corporations required to file an EEO-1 Report will need to file similar information with the Illinois Secretary of State. Generally, employers who have at least 100 employees, and federal contractors who have at least 50 employees, are required to file the EEO-1 Report. The EEO-1 Report details information by an employer’s job categories, such as executive, professional and administrative, among others, and by ethnicity, race and gender. The law directs the Secretary of State to publish that information within 90 days of receipt of a properly filed corporate annual report.

Samuel J. Castree, Jr. is senior vice president and general counsel for Staff Management, Inc., a multi-state certified professional employer organization, and human resource management consulting and outsourcing firm. His responsibilities include those of chief legal officer and management of the firm's human resource outsourcing services.

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

Demographics for the top social media platforms

Except where otherwise indicated, user numbers represent active users worldwide as of January 2022, according to data from Statista.

Facebook: 2.9 billion users

Most adults in the U.S. use Facebook, including 61% of all men and 77% of all women. This social media platform is popular among all age groups, the largest one being millennials—77%. In addition, people of all educational backgrounds and income levels use Facebook, and users are almost evenly divided among urban, suburban and rural populations.

YouTube: 2.5 billion users

Used by 81% of Americans, YouTube’s viewership is spread fairly equally across all age groups under age 65 and is the most used platform by millennials. College graduates are more likely to use YouTube than those with a high school education (89% versus 70%). There is also a lower percentage of users in rural areas (74%), compared urban areas (84%).

Instagram: 1.4 billion users

Forty percent of Americans use Instagram, with a slightly higher usage among

women—77% as compared with 61% of men. People of all ages use Instagram, though the lowest percentage by far is those age 65 and older. College-educated earners are more likely to use Instagram. People in all areas use Instagram pretty equally.

TikTok: 1 billion users

Though TikTok is one of the newer social media players, 21% of Americans have already started using the platform. TikTok is significantly more popular with members of the Gen Z and millennial generations, with only 4% of users over the age of 65. Users of all educational and financial backgrounds use TikTok.

LinkedIn: 830 million users

Over 25% of U.S. adults use LinkedIn. LinkedIn’s largest age demographic is those between 25 and 34. Most users are men with significantly higher usage among collegeeducated people and higher-income earners.

Twitter: 436 million users

Nearly 25% of U.S. adults use Twitter, with similar percentages among men and women. Again, there is higher participation among

millennials and those who are college-educated and earning higher incomes.

Reddit: 430 million users

Nearly 20% of Americans use Reddit with a significantly higher percentage of men (23%) using the social media platform than women (12%). Reddit is used mostly by millennials, with only 3% of users over age 65. It is used most in suburban and urban areas by high earners who are college graduates.

Snapchat: 557 million users

Twenty-five percent of U.S adults use Snapchat with a higher percentage of usage among women and millennials, as well as those living in urban environments. Users come from all different educational backgrounds.

Pinterest: 444 million users

While 31% of U.S. adults use Pinterest, the usage is much higher among women and those under age 50, as well as those who are collegeeducated. The usage is also much higher among those earning more than $75,000 per year.

Published by U.S. Chamber of Commerce

JOHN GROH Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau

Mission improved but not yet accomplished Economic impact of tourism trending up

The Illinois Office of Tourism just released the results of its 2021 study on the economic impact of tourism. The report is compiled by Tourism Economics and outlines how visitors affect jobs, income and taxes in Illinois. Measuring visitor impact helps validate the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau’s (RACVB) mission to “drive quality of life and economic growth for our citizens through tourism marketing and destination development.”

The data reveals that the visitor economy in Winnebago County continues to rebound from the devastating effects of the pandemic. Spending by those who travel here remains nearly 10% lower than our all-time high in 2019 of $483 million. We are, however, improving. In 2020, visitors contributed $358.5 million to our economy, representing a decline of 25.8% from 2019 spending. But the 16.1% growth in 2021 could represent a positive trend.

Statewide, in 2021, 97.1 million visitors spent $32.2 billion on accommodations, food and beverage, recreation, retail shopping, local transportation and air travel. This spending generated a total economic impact of $59.5 billion, which sustained 388,800 jobs and generated $5 billion in state and local tax revenues in 2021.

