People In Business

The Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University Carbondale announced on May 1 the inaugural recipients of the Paul Simon Democracy Prize. The institute is awarding three prizes of $5,000 each to current Illinois college or university students for the design and implementation of projects to revitalize democracy in their communities. The winners are: Naya…

The following administration appointments were recently announced by Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker: State Board of Health David Chung will serve as a Member of the State Board of Health.* Dr. David Chung has been practicing for over twenty years. He currently practices general family medicine at Sparta Community Hospital, where his focus is outpatient medicine…

U.S. Representative Mike Bost (IL-12) announced on Friday, April 28, 2023, the winner of the 2023 Congressional Art Competition: “Ted,” by Natalie Weber of Freeburg High School. Weber’s artwork will hang in the Cannon Tunnel in the U.S. Capitol for the next year. “Congratulations to Natalie for winning our 2023 competition,” said Bost. “Not only did her…

The law firm of Mathis, Marifian & Richter, Ltd., (MM&R) recently announced that Anthony L. Smith II has joined the firm as an associate, effective March 13, 2023. In 2003, Smith graduated cum laude from Truman State University with a degree in Psychology. During his undergraduate studies, he joined The United States Navy. He was…

The National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (NCERC at SIUE) recently welcomed Lucas Clayton as its newest visiting research fellow. Funded by the Illinois Corn Marketing Board, the nine-month fellowship program is intended to provide training and hands-on experience to prepare the next generation of engineers and scientists for work in mid-…

  S. M. Wilson & Co. has expanded its field operations team leadership by promoting Steve Williams, Craig Cox, Mike Ashley, Eric Baumgartner and Ryan Phipps from Project Superintendent to General Superintendent. A growing portfolio of work and backlog combined with the firm’s efforts to continuously improve and innovate led to the creation of the…

Bank of Springfield (BOS) recently welcomed Dustin Mardis as Community Bank President.  Mardis brings over 27 years of banking experience to BOS and most recently worked as a Senior Vice President at Marine Bank. In his role at BOS, Mardis’s responsibilities will be focused on building loan relationships in the Bloomington-Normal area. Mardis holds the…

Valley Insurance Agency Alliance (VIAA), a cohesive family of more than 160 independent insurance agencies in Missouri and Illinois, recently promoted Bill Kaatman to Director of Enterprise Development. Kaatman’s responsibilities include overseeing new member recruitment and onboarding, as well as pursuing strategic partnerships to further the alliance’s growth. He will also serve on the company’s…

Lewis and Clark Community College Adult Education Student Services Coordinator Julie McAfoos has earned the Arthur J. Stejskal Teacher of the Year Award from the Illinois Adult Continuing Education Association (IACEA). McAfoos received the honor at the 2023 IACEA 43rd Annual Conference held last month in Springfield. She credits the education she received at L&C,…

The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) welcomed six new gaming agent trainees to the agency on April 20, 2023, during a law enforcement basic training graduation ceremony in Springfield. The additional gaming agents will be assigned to IGB casino field offices statewide. The new gaming agent trainees and casino assignments include: Colin Brinkmeier-Rockford Brent Buckles-East St.…