2010 election - Champaign County Chamber of Commerce

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Volume 17 | Number 5 | October/November 2010
CHaMPaIGN COUNTy’S TRUSTeD BUSINeSS-TO-BUSINeSS PUBLICaTION fOR MORe THaN 20 yeaRS
11
Business Profile: Illini Mattress . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Welcome New Chamber Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Congratulations: Chamber Ribbon Cuttings . . . . . . . . . 9
Help Corner: Managing Conflict . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Gain Knowledge Before Racing to the Polls . . . . . . .
Permit No. 29
Champaign, IL
Commerce Connection
2010 election:
how to
in a challenging economy
The average person is inundated with advertising every single day – on the street, on TV, online, everywhere he or she goes. How
can your business stand out among all of them? On Thursday, October 14, author and speaker Tony Rubleski will present “Capturing
the Mind of Your Customer: How to Win More Business in a Challenging Economy,” teaching businesses how to effectively market
themselves in the digital age.
Tony is the president of Mind Capture Group and is the author of the recently published book MIND CAPTURE: How You Can Stand
Out in the Age of Advertising Deficit Disorder. He has been featured in the Detroit Free Press, Entrepreneur Magazine Radio,
PRweb.com, the Inside Success Show, and has appeared in various interviews with some of the highest paid direct marketing and
sales minds in the world including Jack Canfield, John Assaraf, Dan Kennedy and Larry Winget.
The seminar will be held at the Holiday Inn Hotel and Conference Center, 1001 Killarney St., Urbana, from 8-9:30 a.m. The cost is $49
for Chamber members, $79 for non-members. To register to attend, contact Norma Wesley at 217.531.4669 or
NormaW@champaigncounty.org.
www.champaigncounty.org
October/November 2010 • Commerce Connection • p3
VIeWPOINTS
Recently, the Chamber
asked its readers if they
had ever considered
running for public office,
if they had decided
against running, and
for what reasons. The
follwing are responses
from members:
It takes a lot of time to get signatures on petitions, and funding to campaign.
Have you ever considered running for public office?
Money has been the biggest thing.
54.2% - yes
45.8% - no
If you considered running for election, but
did not run, why did you choose not to
run?
I have a business to run; politics was never
meant to be a profession. That is what our
country has lost touch with.
The pay differential between office and salary
at that time.
The process is slanted away from finding
solutions to a scorecard for the left/right.
The time and energy needed to contribute
to the community is wasted on covering
your backside or replying to personal attacks. The system is built for mediocrity and
inaction. Politicians get punished if they dare
to prioritize projects, because every project
is somebody’s baby. There is little recognition that some projects (though good ideas)
should not be done. Not every citizen is going
to be happy, so the elected officials respond
to the squeaky wheels and not what is best
for the majority of citizens. It is more important
to have the best spin control; not to actually
accomplish something. This is the saddest
fact of all. Politicians pander to our worst fears
instead of leading and educating citizens on
complex issues. Watching government is like
watching the WWF; lots of sweat, yelling, and
action; not anything accomplished.
Time restraints, still working full time; don’t
have a straight party affiliation, either.
Not yet in the right place in my life/career.
Waiting to see if the office will be eliminated
in April.
I did run. I would like to run for state office,
however, requirements are difficult to reach as
an Independent.
I did not want to deal with all the things that
someone in government has to deal with.
Not enough freedom to act and make a difference. The system makes it too difficult and
the rewards do not offset the time it would
take.
It is a thankless job.... it takes great tenacity
to hold your beliefs instead of just going with
the majority.
I’m unfamiliar with process of getting started.
Too time-consuming for the mother of a teenager. My time is better focused on raising the
only child I have.
The cost of funding a campaign is too high.
No time and unbeatable incumbents.
Not sure I want my private life poked at.
Impossible to beat established candidates,
and it takes too much money to beat established candidates. Even if elected, the entire
political process is so broken that it is not
clear to me that anything constructive could
be done.
Too much hassle with providing information
about your personal life and viewpoints.
Work obligations.
Difficulty raising funds and negativity in politics.
The time commitment, given my schedule;
and the hassle that comes with the job.
It would be a conflict of interest.
additional comments from Chamber members:
The government is designed not to allow any
elected official to screw things up too badly. It
is not designed for success and accomplishing impactful programs.
Local, state, and federal government - all
need help. We have to stand up to the petty
requests to satisfy the “minority of the population.” Stop out of control spending.
Now, due to personal family considerations,
I would not consider running for an office at
this time.
I would not run for office because politics are
corrupt and representatives are bought and
sold from Washington to Springfield. There
is no way for a good person to succeed in
politics.
I ran as an Independent. I did not make the
ballot. I continued on as a write-in candidate.
I admire those who do serve in our local and
county positions. State and federal positions –
not so much admiration. I am disheartened by
all the buying, selling and gamesmanship that
occurs with the people’s tax dollars.
I would never run for ANY office because, first
of all, you have to be independently wealthy
to pay for all the costs associated with running
a campaign; and, secondly, I think there is an
inherent problem with the perception that public officials have to be dishonest to campaign
or hold an office.
I ran because we need to give back to the
community and provide positive leadership.
My thinking is very linear and not very adaptable when trying to find answers to problems
and needs of multiple groups.
I strongly support serving our community and
working to make this a better place to work
and live. As a result, representing our interests is always high on my list.
As small business people we are over taxed,
over regulated and under appreciated! If it
wasn’t for all of us paying our taxes, these
government employees wouldn’t have jobs.
