View the Newsletter - Vermilion Advantage

Inside this Issue:
Page 2:
The Most Wonderful
Time of the Year
Page 3:
Member Profiles
Page 11:
Events
Page 14:
Welcome Home,
Welcome Here
Vermilion County
Conservation District
Celebrates 50 Years
Page 11-12
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N E W S
&
V I E W S
Vermilion Advantage, through membership value,
provides strategic leadership on critical business issues -
leading economic & workforce development, anticipating
and responding to members’ needs, addressing quality of
life issues and providing a network of information &
business contacts – advocating the pursuit of
opportunities to strengthen the local economy and
Vicki L. Haugen
business environment.
President & CEO
Tinisha Shade-Spain
Economic Development Director
Machelle Dykes
Director, Membership Services
Jo Doggett
Data and Finance Manager
Rachel Haun
Administrative Assistant
Kim Kuchenbrod
Workforce Development
Consultant
Logan Cronk
Rural Community Development
Coordinator
Phone 217.442.6201
Fax 217.442.6228
contact@vermilionadvantage.com
www.vermilionadvantage.com
www.vermilionadvantage.com/job-board
ON THE COVER:
Kennekuk Environmental Education Center
1
MAY 2016
V E R M I L I O N
A D V A N T A G E
IT’S THE MOST
WONDERFUL
TIME OF THE YEAR…
2
No, I’m not about to break out into a
Christmas melody. There truly is no finer
time than spring to be in the Midwest or,
in my view, Vermilion County, Illinois.
The beauty of the season is nothing short
of jaw dropping and eye popping! And
thanks to the years of effort by the Keep
Vermilion County Beautiful program and
the years of the Make it Bloom program
pride does show as our city and villages
come alive with color – and PRIDE!
There is another reason that this is the
most wonderful time of the year, and that
is the milestone that so many families and
students reach this time of year. From
adults achieving post-secondary achievements to kindergarten children graduating
to elementary school, celebrations of
learning accomplishments abound. Educators see the fruits of their labors and
have to step back and say, “This is why I
chose this vocation.” The challenges are
more than offset by the rewards of seeing
young folks learn and grow. I recently attended the North Ridge Middle School
eight grade graduation at Danville High
School. The auditorium was packed – all
to celebrate the accomplishments through
learning!
In this edition you will read about five
local professionals who on May 14 graduated from the University of Illinois Exec-
By Vicki Haugen
utive MBA program while simultaneously
managing demanding careers and family
demands. To have that opportunity right
out our county back door for those who
strive to continue to achieve new education milestones in their careers is a real
bonus.
We also feature high school apprentices that are graduating from high
schools around the county and successfully completing a two-year rigorous paid
apprenticeship opportunity at thyssenkrupp Presta – a program that we strive to
grow to involve other employers so that
even more of our students can benefit
from this invaluable dual learning opportunity.
Westville High School is graduating
yet another high school senior who is receiving her high school diploma and her
Associates Degree from Danville Area
Community College all at the same time.
This is exactly the kind of accomplishment in education that will make more
young professionals want to be a part of
our county community to continue their
careers and raise their children.
There are so many more things I could
highlight about education that make this a
season for celebration, but I’ll only mention one more. In this edition, we feature
the Village of Catlin. This school year
completes the first year of their school
district’s consolidation with Jamaica – a
difficult and emotional process to accomplish, without question, but a pioneering
achievement that is now a model for other
small districts to follow making more cutting edge curriculum and opportunities
available for the children they serve.
Also, this time of year, we are much
more cognizant of the wonderful natural
amenities by which we are surrounded.
Not only in the varied and lush landscape
gifted to us as part of the river valley in
which we reside, but also in the parks and
many waterways that complement our
county landscape. Featured herein is the
celebration of the 50th anniversary of the
Vermilion County Conservation District
and all of the beautiful facilities they
make available to locals and the tourists
they draw to our area.
And last, but certainly not least, is the
wonder of seeing baron farm fields come
to life and realizing the impact this segment of our economy has not only locally,
but on feeding the world!
Spring is the season of new life, learning and the visual blessings of nature; it
truly is the most wonderful time of the
year in Vermilion County, Illinois.