Winnebago County represents 1.4% of Illinois’ total visitor economy, which is dominated by Cook County at 60.3%. The remaining 39.7% is spread out among the other 101 counties in Illinois. Rockford’s 1.4% ties it for sixth place among destinations outside of Chicago.

Increasing our share of Illinois’ tourism economy and enticing more visitors requires relentless promotion and strategic development of new sites and attractions. As I shared in my column this summer, it’s time for our region to refresh our destination plan. In November, we kicked-off a 12- to 18-month process to create a new destination master plan that will grow our regional tourism economy and ensure its resiliency in the future.

With a focus on collaboration, we will build on the RACVB’s latest plans for tourism development and Region 1 Planning Council’s economic development strategy, which identifies tourism as one of six key goals for Northern Illinois. This new planning effort will focus on the tourism economy

within Rockford and surrounding Winnebago and Boone Counties and will engage stakeholders and community members in the process.

Our Destination Master Planning Steering Committee includes more than two dozen members from the region’s hospitality, tourism and outdoor recreation sectors. We are grateful to these talented citizens for their willingness to invest time in setting a new course for destination development in Winnebago and Boone Counties.

It will be more than a year before we know the results of this effort. But I am confident our future developments will continue to “drive quality of life and economic growth for our citizens” and help us to regain and grow the positive economic impact tourism has on our region.

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

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

TOP TWENTY THINGS TO DO IN ROCKFORD

Anderson Japanese Gardens Discovery Center Museum

Nicholas Conservatory and Gardens

Midway Village & Museum Center

Frank Lloyd Wright's Laurent House

Burpee Museum of Natural History

Coronado Performing Arts Center

Sinnissippi Park

Klehm Arboretum & Botanic Garden

Tinker Swiss Cottage Museum & Gardens

BMO Harris Bank Center

Rockford City Market

CherryVale Mall

Camp Grant Museum Skateland - Rockford, IL

West Rock Wake Park

Rockford Art Museum

317 Art Collective Severson Dells Nature Center Davis Park

WOMEN HONOREES

Continued from front page

Along with her administrative responsibilities, Schuster often donned gloves and PPE to lend a hand at the testing site. Thanks to her leadership, the SHIELD site in Rokford has served more than 74,000 people and tested more than 425,000 samples since May of 2021.

In addition to serving the community during a global health crisis, Schuster also serves on many nonprofit boards and committees. She’s a member of the governance committee of the Family Peace Center, chair for the annual MERIT program fundraiser, the current chair of the Rockford Regional Health Council, past chair for the Freeport Health Network, board member for six years with the United Way of Rock River Valley, member of United Way’s “Move the Middle” task force, board chair for the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Convention Bureau, member of the Davis Park destination asset analysis task force, and a volunteer for Stroll on State.

One nominator described Schuster as “a woman of integrity who treats others with dignity and respect. A positive female role model and mentor who exemplifies professionalism, continually makes time to address the needs of her employees and colleagues, maintains a positive attitude and sense of humor, even in the toughest of situations.”

Schuster’s true passion is serving her community, empowering others through leadership, and advancing the mission of the many organizations she cares about. Through her constant

Courtney Geiger

Mary Beth Peterson

Melissa Westphal

Officer Patrice Turner

Darlyne Keller

Diane James

Heather Skrip

Becca Homb

Victoria “Tory” Butler

Lafakeria Vaughn Emily Plumb

Mandolen Mull, Ph.D Carol Friesen

Anna Derocher Michelle Bowman Kristin McNames Pam Maher

and compassionate leadership, she’s a champion of “getting things done.” v

The Rockford Chamber would like to recognize the following nominees for their contributions to the Rockford community in 2022:

Carol Schuster (l), Community Hero with Jean Crosby.

on digital MEMBER EVENTS

Edward Jones – Maren Sanders hosts a ribbon cutting October 31, 2022, at her new office space, 109 N. Show Place Dr., Rockford.

