People In Business

Real estate services firm Avison Young has appointed Brian G. Kelley as managing director of the St. Louis office. Kelley has been a principal with the firm since 2018. He is taking over leadership from Tim Convy who opened the St. Louis office in 2016.  Convy will remain with Avison Young as a principal. Kelley…

KAI Enterprises recently announced the hiring of Aaron Keistler, AIA, NCARB, as director of architecture in its St. Louis office. Keistler will manage staffing of the architectural and interior design team as well as lead the department’s vision, project guidance and standards. He will also pursue new projects with the team’s project managers and principals.…

The RiverBend Growth Association has named Toddle Towne Learning Centers Inc. as its Small Business of the Month for July 2020. Toddle Towne Learning Centers has operated under continuous local ownership and management since first providing care in 1967 at a converted house in East Alton licensed for 35 children. Under the leadership of Peggy…

A new book by a McKendree University history professor provides an in-depth analysis of the fraternization that commonly took place among Union and Confederate soldiers during the bloodiest war in U.S. history. “Friendly Enemies: Soldier Fraternization Throughout the American Civil War” by Dr. Lauren K. Thompson has been published by the University of Nebraska Press. The…

BETHALTO — 1st MidAmerica Credit Union has named Linda Hickman as the new assistant vice president of Consumer Lending. Hickman comes to the credit union with more than 25 years of financial services experience, with nine of the those in a lending management role. Hickman will be responsible for directing and monitoring lending and collection…

Sisay Michael Abraham, a board-eligible family medicine physician, will start at Family Physicians of Alton on Monday, Aug. 3. Family Physicians of Alton is located in Suite 230 of Medical Office Building B on the Alton Memorial Hospital campus. Abraham is accepting new patients at (618) 463-7777. Abraham provides general medicine and preventative health care…

United States Steel Corp. has awarded college scholarships to 35 students across the country, including four area students representing U. S. Steel’s Granite City Works. U. S. Steel Scholarship recipients Hollie Bekeske, Joseph Feltz, Nicholas Feltz, and Chloe McIsaac are children of Granite City Works employees. The scholarships are funded by the United States Steel…

HSHS St. Joseph’s Hospital Highland received top marks on patients’ HCAHPS surveys for nurse communication, as reported by the Becker’s Hospital Review publication. Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems is a national, standardized survey developed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, along with the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. The…

Entrepreneurs and new business startups are invited to compete in the 2020 Metro East Start-Up Challenge, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s 7th annual regional business plan competition. The MESC is organized by the Illinois Small Business Development Center for the Metro East at SIUE. The purpose of the MESC is to identify, encourage and support entrepreneurs…

Belleville-based Allsup, a nationwide provider of disability representation, employer benefits and return to work services, has named industry veteran Rob Sokol as director of Business Development, Healthcare Insurance Services. Sokol, who will be based in the Boston area, will focus on bringing the company’s private and public healthcare insurance benefits services to self-insured employers, benefits…