N E W S
&
V I E W S
Member Profiles
John Spezia’s Reach 1 Coach 1 Offering
Summer Basketball Instruction and Much More
John Spezia’s long history with basketball
is the stuff of legend. He has done everything from coaching college basketball for
30 years and high school basketball for
eight years, to operating basketball camps
and clinics in Italy, Antigua, Barbuda, England, Trinidad, Turks and St. Kitts. Along
the way, he has been named to the Illinois
Basketball Hall of Fame, National Junior
College Men’s Basketball Coaches’ Hall of
Fame, Danville Area Community College
Athletic Hall of Fame, selected for inclusion in the Basketball Museum of Illinois,
and has even served as an Assistant Coach
for the USA Basketball Olympic Festival.
He has also coached professionally in the
US and overseas.
His love for the game and the success
he’s experienced make his organization,
Reach 1 Coach 1, a natural place for basketball players, coaches, parents and
schools to learn basketball instruction,
shooting instruction, drills, and practice
planning.
Reach 1, Coach 1
Reach 1 Coach 1 offers basketball camps,
individual instruction, coaches clinics, program evaluation, individual player development, player placement at US colleges
and professional teams, DVD sales, sports
tourism, international coaching, e-book
sales, athletic program evaluation and consulting, and apparel sales. The organization is also involved in several other sports
beyond basketball.
Spezia says plans are currently in the
works for the organization to bring a semipro basketball team to Vermilion County.
The new CBA league team, which uses international basketball rules (FIBA), would
play from March-May. He says the league
would operate much like the Danville
Dans, offering college players more opportunities to be seen by scouts and coaches.
Summer 2016
Currently, the May and June schedule includes fundamentals of basketball with
weekly practices and weekend games. The
summer will also include two different
camps – once for the Fundamentals of Basketball and the other a Shooting Camp.
Reach 1 Coach 1 Fundamental and
Shooting Basketball Camps
Fundamental Camp
May 23-27
8:30 AM to 10:30 AM
June 13-17
11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
Boys entering 3rd-5th grade
Boys entering 6th -8th grade
$50
$50
Shooting Camp
June 20-23
1:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Boys and Girls 5th-HS
$60
Coach Spezia’s Advice for Parents of Athletes
“Research who is coaching your young athlete,
but then let the professionals do their job.”
Coach Spezia’s Advice for Athletes
“You need to have big eyes, big ears . . . and a little mouth.”
3
MAY 2016
V E R M I L I O N
A D V A N T A G E
Insights: Local Housing Market
Debbie Borgwald – Executive Officer of the Danville Area Board of Realtors and Aaron Troglia,
Owner-Broker,Troglia Realty and President of Danville Area Board of Realtors
Deb Borgwald, the Executive Officer of the
Danville Area Board of Realtors, offers
some insights into the local housing market.
How has the trend in house sales changed
in Vermilion County over the last 5
years? Inventory is low especially in the
new home construction market. We are seeing less foreclosure than in previous years.
Profile –
International
Greenhouse
Company
4
The average sell price has increased over
the past few years.
What advice would you have for someone
selling a home? Interview several
Agents/Offices, and be careful not to provide information that might be considered
confidential or affect the sale of your property until you have chosen a REALTOR. Be
sure to inquire about how your property
would be marketed and request a Competitive Market Analysis.
Vermilion County is full of little known
success stories. One of the biggest may be
that the largest online retailer of horticultural products and supplies is located on
Lynch Road in Danville.
to purchase structures and supplies for their
horticultural operations. Over the past fifteen years their online store, GreenhouseMegastore.com has become one of the best
known and most trusted brands in the online
greenhouse community.
David George, the company’s President,
explains it this way. “Over the past several
years, Greenhouse Megastore has grown to
be a leading supplier of residential and
commercial greenhouse structures, greenhouse and garden supplies, and much more.
We believe the foundation of our success
What advice would you have for someone
looking for a realtor? It’s not always the
agent that sells the most; it’s the one that
you feel most comfortable with. Look for
the one who will work for your best interest
to buy or sell your property.
Online Innovators
International Greenhouse Company (IGC)
has built hundreds of commercial greenhouses around the country and around the
world for the past 23 years. In 2001, the
company tapped this knowledge to launch
an online web store for greenhouse growers
N E W S
&
V I E W S
International Greenhouse Company - Danville Team
can be attributed to a customer focused
business philosophy combined with an indepth level of technical knowledge that only
comes from experience in the growing industry.”
The numbers bear this out. In the last 12
months, their GreenhouseMegastore.com
website has experienced over 2 million
unique visitors and over 14 million page
views. The site is currently ranked at 22,474
among all websites in the world, a significant accomplishment when one considers
the millions of active websites in the United
States alone.