I would be a one-term person, and I would
make a lot of people angry by requesting a
paper of expenses and a red marker. We
need a person to run public spending like a
child – you cannot have it unless you have the
money. And if you try to take money (taxes),
that is stealing. Live within your means.
I serve on two appointed Village bodies. This
allows me to serve the public in a low-profile
capacity. I also am able to exercise my judgment without the inevitable political considerations that would arise if I stood for election.
Viewpoints is a bimonthly forum for Champaign County Chamber of Commerce
members. Viewpoints allows members of
the Chamber to voice their own opinions on
important and sometimes controversial issues
in the community, country and world. Selected
Viewpoints will be printed in the Chamber’s
Commerce Connection, which is distributed
across the community. The Champaign
County Chamber of Commerce values its
members’ thoughts and opinions; entries,
however, are not guaranteed to be printed. All
published entries are subject to the discretion
of the Chamber.
fy 2010 tOP INVESTORS
sm
1817 S. Neil St., Ste. 201
Champaign, IL 61820.7269
P 217.359.1791 n F 217.359.1809
www.champaigncounty.org
info@champaigncounty.org
All information contained within this publication
is property of the Champaign County Chamber
of Commerce and cannot be reproduced without
prior expressed or written consent. This publication
contains paid advertising; the opinions expressed in
those advertisements do not reflect the views of the
Champaign County Chamber of Commerce. For
advertising information, contact Paul Caravelli at
217.359.1791 or PaulC@champaigncounty.org.
TOP INVESTORS
IN-KIND CONTRIBUTORS
Silver
Benefit Planning Consultants, Inc.
The Carle Foundation
Carle Physician Group
Provena Covenant Medical Center
Chamber Circle
WCIA 3 & WCFN 49
NewsTalk 1400 WDWS & Lite Rock 97.5 WHMS
Gold
Busey Bank
Chairman’s Circle
Illini Radio Group - MIX 94.5, WIXY 100.3, 92.5 The Chief, WIXY Classic 99.1, True Oldies 97.9, Extra 92.1
Bronze
The Atkins Group
BankChampaign, N.A.
Christie Clinic
Health Alliance Medical Plans, Inc.
Kraft Foods Inc.
PNC Bank
Supervalu Inc. Champaign Distribution Center
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois Employees Credit Union
Chamber staff
Laura Weis
President & CEO
LauraW@champaigncounty.org
Tiffany Bowie
Graphic Design & Events Manager
TiffanyB@champaigncounty.org
Paul Caravelli
Membership & Advertising Services Manager
PaulC@champaigncounty.org
Claudette Gonsiorowski
Board Officers
Mark Ballard
Chair, BankChampaign, N.A.
Diane Ruedi
First Vice Chair, F.E. Moran, Inc., Alarm &
Monitoring Services
Cindy Guthrie
Three Degrees of Change
Habeeb Habeeb
Benefit Planning Consultants, Inc.
Jeff Ingrum
Health Alliance Medical Plans, Inc.
Information & Accounts Receivable Manager
ClaudetteG@champaigncounty.org
Tabatha Helm
Dale Morrissey
Membership & Advertising Services Manager
CynthiaJ@champaigncounty.org
Martin Verdick
Tom Ramage
Cynthia Johnson
Leslie Lundy
Finance Manager
LeslieL@champaigncounty.org
Lynette Lykins
Administrative Support
LynetteL@champaigncounty.org
Andrew Proctor
Public Policy Manager
AndrewP@champaigncounty.org
Elaine Self-Calvin
Finance Assistant & Office Manager
ElaineS@champaigncounty.org
Norma Wesley
Administrative Assistant & Reservationist
NormaW@champaigncounty.org
Meghan Whalen
Communication & Programs Manager
MeghanW@champaigncounty.org
93.5
Second Vice Chair, Rockwell Automation
Treasurer, RSM McGladrey / McGladrey &
Pullen
Laura Weis
Secretary, Champaign County Chamber of
Commerce
Russ Hamilton
Past Chair
Board of Directors
Curt Anderson
Busey Wealth Management
Oktay Baran
Baran Marketing
David Bertauski
Provena Covenant Medical Center
Jim Goss
The Atkins Group
September 2010 Flash Economic Index for Champaign County
Developmental Services Center
Parkland College
Dennis Riggs
FIX-IT
Renee Romano
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Nick Taylor
RE/MAX Realty Associates
Bill Walter
A&R Mechanical Contractors
Michael Wozniak
Livingston, Barger, Brandt & Schroeder
www.champaigncounty.org
October/November 2010 • Commerce Connection • p5
BUSINeSS PROfILe
Illini Mattress:
Helping Champaign County Rest easy
Symbol mattresses are a lower-priced brand, and Tempur-Pedic
Illini Mattress has been a part of Champaign County since 1991.
Founded by owner and president Ed Stout as a factory direct store and mattresses are made from memory foam, which eliminates pressure
points and provides a comfortable night’s sleep.
family-owned and operated, the business now carries several brands
of mattresses, furniture, futons, bedding and more. “Ed first became inIllini Mattress also sells bedroom furniture,
volved in the bedding industry in the early
headboards, electric adjustable beds, bed
1970s while working with his brother,”
frames and hardware, mattress pads, pilaccording to Illini Mattress’ website. “Illini
lows, and linens and bedding accessories,
Mattress has now evolved to meet the
Illini Mattress
and their showroom features all these
demands of more diversified customers.”
products, along with daybeds, trundle
beds and rollaway beds. They also can
Stout is a native of Champaign and works
514 S. Country fair Dr.,
order waterbeds and have waterbed supin the store with along with his wife, Jan,
their two children, Kristin and Michael,
plies in stock. Illini Mattress offers delivery
Champaign
throughout the county and beyond, from
and a family friend, Richard Witt. “We
Champaign-Urbana all the way to Danville
hope to keep the business running, and
217.359.0156
and Decatur, and offers in-home meahopefully keep things going well,” says
surement for custom-sized beds.
