Kyle Christman

Teller, Heartland Bank

Staying competitive on the job

It was not uncommon to see Kyle Christman at a field or on a court as he grew up in Mendota, Tonica, and Peru, playing soccer, baseball, basketball, and track and field.

The La Salle-Peru High School graduate, who still lives in Peru, has not lost his athleticism at 24 years old. He weight lifts and plays softball, basketball, and the drums.

Christman hasn’t lost his competitiveness, either. He just transforms it to his duties as a teller at Heartland Bank in Peru.

“I think people appreciate my ability to work hard with a positive mindset and attitude,” said Christman, who attended Illinois Valley Community College before obtaining a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Eureka College. “I think the way I work and act makes the day more enjoyable for customers and my co-workers. Work is going to be hard sometimes, so staying calm, collected, and positive helps create a smooth-flowing environment for all of us to get through the workday.”

“I also feel like my interpersonal skills are very strong. People tell me I am very personable, yet it seems like such an easy thing to do by just listening and trying to understand someone, whatever the situation may be. It makes my relationships stronger. Also, growing up in the Illinois Valley, I have so many great relationships I have built already.”

He is learning the banking industry quickly and knows he has the potential to move up the ladder.

“In 5 to 10 years, my current goal is to be working a different job within the bank where my degree would be able to help me,” Christman said. “I am currently looking into credit analyst positions to help me understand the numbers behind lending. I could possibly be a lender. I am still very new to the banking industry, but I plan to keep learning and growing to be a better employee.”

Kevin Foltynewicz District Leader, BeMobile Staying connected

Since graduating from Mendota High School and jumping into the cellular communications industry, Kevin Foltynewicz has stayed connected.

Foltynewicz, who moved to Peru shortly after high school, has remained in Peru besides a few outside stops. Even when he wasn’t in the Illinois Valley, his heart and relationships remained in the valley; enough to bring him back.

Now he is the district leader for BeMobile and runs various locations, including Peru, Galesburg, Peoria, and Princeton.

“I am proud of the advancement my Peru and Princeton stores have made since taking on the district leader role,” said Foltynewicz, who is 34 years old. “Peru has been upgraded to the highest-level store our company has and remodeled into a nextgeneration facility due to its performance.”

“Our Princeton location will be moving to a brand-new facility, also as a nextgeneration location. They have also been able to grow from a two-person staffed store to a four-person staffed store due to their performance. The time and energy put into this has definitely paid off, and our support to our community has been a direct reason for this accomplishment,” he said.

Foltynewicz stays connected to the area outside of communications – he is a dog lover who supports Illinois Valley Animal Rescue (IVAR). He has been involved in local groups and organizations, such as the Mendota Area Chamber of Commerce, American Cancer Society Relay for Life Upper Illinois Valley, and Illinois Valley Area Chamber of Commerce.

“I am a hardworking, caring member of this community. I fully believe that networking, like what IVAC events offer, is a great way to not only get my own name out there, but my business and other things in my community that I am passionate about,” Foltynewicz said. “I have been an IVAC ambassador and held the vice president and president seat for them. I fully believe in what goes around comes around, and referrals I get from my community support that theory.”

Joe Brizgis

Commercial and Agriculture Lender, Eureka Savings Bank

Enjoying an unexpected career

Even though his father was a career-long lender, Joe Brizgis didn’t make the initial push to be a banker or tell anyone he wanted to be a banker or lender when he was a child.

But after college, it seemed like the right place for him. And it has stayed that way with his employment at Eureka Savings Bank as a commercial and agriculture lender.

“My dad, Alan Brizgis, was a lender for 30 to 40 years. That was always an option that was there,” Joe said. “When I went to school, I didn’t have it set in my mind that I was going into banking. I kind of just fell into it, even though my dad was a lender. I got my first job, and I liked being able to talk to people and working with numbers.”

“I don’t anticipate leaving banking now or ever. I like the fact that I get to meet new people, help them, and get advice from them. I get to see different points of views on things that I think can only go one way,” he said.

Brizgis, 33, grew up in Magnolia, graduated from Monmouth College in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, and now lives in Oglesby. His first job was as a credit analyst for a financial institution in LaSalle, which he held for ten years before becoming a commercial lender.

“I am most proud of helping people keep their businesses running,” Brizgis said. “Whether it is a $10,000 loan for equipment or $1,000,000 for land or a building, when they know that they can turn to me when they have any kind of borrowing need, it’s always the best moment for me.”

