Leaders Among Us

Page 1

) 0 * 5 )HLULFK 0DJHU *UHHQ 5\DQ

$WWRUQH\V DW /DZ 3URYLGLQJ %XVLQHVV DQG 3HUVRQDO /HJDO 6HUYLFHV WR WKH 0LGZHVW

About us

contact us

The Southern Business Journal Monthly is a publication of The Southern Illinoisan. Contact us via mail at 710 N. Illinois Ave., Carbondale, IL, 62901, or at P.O. Box 2108, Carbondale, IL, 62903. Also reach us on the Web at www.sbj.biz and via email at SBJ@thesouthern. com. Copyright 2011 by The Southern Illinoisan. All rights reserved. Information about how to subscribe may be obtained by calling 618-529-5454, or by visiting www.sbj.biz.

Publisher: Bob Williams 618-351-5038 editor: Gary Metro 618-351-5033 copy editor: Cara Recine 618-351-5075 copy editor: Mary Thomas Layton 618-351-5071

Writers: Les O’Dell

&RPPHUFLDO 7UDQVDFWLRQV :RUNHUVÂŞ &RPSHQVDWLRQ /DERU 1HJRWLDWLRQV (PSOR\PHQW 0DWWHUV 0XQLFLSDO /DZ

$GPLQLVWUDWLYH /DZ %DQNLQJ /DZ 5HDO (VWDWH 7UDQVDFWLRQV 3UREDWH DQG (VWDWH 3ODQQLQJ %XVLQHVV 2UJDQL]DWLRQ

/RFDWHG LQ WKH :HVWRZQ &HQWUH ‡ :HVW 0DLQ &DUERQGDOH ‡

Advertising: Jason Woodside 618-351-5015

9LVLW RXU ZHE VLWH DW ZZZ IPJU FRP

circulation: Trisha Woodside 618-351-5035 Design: Rhonda M. Ethridge 618-529-5454, ext. 5118

find us online For additional information, visit us at

www.sbj.biz

Our Policyholders Sleep Better! The Cincinnati Insurance Company gives policyholders the peace of mind that makes for restful nights. You’re covered by a company whose financial strength and stability earn high ratings from A.M. Best Co., an independent provider of insurance ratings since 1899.

Sleep well, knowing that you have business and personal insurance coverage from a financially secure carrier through a local independent agent who understands your needs.

And should catastrophe strike, you’ll receive prompt claims service from a knowledgeable claims representative.

For information, quotes or policy service, please contact: Oliver and Associates, Inc. 1170 Cedar Court Carbondale, IL 62901 618-529-4105 2

Southern BuSIneSS JournAL

MAY 2011

Class of 2011: Simply the best It is an honor to present the Leaders Among Us Class of 2011 in this special, annual publication. You will meet 10 unique men and women in the following pages, though they share a common trait. Each is working in their own way to make Southern Illinois a better place to live, work and get an education. These are people who labor far beyond the confines of employment to improve our region. Some are essential for volunteer efforts offered through churches, civic groups or schools. Some are wellknown and recognized as a leader who will serve Southern Illinois through several generations. Others work away from the spotlight, behind the scenes to bring people and progress to the region. Some are quite young, while others are more “experienced.”

Williams

Metro

As was the case with seven previous years of honored leaders – more than 100 in total – you are likely to be impressed by the diversity of this year’s honorees. They live in communities dotted across Southern Illinois, some quite distant from others, but they all understand our region is the greater community to which we all belong – One Region, One Vision. One of our honorees lives in Union County and is committed to preserving the history of her community, among other interests. Another is an energetic

Du Quoin resident and constant volunteer who could accurately be known as “Mister Baseball,” or “Mister Softball.” One of the pastors picked as a “Leader Among Us” has lived in Carbondale for just eight years, but has impacted life in a positive manner for many people. Get the picture? These leaders are simply the best. In addition to being honored in this magazine, the “Leaders” were honored at the Community Leaders’ Breakfast on May 5 at John A. Logan College in Carterville. The breakfast was part of a series sponsored by The Southern Illinoisan and the Southern Business Journal. – Bob Williams is publisher and Gary Metro is editor of the Southern Business Journal and The Southern Illinoisan. They can be reached at 618-529-5454 or at sbj@thesouthern.com.

1 kÌ/ ×Î kÂ Ì ×Å kÅÅÌ × @ ÌX Â@Î× @ÎkÅ ,k­Å Ì! b k X@Ì ÌÉzÌàk@ÂÅv

¥ pææ pÕÉ ÉæÕæ

ÞÞÞ²­k­Å b@ k X@²X MAY 2011

Southern BUSINESS JOURNAL

­3

Barbara

Bauer bauer ­4

Southern BUSINESS JOURNAL

B

arbara Bauer will probably never be appointed an American ambassador. That’s unfortunate, because the Union County resident knows more about history and cultures than many so-called experts. It’s an understanding she has gained through years of international travel, worldwide friendships and a passion for history.

May 2011

Did You Know?

ALAN ROGERS

One of Barbara Bauer’s granddaughters is a member of the same sorority at the University of Illinois where she was a member, making her both a granddaughter and a ‘sister.’

For example, she shares the story of watching her son interact some 35 years ago with an international student at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Guests from other nations were – and still are – common in her family’s home, and, on this particular day, the youngest Bauer was sitting in his room chatting with an African national. The 5-year-old and the MAY 2011