Stout, so that the store will continue to be
info@illinimattress.com
family-owned for years to come.
As a Champaign County business, Illini
The store began by selling its own brand
Mattress gives back to the community by
offering removal service with the purchase
of mattresses, which it continues to do
of a new bed. A customer may choose to have an old bed frame or
today. “These mattresses are two-sided, which means they can be
flipped, as opposed to the no-flip mattresses now made by the national mattress hauled away free of charge and donated to a local charity. In
the past, they have worked with The Empty Tomb, Center for Women
brands. This gives us the ability to custom make mattresses to your
in Transition and the Habitat for Humanity ReStore.
specifications,” according to their website. Illini Mattress is able to
make custom mattresses, including for cribs, campers and RVs.
“I believe in the town, I believe in the people,” says Stout. “It’s a nice
place to live and raise a family, and is a good environment for success,
They also carry mattresses by Sealy, Symbol, Tempur-Pedic and other
with the way the community supports small businesses.”
brands. Sealy is the largest mattress company in the United States,
Number of coupons available on www.champaigncounty.org at the time this publication went to press
18

October/November 2010 • Commerce Connection • p6
www.champaigncounty.org
NeW MeMBeRS
BeVIeR CafÉ/
UNIVeRSITy Of ILLINOIS
Greg Knott, Business Manager
905 S. Goodwin Ave.
Urbana, IL 61801
P. 217.333.8469
beviercafe@illinois.edu
www.beviercafe.illinois.edu
The Bevier Café is a University of Illinois
tradition, operated by Food Science &
Human Nutrition students in the College
of ACES. Serving as a learning laboratory for our students, Bevier Café offers
daily hot lunches that feature made from
scratch cuisine, a daily chef’s special,
hot soups and fresh made salads. Your
lunch experience is made special in
a recently renovated dining room and
friendly students working hard to meet
our customers’ needs. Bevier Café also
features morning breakfast and specialty
coffees.
COMMUNITy CHOICeS, INC.
Jamie Stevens, Employment
Specialist
1304 E. Main St.
Urbana, IL 61801
P. 217.722.2980
ijijestevens@gmail.com
www.communitychoicesinc.org
Social Service Organizations
The mission of Community Choices is
to partner with people with disabilities
in Champaign County in their pursuit of
independence, opportunity and choice
by offering quality, self-directed supports
and services to assist in community
living.
CUSTOM MOBILe DJ
TeCHNIQUeS, INC.
James Oglesby, Owner
P.O. Box 3991
Champaign, IL 61826
P. 217.733.2301
Toll Free 877.733.2301
cmdjt@cmdjt.com
www.cmdjt.com
Disc Jockeys
Custom Mobile DJ Techniques, Inc.,
a full-service mobile entertainment
company, provides sound reinforcement
and MC entertainment for all types of
venues, events and special occasions.
More than just a DJ business, our staff
provides truly customized services
for your events. If you think you might
have a need for our services, or if you
want to find out what all we can do for
you, call us and set up a consultation
appointment. We love what we do, and
it shows in our work ethic and the enthusiasm we put into all that we do. Come
experience the event of a lifetime every
time allowing us to provide you all we
have to offer to make your event more
than you expected.
aT eaSe BODy
THeRaPIeS
Janice Rutherford, Owner
801 N. Dunlap Ave.
Savoy, IL 61874
P. 217.355.3114
janice@at-easebodytherapies.com
www.at-easebodytherapies.com
Massage –Therapeutic
At Ease Body Therapies, owned and operated by Janice Rutherford, has been
a Champaign-Urbana business since
1990. Janice is a skilled practitioner offering individual sessions of therapeutic
bodywork and classes in a self-massage
technique called Yamuna Body Rolling.
The focus of Janice’s work is understanding how the whole body participates in pain and immobility. She has
particular expertise in foot, knee and
hip issues. She works with a range of
people from the elderly to runners who
seek her help in aligning the joints and
muscles of their feet and knees.
More information can be found on her
website.
faRMeRS INSURaNCeMaRTy PITTMaN
Martin Pittman, Agency Owner
301 N. Neil St., Ste. 400
Champaign, IL 61820
P. 217.239.1688
F. 217.531.2211
mpittman@farmersagent.com
www.farmersagent.com
Insurance
SCORE
®
Counselors to America’s Small Business
Online Counseling
Workshops
Person-to-Person Counseling
www.eciscore.org
The Chamber is now on Twitter!
Follow us at http://twitter.com/ccountychamber
for quick updates on news and events.
Browsing Facebook? Become a fan of the Chamber!
Go to www.facebook.com, search “Champaign
County Chamber of Commerce,” become a fan
and get updates on upcoming events and member
benefits sent right to your News Feed.
For more information on accessing the Chamber
Facebook and Twitter pages, contact Meghan
Whalen at MeghanW@champaigncounty.org.
www.champaigncounty.org
October/November 2010 • Commerce Connection • p7
NEW MEMBERS
Marty Pittman represents Farmers Insurance and their associated group of affiliates and service providers, protecting
their clients’ present and future assets,
personal identity and providing peace
of mind. Accomplishing this integrates
a clear understanding of risk analysis
and insurance as part of a systematic
savings plan and a means of providing
economic protection for both personal
and business goals. He provides free
policy review and will include quotes
with his suggestions.
range of educational and care programs
for children of all ages — from infants
to school-age children who come to the
Academy before and after school. Few
organizations offer the same perspective
and insight that we’ve achieved. Only
through years of commitment has La
Petite Academy become recognized for
its innovation, leadership and reputation
for excellence in early education.