The Company
IGC has been in Vermilion County since
1996 when George’s father, David George
Sr., moved the business from Seattle to
where he grew up in Sidell. He says the
business is a family affair. “I come from a
large family (the oldest of eight) and there
are currently three siblings involved in the
business: myself, Sam who is our Logistics
Manager, and my brother Ben who manages
our Sacramento location. In addition, two
of my sons work in the business, an uncle, a
cousin and a brother-in-law.” The company
moved to its current location, the former
Herr’s building on Lynch Roach, in 2015.
IGC has an additional location in West
Sacramento, California.
The company currently employs 35 people, many having been with the company 10
years or more. While most are natives of
this area, the newly hired Sales Manager is
from London, England.
George says the company offers a “one
stop” solution for even the most complicated greenhouse projects: from engineering and design to construction services, a
customer can obtain everything they need
from IGC. They also offer pick and pack
fulfillment services for the supplies they
sell. “We will break open a case of plastic
pots and put one of this and three of that
into a box and ship it to our retail customers.”
The Future
The future looks bright for this growing
company. “There are many positive developments in our industry that bode well for
IGC,” he says. “The trend for locallygrown, locally-sourced produce has caused
a boom in greenhouse sales along with a desire, even among our retail customers, to
grow their own goods. The legalization of
cannabis is also having a profound impact
on the greenhouse industry as new structures are being built and supplies needed for
this rapidly growing new market.”
George is proud of the fact that the IGC
team lives in and is committed to the betterment of Vermilion County. His brother Sam
is the owner of Mad Goat Coffee on North
Vermilion in Danville. “We love to serve
and look forward to partnering on future
projects such as a community garden.”
5
MAY 2016
V E R M I L I O N
A D V A N T A G E
What International Greenhouse Company Sells:
Structures:
anything from small backyard greenhouses starting for as little as $100 to full commercial sized
structures an acre or more in size and everything in between.
Greenhouse Equipment:
benches, heaters, fans, humidifiers, irrigation systems and controls, shade systems and ventilation
systems, grow lights.
Greenhouse coverings:
polyethylene film, polycarbonate and acrylic panels, shade fabric, insect screening, frost
protection fabrics, landscaping fabric and weed barrier.
Horticultural supplies:
plastic growing containers, fertilizer, chemicals, growing media, plant labels, seeds, propagation
supplies, anything you would use to grow plants.
WELCOME NEW
VERMILION
ADVANTAGE
MEMBERS JOINING
IN MAY, 2016!
6
NELSON’S CATERING
Contact: Jim Kent
3005 Great Northern Road
Springfield, IL 62711
217-787-9443
www.nelsonscatering.com
Product/Service: Nelson’s Catering provides catering service for an in-office lunch,
breakfast, a large scale appreciation gathering, weddings, or a holiday party. They
have over 20 years of experience in full service catering. They also have a portable
patented grilling system that could be used at your event as well. They serve the
Bloomington, Champaign, Danville, Decatur, and many more towns in between.
N E W S
&
V I E W S
Career Corner
Apprenticeship Program Transforming
the Pathway from Education to Work
The Company
“thyssenkrupp Presta is a Tier 1 supplier for
the automotive industry,” says Michael
Barth, Apprenticeship Advisor at thyssenkrupp Presta. “We supply camshafts, a critical engine component, to most major
lightweight vehicle suppliers in the North
America region. We assemble and machine
our products using state-of-the-art Computer Numerically Controlled (CNC) technology.” Worldwide, the company
produces over 30 million camshafts annually.
thyssenkrupp’s Youth Apprenticeship Program ushers in a new and effective way of
exploring advanced manufacturing’s in-demand careers. The program, now recruiting
for its fourth group of students, offers a
valuable pathway between education and a
long-term career.
How the Program Works
Employee development plays a central role
in thyssenkrupp’s values and mission. “The
two-year thyssenkrupp Youth Apprenticeship program is an example of a creative
and collaborative solution that aims to address workforce development in a valueadded, sustainable manner,” explains
Donnie Robinson, Worldwide Training
Manager, thyssenkrupp Presta. “Our Youth
Apprentices rotate through six main departments: Production, Engineering, Logistics,
Safety, Quality and Maintenance to experience the inner-workings of an advanced
manufacturing company. The program is
very detailed with objectives for skills and
abilities that we validate upon completion
of a rotation.”
“We believe that preparing the
next generation for advanced manufacturing will yield long-term
successes for our company and
Vermilion County. There exists
great potential in our community,
and we are absolutely honored to
be able to develop some of Vermilion County’s best students!”