African talked like they were best friends, not strangers from different cultures and countries. It’s a character trait he inherited from his mother. “People around the world are like my next-door neighbors,” Bauer says. “They may do things differently and look at things differently, but we all have the same goals.” Bauer has had lots of experience getting to know people from around the globe, as dozens have been guests in her family’s home. “We’ve had more than 100 different exchange students stay with us, ranging from ones who have visited for a few hours to one year-long student,” she says. “We’ve had exchanges through Southern Illinois University Carbondale and some through American Field Service, but most have been through the International 4-H youth exchange program.” It was through a similar 4-H program that Bauer, as a recent University of Illinois graduate, got her first taste of international travel and met her future husband, Norm, at the same time. Both were delegates on exchanges in the early 1950s, traveling across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe on the Queen Mary. “I was so well-received in Turkey as an exchange student, and the history there is so fascinating. No place holds my heart better than Turkey. Having never even dreamed of traveling there, and then getting to go there was a life changing experience.” It was the first of many travels for the couple, who were married several years after returning to the States. A pilot, Norm joined the Air Force and Barbara went with him from post to post, moving 14 times in 10 years. In 1968,

after Norm learned he could still fly for TWA while living hours from a major airport, the couple moved to Union County, buying a farm adjacent to her family’s homestead. Despite returning to Southern Illinois, Bauer says she has never forgotten her overseas experiences. “Living in so many places has made me who I am now. I’ve learned to be accepting of other people’s values and way of living,” she explains. “I know now that it takes all kinds of people to make up a community or the world, and, because we’re such a melting pot now, we have to give and take and be aware of all of it.” Bauer says participating in exchanges as a host family helps others gain in the same ways. “People don’t really understand what America is truly like until they’ve lived with a family here for a while,” she says. Returning to the region also brought Bauer back to a commitment to being involved in the community. “I think it’s because my parents saw that as youngsters we were involved in youth development programs. We were active in Sunday school and church, and we saw the benefits of that. When I was a youth going on 4-H trips, the clubs would have fundraisers, and people supported me. We want to give back, and it’s like a snowball; you get involved in things, and you enjoy them, and then you develop a passion for them.” One of those developing passions for Bauer is an appreciation for history, particularly the history of Union County. As a board member of a group called Promoting Appreciation of

Structural Treasures of Union County, aptly abbreviated PAST, she’s found unique ways to showcase lessons from yesteryear. “History is more important to me today than when I was younger,” she says. “My roots in Union County are very deep. Many of my ancestors came here as pioneers. Because those records are available, I’ve found it fascinating to study those stories and try to learn what our forefathers and foremothers went through, so we could have things today.” Each year, she produces the organization’s spring quilt show, researching the background behind the quilts and sharing the local heritage of each owner’s families. “We don’t just do the artistic; we tell the stories,” she says. Bauer has authored text for historical markers, home tour programs and other special events. She also regularly submits news articles on local history and happenings. “The past can shape our attitudes for today and help us plan for the future,” she adds. “Since we seem to be such a throw-away society, it does us good to try to preserve the past and interpret the history.” She realizes that time marches on, and that’s why she never stops reaching out to people around the world and sharing the history of Union County. “Our education never stops because we keep having new experiences. I feel that my passion for all of God’s people inspires me to learn about them and tell their stories. Of course, I get tired, but I think that the joys that come with work and being tired are some of the most rewarding things of life. It’s not just work; it’s enjoyment and satisfaction.”

Southern BUSINESS JOURNAL

­5

Ed

Did You Know?

Davis E

d Davis is one of those rare sports fans who sometimes prefers listening to games on the radio instead of watching on television. A native of Brooklyn, he grew up listening to Mel Allen describe Dodger games. In later years, career stops around the country introduced him to the voices of sportscasters, including Vin Scully in Los Angeles and the legendary Ernie Harwell in Detroit. Davis says he likes sports on the radio, because as a listener you have to be focused and “see” what is happening.

Davis is good at focusing and seeing. The former executive has been seeing needs in Southern Illinois and focusing on meeting those needs since first coming to the region in 1985. That’s when he began “commuting” from Detroit to work as a vice president of Nutrition Headquarters in Carbondale. “When I first came here, I didn’t move my family right away. I wanted to make sure that the job worked out, because if I moved them, and it didn’t work out, I’d have to move them again,” he explains. “It sure worked out. I found that Southern Illinois was a great place to raise my family.” After finding a home in Marion, he says it was time to see that his family felt at home in Southern Illinois. For Davis, that meant focusing on getting involved. “I liked my job and knew that staying here was what I wanted to do. I wanted to make sure that my family wanted to stay here also, so that meant getting involved in things,” he says. Davis was part of a group at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Marion, which had

­6

Southern BUSINESS JOURNAL

formed a loosely-organized recreational soccer program. Leaders from the city’s parks department approached the group about starting the Marion Soccer Association to promote youth soccer. Seeing the need, Davis became vice president of the group’s board. That’s how things go for Davis. Someone offers a “we should” or an “it would be nice to,” and he makes it happen. Like when two veterans – one from World War II and one from the Korean conflict – approached him with an idea for a parade to honor Marion’s veterans. Davis, himself a Navy veteran of the Vietnam War, went to work. The annual event is entering its seventh year. “We didn’t have a parade for veterans in Southern Illinois,” Davis says. “They had the idea, and I just got involved.” Davis credits the military for connecting him with Gloria, his wife of 40 years. Her brother and Davis were in boot camp together at the Great Lakes Naval Station near Chicago. After seeing her photograph among his friend’s belongings, Davis inquired about her and began sending letters to her home in Detroit. She wrote back, prompting him to make an unsolicited telephone call to her. “Brooklyn guys do that kind of thing,” Davis says. He finally met her in person at boot camp graduation before his overseas duty began. The pair corresponded throughout the war. Upon returning stateside, Davis took a job as an ironworker on several New York construction projects, including the former World Trade Center. With his new income, he made several trips to Motor City. Three months later, he told his father he was moving to Michigan. When asked why, the answer came from a hunch. “I think I’m getting married,” Davis replied. “I’ll know when I get there.” His instincts were right, and Davis says to this day Gloria is with him in all that he does. “She says, ‘Don’t volunteer me,’ but