LRS Web Solutions
Holiday Inn Express
Julie Sizemore, General Manager
1003 Killarney St.
Urbana, IL 61801
P. 217.328.0328
F. 217.328.2219
jsizemore@holidayinnurbanail.com
www.hiexpress.com
Hotels
Discover the Holiday Inn Express and
Suites-Urbana located conveniently off
of I-74 and experience the warm side
of hospitality. The Holiday Inn Express is minutes from the University of
Illinois and offers our guests 74 thoughtfully designed standard rooms and
suites. Relax with our soothing décor
while enjoying the complimentary hot,
expanded breakfast which includes
our signature cinnamon rolls. The hotel
offers complimentary wireless speed
Internet access, indoor pool and spa,
fitness center, 24-hour business center
with complimentary faxing, copying and
printing, and the Sweet Shop-open 24
hours where you can purchase food and
beverages. Guests have the opportunity
to enroll in our Priority Club Rewards
program that offers no blackout dates.
La Petite Academy
Heidi Parker, Academy Director
1713 Broadmoor Dr.
Champaign, IL 61821
P. 217.352.4660
F. 217.352.0316
hparker@lapetite.com
www.lapetite.com
Schools-Pre-School & Kindergarten (Academic)
As one of the nation’s largest educational child care companies, La Petite
Academy Inc. operates more than 500
schools across the country. We offer a
Lanae Smithers, Account
Representative
2401 W. Monroe
Springfield, IL 62704
P. 217.793.3800
F. 217.793.2112
lanae.smithers@lrs.com
www.lrswebsolutions.com
Website Design & Services
LRS Web Solutions is a leading technology company providing complete
website solutions and network support
to businesses and organizations. Our
service suite includes web design, application development, search engine
optimization, multimedia, hosting and
network support. We employ a team of
designers, developers and application
specialists with a combined average of
more than 20 years in digital and print
marketing materials.
Real Estate Management
Prairie Fruits Farm &
Creamery
Leslie Cooperband & Wes Jarrell,
Co-Owners
4410 N. Lincoln Ave.
Champaign, IL 61822
P. 217.643.2314
prairiefruits@gmail.com
www.prairiefruits.com
Food Products
Prairie Fruits Farm & Creamery is
Illinois’ first farmstead and artisan
cheesemaking facility. We became a
licensed dairy and cheese plant in 2005
and we currently milk 60 to 70 goats and
make over 16,000 pounds of cheese.
We also buy sheep milk from a family
farm-run sheep dairy in Arthur, Ill., and
we make several styles of sheep milk
cheeses. In addition to our cheeses, we
have a small organic fruit orchard and
we host “Dinners on the Farm” featuring
seasonal, all-local foods meals. We
market most of our products directly to
consumers at farmers’ markets as well
as several retail stores and restaurants
in the Champaign-Urbana area and in
Chicago.
Zernial Bogan, Owner
127 Scottswood Dr.
Urbana, IL 61802
P. 217.344.0908
F. 217.344.8128
zernialb@aol.com
Janitor Service
Off Center Hauling
Bob Wilson & Randa Plotner,
Owners
1456 County Road, 700 N.
Tolono, IL 61880
P. 217.684.2670
F. 217.684.2670
Trucking
We are a woman-owned company with
a late-model tandem dump truck which
meets all current EPA emissions standards. Our truck is asphalt ready and we
can also haul gravel, dirt and sand as
well as other materials.
Sara Ortiz Workshops
Sara Ortiz, President
Danville, IL
P. 217.316.4882
sara@saraortizworkshops.com
www.saraortizworkshops.com
Business Consultants
Sara Ortiz is a business coach working
mainly with women entrepreneurs who
have more than one venture. Through
weekly discussions she helps women
prioritize their tasks and balance their
work and life. Sara’s Sane & Satisfied
program provides women with tools and
resources to help them become more
productive and efficient. The program
also teaches women to find satisfaction today instead of waiting for it in the
future.
Ware Group GA
Jane Kerber
Jane Kerber, Broker
1002 S. Busey Ave.
Urbana, IL 61801
Phone 888.542.3996
Jane.kerber@cre-market.com
www.cre-market.com
L & Z Cleaning
RMR Ventures, LLC is a commercial
property management and development
firm serving Central Illinois.
Gary Ware, Jr., President
7 Dunlap Ct., Ste. 7
Savoy, IL 61874
P. 217.607.0742
F. 217.954.0348
sarahw@waregroupga.com
www.waregroupga.com
Insurance Consultants
Jane Kerber has recently joined Sperry
Van Ness/Ramshaw Real Estate in the
commercial brokerage division. She is
new to the C-U area and holds a law
degree from Northwestern University, an
MBA from UCLA and a BS in Chemistry
from U of I. In addition to her commercial real estate activities, Jane is an
experienced commercial writer and a
seasoned negotiator.
RMR Ventures, LLC
Stephanie Bean, Property
Manager
201 W. University Ave.
Champaign, IL 61820
P. 217.369.4633
F. 217.403.6446
Individuals departing from Willard Airport during August 2010
7,143
Business
Success
Seminars
Business Success is designed specifically for Chamber
members who are seeking quality, practical and affordable
education on how to manage and grow their companies.
Choose the sessions that are right for you
or plan to attend it all.
CHECK THEM AND REGISTER - NOW!