Ceremonial ribbon donated by ServPro of Rockford

Redd Insurance Group with owner Maurice Redd hosts a ribbon cutting November 9, 2022, at 4855 E. State Street, Suite 16, Rockford.

New Chamber Member, Reel Nutrition, hosts a ribbon cutting October 31, 2022, at 109 N. Show Place Dr., Suite 109, Rockford.

Tad More Tailoring hosts a ribbon cutting and sustainable fashion show November 9, 2022, at 6116 Mulford Village Drive, Rockford.

NEW CHAMBER MEMBERS

COMMUNITY PHYSICIANS

Multi-specialty physician group

1 Lincoln Center

Oakbrook Terrace, IL 60181

Stacy Martinez - (630) 320-6871 www.cphysicians.org

CSL PLASMA

Plasma donation company

3800 E State St, 61108

Allen Wirfs - (779) 207-4419 www.cslplasma.com

FURST-MCNESS COMPANY

Manufacturing and distribution of livestock feeds.

1252 Bell Valley Rd Ste 220, 61108

Alyce Smith - (815) 235-6151 www.mcness.com

LEAGUE OF WOMEN VOTERS OF GREATER ROCKFORD

Promoting political responsibility through informed and acitive participation of citizens in government and to act on selected government issues.

4990 E State St, 61108

Sue Theden and Claire McIntyre - (815) 201-3901 http://www.lwvgr.org

MIDWEST TENTS & EVENTS

Northern Illinois’ premier event rental partner, serving Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin from the Mississippi to Lake Michigan

1300 S 7th St DeKalb, IL 60115

Adam Curtis - (877) 388-8368 www.rentmidwesttents.com

REDD INSURANCE GROUP

Insurance

4855 E State St Ste 16, 61108

Maurice Redd - (815) 713-6869

SURESTAY BY BESTWESTERN ROCKFORD EAST

Great location where there are plenty of nearby activities to enjoy!

7712 Potawatomi Tr, 61107

Nick Patel - (815) 397-8000 www.bestwestern.com/en_US/ book/rockford/hotel-rooms/ surestay-hotel-by-best-westernrockford-east/ propertyCode.54207.html

MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS

A. W. Anderson Agency, Inc.

Absolute Fire Protection, Inc.

Advanced Chimney Systems Inc.

Alpine Kiwanis Club

Alzheimer’s Association, Illinois Chapter

Amberwood Care Centre

American Advertising Federation of Northern Illinois Anderson Environmental Co.

Anderson Japanese Gardens

Area Erectors, Inc.

Atlas Components

Ballard Properties

BelRock Asphalt Paving Inc.

Belter Machinery Co., Inc.

Bisconti Computers Inc.

Briggs Floor Sanding & Refinishing Campbell Science Corporation Center for Sight & Hearing Chastain & Associates LLC

CherryVale Mall

Christenson Funeral Home & Cremation

City of Loves Park D & S Marine Inc.

Fehr Graham

Four Rivers Sanitation Authority

Friends of the Coronado

GiGi’s Playhouse Rockford Global Display Solutions, Inc.

DECEMBER MEMBER ANNIVERSARIES

Thank you to our members celebrating their anniversaries with the Rockford Chamber of Commerce

40-YEAR MEMBER

Piping Industry Council of the Rockford Area

35-YEAR MEMBERS

Christofferson Moving & Storage

The Mauh-Nah-Tee-See Club

30-YEAR MEMBERS

AAIM Employers’ Association

Merrill Lynch

25-YEAR MEMBER

Winnebago County Clerk of the Circuit Court, 17th Judicial Circuit

20-YEAR MEMBER

Windmill Hill LC

15-YEAR MEMBER

Baker Tilly US, LLP

10-YEAR

MEMBERS

Christianson Funeral Home & Cremation

Rockford Molded Products

Tebala Event Center

Trinity Day Care Zimmerman & Walsh, LLP

5-YEAR MEMBERS

Ad Vice Marketing SecondFirst Church

Siepert & Co., LLP - Beloit

Siepert & Co., LLP - Roscoe Siepert & Co., LLP - Sycamore

Holiday Inn of Rockford InterActive Safety Solutions Inc.