Ed Davis is often called upon by family and friends to write poems for special celebrations. His works always begin, ‘Rose are red, violets are blue …’

whatever I get involved in, she helps me,” he says. “Plus, she keeps me humbled and grounded.” He also is humbled by several of his activities. In October, he was asked to solicit sponsors for a breakfast fundraiser for Catholic Social Services. Before saying yes, he researched the organization, which offers family services such as counseling, foster care placement and adoption services. “I didn’t have one inkling of what they do until I spent almost a day with the people at CSS, listening to the caseworkers and others,” he says. “I was sold on how much they do for families and for kids. I wondered how, with all of the tear-jerking stories, they are able to do it. I realized that I’d eventually have a lot to answer for if I didn’t help this organization. I told them to count me in.” Davis saw the needs and did not just find sponsors for the breakfast; he took the lead in fundraising for the organization. He also has found other worthwhile causes: He was instrumental in beginning Marion’s annual Santa parade for children, participates in numerous church activities and volunteers as a money manager for Shawnee Alliance for Seniors, where he helps look out for other retirees. “Some of these individuals live on roughly $700 a month,” he explains. “I help them take care of the financial matters. I pay their bills and make sure they have food in their houses. But most importantly, I just spend time with them.” Why does he spend so much time doing for others when many retirees his age are taking it easy and participating in more recreational pursuits? “I’ve always worked most of my life doing things. I used to like golf, but that was when I was working full-time; it was an outlet. When I stopped working, that wasn’t enough. I had to do something else, something more. Without all of this, I don’t know what I’d be doing, but I’d find something else to be involved in.” May 2011

ALAN ROGERS MAY 2011

Southern BUSINESS JOURNAL

­7

Paul Newton

Dimi

­8

Southern BUSINESS JOURNAL

May 2011

I

n the film “Field of Dreams,” Ray Kinsella, portrayed by Kevin Costner, reaches out to the past through a crosscountry adventure and by building a baseball diamond. Du Quoin native Jim Dimitroff’s adventures have included a term as a state officer for a community service organization and also building a baseball field. But unlike Kinsella, Dimitroff is reaching out to the future, not the past.

When he’s not mowing the outfield or laying chalk baselines, Dimitroff is laying the groundwork for the future, assisting and guiding the younger half of his community’s population. Despite being 19 years above the age when members of the Du Quoin Junior Chamber of Commerce – the Jaycees – are supposed to leave the organization, Dimitroff is still involved in the group as a mentor and ambassador. “I’m kind of like an associate member now,” he explains. “I was one of the charter members, and I’ve been active ever since. I don’t hold an office, but I help on projects, and I try to help train and recruit younger men and women for the Jaycees.” Dimitroff says the organization is all about community service. So is Dimitroff, as his list of activities attests. With the Jaycee’s, he works with an annual fishing tournament, the Toys for Kids drive and an Easter egg hunt each spring. Outside of the club, he’s an active member of the community’s Lions Club, helped organized the Du Quoin Youth Club, was a former board member for the Du Quoin Baseball and Softball organization and coaches

church league softball. Ah, yes, baseball During his travels as a state officer with the and softball. Jaycees, many people didn’t know Jim Dimitroff by Thanks to name, referring to him instead simply as ‘Jimmy D.’ Dimitroff, the Jaycees’ Community which he is part, speaking in Ballpark on Illinois 152 west of town is collective terms like “us” and “we” home to countless church league instead of “I” and “me.” games, benefit softball tournaments “Where we see there is a need, and youth practices. The fields are on whether it is with the elderly or with property that Dimitroff owns. He kids, that’s what we do.” leases the land to the Jaycees for $1 Dimitroff says he does gain and has already directed his something from all of his efforts: a daughters to continue the rental positive feeling. arrangements after he’s gone. “I’ve never been the type of person “It’s one of my favorite projects,” to just sit around or spend time at the he says. “I enjoy seeing the kids play coffee shop. I’ve always liked being out there, and we do a lot of benefit active. I’d like to think it keeps me tournaments there, raising money for young. It’s just something I enjoy. It’s a lot of organizations, people and the very gratifying.” food pantries.” He says he enjoys the annual cycle Dimitroff says the baseball complex of events — Easter transitions into gives him something to do, but he softball season, then there’s the welcomes the help he gets in Jaycees children’s fishing tournament maintaining the field, which comes and work with the community food mainly from members of the Jaycees, pantry — and how with each turn of many of whom he’s personally the calendar page comes another recruited for the organization by project. sharing a vision and mission of the “I think that when you get involved group. in community activities, you get into “I tell people that the Jaycees will a kind of routine,” Dimitroff says. give them a chance to meet new “You always have something to look friends; other people who want to get forward to, and you enjoy the routine, active in their community and make and you feel it benefits a lot of it a better place. “ people, and it makes an impact on Dimitroff says he learned about kids and families.” making the community a better place Dimitroff adds that he also gets a as a child. feeling of satisfaction helping young “I think it’s important to not forget people get involved in organizations where you came from,” he explains. “I like the Jaycees. The former state was born and raised in Du Quoin. My officer takes pride in “drafting” parents didn’t have a lot, but they volunteers to help with a single were very thankful for what they did project. Before long, he’s telling them have. I can remember that mom and about all that Jaycees do. dad always tried to help people; they “When you show them all of the were always doing for others. That annual projects, there are a lot of instilled a lot in me. I believe it would people who are quite surprised. They be a better world if people would try say, ‘I didn’t know you guys did this,’ to do more for others.” then they want to get involved.” So he does for others as much as he If you showed those same people a can, but he’s quick to deflect the list of Dimitroff’s activities, they’d attention for doing so away from probably answer in a very similar himself and to the organizations of fashion.

Did You Know?

Jim

Dimitroff MAY 2011

“I didn’t know you did all this,” they’d say, and just like he tells Jaycees, he would respond that it’s all about helping others. “The concept is to provide community service. It’s basically a way to become a better person through community service,” he said. Those who join the Jaycees can learn a lot from their teacher and mentor.

Southern BUSINESS JOURNAL

­9

A

s a child, Brad Fager spent a lot of time playing in Murphysboro’s Riverside Park. Undoubtedly, as he would zoom down a slide or try to swing faster, he’d catch glimpses of the park’s iconic band shell. The more he saw the 1938 Works Projects Administration structure, the more it etched its way into his subconscious. Then, in 2006, all those memories came back.