Donnie Robinson
The company is currently recruiting up
to 10 Vermilion County students for the program, which begins in August. Participants
are divided between both thyssenkrupp
Presta and thyssenkrupp Crankshaft Company.
For Students and Parents
One benefit of the Youth Apprenticeship
program is the opportunity to explore new
career paths. Barth says this was especially
true of a young woman initially interested
in engineering. “After the two-year rotation
through several departments, she decided
that logistics was a better fit for her. Had
she not had the exposure to other areas, she
may have followed a path that was not the
best fit for her true interests.”
The company says students who successfully complete the program with strong recommendations are often offered
opportunities as junior colleagues, entry
level employees or interns.
“This is an amazing opportunity for the
students in Vermilion County,” says Barth.
“When parents hear the details and the benefits of the program, they say that they wish
this program was available when they were
in high school.”
Gaining Support
All stakeholders - from Youth Apprentice
families to the students’ mentors within the
7
MAY 2016
V E R M I L I O N
company to educators - have become the program’s greatest advocates. It has become a regional and national model for youth
apprenticeship. Currently, thyssenkrupp Presta
is working with the US Department of Labor
and the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation
to help standardize the youth apprenticeship experience for other companies’ programs across
the country.
Vermilion Advantage is a key supporter of
the program. The organization serves as the
neutral coordinator between the company and
the various organizations that are a part of the
program. Vermilion Advantage also encourages
thyssenkrupp to share its program structure with
other companies and communities.
A D V A N T A G E
Is your student
a fit for the
thyssenkrupp
Youth
Apprenticeship
Program?
Does he or she have:
• Ambition and a willingness to learn
• Interests relating to “hands-on” mechanical
skills or aptitude
• Strong work ethic
• Ability to maintain academic success while
in the program
• Overall integrity
• Volunteer experience
If you’d like to learn more, contact your high
school guidance counselor or the Human
Resources Department at thyssenkrupp Presta,
Briana Vaughn,
Briana.Vaughn@thyssenkrupp.com.
Connie Ohl Shares
Insights into
Career Options
with the VA Illiana
Healthcare System
The Veteran’s Administration (VA) Illiana
Healthcare System is an inspiring place to
work. Just ask Connie Ohl, Chief of Human
Resources, a 30+-year employee who will
soon be retiring.
The reasons to work at the VA are numerous, according to Ohl. “When I first
started with the VA, almost 32 years ago, it
was because of the great benefits and the
opportunity for advancement,” she says.
She took advantage of those opportunities,
starting in 1984 as a Ward Clerk, advancing
to Personnel as a receptionist, and eventually working her way up to Chief.
The VA is the largest employer in Vermilion County providing a surprisingly
wide range of employment opportunities.
As Chief of Human Resources, along with
28 HR employees, Connie and her staff
serve the approximately 1550 employees.
“The population serviced by the HR Office involves a wide variety of professions
8
and many complex systems,” she explains.
“We are responsible and oversee the following functions: staffing and recruitment, employee benefits, leave administration,
workers’ compensation management, processing and records, employee and labor relations, just to name a few.”
When asked what advice she would have
for someone considering a career at Illiana
VA, Connie says, “I would strongly encourage them. I don’t think most people realize
the many career opportunities that we offer.
Not only do we employ physicians and
nurses, but we have a Pharmacy, Recreation
Therapy, Social Workers, Psychologists,
Medical Records, Pathology and Laboratory, Fiscal, Quality Management, etc. We
also have incentive programs that one might
qualify for.”
In addition to the great career options,
working at the VA also provides an opportunity to give back to veterans.
“I am also very proud of the Green
House Homes that have been built on station for our veterans,” she says. “They are
beautiful homes that house 10 veterans.
Each veteran has his or her own bedroom
along with a bathroom. They share a living
room and a beautiful kitchen and dine together sitting at an Amish dining room
table.”
According to Connie, “I have come to
realize through the years that I am here because of the veterans. What a sacrifice each
of them has made for all of us!”
N E W S
&
V I E W S
Sonna Lee Returns to Vermilion County as
Purchasing and Inventory Coordinator
Sonna Lee has a unique link to her current
workplace. The former Herr’s employee is
less than a year into her role as Purchasing
& Inventory Control Coordinator for International Greenhouse Company (IGC), located on Lynch Road in Danville. But this
isn’t Lee’s first time on Lynch Road. IGC
occupies the same building Herr’s owned
while Lee worked in its purchasing department several years ago.
