Holland Construction Services recently announced several promotions, including the advancement of Brian Dayton, LEED® Green Associate, to Senior Project Manager. Dayton brings more than 13 years of industry experience, including a decade with Holland, where he has built a strong track record of delivering complex projects across the education, municipal, healthcare, commercial, and residential markets.…

First Mid Bancshares Inc. has appointed Alex J. Melvin to its board of directors, effective Nov. 18, 2025. He will also serve on the board of directors of First Mid Bank & Trust, which is a subsidiary of the company. Melvin currently serves as the owner and chairman of Rural King Farm & Home Store…

First Bankers Trust Company N.A. (First Bankers Trust), a wholly-owned subsidiary of First Bankers Trustshares Inc., recently announced the addition of J. Nelson Carter as vice president, Consumer Banker, effective Nov. 17, 2025. Carter will report directly to Sherry Schaffnit, senior vice president. In his new role, Carter will be responsible for originating consumer and…

The O’Fallon City Council has formally confirmed Mayor Eric Van Hook’s appointment of Grant Litteken, M.P.A., ICMA-CM, as the new city administrator during its regular meeting on Nov. 17, 2025. He assumed the duties of city administrator immediately. Litteken brings more than 14 years of progressive leadership and service to the City of O’Fallon as…

First Mid Bank & Trust (First Mid) recently announced the appointment of Regina Nelson as its new chief marketing officer (CMO). With more than 30 years of strategic marketing and leadership experience in the financial services industry, she brings a proven track record of driving growth, innovation, and customer engagement. Nelson joins First Mid from…

Simmons Hanly Conroy, one of the nation’s leading mass-torts and complex litigation firms, recently announced that 13 firm attorneys have been recognized in the 2026 edition of the Super Lawyers and Rising Stars lists for Illinois. These designations reflect the firm’s ongoing commitment to legal excellence and leadership in the representation of mesothelioma patients and…

Experienced litigator Lee Hurwitz has joined Baker Sterchi as a Member in the firm’s Belleville office. Although associated with Belleville, he is based in the Chicago area and regularly practices in courts throughout the region, further strengthening the firm’s presence alongside fellow Chicago-based attorney Justin Borawski. Hurwitz concentrates his practice on toxic tort, product liability,…

HSHS Medical Group recently welcomed Dr. Michael Ansstas to HSHS Medical Group Multispecialty Care at 3 St. Elizabeth Blvd., Suite 5000 in O’Fallon, Ill. Dr. Ansstas is a board-certified gastroenterologist with advanced training in interventional gastroenterology. He specializes in diagnosing and treating a wide range of digestive conditions, including disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, liver…

  Southern Illinois University Carbondale’s cluster hire of four tenure-track faculty in the School of Biological Sciences is advancing research into global environmental change and sustainability. School Director and Professor Frank Anderson said hiring faculty as a group is a rare move in higher education, and it is an example of what makes SIU Carbondale a Research 1…

  On Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025, HSHS St. Elizabeth’s Hospital Emergency Services had the honor of presenting Elena LaFleur with the Dr. Jeffrey Shafer Memorial Scholarship for $3,000. This $1,500 scholarship, in partnership with Southwestern Illinois College (SWIC), is awarded to SWIC students pursuing a career in emergency medical services (EMS) in memory of Dr.…

First Bankers Trust Company N.A. (First Bankers Trust), a wholly-owned subsidiary of First Bankers Trustshares Inc., has announced that Lance Robertson joined the organization as vice president of Commercial and Ag Lending, effective Oct. 27, 2025. Robertson brings over 25 years of experience in ag-related sales and lending, along with a deep understanding of the…

Chris Hawn has joined S. M. Wilson & Co. as vice president of Retail Construction. Hawn is responsible for leading the strategic national expansion of the firm’s retail division. He will focus on developing multi-site programs and building long-term partnerships with retailers across the country, spanning ground-up construction, closed-store and open-store remodels, tenant build-outs and…

Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS), a leading Catholic health ministry with operations in Illinois and Wisconsin, recently announced that Charmaine Weis, MSML, has been named system Marketing and Communications vice president. Weis joined HSHS in February 2024 as the system director of Marketing and Brand Experience and has been serving as interim senior vice president…

Cork Tree Creative Inc., an award-winning marketing agency in Edwardsville, Ill., recently announced Melissa Herzberg as its Fall 2025 photo and video intern. This is the first year Cork Tree Creative has added a photo and video intern to its team, reflecting the company’s ongoing commitment to visual storytelling. Herzberg is a current senior at…

St. Louis Lambert International Airport’s longtime airport executive director Rhonda Hamm-Niebruegge has announced that she will retire in August 2026. Appointed by former St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay to run the airport, Hamm-Niebruegge recently accomplished a goal that she had since her 15-year tenure began. That achieved goal: A nonstop flight to London, with British…