­10

Southern BUSINESS JOURNAL

“I went down to the park for a blues festival,” Fager says. “There weren’t very many people there, but they had really good music. I realized that the park and band shell was one of the neatest venues in Southern Illinois. That’s when I got the idea that we had this great structure and perfect venue, and we should be using them more.” Those thoughts were the birth of an organization known as the Friends of Murphysboro, an informal group of people with ideas and energy to bring events, funds and improvements to the city’s flagship park. “At first, we were just wanting to

improve Riverside Park; there was nothing in particular we had in mind. We didn’t have a set idea other than that we could have fundraisers, knowing that deciding what to use it for in the park would be easy.” For Fager, 31, the park has always been a big part of life. “I grew up living about four blocks away, so I used to play down at Riverside Park all of the time,” he says. Today, on the wall of the office where he works as an estimator for FagerMcGee Commercial Construction, hang two old postcards. One features a photograph of the band shell; the other,

May 2011

find us online For additional information, visit us at

www.sbj.biz

BrAD

fAGer PAuL neWton

DID You KnoW?

an image of the grandstand at the park’s Chep Kessel Field. Both were constructed in the late 1930s and were designed by the same architect. “There’s a lot of history there, and after you get into it, everything we’ve found out about Riverside Park makes it even better,” he explains. “We’ve learned that it’s one of the oldest city parks in the state.” Now, as dad to one of Murphysboro’s youngest residents – infant daughter, Violet – Fager is on a mission to improve the structures and the park that surrounds them. “I think it’s just a matter of wanting to do something to help out. I think part of it is MAY 2011

that an opportunity was there, and our group of friends thought we could do it. The biggest thing was being down there that one day and seeing the shell.” He says initial discussions revolved around economic development. “Being in construction, I’m always a little more into economic development, but as more and more people provided input, ideas for events and projects developed.” Fager adds that more involving more people has not only expanded the volunteer base for Friends of Murphysboro, it also has increased possibilities for programs. “When you ask anybody what they think, and they get on board, then you get more

Brad Fager loves swing music and enjoys hitting the dance floor.

ideas, and everybody’s thinking the same way and jumping on,” he says. “When we started out, we really didn’t know what we were going to do, we just want to hold events, and we always wanted to try to do bigger and more.” The group’s first event, a tournament for the backyard game of washers, raised $150. “It was eight hours of work for $150,” Fager confesses. “I realized then that I’d rather do something big and a lot more fun and challenging.” The result was creation of the Shawnee Hills Wine Trail Arts festival.

SEE fAGer / PAGE 12 Southern BuSIneSS JournAL

11

Congratulations

Brad Fager We’re proud of you and all the leaders who help make their community a better place to live.

347 South Williams Street Murphysboro 687-3900 www.fager-mcgee.com

­12

Southern BUSINESS JOURNAL

Fager from page 11 The event was a success, and the group began to translate the money raised by this and other programs into improvements to the park. Events including outdoor motion pictures in the park, a ladies’ night out, a veteran’s remembrance walk and more have since followed. “The biggest thing is that we’ve always tried to focus around the band shell, and it’s just grown into other things. A lot of this has evolved from other people’s ideas. I can’t take credit for it.� Fager says the organization is made up of people who share a similar vision and want to improve both the park and the community as a whole. “Our group is made up of people who are very good at what they do,� he says. “It’s just kind of snowballed. I want to give the credit to all of the others who have been involved so far in the Friends of Murphysboro and all of our

projects. Everyone has had their own ideas, and I feel like I’m getting accolades that aren’t really mine. It’s a group project.� He adds that involvement in the organization has not only been fun, it’s also been beneficial for him. “There’s so much you can learn from going out and volunteering, interacting with people and getting to know them while working with them. Learning has been a big thing for me in all of this.� Fager says he’s proud to be part of something that is both growing and beneficial for Murphysboro, and he’s seeing similarities to fatherhood. “Everything has always turned out better than we imagined and hoped for,� he says. “That’s rewarding, just like my new project of being a dad.� His efforts will be rewarding for Violet, too, because in a few years, like her father, she’ll be enjoying Riverside Park.

'RQ +HLQH <HDUV

.LP 9HUGLFN <HDUV

%LOO\ 0DUWLQ <HDUV

-XG\ 7UDQNOH <HDUV

ZZZ SHSVLPLGDPHULFD FRP May 2011

MAY 2011

Southern BUSINESS JOURNAL

­13

KevIn

froSt t

here’s a lot going on in Kevin Frost’s office. On his desk are the files and forms of his work as a financial representative for Northwestern Mutual Financial Network. An iPod on a corner table plays music from his favorite ’80s hair bands. A bookcase is crammed with works on financial planning, networking and business success. A large shelf holds three rows of neat piles, each labeled with its contents, Rotary, Herrin Chamber, Logan Foundation and Clients, among them. And just inside the door, stand immense trophies from Herrin’s annual bocce championships.

“At one time, I used to be pretty good,” Frost admits. “I’ve won the tournament three times, but haven’t won it in a long time. There are some pretty good players now; I don’t play enough to be that good anymore.” It’s no wonder Frost doesn’t play enough. He’s a busy man. Just 37, he’s been married eight years to Jennifer, has one son and he’s already distinguished himself as a financial adviser. He is president of Herrin Chamber of Commerce, is on the board of the John A. Logan Foundation, is past president of the local Rotary club and works with HerrinFesta Italiana, the United Way and a host of other organizations and causes. Frost says he does all of it because that’s what he was taught from an early age by his mother, Mary, and his stepfather, Peter Bondioli, whom he simply calls “Dad.” “My mother was chairman of the United Way and a drive chairman for many years,” Frost recalls. “My dad is a past president of the chamber in Herrin, started a foundation at the Catholic school in town and was involved in a lot. I just grew up