J. Carlson Growers, Inc.

Kaney, Inc.

Key Realty - Team Top Rock, Commercial and Residential Brokers

Lowe’s Distribution Center

Luxe Productions

Movement Fitness

Northern Illinois Institute for the Healing of Racism, Inc. - Come Together Rockford (NIIHR, Inc.)

Northern Illinois Regional Affordable Community Housing (NIReACH)

Northwest Recovery

NTS Technical Systems

Olson Funeral & Cremation Services Ltd./Fred C. Olson Chapel

Olson Funeral & Cremation

Services, Ltd./North Main Chapel & Care Center

Piping Industry Council of the Rockford Area

Professional Graphics Inc.

Remedies Renewing Lives

Richards Building Supply

Rock River Environmental Services (Waste Connections)

Rockford Art Museum

Spider Company Inc.

St. Croix Hospice

Sustain Rockford, Inc.

Tebala Event Center

Thayer Energy Solutions

Tricoci University of Beauty Culture, LLC

Trinity Day Care

Upper Cervical Care Center

Upper Iowa UniversityRockford Center

WinMan LLC

Winnebago County Bar Association

Winnebago County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate)

Woodman’s Food Market, Inc. #30

Thank you to members who renewed with the Rockford Chamber of Commerce in October 2022

businessBUSINESS

Savant Wealth Management, acquired SFG Investment Advisors, a boutique RIA firm specializing in working with senior-level executives at publicly traded companies. SFG Wealth Planning marks Savant’s fourth acquisition of 2022. Savant has added assets of more than $1 billion this year, giving it a total 25 office locations.

Employees of Bear Family Restaurants, local McDonald’s franchise owner/operator, have volunteered more 5,000 hours through the company’s program.

Anderson Japanese Gardens

Illuminated, a lighted Garden experience, will return to the gardens for a second year this winter. Illuminated opens Dec. 1 with 22 public dates through December 30, 2022.

Chartwell Agency earned four education digital marketing recognitions from the Education Digital Marketing Awards. The Education Digital Marketing Awards recognizes the best marketing efforts for educational websites, digital content, electronic communications, mobile media and social media. Chartwell received three Gold awards, the top recognition, and one Bronze award for its work during the past 12 months.

Blackhawk Bank partnered with the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago to present Stepping Stones of Rockford with grant money from the Affordable Housing Program General Fund.

Rock Valley Credit Union received the Illinois Credit Union League’s Dora Maxwell Social Responsibility Community Service Award. The award honors the work of credit unions to strengthen local institutions and materially improve the lives of nonmembers through community outreach programs other than personal finance education.

Mercyhealth is offering the following scholarships for 2023:

Mercyhealth Community Scholarship

BRIEFS

Seven $2,000 scholarships are available to graduating seniors or individuals enrolled in college programs throughout Mercyhealth’s service area. Five will be given to students pursuing general healthcare careers and two specifically for nursing.

Mercyhealth Minority/Veteran Scholarship

Two $2,000 scholarships are available to minority or veteran individuals residing in Mercyhealth’s service area who are pursuing education in healthcare careers.

Mercyhealth Ethnic Minority Nursing Scholarship

Three $1,000 scholarships are available to ethnic minority individuals pursuing nursing degrees and residing in Mercyhealth’s service area. Students must be fluent in Spanish. All applications must be received by January 20, 2023. For more information or to apply, visit mercyhealthsystem.org/ scholarships.

In its first year of operation, the Hard Rock Casino Rockford attracted domestic and international visitors and outpaced some of the state’s permanent gambling operations. Stats from opening day through October 2022: $10.8M in gaming taxes ($7.7M to state and $3.1M to local government); 458,033 visitors; 275 employees, totaling $13.6M in payroll; $21.8M awarded to lucky jackpot winners; and, $100,000+ in charitable contributions (two dozen charities supported)

The Salvation Army of Winnebago County needs volunteer bell ringers for red kettle locations at more than 25 Winnebago County businesses from Nov. 11 through Christmas Eve. Time slots are available from 11 a.m.-7 p.m., Mondays-Saturdays. To schedule a bell ringing time slot, go to RegisterToRing.com.