“Commuting to the same location,” she
says, “with the same type of position is like
coming home. The new faces, the product
lines, and the updated interior of the building, though, make it a whole new experience.”
International Greenhouse Company is a
leading provider of greenhouses for industrial and commercial use. Headquartered in
Danville, they also have an office in Sacramento, CA.
Her Position
Lee joined the IGC team in August of 2015.
“I’m responsible for buying the product
needed to fulfill our customer’s orders,” she
says, “as well as reconciling the shipments
when they arrive, and managing the inventory on a day-to-day basis. Every day is a
little different. (I enjoy) the investigative
work it sometimes takes to do the job.”
Prior her career in purchasing, Lee
worked in advertising. Initially reluctant to
switch roles, she found the transition simpler than expected.
“I was working in the advertising department for Herr’s,” Lee says, “when the purchasing manager encouraged me to apply
for an open position as a buyer. I told her I
didn’t know anything about purchasing. Her
comment was, ‘Knowing the product, being
able to negotiate, and a little common sense
goes a long way!’ I’ve been purchasing for
16 years.”
“It’s where I’ve grown up,
married, and raised my family.
I love the rural areas and the
people that live here.”
Working in a Family-Owned Business
Adjusting to a new department was less important to Lee than the type of company she
worked for. She prefers family-owned businesses and their ready-built sense of community.
“Family-owned companies,” says Lee,
“have great success stories about how they
started and got where they are today! The
employees tend to be a close knit group of
people.”
International Greenhouse is only one example of Vermilion County’s many familyowned businesses.
Working in Vermilion County
Lee encourages more people to consider
choosing Vermilion County for their next
career move. “Definitely consider it,” she
says. “Not only is it an easy commute to
most locations in the county but we have an
incredibly low cost of living.”
Whether it’s an industrial complex on
Lynch Road or the rolling fields near her
small town, Lee views all of Vermilion
County as home.
“This is home,” says Lee. “It’s where
I’ve grown up, married, and raised my family. I love the rural areas and the people that
live here.”
9
MAY 2016
V E R M I L I O N
A D V A N T A G E
County Connections
Catlin:
A Vermilion
County
Treasure
Amid Catlin's continued growth and exciting town-wide renovations, the true heart of
its residents shines bright.
From the Miracle on Webster Street,
where the town came together to restore a
local woman’s home, to the fundraising
drive that helped a high school student pay
his medical expenses, to the community
project to build an all-weather track, there is
no shortage of stories to illustrate Catlin's
tight-knit spirit. In all of the communitywide efforts, there is an undercurrent of
compassion.
Shelley Darnell, Catlin’s Village Clerk,
sees it all the time.
"It is not unusual for someone to come
into my office and pay the water and sewer
bill for someone else that is going through a
hard time,” she says. “It is just the kind of
people that live here, and it’s why I am
proud to call Catlin home."
Already bonded by a sense of camaraderie, events like the annual Strawberry
Festival and Lions’ Club Fish Fry are opportunities for the entire town to come together.
The Strawberry Festival highlights the
community’s summer entertainment calendar. A Vermilion County favorite for
decades, the event was disbanded for several years, before the Ladies of Catlin, led
by Angela LaFoe and Amy Pacot, resurrected it several years ago.
The festival begins the evening of Friday, June 3rd with the annual 5K Family
Fun Run/Walk. The following day, from 10
10
“Catlin is a wonderful bedroom community. “It has a
good police and fire department, great schools and is
very friendly. It is a wonderful place to raise a family and
I am grateful to have been
able to raise my two daughters in this community.”
Mayor Butch Schmink
am to 2pm at Catlin Park, there will be
food, vendors, music, games, and, of
course, many strawberry-related items.
After celebrating in the park, the second
annual Storm Aid event kicks off at 4pm.
Attendees can pay a $5 cover charge to hear
live music from local bands, including Chad
Hays and the Boat Drink Caucus, until midnight.
The rebirth of the Strawberry Festival
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Water
Odyssey
©2013 W
ater Od
yssey
www.waterodyssey.com
www
.waterodyssey.com
(512)392-1155
Village of Catlin
1,134 SQ FT W
Wet
et Play Area
W14057
w/ 5’ recommended Overspray Zone
71 GPM
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Village of Catlin
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w/ 5’ recommended Overspray Zone
71 GPM
Product Photogra
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phy
wasn’t the only triumph for the Ladies of
Catlin and the community as a whole. They
worked with the Village of Catlin to build
the Splash Waterpark addition to Catlin
Park. The project was estimated to cost upwards of $100,000, so the Ladies began
fundraising in earnest. The village paid for
N E W S
the building materials and relied on the
Ladies to raise the money for installation.