Human Resources
Series
Money Making
Series
Recruiting and Hiring Right
– the First Time
Increase Your Profits by
Understanding Your Financial Statements
Getting Your New Employee to Quickly be
Productive and Connected to Your Company
Know the Four Phases of Your Business
that Will Fund Your Retirement
Sept. 7, 8:30 a.m.
Sept. 21, 8:30 a.m.
Providing Compensation and Benefits That Are
Legally Sound and Help You Recruit and Retain
Oct. 5, 8:30 a.m.
Employees Want to Know How They Are Doing,
So Tell Them: How to Give Effective Feedback
Oct. 19, 8:30 a.m.
Legal, Illegal and Questionable, Oh My! What You
Don’t Know Can Get You In (Serious) Trouble
Nov. 2, 8:30 a.m.
The Human Resources Series of the Business Success Program will be
taught by Cindy Guthrie, MS, SPHR, owner and president of Three Degrees
of Change. Ms. Guthrie has more than 30 years of experience in human
resources and a background in training and professional development
and coaching.
Chamber member rate:
$32 per session / $145 for the entire HR Series.
Oct. 12, 8:30-9:30 a.m. or Nov. 9, 8:30-9:30 a.m.
Oct. 26, 8:30-9:30 a.m. or Nov. 23, 8:30-9:30 a.m.
Increasing Your Profits and Funding Your Retirement sessions are such
popular topics, we are offering each session twice. These sessions will be
taught by George Krueger and Mary-Lynn Foster, the co-owners of BIGG
Success, a business education and consulting company. They also co-host
The BIGG Success Show, a popular podcast on entrepreneuring on iTunes,
the international podcast directory. George also teaches Entrepreneurial
Finance at the University of Illinois.
Chamber member rate:
$32 per session / $57 for both courses in the
Money Making Series.
This series is sponsored
by BankChampaign, N.A.
All sessions are at the Champaign County Chamber
of Commerce, 1817 S. Neil St., Ste. 201, Champaign.
To register, contact Norma Wesley at 217.531.4669 or
NormaW@champaigncounty.org.
Refunds will not be given for cancellations, although
substitutions of individuals can be made.
www.champaigncounty.org
October/November 2010 • Commerce Connection • p9
CONGRaTULaTIONS
On Thursday, September 2, Holiday Inn, located at 1001 Killarney
St., Urbana, celebrated their major remodel with a ribbon cutting.
HALF OFF
ANY PIZZA
one time use, can not be combined with other offers
DINE IN • CARRYOUT
DELIVERY • CATERING
We deliver to Champaign, Urbana and Savoy!
701 S. Gregory Place, Urbana 61801
217.328.2334
On Thursday, September 16, accelerated Rehabilitation Centers
held a ribbon cutting to celebrate their grand opening. They are located at 1612A S. Neil St., Champaign.
On Tuesday, September 21, a ribbon cutting ceremony took place
celebrating the completion of the Curtis Road project.
www.champaigncounty.org
October/November 2010 • Commerce Connection • p11
COVER STORY
Election 2010:
Gain Knowledge Before Racing to the Polls
Recently, Champaign County
Business Empowered PAC members interviewed and surveyed
candidates for local and state
offices. The candidates were
rated on a scale of 1 to 5 on
their knowledge of the Chamber
and business community, their
alignment with Chamber guiding statements, understanding
of economic development and
other factors. Surveys were sent
to all candidates; however not
all candidates responded. Below
are profiles and responses from
individuals who completed our
survey.
The following candidates’ completed surveys can be viewed at
www.champaigncounty.org/advocacy.
GOVERNOR
Sen. Bill Brady
Republican Candidate for
Governor
PO Box 5314
Bloomington, IL 61702
Sen. Bill Brady is the Business
Empowered PAC’s endorsed
candidate for Illinois Governor.
A native of Bloomington, Bill
Brady was elected to the Illinois House in 1993 and his
appointed to the Illinois Senate
in 2002. Brady has worked with
Democrats and others seeking
to promote the best interests of
Illinois. He has pushed for protection of pharmaceutical benefits
for seniors, creation of an Illinois
Conservation Corps for young
adults, bipartisan teacher pension and banking and insurance
reform, protecting children from
sexual predators and expansion of property tax breaks for
disabled veterans.
Among many other bills, Brady
also has sponsored and supported plans to limit campaign
contributions, allow voters to
recall public officials, and to bar
state contractors from donating
to campaigns. He has also been
one of the earlier and strongest
voices in the effort to clean up the
corruption at the former Illinois
Health Facilities Planning Board.
has lost in recent years, which
would ultimately result in a $3
billion annual infusion of tax revenues to the state treasury.
What three changes will you
make immediately to improve
the business climate in the
state of Illinois, once elected in
to office?
Additionally, I support reducing
the overall cost of doing business
in Illinois, including eliminating
excessive taxes and fees on business, restructuring an expensive
workers’ compensation system
compared to other states, and
reforming the state’s medical malpractice and legal liability laws.
To make Illinois work again, I will
create a business climate that
encourages companies to both
invest in creating new opportunity
in Illinois and maintain existing
employment for Illinois workers.
I will help create and retain jobs
in Illinois through employer incentives. I am proposing a $2100
tax credit to businesses for every
new job they create. The average
job brings in $4200 in revenue to
the state.
The long-term solution to the
states’ fiscal imbalance is bringing back the 700,000 jobs Illinois
Number of phone calls to the Chamber office in the combined months of August and September 2010
Lex Green
Libertarian Candidate for
Governor
P.O. Box 5713
Bloomington, IL 61702
Lex was born and raised in Illinois, and has lived in McLean
County most of his life except for
a few years he spent working in
suburban Cook County. He
(continued on pg. 12)
972
(
October/November 2010 • Commerce Connection • p12
www.champaigncounty.org
COVeR STORy CONT.
