HSHS Medical Group recently announced that Dr. Aziz S. Alali, a board-certified neurosurgeon, has joined HSHS Medical Group Multispecialty Care at 3 St. Elizabeth’s Boulevard, Suite 5000 in O’Fallon. Dr. Alali will continue to see patients as a member of the team, providing advanced, compassionate care for brain and spine conditions. Dr. Alali specializes in…
First Bankers Trust Company recently celebrated the retirement of Jim Obert, marking the conclusion of an extraordinary 47-year career in banking and a legacy of service to both the bank and the Quincy community. Obert joined First Bankers Trust Company in 1978 during the Don Gnuse era. Over the course of his tenure, he worked…
Horner & Shifrin Inc. recently announced that Jim McCleish has been appointed as senior fellow. This distinguished position recognizes McCleish’s expertise and longstanding contributions to the engineering profession at both the regional and national levels. As a senior fellow, McCleish will focus on high-impact projects, serve as a technical resource, and provide mentorship to the…
Newly named Ameren Illinois President Patrick Smith reflects on his journey from lineman to leadership By PATRICK E. SMITH, SR. Growing up in East St. Louis and graduating from Assumption Catholic High School, I never imagined that one day I’d be named president of Ameren Illinois. But as I prepare to step into this…
The Gori Law Firm recently announced its recipients of the 2026 Super Lawyers. With six attorneys recognized, it reaffirms the standard of excellence set by The Gori Law Firm. This year’s recipients included: Principal Partner and Owner Beth Gori-Gregory, Managing Partner Sara Salger, and Partners David Aubrey, Chris Layloff, Bob Marcus and Jason Steinmeyer. The…
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has hired Bill Cross, MBA, as its new Facilities Management director, effective Jan. 20, 2026. Cross is an alumnus (‘09) who earned his bachelor’s degree in computer management information systems. He comes to the role with extensive experience as a leader in executive-level facilities operations and strategic asset management. “I am…
St. Louis-based Oculus Inc., an award-winning, WBE-certified architecture and interior design firm, has expanded its architecture, interior design, and marketing department teams with the addition of four new team members: Aaron Grimes, Ann Seibert, Marlie Woods, and Natalie Bell. “We are excited to kick off the new year with the addition of Aaron, Ann, Marlie,…
Baker Sterchi Cowden & Rice LLC recently announced the elevation of Tom Kammerer to Member, effective Jan. 1, 2026. Kammerer is based in the firm’s St. Louis office and focuses his practice on first- and third-party insurance defense, premises liability, property damage, personal injury, transportation and subrogation matters. He is a member of the Bar…
Jason Gasawski has joined Korte & Luitjohan Contractors Inc. (K&L) as vice president of Construction Management. A resident of Shiloh, Ill., Gasawski began his construction career in 2005 as a carpenter with Dessouard Commercial & Housing Improvement. He then spent the next 17 years at S.M. Wilson working his way up from project engineer to…
Simmons Hanly Conroy recently announced that Luke Pfeifer has been elevated to partner, effective Jan. 1, 2026. “We are delighted to announce Luke’s well-earned promotion,” said Simmons Hanly Conroy Managing Partner Laurence V. Nassif. “He is an esteemed firm ambassador who demonstrates our commitment to client-focused advocacy daily. I’m excited to see all he accomplishes as…
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has appointed Praveen V. Vadlani, Ph.D., MBA, as executive director of the National Corn-to-Ethanol Research Center (NCERC), effective Tuesday, Jan. 7. Vadlani will also hold a tenured faculty appointment as a professor in SIUE’s Department of Chemistry. Vadlani’s work spans biofuels, biochemicals, biomaterials, fermentation systems and scalable process development, with a focus on improving…
Prairie Cardiovascular and HSHS Medical Group recently announced that Megan Land, APRN, has joined its team at Prairie Cardiovascular O’Fallon, located at 3 St. Elizabeth Blvd., Suite 1800. Land is a board-certified nurse practitioner with extensive experience in cardiology. She specializes in the prevention, diagnosis and management of a wide range of heart conditions, including…
Husch Blackwell expands team by 18, includes two attorneys and 16 paralegals and business professionals National law firm Husch Blackwell recently announced that it has brought on an 18-person immigration team led by partner Thomas Arkell and senior counsel Jim Arkell. The group, which comes from Dunn Law Firm in Illinois, joins the firm’s Healthcare, Life…
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Riza Demirer, Ph.D., was featured in Institutional Investor for his ongoing research in emerging topics that are shaping the future of business and finance. Demirer is a professor in the Department of Economics and Finance in the SIUE School of Business. In the article, “Was the ESG Investment Boom ‘Impact-Washing?’” which he co-authored with Huacheng Zhang, Ph.D., MBA, of the University of…
Bradford National Bank recently announced that Chris Barth and Brandon Camp have both been promoted to vice president. The announcement was made by Bank President Michael Ennen. “Chris and Brandon have consistently demonstrated exemplary dedication to serving our customers, always placing the interests of our clients and the bank above their own,” noted Ennen. Barth…