‘The heartbeat is getting stronger’ BY LES O’DELL FOR THE SOUTHERN
Many communities exist in a sort of either-or state. Business is either good downtown or it is thriving out by the highway. The city is either proud almost to a fault of its past or it is always looking to the future. A focus is on manufacturing or on the arts. Yes, for many cities, life is either or. Not for Mount Vernon, though. This Southern Illinois community replaces “either or” with “and.” By doing so, the result is a city on the grow. “We have a lot of people with high levels of enthusiasm, and it is very contagious,” Mayor Mary Jane Chesley said. “There is a lot of teamwork going on in Mount Vernon with people, businesses and organizations. We are all working together to make things happen.” And happening, they are. Mount Vernon’s growth is everywhere and in all facets of the community: newer and wider streets, infrastructure improvements, new businesses, expanding existing employers and new educational and arts programs. Yet, the city is able to do all
these things and still remain true to itself. Downtown is not something giving way to new construction near the interstate. Instead, many of the buildings in the central part of the city are being remodeled and restored, home to new shops and restaurants. “We’re moving forward unbelievably in so many areas and levels,” Cyndy Mitchell, executive director of Downtown Mount Vernon, said. “It motivates others, seeing that Mount Vernon is a good place to be. We’re preserving old buildings and gaining new ones, too. If you can do that, you’ve got the best of both worlds.” For the mayor, the resurgent downtown gives hints as to the vitality of the community. “I believe that the heart of the community is the downtown, and here the heart beat is getting stronger,” she said. “That makes us unique and benefits all of us and all parts of the city.” Beneficial, too, is the city’s desire to take care of businesses, both new and old. Through TIF districts and infrastructure improvements, Mount Vernon continues to be a magnet for growing businesses.
City embraces creativity, forward thinking with new logo, motto A new logo and tagline for the city of Mount Vernon is beginning to bubble up on buildings, documents and promotional materials for the community. It’s a logo and phrase meant to reflect the city’s forward thinking and artistic flair. Featuring a unique typeface and what Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Brandon Bullard calls “artistic circles,” the new logo was a team effort. “City leaders and representatives of the tourism office, economic development and the chamber conducted an extensive study for a logo redesign and a new brand for the city,” he said. Bullard said a committee of about 20 people worked with a branding firm to develop and hammer out ideas and concepts. “It was an interesting process,” he said. “We met every day for two weeks. Eventually, we went with ‘Creativity Redefined’ as our brand. We felt it was what Mount Vernon has that differentiates ourselves.” City Tourism Director Bonnie Jerdon said the branding required some analysis of the community’s attributes. “We went through a list of the strengths of our
“We have a lot of local leadership that is really business-minded,” Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Brandon Bullard said. “Our community
city, and from that we realized that the arts are a real strength,” she said. “We decided that should be our theme.” Jerdon said “Creativity Redefined” is about more than the arts, however. “We’re finding that it applies to everything we do,” she explained. “Of course, there’s art, but there’s art in everyday objects and activities, too. What we do, we do with a flair, regardless if it’s our people or our businesses.” Bullard said the reaction to the new logo, which is still in its initial roll-out, has been positive. “The response has been neat. This gives us a new identity and a new way to take our message to new people and businesses,” he said.
has really flourished over the last several years.” Leaders like Chesley plan to keep the city flourishing. “We’re working hard on what we have planned for the next
—Les O’Dell
few years,” she said. “You can see that plan is working. We are not just another dot on the I-57 map. We’re a community that is growing — one that cares, and it shows.”