14

Southern BuSIneSS JournAL

knowing that you participate. I never really thought about why, you just do.” He says civic pride and a level of While a student at involvement in the community is a duty. Northwestern, Kevin Frost “I’ve joked that I’m president of the played drums for Pawn Shop, chamber this year because it’s my turn. I a punk rock band. think you just have a responsibility. If you’re going to be part of a community, it’s you’re going to hit, and I like to park in important that you give back to that front of my office and walk in the door,” he community in whatever capacity you can. says. “If you’re going to build a business, You get involved and, to the extent you which is what I’m doing, you only want to can, you take a leadership role.” do it once, and you want to do it in a place Frost is following in his parents’ where you want to raise your family. footsteps. “Growing up in Southern Illinois and “My parents have been huge influences seeing Chicago, I believe there is no better on me, but they deserve this honor more. They did a lot more than I have ever done,” place to raise a family than Southern Illinois. It’s the epitome of the total being he says. “The imparted to me at an early greater than the sum of its parts.” age you get involved in the community.” Involvement in the community also He says as a child he often went along with his parents to United Way fundraisers means being part of some more enjoyable activities such as playing bocce. and other events. He also got a real sense “When we started, my stepfather really of community one summer from a was the person who built bocce in Herrin. perspective behind a backhoe and the rear I was one of the organizers and one of the of a garbage truck. founding members of the Herrin Bocce “The only job I’ve ever had that wasn’t Club, which runs the facility and our with Northwestern Mutual was the tournament. I actually took a couple of summer after my freshman year of years off, because I was involved in a lot of college,” Frost explains. “My dad other things. But now I’m going to be back suggested that I apply to work for the city on it. It’s a fun game and a real asset to of Herrin as a garbage collector and ditch Herrin.” digger. So I worked for the street and alley Frost says he sees similarities between department. I spent one week of the the way he serves his community and his month on the back of a garbage truck and approach to bocce. the other three weeks on a ditch crew. I “You probably could say the game is a have a profound appreciation for garbage metaphor for life,” he adds. “Sometimes men after spending a summer doing that.” when you want things too much, you end Frost says Bondioli called the summer up sabotaging what you want. Sometimes “college insurance” and hoped the summer would entice Frost to continue his it’s best to sit back and let things happen with your direction.” education at Northwestern University in If his office is any indication, Frost is Evanston. The plan worked, and Frost giving his direction to a lot of things, and finished his degree there. While he grew every one of them, like a well-placed fond of Chicago while there, he says bocce shot, is rolling along quite nicely. there’s something special about Southern Illinois. “I love the city, just like I love St. Louis and other find us online cities, but I like being able to not For additional information, visit us at www.sbj.biz worry about what kind of traffic

DID You KnoW?

MAY 2011

ALAN ROGERS

žš Ă‚@Îב@ĂŽÂŠÂžÂšĂ…ĂŒĂŽÂžĂŒ 8 "ĂŒ .$/1 Thanks for all you do for our chamber, our city, and our community.

www.herrinillinois.com MAY 2011

Southern BUSINESS JOURNAL

­15

StAn

IrvIn 16

Southern BuSIneSS JournAL

DID You KnoW? Stan Irvin’s nickname, given to him by fellow prosecutors, is Batman.

MAY 2011

A

ALAN ROGERS

majority of Stan Irvin’s coworkers thought he was crazy. They could not believe that an up-and-coming prosecutor in the Kings County, New York, District Attorney’s office would step down to become a pastor. After all, here was someone with more than a 12 years of experience as a prosecutor, six of them trying cases against alleged murderers in Brooklyn. He was good at it, too. Of the 413 cases he prosecuted, more than 92 percent led to convictions. Why would he want to leave a promising career to attend seminary?

MAY 2011

The prosecutor says it was a decision a long time in coming. “The call was a long process for me,” says the Rev. Stan Irvin, who now serves as pastor of Carrier Mills United Methodist Church. “It stretched over about 28 years. I kept feeling what you’d describe as a call to ministry, but I kept avoiding it.” He says, eventually, though, he couldn’t run from God’s plan for his life any longer. “Finally, while I was a prosecutor in New York, the realization came to me that I wanted to do more than being involved in sending people to prison. I realized that if I was in my 90s and on the edge of my bed looking back and had not gone into ministry, I would not have answered my true calling. I wanted to be more about keeping people out of prison than sending them there.” So, the graduate of Marion High School, who had earned a bachelor’s degree from Emory University and a law degree from Southern Illinois University before becoming a prosecutor in Southern Illinois and New York, enrolled in Princeton Theological Seminary. The reaction he got from colleagues was, at best, mixed; but he received a thumbs-up from an unexpected source. “Some of the attorneys thought I was out of my mind, walking away from law in midlife. Others seemed to be envious that I was willing to take a step into an area that I had a true love for,” Irvin recalls. “There were 600 attorneys in the office, and we hardly ever saw the district attorney. But shortly after I sent in my resignation letter, I got a call that he wanted to see me.” It turned out the DA, Charles J. Hynes, was a devout Catholic and completely endorsed Irvin’s decision. “He told me that he felt I was being called into a higher court than he could ever send me, and that, effective immediately, I was getting a $10,000 raise.” Hynes kept the seminary student on the payroll for three months by allowing Irvin to use accrued vacation before officially leaving his post. “When he did that, it was a shock,” Irvin says. “It was humbling, and I was so appreciative that he could relate to what I was doing and why.” Once Irvin completed seminary in 2004, he

accepted his first charge, Wesley United Methodist Church in Bloomington. In 2009, he returned to Southern Illinois as pastor at Carrier Mills. The move from the courtroom to the sanctuary has been more than a change of careers. It also has made a change in Irvin. “It brought about a bit of a personal attitude change,” he says. “In prosecuting, your nature is more aggressive. You must have sort of a killer instinct, and then suddenly I was immersed into a culture of love and forgiveness. It was both a culture and an attitude change.” Irvin says the transition has made him more of a complete person, and he’s still able to use some of the same skills he learned as a prosecutor. “I still carry over to the sanctuary the skills I learned in the courtroom such as conviction, letting people know what you believe and persuasion. Plus, the juries I worked with were highly mixed ethnically, and that’s helped me work with people from different backgrounds.” As a pastor, he’s fostered a personal fondness for working with missions and youth, especially teens. He’s been on eight mission trips, and he’s started involving his church in international mission trips and local service projects. Under his direction, the youth group at the church has grown from eight to almost 40 students. Irvin shares with them his passion for mission work, especially outreach to the homeless. “Over the past year, we’ve involved our teens in fundraising for the homeless shelter in Harrisburg through a cardboard camp out,” he says. As part of the program, the teens spent the night outdoors with cardboard boxes for shelter and very basic food to meet their nutritional needs. “At first when they came in, we took away all of their personal items and electronics; that was ‘shock and awe’ for them. Then at about 3 a.m., the police showed up and roused them out of their boxes, telling them to move. That was a rude awakening for them.” He adds that by the morning the teens had gained a broadened perspective, and many developed a desire to serve others. Irvin plans on involving other area youth groups in future programs. His goal is to impart to teenagers a three-part mission for their lives. “I always tell them to do three things,” he explains. “First, find something to continually do that benefits and betters others. Second, do what I call ‘live backward,’ so that when you look back at your life you won’t have any regrets about anything that you didn’t do, And, third, to simply get in the game and not sit on the sidelines; by that I mean, they must get involved.” He says the philosophy has worked well in his life. “It’s impacted the decisions I’ve made,” Irvin says. “Living backward was behind my decision to go into ministry. Sometimes, you have to do things that seem unconventional, but you have to realize that there’s more to life than making money and all of the things that society holds up for people.” Southern BUSINESS JOURNAL