OSF HealthCare Saint Anthony Medical Center and OSF HealthCare Saint Elizabeth Medical Center were named to the Leapfrog Hospital Safety grades for Fall 2022. OSF Saint Anthony received a “B” grade, making it the top scoring hospital in the Rockford region. The Leapfrog Group, a national watchdog organization for patient safety.

Thayer Energy Solutions staffed a booth at the 2022 IDOT Fall Planning Conference presented by R1 Planning. Thayer Energy Solutions answered questions about national electric vehicle infrastructure during and was a sponsor for the event, along with Fehr Graham, Project First Rate and Midland States Bank.

Thayer Energy Solutions also participated in Rockford Public School District’s 2022 Academy Expo. Chuck Meyers was available to present career path optios for students looking to get involved with Electric Vehicle technology.

V2 Marketing & Management recently organized, promoted, and facilitated the sold-out annual Fall Dance Workshop for the Chicago National Association of Dance Masters in Schaumburg, Illinois.

Chartwell Agency developed and implemented a successful marketing campaign for Crusader Community Health to celebrate the organization’s 50th anniversary and raise awareness of its impact on the Rockford region. Crusader Community Health provides comprehensive medical, dental and behavioral care to all, regardless of ability to pay.

Mercyhealth established the Mercyhealth Arrythmia Center. As an extension of the Mercyhealth Heart and Vascular Centers, the Mercyhealth Arrythmia Center will serve patients in southern Wisconsin and northern Illinois who have an irregular heartbeat or arrhythmia. Led by Dr. Imdad Ahmed, board certified cardiac electrophysiologist, the Mercyhealth Arrhythmia Center is a comprehensive care program that monitors and treats patients with heart rhythm disorders and the side effects associated with them.

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

Rockford Christian all-state fall athletes (left) and state qualifiers (right).

in the news

MEMBERS IN THE NEWS

NEW HIRES, PROMOTIONS, RETIREMENTS

Engineering Enterprises, Inc. announced that Jacob Parrish (1), E.I., joined their Municipal Group as a project engineer, and Kristine Legler (2) joined the Business Development/Marketing Group as a marketing assistant.

Union Savings Bank announced the promotion of Christopher Reckinger (3) to chief information technology officer and Traci Lohse (4) to chief risk officer and information security officer.

Rockford Mutual Insurance Company promoted Gregg Hansen (5) to manager of IT –network infrastructure and support, and hired Jonny Stanescu as a quality assurance analyst.

Stillman Bank welcomed Jessica Schrader (6) as trust operations officer.

Fehr Graham hired Jen Hubbard (7) as a marketing coordinator and Max Boes (8) as a hydrogeologist.

Rock Valley Credit Union promoted Alissa Kinsman (9)

(Machesney Park), Addy Figueroa (10) (Loves Park) and Scott Cobio (11) (Rochelle) to lead member service representatives at their respective branches.

A.W. Anderson Agency named Kyle T. Anderson (12) as president of the agency. He takes over for Steven R. Anderson (13)

retired after 40 years at the agency. Steve will remain as chairman of the board.

The Kiwanis Club of Rockford inducted two new members— Steven Ellison and Mary Kay Garganara.

EMPLOYEE/COMMUNITY RECOGNITIONS, AWARDS

Rock Valley Credit Union announced Dylan Henderson (14) and Scott Cobio (11) received the certified credit union financial counselor designation from the CUNA Financial Counseling Certification Program

Rockford Mutual Insurance Company announced the following employee milestones: Jay Laurent (15), 5 years; Kevin Kubat (16), 10 years; and Nichole Dickerson (17), 10 years. Nichole also earned her chartered

property casualty underwriter designation through The Institutes.