Eventually it became a town-wide effort.
“Organizations and businesses started
teaming up to raise the money,” said Darnell. “The Catlin Bank, local farmers, Catlin
Lion’s Club and many, many others donated
to help make the Splash Park a reality.
Local experts in construction, concrete,
plumbing, and electrical all jumped in and
have helped install the park.”
With the recently completed Westwood Circle subdivision and the consolidation of the
Jamaica and Catlin school systems, Catlin
has become a haven for families looking for
a small town with big values. Despite the
&
V I E W S
new additions, Catlin remains the tight-knit
community its long-standing residents have
grown to love.
“Catlin is a wonderful bedroom community,” Mayor Butch Schmink says. “It has a
good police and fire department, great
schools and is very friendly. It is a wonderful place to raise a family and I am grateful
to have been able to raise my two daughters
in this community.”
Bookend your summer with
two exciting Catlin events!
4th annual Strawberry Festival - Friday
June 3rd and Saturday June 4th. Kicked off
by a 5K Family Fun Run/Walk on Friday
evening, the event continues the next day at
the Catlin Park from 10-2 with games,
music, vendors, food, and plenty of strawberries. Afterwards, make sure to get your
$5 ticket to the second annual Storm Aid
event. From 4pm until midnight, you'll hear
the best of live music from a full slate of
local bands, including Chad Hays and the
Boat Drink Caucus.
Lion’s Club Fish Fry - Saturday, September 3rd. Hosted by the Lion’s Club in downtown Catlin, the Fish Fry includes a 5K,
carnival games, live music, and of course,
all you can eat fish.
Events
Conservation
District is
Golden
The fun will be golden at the upcoming anniversary celebrations of the Vermilion
County Conservation District (VCCD).
June 11-12 brings a mix of family fun and a
banquet to commemorate the first 50 years
of VCCD, says Ken Konsis, Executive Director of VCCD.
Events will kick-off with free, familyfriendly activities at the David S. Palmer
Civic Center in Danville on Saturday, June
11, 1-4 p.m. That evening at 6 p.m., VCCD
will host a banquet and 50th anniversary
program at the Palmer Civic Center.
Banquet tickets are available at the Civic
Center Box Office until June 2. Tickets are
$30 and include one raffle ticket. Attendance is limited to 300.
Raffle prizes include a canoe trip, a trophy archery deer hunt, pontoon ride during
Balloons over the Vermilion, seven-day stay
at Cottage in the Woods, and dinner at the
Forest Glen log cabin. Additional raffle
tickets are available for $10.00.
VCCD invites the public to the VCCD
parks for more free anniversary events on
Sunday, June 12. Visitors will enjoy guided
hikes, historical reenactors, boat rides, displays and prizes.
VCCD was formed in 1966 for conservation, recreation, preservation, historical
preservation and conservation education.
VCCD has four county parks, comprising
more than 6500 acres of land and water.
Forest Glen Preserve, Lake Vermilion
County Park, Kennekuk County Park, and
Heron County Park offer fishing, hiking,
picnicking, bird watching and special
events.
For more information, visit www.vccd.org.
Like the Vermillion County Conservation
District on Facebook.
11
MAY 2016
V E R M I L I O N
Vermilion County
Conservation
District
50th Anniversary
Celebration
June 11-12
A D V A N T A G E
Second Annual
Kickapoo Rail Trail
Duathlon
June 18, 2016
Kickapoo State Park
Saturday, June 11
1-4 p.m. Family-friendly fun
Palmer Civic Center
FREE
•
•
•
•
•
6 p.m. Celebration Banquet
Food, program, displays, raffle
Palmer Civic Center
$30 (tickets available at Civic
Center Box Office)
Raffle prizes
Canoe ride
Trophy archery deer hunt
Pontoon ride during Balloons over the
Vermilion
7-day stay at Cottage in the Woods
Dinner at the Forest Glen log cabin
Sunday, June 12
Open Houses
VCCD Parks – Forest Glen, Heron
Boardwalk, Kennekuk, Lake Vermilion
Guided hikes, historical reenactors,
pontoon boat rides, displays, prizes
FREE
www.vccd.org
Like VCCD on Facebook
12
Four Divisions:
• Fun-5K run/walk with 20-mile bike ride
• 2-Person Fun - One person 5K run/walk and other person 20-mile
bike ride
• Competitive – 5K run followed by 30-mile bike ride then another 5K run
• 2-person competitive Relay (New this year)! One person participates in
BOTH 5K runs/other person participates in the 30-mile bike ride
Pre-registration now thru May 29:
$40 for Fun Duathlon
$50 for 2-person Fun
$45 for Competitive
$55 for 2-person Competitive
Late registration May 30 - Race Day:
with an additional $5.00 cost per event.