­17

S

itting at a restaurant table across from the Rev. Sidney Logwood, it’s obvious the 64-year-old pastor of Carbondale’s Rock Hill Missionary Baptist Church has many friends and enjoys life. He jokes with his wife, Hope, as she prepares lunches at Southern Que,

­18

Southern BUSINESS JOURNAL

a local barbecue establishment the couple owns. Practically every person who walks in the door interrupts his lunch to offer a handshake or share a joke. He knows a lot of people, and that’s especially impressive when you learn that Logwood has lived in Southern Illinois fewer than 10 years.

In that short amount of time, he’s reached out to people of all types, ages, races and situations, in church, in the restaurant, in prisons and in schools and in community groups. He’s worked with social organizations, served as a volunteer hospital chaplain, been president of the local NAACP and held a seat on Carbondale’s Human Relations Committee. “I do it all because it’s needed,” Logwood says, shrugging. “Nobody races to do what needs to be done if it doesn’t pay, but I May 2011

SIDneY

PAuL neWton

LoGWooD

believe you do what you can. I can’t sit still and not do anything.” So, he does almost anything that needs done if he believes it’s something God wants and it will advance people and improve their lives. “My philosophy of ministry is a holistic approach, where we take care of spiritual needs, social needs, physical needs and economic needs. I want to be involved in all of those things and do what I can to make society better all around.” He says he prays about every opportunity MAY 2011

that presents itself. “If I get a peace about it, I’ll do it,” he says. “I’m not afraid to go where I’m led to go.” That leading has taken Logwood to places few choose to go, including Tamms Correctional Center, the state’s only supermax prison, where he leads worship services for several inmates. “As I understand it, the prison has one chaplain who takes care of all of these inmates, but there’s no joint worship service afforded to them. I don’t know how many Christians are there, but it’s important that they just be able to worship together. When I learned of the prison, I was encouraged to volunteer, so I agreed to go over. I see five guys on a regular basis, and I can tell that their faith is relatively strong. But I can imagine the challenge of trying to maintain your faith in a prison environment.” The weekly services are quite different from the Sunday morning services he leads at Rock Hill. “These services are about the only time it seems the inmates get a chance to be around other people. Supermax has them locked down 23 hours a day,” Logwood explains. “For the services, I am separated from them, and they’re separated from each other. I stand where I can see the five of them. But as far as the usual type of worship, where you can join hands, that’s impossible.” He says he leads services with inmates participating from within their own cells. There is a time of singing, some scripture reading and prayer, followed by a message offered by Logwood. “I usually try to deliver an encouraging message, but at the same time, demand that they be authentic disciples of Christ, even in their situation, and share the gospel with others as they have the opportunity.” He says inmates tell him they will pray for him, and they appreciate his regular 70-mile round trips. “That’s the only reason I continue to do it; I know I might be making a

DID You KnoW? Sidney Logwood admits to being an avid pool player. He says the games Bank and One Pocket are his favorites.

difference,” he says. The former funeral director moved to Carbondale in 2003 to make a difference by accepting the pastorate at Rock Hill.“I was fortunate at age 50 to be afforded the opportunity to go to seminary,” Logwood recalls. “Then when Rock Hill became available, a friend who knew both me and the church felt like it would be a perfect fit. He recommended that I apply, so I did, and they called me to Carbondale.” He wasted no time getting involved in the community. After preparing barbecue for members of his church, congregants encouraged the Logwoods to go into the restaurant business. The business is now one of five outside vendors offering lunches to students at Carbondale Community High School. To Logwood, it’s just another part of his ministry. “We have a lot of contact with young people, and it gives us good outreach. Much of what we do is based upon relationships, so it gives you a great basis where you can build on that. Knowing a majority of the students in the high school gives you some influence,” he says. Logwood says he wants to help create a population that is active in community affairs. “My focus is to somehow get people motivated and involved and to start taking responsibility for themselves; to stop blaming somebody else.” It’s a big task, but Logwood feels he has the drive to meet the challenge head-on. “I’m blessed that I was brought up with a good work ethic, and I’m trying to pass that along. I’ve made my grandson memorize this: ‘Once a task is begun, never leave it till it’s done. Be it great or be it small, do it well or not at all.’ I try to pass it on, and I try to live it.” Logwood says he knows the efforts will eventually pay dividends in his new hometown. “I won’t get rich, I think, in this life, but I will have a full and meaningful life here. As far as I’m concerned, I’ve dropped anchor. When I leave here, I intend to go with the Lord.” Southern BuSIneSS JournAL

19

roBert

reA L

ike many little boys, Robert Rea used to visit his grandfather’s office. With the youngster on his lap, S.C.D. Rea would introduce Robert as the future owner and operator of the Benton insurance agency that bore the elder Rea’s name.

Years later, after graduating with a business management degree from Eastern Illinois University in 1975 and joining the firm his grandfather started, the younger Rea not only began to fulfill his grandfather’s prophecy, he also inherited his legacy. “I was given the old corner office in that wooden building; it hadn’t been used for years,” Rea remembers. “I used his roll-top desk, his shelving and furniture.” The office not only came with memories; it came with a great deal of history, history that foreshadowed Rea’s future. “Grandpa was once mayor of Benton, and he had collected a great deal of historic Franklin County information, photos, notes and artifacts. I became totally enamored with the history of our county.” Rea quickly learned his community and county is home to much history and many achievers. It should have been no secret to Rea, as he grew up with others who would gain notoriety.