Employees of Kelce & Company/ Custom Concrete Coatings completed on joint line repair, crack filling, and concrete stitching—Cheri Zweep, account manager; Chris Weeks, operations manager; Ben Campion, finance manager; Lalo Plascenia, technician; Nico Chavez, technician; Lisa Kelce-Campion, president.

Phil Corcoran (18) and Don Duncan (19), financial advisors with Savant Wealth Management, were named 50 RIAs to Watch by AdvisorHub. Both are member owners and managing directors at Savant.

GENERAL NEWS

Dr. Hannah Orem and Dr. Vitaliy Dobrogorskiy of Upper Cervical Care Center—Rockford attended the Fall National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association Conference in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Chuck Meyers, Thayer Energy Solutions, presented the topic “The Electric Car in Your Future” during the Downtown Rotary Club of Rockford October meeting.

Rockford Christian announced state qualifying teams for Boys Cross Country, Boys Golf, Girls Swim (Brooke Corrigan, and All State fall athletes - Aiden Sosnowski, Sr. (XC), Weston Forward, Jr. (XC), Brooke Corrigan (x2 swim).

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

who

1.

Jacob Parrish2. Kristine Legler3. Christopher Reckinger

4. Traci Lohse5. Gregg Hansen6. Jessica Schrader

7. Jen Hubbard8. Maxwell Boes

9. Alissa Kinsman

10. Addy Figueroa

11. Scott Cobio12. Kyle Anderson 13. Steven Anderson 14. Dylan Henderson 15. Jay Laurent16. Kevin Kubat

17. Nichole Dickerson

18. Phil E. Corcoran 19. Don Duncan

Twenty-one Rockford Christian teachers were Golden Apple nominees this year.

community COMMUNITY EVENTS

DECEMBER 2022

DECEMBER 1-24

Santa at CherryVale Mall, center court, lower level, 7200 Harrison Ave. Rockford, IL.

Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday, noon-6 p.m.

Pets are welcome to pose for photos with Santa for two nights only—Monday, Dec. 5 and Monday, Dec. 7, from 4 to 7 p.m. Pets must be on a leash or in a carrier, and pet owners are responsible for cleaning up after them.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2

Rockford Christian High School Caroling at Anderson Gardens’ Illuminated, 6 p.m. Anderson Gardens, 318 Spring Creek Road Rockford. A wintertime lights experience, featuring dramatic up-lighting and thousands of white string lights woven throughout the landscape and canopy of the Garden.

First Friday - Wrap, Sip & Learn at Infinite Soul Vibrations, 333 E. State St. Rockford, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Discover the magic behind the

beauty of natural healing crystals while you listen to “neo soul music” pick your vibrant copper wrap and sip a refreshing beverage.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 3

DIY Holiday Decorations, Angelic Organics Learning Center Lodge, 1936 Rockton Rd, Caledonia, 1-4 p.m., Ditch the plastic and paper disposables by creating your own unique holiday decorations with natural materials collected from the fields, forests and natural areas around the lodge. We’ll take a hike along the beautiful trails behind the lodge, through the oak savannah and by the creek gathering unique, organic supplies. Learn how to transform your leaves, branches, pinecones and more into beautiful fragrant, sustainable decorations you can be proud of and feel good about.

“The Nutcracker,” 3 p.m. at the Coronado Performing Arts Center, 314 N. Main St., Rockford. Performed by the Rockford Symphony Orchestra and the Rockford Dance Company.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 6

Rockford Christian High School Band performs at CherryVale Mall

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8

Rockford Christian Middle School Band and Choir perform at CherryVale Mall.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10

Edgebrook’s Last-minute Market is the last big arts and crafts event before Christmas. It’s your last chance to grab a unique gift, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. inside five available storefronts. Free admission. Breakfast With Santa, 8-11 a.m., at Mercyhealth’s Javon Bea Hospital–Riverside cafeteria, 8201 E. Riverside Blvd., Rockford. The event will benefit babies in the neonatal intensive care unit and their families. Breakfast will include French toast sticks, eggs, bacon or sausage and beverages. The event will also include cookie decorating, games and a photo with Santa. The cost is $15 per person if you register by December 9. Tickets at the door are $20. To purchase tickets or become a sponsor, visit

giveagift.mercyhealthsystem.org. Rockford Christian Lego League Robotics meets at the Bell School Campus.

