DC Business C o n n e c t i o n s
March 2013 Volume 2, Number 1
Welcome to DC Business Jerry Smith • Senior Adviser to the DeKalb County Economic Development Corporation Lifelong Learning Institute
As a retiree who wants to remain mentally and physically active, I’ve found numerous opportunities to do so here in DeKalb County. Among my most enjoyable activities has been Lifelong Learning Institute, an organization that gives folks like me a chance to “learn new things, just for the fun of it.” LLI is totally member-driven and gets administrative support from NIU’s External Programming Office. Presently, hundreds of area residents – most of them retirees – are taking advantage of LLI and the diverse array of educational experiences.
Jerry Smith enjoyed a 40-year working career, most recently as Executive Director of the DeKalb County Community Foundation. Jerry served as the foundation’s first full-time administrator for 10 years, following a 30-year printing stint at Castle-PrinTech. Long active in business and civic affairs, Smith, an NIU grad, has accepted limited consulting opportunities, and remains involved in many campus activities, including Lifelong Learning Institute. Smith is a senior adviser to the DeKalb County Economic Development Corporation, and is currently involved in development and hospitality efforts for this fall’s IHSA Football Championships. He and his wife Ging reside in DeKalb.
LLI is open to anyone over 50 years of age, with a sense of curiosity and love of learning. What has attracted many to the program is the fact that there is no homework, no exams, and no attendance requirements. There are four terms within the framework of each year – winter, spring, summer and fall. Most programs during spring and fall last about eight weeks; winter and summer terms usually run four weeks. There is always a good variety of topics from which to choose, and LLI gives participants the chance to choose as few or as many classes for the same reasonable cost. Lifelong Learning continues to grow, with last fall’s term numbering over 125 participants. While the majority come from the DeKalb-Sycamore area, a strong contingent from the Fox Valley and the Rochelle region has helped enrollment growth. In addition to being a class “student,” LLI provides the chance for members to become conveners, who often are retired educators, or simply folks like me, who want to share their background or interests with others. Following a 40-year business career here in DeKalb – 30 at Castle-PrinTech and 10 with the Community Foundation – I found that my background made it easy to join in LLI classroom conversation as a student and convener. In the latter role, I’ve convened classes on philanthropy, Chicago Music, DeKalb County Media, and Elvis. Some pretty serious, others for the fun of it. My class attendance ranged from 14 to 35; somewhere in between those numbers seems to be LLI’s average class size.
See Learning, Page 7
Inside This Issue Lifelong Learning I n s t i t u t e Page 1 Industry/Educators Invited to Address Job Opportunities and Tr a i n i n g Page 2
Don’t Let Others D e c i d e F o r Yo u Page 3
Hotels Bring Retail Business to DeKalb Page 3
Ti m e t o r e a s s e s y o u r business strategy? Page 4
D e K a l b C US D 4 2 8 Hosts a Day Filled w i t h Te c h n o l o g y Page 5
Marketing Makeover B a l c o m - Ve t i l l o D e s i g n Page 6