Register at active.com!
Net proceeds benefit the Kickapoo Rail Trail Project from
Danville to Urbana.
N E W S
&
V I E W S
VERMILION
ADVANTAGE
GOLF OUTING
DON’T MISS OUT ON the FUN as we
CELEBRATE our 25TH EVENT ANNIVERSARY!
Friday, August 19
Danville Country Club
For Golfers:
Early Bird Registration by July 31: $100 per person (After July 31 - $120)
Two registration times: 8am Shotgun or 1:15pm
•
•
•
•
•
Lunch will be served from 11:30am – 2:15pm
Prizes will be awarded for overall tournament, 1-3 gross & net
Skins Game
Mulligans & Hole Contests
PLUS special gifts and prizes to celebrate our 25th Anniversary
For Non-Golfers:
Special Lunch with wine tasting
Afternoon Pontoon Boat rides to view spectacular sights
of Lake Vermilion area
Watch for more details about special celebration and fun!
For Sponsors:
• Exclusive Hole Sponsor –will include a sign as well as your company
reps at the hole to offer giveaways and promote your company. $500
• Lunch Sponsor - $250
• Team Photo Sponsor - $200
• Beverage on Course Sponsor - $200
• Cart Sponsor - $200
• Hole Sponsor - $150 – no limit to number of sponsors per hole.
Sign but no giveaways.
For more information call 442-6201 or
email tshade@vermilionadvantage.com
13
MAY 2016
V E R M I L I O N
A D V A N T A G E
Welcome Home, Welcome Here
Mike Potter,
Airport
Manager
Mike Potter has been interested in flying
since he was a kid growing up in Westville.
The new Vermilion County Airport Manager says he “took a flying lesson and never
left the airport.”
Since 1989, he’s worked in airport management in Shelbyville, Illinois and Morehead, Kentucky before coming back to
Vermilion County. He and his wife Tracey,
a licensed mechanic, ran the Morehead airport together. She is still managing that airport while training their son to take over its
operations.
Responsibilities
As Airport Manager, Potter is in charge
of the maintenance crew and works closely
with state, FAA and local government agencies. His current projects include work on a
taxiway and ramp. He says the entire staff
keeps the airport running and promotes aviation.
In addition to his daily responsibilities,
he is also interested in helping attract more
business to the area. “Helping get more
business in Vermilion County really affects
the airport since many times businesses
looking to expand or open new facilities
usually fly in privately to assess the area,”
he explains. “The airport is one of the first
things they see as they begin to investigate
this area.” He and the staff have goals to be
helpful, private and welcoming to those
companies interested in coming to the area.
Potter even has a few ideas for businesses
14
to be based at the airport.
The amount of traffic in an out of the airport would surprise most people according
to Potter. “We have commercial and corporate planes that come in on a regular basis.
Many corporations have private planes that
land here when they are doing business in
“An hour and half in a plane
sure beats over four hours in
a car.”
the area. Sometimes companies don’t have
a private plane and use commercial planes
to fly here. Many times they like to keep
their trips and visits private. Currently Vermilion County has logged about 10,000 operations a year. And I’d like to see that
number increase.”
Love of Flying
While his passion for flying has expanded to include managing the airport,
serving as a flight instructor and taking care
of maintenance, he says his first love is still
“getting others excited about flying. I al-
ways say ‘A bad day at the airport is better
than anywhere else.’”
Potter says a common misconception is
that flying is too costly. He knows otherwise. “To fly and own a plane isn’t as expensive as most people think. When I
arrived in Morehead there were only eight
private planes. Within three years, that
number rose to 38 planes because I would
expose people to flying and convince them
they could afford the hobby. Many ended
up buying planes.”
Balloons Over Vermilion
Potter is looking forward to the Balloons
Over Vermilion event to be hosted at the
airport in July. “We want to assist the committee in any way we can,” he says. “We really look forward to the exposure at the
airport. It will be nice to get people here. It
will be a great way for taxpayers to enjoy
what they support.”