(continued from pg. 11)
graduated from Bloomington High
School in 1972 as a member of
the National Honor Society and
a letterman in cross country. He
was a Boy Scout reaching the
rank of Star. He attended one
year at Illinois Wesleyan University before entering an apprenticeship to become an electrician
and earned a degree in Electronic
Technology at Illinois Central
College. Lex is employed at the
Mitsubishi Motors automobile factory in Normal, Ill. He also works
part time as associate producer
of the Internet entertainment
show, Hook and Hunt TV, and as
an associate at Starlight Software
Systems.
What three changes will you
make immediately to improve
the business climate in the
state of Illinois, once elected in
to office?
One of my main goals is to
reduce the tax burden on businesses and families in this state.
I will work to eliminate or reduce
cigarette, motor fuel, alcohol and
corporate taxes. My long-term
goal is to eliminate the income
tax. I want the state to rely on
sales tax and limit spending accordingly.
I also want to roll back many government regulations implemented
under former Governor Blagojevich and reduce the demonstration
of need requirements for some
businesses.
Most importantly, we need to
have a balanced budget so that
businesses know that we are
not going to have knee-jerk tax
increases to cover the habitual
overspending.
Silicon Prairie. Otherwise, these
jobs will move to states with more
venture capital support.
The first African American woman
to serve as chief of staff for a
constitutional officer, Robin has
pursued a progressive agenda
that promotes small business job
creation, innovative investment
strategies and financial literacy in
underserved areas. As a former
State Representative of the 38th
District, Robin brings extensive
legislative experience to the
Treasurer’s Office. She successfully sponsored bills to protect
consumers from fraud, support
economic development, and
increase the minimum wage. She
also led the fight for landmark
legislation to protect victims of
domestic violence and improve
public safety. During her tenure in
the Legislature, Robin mentored
progressive candidates and encouraged new leaders, including
one of her colleagues, Barack
Obama, in his successful 2004
bid for U.S. Senate. Originally
from New York, Robin moved to
Illinois to attend Bradley University in Peoria where she earned her
bachelor’s and master’s degrees.
She later received her Ph.D. from
Northern Illinois University. She
currently lives in Matteson with
her family.
- I recommend Illinois lawmakers
create a “loan guarantee” program that will get banks lending
again. Under the program, the
Treasurer’s Office would offer a
10 percent guarantee on loans to
small businesses that pledge to
create jobs within one year.
What three changes will you
make immediately to improve
the business climate in the
state of Illinois, once elected in
to office?
I am advocating for three job
creation programs that will help
connect business owners to affordable financing.
STaTe TReaSUReR
Robin Kelly
Democratic Candidate for State
9.5%
Treasurer
11 S. LaSalle St., Ste. 1450
Chicago, IL 60606
- Under my leadership, the Treasurer’s Office authored Senate
Bill 3655, which would allocate up
to 2 percent of the state’s portfolio to venture capital investments
and create a private investor
matching fund. With our top universities and educated workforce,
we need this money to create a
- I want to combat “food deserts”
by providing interest rate reductions and private matching funds
to grocery stores that locate in
underserved parts of the state,
creating jobs and healthier
choices for Illinoisans.
STaTe SeNaTe
52ND DISTRICT
Sen. Michael frerichs
Democratic Candidate for State
Senate, 52nd District, currently
the incumbent
45. e. University ave., Ste. 206
Champaign, IL 61820
Sen. Michael frerichs is the
Business empowered PaC’s
endorsed candidate for the
State Senate 52nd District.
Mike Frerichs was born and
raised in Gifford, Ill. He graduated from Rantoul Township High
School and four years later he
graduated from Yale University.
Mike returned home with a desire
to serve his community. He
taught at his alma mater Rantoul Township High School and
managed a local safety engineering company, Smart Structures.
Later, he was elected twice to
the Champaign County Board
and spent more than four years
as Champaign County Auditor,
where he became a Certified
Public Finance Officer, the only
elected auditor to receive that
designation in the state. Mike
also served as a volunteer firefighter and on the board of a local
nursing home.
Unemployment rate for Champaign County in August 2010
Mike Frerichs was elected to the
General Assembly in 2006. Since
being elected Mike Frerichs has
stood tall for the 52nd District.
As chairman of the Agricultural
Committee, he has provided financial assistance to farmers and
advocated for alternative fuels. As
vice-chairman of the Education
Committee, Frerichs has funded
improvements at the University
of Illinois, Parkland College and
Danville Community College
while fighting to reduce Illinois’
disparities in education funding.
He currently resides in Champaign with his wife Laura and his
daughter Ella.
What three changes will you
make immediately to improve
the business climate in the
state of Illinois, once elected in
to office?
We need to increase incentives
for small businesses to hire local workers. I will speed up the
licensing process for businesses
and eliminate unnecessary red
tape, and continue to work to
stabilize the state’s budget.
al Reynolds
Republican Candidate for State
Senate, 52nd District
62 Thornhill Dr.
Danville, IL 61832
Al Reynolds grew up in a military
family and has lived all over the
world, from Panama, Trinidad
and Japan. Upon graduation
from high school in Japan, Al attended East Los Angeles College
and California State University
majoring in biological sciences
with the focus of entering medical
school. In 1966 Al enlisted in the
U.S. Navy and was immediately
assigned to the Medical Intensive
Care Unit at the Naval Medical
Hospital in San Diego. Upon
being honorably discharged from
the Navy in 1990, Al worked as
(continued on pg. 16)
www.champaigncounty.org
October/November 2010 • Commerce Connection • p13
breakfast recap
On September 9, the Chamber held its fall breakfast, “New Chapters
in Illinois Politics,” at the Hawthorn Suites in Champaign. The speaker
was Thom Serafin, communications strategist, public affairs counselor
and political communications analyst. He is the founder and CEO of
Serafin & Associates, Inc., which provides strategic counseling on public
relations and affairs and crisis management for government agencies,
nonprofit organizations and businesses. As a political analyst, he’s been
featured on PBS, WGN, and Chicago’s ABC, NBC and Fox affiliates, and
on the Today Show.