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17

Hootin’ Holidays - 1-3 p.m.Seth B. Atwood Park, 2685 New Milford School Rd., Rockford. Bring the family for a unique outing to see Atwood Park’s resident birds of prey in the Atwood Center exhibit. Learn about raptors of northern Illinois and the adaptations that help them survive the elements throughout the year. Register at www.atwoodpark.org/programs

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21

“Say Freeze!” 10 a.m.-noon, Burpee Museum of Natural History, 737 N. Main St., Rockford. A one-day, science-themed class for KidVenturers (ages 3-6) and Explorers (ages 7+) packed with fun science lessosn and experiments. Students will learn about the three phases of water, make their own snow craft, build their own snow globe (KidVentures), and experiment with erupting snow (Explorers).

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

CHaMBER CHAMBER EVENTS ADVERTISERS INDEX

DECEMBER 2022

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 13

Business Women’s Council, 11:30 a.m., Forest Hills Country Club, 5135 Forest Hills Road, Rockford. Sponsored by Associated Bank.

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14

Community Priority Series: The Future of Rockford, 10 a.m., Facebook livestream. Michael Dunn, Jr., Region 1 Planning Council; John Groh, Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau; and Therese Thill, Rockford Area Economic Development Council will discuss where are we going, where can we grow and what industry can we attract. Sponsored by BMO Harris Bank.

JANUARY 2023

FRIDAY, JANUARY 13

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

FEBRUARY 2023

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 2

The Update, 9 a.m., NIU Rockford, 8500 E State St, Rockford.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10

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

Ad Vice Marketing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Angelic Organics Learning Center . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Blackhawk Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Comcast Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Community Foundation of Northern Illinois . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

Edward Jones – Jen Reisinger . . . . . 8

Illinois Bank & Trust . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2

The Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) . . . . 12

Rockford Area Habitat for Humanity 4

VOICE

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 14

Business Over Lunch (formerly Business Women’s Council), 11:30 a.m., Forest Hills Country Club, 5135 Forest Hills Road, Rockford. Sponsored by Associated Bank.

the

Judson University . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

LaLoggia Investment Group . . . . . . 9

MercyCare Health Plans . . . . . . . . . 6

Mercyhealth 3

Northern Public Radio . . . . . . . . . . 18

OSF HealthCare . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Rockford Chamber of Commerce . 11, 13, 16, 20, 22-23

Stillman Bank . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Thayer Energy Solutions . . . . . . . . . 7

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

Caitlin Pusateri, President 815-316-4337

Melissa Adams, Executive Assistant 815-316-4312

Susan Contrady, Account Executive 815-316-4317

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

Carmen Kellerman, Events Manager 815-316-4302

Kristin Muehlfelder, Member Relations 815-316-4315

Doug Rand, Accounting Manager/Controller 815-316-4316

Joan Sundvall, Membership Contact Coordinator 815-316-4320

Andrew Wright, Director of Strategic Initiatives 815-987-8100

Be the Voice of expertise

The Rockford Chamber is always on the look out for educational speakers for our events. Want to share all you know about a particular topic? Reach out to discuss potential speaking opportunities at an upcoming event.

Send your idea to ckellerman@ rockfordchamber.com.

Edward Caceres, Director, Small Business Development Center 815-987-8100

Michael F. Iasparro Hinshaw & Culbertson LLP Carly LaMonica LaMonica Beverages, Inc. Kris L. Machajewski YWCA Northwestern Illinois Denise Sasse RSM US LLP

Peter Schmeling Schmeling Construction Co. Brent Scott Rockford Community Bank, A Wintrust Community Bank Teresa Sharp American Precision Supply, Inc.

Alex Stagnaro-Green, MD, MHPE, MHA Univ. of Illinois College of Medicine Rockford Karl Swanson Illinois Bank &

Christina

EX-OFFICIO DIRECTORS

Caitlin Pusateri President Rockford Chamber of Commerce