20

Southern BuSIneSS JournAL

“I grew up in the same neighborhood as Courtney Cox (federal prosecutor), John Malkovich (actor) and Doug Collins (professional basketball coach),” Rea says. “It was a great environment. We were all involved in things like scouting, and we were led to believe that you could accomplish anything. We grew up around each other with lots of strong influences.” And there was the influence of his grandfather and the history that seeped from the floorboards and creaked from the furniture of the office. It was an influence that found its way into Rea’s heart. “My passion came to light in 1993, when there were plans to demolish the Franklin County jail, where Charlie Birger was jailed and hanged.” Rea co-founded the Franklin County Historical Society with an eye toward historical preservation of the landmark building. “Armed with $100 in the bank, we set out to save that building and turn it to practical use,” he recalls. “Now it’s home to the tourism bureau.” Through the efforts to save the jail, Rea did more than capture a piece of the past; he also learned a lot about himself. He unearthed a determination to resurrect the past and to tell stories long forgotten. “I discovered that my true and overwhelming passion is in the defining of our rich

Southern Illinois history and in the preservation of the landmarks and structures associated with that history,” he says. Today, the museum is home to exhibits related to local history, especially Birger and his gang, Civil War general and Benton native John A. Logan, Beatle George Harrison’s 1963 visit to Benton and memorabilia about other famous residents, including Rea’s childhood friends. His enthusiasm for history has been contagious. Others in

DID You KnoW? Ancestors on both sides of Robert Rea’s family fought for freedom in the American Revolution. the area have taken up the cause, and their efforts lead to the preservation of the county’s first Ford automobile dealership, converting the 1910 structure into an automotive museum, housing classic cars as well as the offices of the Benton Chamber of Commerce. Rea says the focus is to make sure the nearly three dozen travelers who visit the museums each day during the tourism months feel welcome, and to further refine the exhibits. “I don’t know what’s going to happen next, but I’m always

find us online For additional information, visit us at

www.sbj.biz

amazed at what artifacts show up. There are so many historical questions that need to be asked; we’re working to answer them.” Rea’s work has gone beyond preserving history and into promoting it. He has often portrayed Birger and Logan in presentations. Regularly, he can be found chatting with visitors at the museums, answering questions and telling them about the area’s heritage. MAY 2011

Alan Rogers

In addition to saving the old, Rea also has worked to develop new attractions. He was the driving force behind converting the old Capitol Theater property for a community park with a band shelter. Later, he organized a series of concerts for the shelter and was a founding member of the summer car cruising series. Next up is a plan to connect the two museums with a brickedged walkway to include plants, benches and period lighting. It’s just another thing Rea hopes will add to MAY 2011

Benton’s appeal. “Benton may not be a Carbondale or Marion, but our historical inventory exceeds anywhere I can imagine. We’re working to become a destination town for shopping, entertainment and history.” Rea says the community has been very supportive of all of the historical efforts, as has his wife, Brenda. He says he thinks his daughters may have inherited some of the Rea family’s “history habit,” too. “Despite their protests over the years at being dragged to historical events and

re-enactments, the history has rubbed off on them,” he says. “They both live in historic homes; one in the old Franklin County carriage house, the other in a 1930 craftsman home in California. They want to know why I don’t live in an older home.” Maybe it’s because he doesn’t need to; he’s living history every day. “It’s become a way of life,” he says. “It is just a joy letting the world know of our rich history.” Grandpa would be proud. Southern BUSINESS JOURNAL

­21

I

t’s a good thing furniture doesn’t have emotions, because if it did, the chairs and television in Carolyn Schwent’s Chester home would feel neglected. “I don’t watch television,” she says. “It seems like a waste of time. I don’t usually sit down that long. It’s hard for me to sit down and do nothing. I just don’t do that.” It seems as though Schwent, 59, doesn’t like to sit at all. In fact, the typewriter in her home is placed at counter height, so

­22

Southern BUSINESS JOURNAL

she can stand while typing. Other than the newspaper, she doesn’t even sit to read, opting instead for audio books. “In the last few years, I’ve gotten into audio books,” she says. “I probably listen to two or three a week. I really enjoy them, because I can do them while I’m preparing meals or other household chores.” Chairs outside her home do not get much use either, except for the seat of her car, which she uses frequently, going from one activity to another. Retired after more than three decades as a special education teacher at Chester Grade School, Schwent is involved in projects and activities ranging from staffing the Chester welcome

center to serving on the city council, a role she’s had for more than 10 years. “It’s all just regular routine,” she explains. “All of the things I’m involved in are really enjoyable for me. That’s one of the need aspects of retirement; I can choose all of the things that I do and they’re all fun.” She says it’s easy for her, as a lifelong resident of Chester, to be involved in what many may call the quintessential small river community. “It’s a small rural community where people are friendly, supportive and interested. Many people here are so willing to volunteer and help with May 2011

Did You Know? Carolyn Schwent collects onion-related items. She has about eight shelves’ worth of onions, in one form or another.

Carolyn

Steve Jahnke

Schwent

special projects.” Few are the projects in Chester that take place without assistance from Schwent. She’s in demand to help with activities, maybe because practically everyone knows both her and her husband, Gary, who is also retired from Chester Grade School. She’s a board member for the public library, an active Rotarian, serves on both the hospital and American Legion auxiliaries and still helps with special events at school. “I enjoy any kind of project where other people are involved either in an organizational sense or as a MAY 2011

participant,” she adds. Schwent says being involved is hereditary. “I learned it from my parents. They were very involved, mostly with church activities. I was always with my mom and her groups – women’s missionary groups, home extension and more – and then for me there always were group projects for 4-H clubs, fairs and things with the Legion auxiliary junior program. I’ve been involved in groups and group activities for as long as I can remember.” Sometimes in those activities, her