Thom spoke about the November elections and their impact on Illinois
and Champaign County. Thom gave updates on some of the most
crucial races this election season, described the political mood and
landscape throughout Illinois, and explained how this year’s election will
affect the business community.
Besides Thom’s discussion, new Chamber members were given the
opportunity to introduce themselves and talk about their businesses and
what they bring to Champaign County. New businesses represented at
the breakfast included 004 Technologies, Athletico, Holiday Inn ExpressUrbana, Community Choices, Inc., Farmers Insurance, GFS Marketplace
and MoR Marketing.
Before the breakfast began, more than 80 Chamber members were able
to network and get their names out to other members of the business
community.
Want to be involved with the next Chamber breakfast? Contact Meghan
Whalen at MeghanW@champaigncounty.org or 217.359.1791 to find out
more.
Register for upcoming events at:
www.champaigncounty.org
Personal attention. Fast answers.
Main Bank • 2101 South Neil • 217.351.2870 | MarketPlace Facility • 5 Convenience Center • 217.351.2876
M2 Downtown • 301 North Neil • 217.351.2877
www.bankchampaign.com
October/November 2010 • Commerce Connection • p14
www.champaigncounty.org
HeLP CORNeR
Help Corner:
Managing Conflict
2. Remember to separate the people from the problem. Even when
In August 2010 the U.S. Department of Labor stated that 64 percent
feeling frustrated and exasperated, try to remain focused on the curof U.S. adults currently work at least 40 hours a week, and stated
rent problem at hand. For example, insulting
the number of part time employees
your coworker for creating the required
increased by 330,000. It is not new
graphs carelessly will not generate the
news that we are spending more time
response you and your committee need.
with our coworkers than with our family
or friends. For many, we are devoted
3. Remember the manners your parents
to our families, cherish the bonds with
...letting people know
taught you. Say “please and thank you,”
our friends and sometimes struggle with
lend a hand to your neighbor, don’t discuss
that you can understand
everyone else.
religion or politics, and speak kindly and
their position will often
directly to others. For example, if your office
Figuring out how to handle all the differmate wants to strike up a distracting converent personalities in the office can be an
ease the way to a further
sation with you, you can reply that you are
especially large, frustrating, anger-creworking against a deadline and you could
ating daily dilemma. Often the employee
discussion...
chat with him or her at lunch.
becomes concerned about, for example,
the chance of being overlooked for a
4. Avoid participating in office gossip at all
possible promotion in the company
costs. Just as it was in middle school, juicy
because of a reputation of not working
stories are often unreliable and hurtful bewell with others. Managers can be woryond recognition to the people involved.
ried about lower productivity as a direct result from continuous conflict
in the workplace. While conflict is definitely a normal and even useful
5. State the facts. Anna Maravelas, author of When You Find Yourself
aspect of our lives, if it’s left untreated, it can and does create a toxic
in a Conflict, suggests that you first acknowledge that you appreciate
work and living environment. The following introductory list of suggesthe working relationship then state the facts. If you have observed a
tions may lend some support.
pattern of behavior that is unproductive, then say so, but avoid the
common phrases of “you always” and “you never.” Follow up with co1. Remember why you are at work. Most often it is to work together to
operatively working together to get to the bottom of the situation. You
successfully complete a project or maintain a service system.
can start by saying, “Can you help me to understand what is going
(continued on pg. 17)
 50-59
Predominant age of Champaign County newcomers in September 2010
October/November 2010 • Commerce Connection • p16
www.champaigncounty.org
cover story cont.
(continued from pg. 12)
a wholesale representative for
a major flooring manufacturer,
as an E.R. technician, and as a
manager of information systems
for two major law firms in Silicon
Valley. Al retired in 2007 and
moved to Illinois to be closer to
his son and grandkids. Al founded
the East Central Illinois TEA
Party.
and earned a Masters in Political
Science from the University of
Illinois at Springfield at night while
working for the Illinois Auditor
General’s Office.
What three changes will you
make immediately to improve
the business climate in the
state of Illinois, once elected in
to office?
I would support efforts to shift
more emphasis in state economic development programs to
upstarts and small businesses.
I would support more relief for
small business owners across Illinois to help them hire local workers. I would push for deployment
of reliable and affordable broadband internet in rural Illinois. I
would support a “Buy Local!”
statewide marketing program to
encourage consumers to spend
more of their money with locally
owned businesses. We need to
balance the state budget and
restore stability to state government, root out wasteful spending, and employ a results-driven
bipartisan governing approach to
end partisan gridlock which prevents problem-solving and stifles
economic growth.
To encourage growth in Central
Illinois, we need to a) reform
Workers’ Comp to compete with
the current rates of our neighboring states, b) reduce corporate
tax rates, enabling companies to
invest in new equipment and hire
new employees, c) allow businesses to expense 100 percent of
all new equipment purchases and
freeze property taxes.
