2013 June Issue

 IBJ Newsmakers Rench tapped to head First Mid-Illinois Bank’s Metro East region    Brad Rench has taken the reins of First Mid-Illinois Bank & Trust’s Metro East market in the wake of Gordon Smith’s recent retirement. Rench succeeds Gordon as senior vice president and regional president of First Mid’s operations in Southwestern Illinois which include…

   A bill that stalled in the Illinois Senate’s House Labor and Commerce Committee at session’s end is merely procedural, union contractors say, in recognizing them for the apprenticeship programs they already provide. Those advocating for small open and merit shops, however, say the reporting requirements inherent in HB 924 could put them out of…

By KATE GENO   Kelly Green’s contribution to the banking world is closely matched by her involvement in the community. As the senior vice president of operations of Herrin Security Bank, Green says she works hard to inspire not only her fellow staff members but also the young people of Herrin, Ill.   Green is also actively…

By KERRY L. SMITH   The evolution of women in finance reflects the financial evolution of women in general from the 1970s on, says Geraldine Burek. As president and chief executive officer of South Division Credit Union in Evergreen Park, Ill. and as the Illinois Credit Union’s board chairman, Burek has a unique vantage point from…

with information provided by Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois   While much of the area’s focus is on the massive $667 million construction project to build the New Mississippi River Bridge, hundreds of millions of dollars of development is currently going on throughout Southwestern Illinois. Here is a review of just some of the projects recently finished,…

   Illinois currently loses an estimated $200 million a year in sales tax revenues to Internet sales, and the U.S. is losing $24 billion annually. If the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013 passes the House, President Obama will sign into law a measure that many say will even the playing field between brick-and-mortar and Internet…

JOYCE M. ROSENBERG ~ AP Business Writer – May 22, 2013 Made in the USA back in style for small businesses Reprinted by permission of The Associated Press   NEW YORK (AP) – When Martin Rawls-Meehan started making adjustable beds in 2004, it was a foregone conclusion that key parts would be made overseas. It was…

Compromised: President’s Budget, Another Attempt to Reach Fiscal Deal    President Barack Obama’s FY 2014 budget is unlike any previous presidential budget request in recent history. It is not a statement of the president’s vision for the federal budget. It does not represent what he thinks is the best course of action for spending, taxation…

Obama Budget:  A Step in the Wrong Direction    Congress passes hundreds of bills each year, with many of those bills receiving broad, bipartisan support. Most of these bills pass without much fanfare and aren’t reported on by the media. What Americans do notice, however, are the bills to deal with bigger issues – issues…