teaching background comes to light. She often volunteers to supervise youth who have chosen or been assigned to do community service projects. “I find the projects and line them up, things like pulling weeds and painting dugouts. Then I talk to them about what they’re involved in, their activities, what we’re doing and why we’re doing it,” Schwent explains. “I try to talk to them about positive activities that they may be in. I think it can make a difference when they realize that they’re there to do a job and to stay with a project until it’s done.” Just like in her years of teaching, she’s had to use different approaches with each youth she’s supervised. “The thing I enjoyed the most about teaching was the kids. I loved the children, but it was always a challenge to meet their needs and to adapt my teaching methods to each individual. There are some special students of mine that I still keep in touch with, and I follow the lives of quite a few of them.” She has a reputation of looking for the best in students and other people. She also finds the best things about her community and shares them. She regularly writes what she calls “spotlight” articles for local publications. “I write about something that is happening in Chester every couple of weeks,” she says. “I try to showcase volunteer projects or spotlight positive things that are going on in the community.” Schwent also serves as the historian for the American Legion Auxilary, so she writes an annual history for the organization, as well as judges students’ essays on Americanism. Throughout her life, Schwent says she enjoyed and tried to support civic events and citywide projects, sometimes just showing up but often assisting whenever possible. Her willingness to serve led her to seek out a spot on the city council. “When I decided to run for city council, I knew I had been in Chester my whole life, and I thought maybe it was time to do something for the community,” she recalls. “I was willing to do that and have been on the council since 1999. I have really enjoyed my years on the council. The community has given me a big responsibility to serve them, to be cautious and diligent in how I serve them. It has been a very, very good experience. “I have chosen not to run for this next term, so I think my available time will change greatly soon, but I’ll find something else to do, I’m sure.” Southern BUSINESS JOURNAL

­23

Steve Jahnke

Carolyn

Snyder

I

f you want to spend any time with Carolyn Snyder, you better plan ahead. The Carbondale resident and former dean of library affairs at Southern Illinois University Carbondale has a calendar that is, in a word, full. In fact, just finding time to visit with her was challenging. And she wouldn’t have it any other way. In fact, she says she’s practically as busy now as she was before retiring a few years ago. “Almost, yes,” she says, laughing. “It’s because there are so many interesting things and worthwhile things to do. I have to warn myself to sometimes say no.” Among the activities she makes time for is involvement with the American Association of University Women, the League of Women Voters, a local group of friends that meets regularly to celebrate birthdays and a regular exercise regimen. She enjoys traveling, having passport stamps from Indonesia, Malaysia, China and Australia, where her sister lives. Snyder worked for several years in Germany, and now she’s planning a trip to Italy. But perhaps the thing she is most passionate about is local: Volunteering with Carbondale Community Arts. “About four or five years ago, I decided to take a look at organizations that I might have an opportunity to work with, because I knew I’d be retiring and wanted to make contributions to the community. I talked with several board members from CCA, and I decided that I wanted to become involved with the organization,” she recalls. Snyder did more than become involved; she became immersed in the values and activities of CCA. “I became very committed to what Carbondale Community Arts was trying to do, which is to promote the arts and promote creativity in the community and the region.” She says her efforts on behalf of CCA draw on her years of experience as a librarian at SIUC and Indiana University,

MAY 2011

where she worked before moving to Southern Illinois. “I think there are quite a few similarities, because we are initiating programs, just like we initiated programs at the universities to help students use the libraries. We also facilitate the activities of artists and others who use the services of CCA. That’s partly what I believe librarianship is, facilitating access to information – in this case art – in any way that we can by building partnerships. Some of those partnerships have been unique. While at Indiana, she worked with legendary basketball coach Bobby Knight to establish an endowment fund for the university’s library. “He is an avid reader and was very devoted to learning. He used the library. The endowment still exists at Indiana University and has grown to millions of dollars,” she says. During Snyder’s first month at SIUC’s Morris Library, she partnered with the university’s recreation center on a program to raise awareness for the library. Now she continues to promote cooperation and collaboration. “I feel very fortunate that we at CCA have been able to form partnerships with SIUC units and with community organizations,” she adds. “That’s how I see my experience in libraries being helpful, knowing that I needed to work with many units and many individuals on campus, and knowing now that for CCA to be successful, we must work with many different individuals from throughout the community. Together, we can do a lot more than either of us could do by ourselves.” Her love of libraries and art both began while she was a student at the University of Nebraska-Kearney where landed a student job in the library. “The librarians knew that I needed a job, and they kindly gave me one,” she remembers. “As I went through college, they encouraged me to obtain my master’s degree in library science. As I’ve told them since, they changed my life.” Now she’s trying to change the lives of other youth. “I grew up in rural Nebraska,” she says. “I read a lot as a child, but we had limited access to arts and libraries, like you might imagine in small rural areas. So, one of the

Did You Know? Carolyn Snyder earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of NebraskaKearney. Her major? Home economics. things I decided was that when I retired, I wanted to help children and youth have better access to art.” As president of Carbondale Community Arts and a leader with Carbondale’s Varsity Center for the Arts, she is working to take art to local youth. “For example, we take a performance of the all-school summer high school theater project to the Boys and Girls Club of Carbondale. We also often go to the Cairo Public Library and do a performance there. We want to serve the youth of our community and our region.” Snyder also co-edits the CCA newsletter and frequently writes grant proposals for both organizations. She says she is involved with the arts because she simply loves beautiful things and wants to share them. Her love stretches from performances to paintings and from nature to novels. Snyder’s home is filled with work created by local artists; she is an active collector of 20th century American red glass, as well as antique furniture. Plants and flowers of all colors and sizes adorn her patio and windowsills. Of course, there are the books, too. Snyder is an avid reader, finishing at least one book every week. Her reading list includes a wide range of authors and genres. “I’m a book person. I love books. My sister once brought her e-reader and tried to convince me, but I still am very traditional, in that respect. I like to hold the book, look at it, refer back and forth to reviews and to information about the author, which I’m sure I could do electronically, but I just prefer to hold the book in my hands and enjoy it.” As busy as she is, Snyder says she always makes time to read. “I usually read at the end of my day, when perhaps I sit in a chair or lie in bed and read.” When Snyder finally picks up a book at the end of the day, odds are pretty good it’s been a long and full day. Southern BUSINESS JOURNAL

­25

­26

Southern BUSINESS JOURNAL

May 2011

MAY 2011

Southern BUSINESS JOURNAL

­27

­28

Southern BUSINESS JOURNAL

May 2011

Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.