As the interview is wrapping up Potter
mentions he is getting in a plane that night
to head to Kentucky to spend the weekend
with his family. He adds with a grin, “An
hour and half in a plane sure beats over four
hours in a car.”
N E W S
&
V I E W S
All A’s - Accomplishments, Accolades and Achievements
The recipients of the 2016 Golden Ruler Awards:
• Craig Barth, Teaching Assistant, North Ridge Middle School
• Kristin Bertram, Teacher, Mark Denman Elementary
• Marcie Burleson, Teacher, Southwest Elementary
• Larry DeLattre, Custodian, Kenneth D. Bailey Academy
• Tyler Ferber, Guidance Counselor, South View
Middle School
• Harriett Hymer, Teaching Assistant (Attendance), DHS
• Connie Reed, Bus Driver, Meade Park Elementary
• Mary Tamalunis, Teacher, Northeast Elementary
• Suzi Wagner, Teacher, Liberty Elementary
• Nicole Zaayer, Date Instructional Facilitator,
Garfield
The Golden Ruler Awards recognize individuals who have made
extraordinary contributions to impact the lives of students, families, staff and the community.
Steve Autor, a longtime board member and volunteer with the
Danville Bell Credit Union, has been named Volunteer of the
Year by the Illinois Credit Union League. The League is the primary trade association for credit unions in Illinois, which provides Information, Legislation and Education. Danville Bell
Credit Union was founded in 1948 and is a community credit
union open to people who live or work in Vermilion County.
Danville District 118 congratulates the following award
winners.
The recipients of the 2016 David L. Fields Outstanding Teacher
Awards:
• Melissa “Missy” Cortapassi, Data and Instructional
Facilitator at Cannon School
• Kim Goodner, Grade 5 Teacher at Edison School
• Larissa Post, Grade 8 Cross-Categorical Teacher at
North Ridge
• Cindy Smith, Behavior Interventionist at Danville
High School
The David L. Fields Outstanding Teacher Awards are given to
Danville schools’ staff who have demonstrated “superior effectiveness” in student success, collaboration, continuous learning
and leadership.
James “Big Jim” Darby receiving the ICCFA Educational Foundation’s
Lasting Impact Award from Jim Price, ICCFA Educational Foundation’s
President.
James “Big Jim” Darby, founder of Trigard, joined an elite
group of funeral professionals after the International Cemetery,
Cremation and Funeral Association (ICCFA) Educational Foundation awarded him the Lasting Impact Award. This award was
created to recognize those who have made a significant contribution to furthering professional development and lifelong
learning in the funeral, cemetery and cremation professions.
Darby received the ICCFA Educational Foundation’s Lasting
Impact Award based on his contributions to every aspect of the
funeral profession. Trigard is a family owned and operated busi-
15
MAY 2016
V E R M I L I O N
A D V A N T A G E
ness based in Danville, that has catered to the varying needs of
the death care industry since the 1960s.
May 2016 marks the 80th Anniversary of MidWest America
Federal Credit Union. The Danville, IL branch is located at
210 N. Gilbert Street.
The longtime staff includes: Linda Smith, AVP (16 years);
Kelly Odomes, Branch Manager (16 years); Loretta Harbour,
(10 years); Staci Vecellio (6 years); Rebecca Williams (6 years);
Nicholas Faber (5 years) and Gabriel Bergman (2 years). To celebrate the milestone, the branch will be offering a special vehicle loan rate beginning on May 26th and running thru June 10th.
Regular loan rates will be lowered by 80 basis points. For more
information, call 217-446-3954, extension 8200.
Five from Vermilion County complete U of I MBA
Congratulations to the “Danville 5”. The group recently received Professional MBA’s from the University of Illinois pro-
16
The Danville 5--left to right: Brian, AnnMarie,
Byron, Adam, Boubacar
gram. The “Five” are: Bryan Gallagher, Production Manager at
Automation International; Boubacar Maiga, Plant Manager at
Alcoa; AnnMarie Cross, Director of HR, Adam Grimes, CFO
and Byron Hall, Senior EE - all of Watchfire. And if working
full time in professional mid to upper level jobs, taking care of
family and extracurricular activities wasn’t enough, they all
graduated top 20% of the class. The program is a cohort program – participants took all classes together. It was a rigorous
program that lost about 1/6th of its students through the 2.5
years to completion.
Having the U of I so close to Vermilion County afforded the
hard working “5” the opportunity to further their education
while keeping up with their demanding jobs and busy activities.
Congratulations!
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