Brizgis is a member of the Illinois Valley Sunrise Rotary and is involved with IVAC and the IV Leads Group through Eureka.

Jenica Cole

Executive Director, Princeton Area Chamber of Commerce and Princeton Tourism

Promoting businesses and tourism with a passion

Jenica Cole, 38, has her hands full – both at work and at home. Fortunately, her passion for both of her roles helps her power through her busy days. This Princeton resident has three children with her husband, Brad.

“My husband and I moved back to the Illinois Valley area after living in the North Peoria/Dunlap area for 10 years,” she said. “Our oldest child was born severely premature and has a lot of extra special and medical needs. We decided after living in Peoria for a decade that we wanted to get back to our roots and raise our family in the place in which we were raised and where the values we so much appreciated would become part of our children’s lives. We wanted our children to grow up near family, cousins, and those friends we considered family.”

Just as Cole works tirelessly to give her children a wonderful upbringing, she also spends a lot of her time in her role as Executive Director for Princeton Area Chamber of Commerce and Princeton Tourism.

“This truly is an amazing place to live, work, and play, and I want others to recognize it. I have too many short- and long-term goals to list but I know that Princeton is growing, and I know that more big things are going to happen,” she said. “We are working on so many things behind the scenes for the growth and future of Princeton, and I cannot wait for everyone to see these positive changes come to fruition. I also want to work with the other local Chambers on events and ways to promote the Illinois Valley area because no matter what, working together instead of against one another will always lead to better things for all.”

Jeffrey Arendell

Firefighter, Streator Fire Department

Living childhood dream

When Jeffrey Arendell was a young boy, he already knew what he wanted to do for a profession. The awe of fire trucks and their flashing lights has become a reality for him as he has been a member of the Streator Fire Department for ten years.

“Since I was young, I was always interested in anything involving fire trucks and flashing lights. At 18, I became a member of the Toluca Fire Department and fell in love with the work,” said 34-year-old Arendell, who grew up in Toluca and now lives in Streator. “I was attending Illinois Community College in East Peoria at the time and immediately changed my major from architecture to firefighting, where I was able to get my Associate’s Degree.”

“I have worked tirelessly to be the best I could be and not only learn what I can about this job but to also pass the knowledge I have on to the next generation of firefighters and paramedics,” he said.

Arendell also works part-time at Eastern Marshall County EMS, as well as the University of Illinois Fire Service Institute as an instructor.

He is an everyday member of the Streator Fire Department and a captain with the Toluca-Rutland Fire Protection District, where he leads all trainings as a certified instructor. He is also attending Columbia Southern University to obtain a bachelor’s degree in fire administration.

“My vision for my future success in the next five to ten years is still with the Streator Fire Department and hopefully married with one or two children. My goal is to put in a full 30 years with Streator Fire,” Arendell said. “I am currently on the promotion list for lieutenant, so in the next few years, I hope to be serving in that position and hopefully be a captain in the next five to ten years.”

Dan Eiten

Commercial Loan Officer, La Salle State Bank Mixing and matching passions

Being passionate about the outdoors and helping people with their finances, it wasn’t hard for Dan Eiten to find a career where he could fulfill his passions.

Born and raised in Peru, Eiten went away to college, earning an undergraduate degree from Illinois State University and a master’s degree in public health from Northern Illinois University. He is currently continuing his post-graduate schooling by studying agriculture at the University of Illinois.

Eiten’s education and interest in agriculture led to his last five years at La Salle State Bank, where he is a commercial loan officer helping many local businesses, and to a productive and satisfying farm life with his wife, Anna, and son, Si, in Peru.

Si was the first baby of 2023 for the Illinois Valley, born at 12:58 a.m. on Jan. 1.

“In my personal life, I love to be outdoors and enjoy bicycling, working in my garden, and being on the family farm,” said Eiten, who is 37. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, I helped secure $20,000,000-plus in government assistance for more than 180 small businesses, averaging more than 100 hours per week during the months of April and May 2020.”

Returning to his hometown has been a great decision for him.

“My wife and I spent the first couple of years of married life in Los Angeles. It didn’t take long for me to miss the relationships and sense of community that we enjoy here in the Illinois Valley,” Eiten said. “Being passionate about what you’re doing makes it easy for you to accomplish. When you can couple passion and expertise with what you do for a living, you’re bound to be successful. I think you’ll always have an advantage over those that don’t have that passion.”