STATE SENATE
55th District
Josh Weger
Democratic Candidate for State
Senate, 55th District
605 Monroe Ave.
PO Box 654
Charleston, IL 61920
Josh Weger currently works for
the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity
as Southeast Region Manager
and works every day with cities,
counties, businesses, community
colleges, chambers of commerce,
unions and economic development councils to retain and create
jobs in downstate Illinois. Josh
is also a board member of the
Southeastern Illinois Economic
Development Authority. Josh
grew up in Lawrencewille, Ill.
7
What three changes will you
make immediately to improve
the business climate in the
state of Illinois, once elected in
to office?
STATE REPRESENTATIVE
103RD district
Norman Davis
Republican Candidate for State
Representative #103
1405 Dobbins Dr.
Champaign, IL 61821
Norman Davis has been a
resident of Illinois for more than
26 years and has owned a small
business for the past 20 years,
Lake of the Woods Photographers. This is Norm’s first run for
public office against incumbent
State Representative Naomi
Jakobsson.
23,777
What are your top three priorities for improving the business
climate in Champaign County?
The things that will help the
business climate in Champaign
County are the same things that
will help business in Illinois in
general: a) lower taxes, period;
b) reduction of business “fees;” c)
lower property taxes; d) a friendlier business climate in general.
Lowering business taxes encourages reinvestment in a company,
and with reinvestment comes
new jobs. With new jobs, even at
lower tax rates, a community can
see an increased base for revenue, which is the only sustainable way to have revenue. The
reduction in business fees (which
are just thinly veiled taxes in the
first place), and lower property
taxes work the same way. What
business wants to locate in a
community where businesses
are singled out as the “bad guys”
who intentionally “hurt” their
employees and the community
in general? Not many I know of.
Businesses should be welcomed
with open arms and incentives to
do business in a particular place.
STATE REPRESENTATIVE
104TH district
Club of Danville; Catlin Citizen of
the Year in 2004; chairman, Vermilion County Mayor’s Council;
and was a mentor for Big Brothers, Big Sisters.
What three changes will you
make immediately to improve
the business climate in the
state of Illinois, once elected in
to office?
1) Reintroduce legislation that
addresses our non-competitive
workman’s compensation laws.
2) Insist on zero-based budgeting for all state of Illinois departments, creating a new culture of
accountability, integrity and honesty. Show seriousness in terms
of getting our spending habits
under control. Relieve managers
from duty that are unable to bring
tight, closely monitored budgets
to fruition.
3) Fiercely oppose new taxes
contemplated with MAJOR
changes in how we do business
as a state, particularly utility taxes
on business. Our current leadership cannot be trusted to enact
new revenue sources with the
promise of a more efficient government later. Trust is earned.
Chad Hays
Republican Candidate for State
Representative #104
604 Webster St.
Catlin, IL 61817
Michael Puhr
Democratic Candidate for State
Representative #104
512 W. Woodlawn Ave.
Danville, IL 61832
Chad Hays is the Business
Empowered PAC’s endorsed
candidate for the 104th House
District.
Michael has been a Danville City
Alderman since 2001, currently
serves as vice-mayor and is
chairman for the city’s Finance
Committee and Public Works.
Michael works at Sunset Funeral
Homes and Memorial Park and
has been with them for 37 years.
Michael has also been involved
in real estate and rental property
ownership since 1991.
Chad was the mayor of Catlin, Ill.
from 1991 to 1999 and is currently Vice President of Development
& Mission Services for Provena
United Samaritan Medical Center.
Chad is a very active member of
the community, current member
and past president of the Rotary
Number of visitors to www.champaigncounty.org in August 2010
(continued on pg. 18)
www.champaigncounty.org
October/November 2010 • Commerce Connection • p17
help corner
further discussion where, for example, you review why this employee
did not receive the pay increase and what areas of improvement need
to be addressed.
6. Talk it out. Sometimes coworker conflicts are truly personal and you,
as the manager, need to prevent one or the other employees from
coming to you to tell on the other. If this occurs, bring the second employee into your office with the first employee to discuss the complaint.
This strategy is disarming as well as creating an environment where
both employees will tend to be more truthful.
Some conflicts cannot be resolved using ordinary means and require
professional assistance. When you choose a mediator, you receive
a person who is trained, neutral and confidential, who will spend time
with the people involved in a conflict to assist them to create a workable solution. The process is short, inexpensive and the agreements
crafted can be long-lasting.
7. Understand the other point of view. When a disgruntled employee
comes to you, the manager, to discuss, for example, why she was not
awarded a pay increase she felt strongly that she deserved, a way to
reduce tension is to validate her position. Simply letting people know
that you can understand their position will often ease the way to a
Joy George is the executive director of Prairie Land Conflict Mediation Center. To learn more about mediation and conflict resolution, visit
www.prairielandmediation.com.
exchange and referral network
EaRN
(continued from pg. 14)
on?” You will need to talk until both of you have a better understanding
of the situation, before you can then move forward to relaying to one
another what your needs are and any possible solutions.
Looking to expand your contacts?
Wanting more business leads?
The Exchange and Referral Network (EaRN) is the
Champaign County Chamber of Commerce’s version of a
combination Leads / Speed Networking program.
Nov. 16
Feb. 22
May 3
7:30 a.m.
Chamber
OFFICE
Registration opens on Tuesday at 3 p.m. for the following
week’s session. Only one person per industry may
participate per week, i.e. one dentist, one real estate agent,
one insurance agent, etc. Registration is first come, first
served. If your industry category is already filled when
you register, your name will be kept on the waitlist. If the
first registration is unable to attend the following week’s
session, we will contact the waitlist according to the time
stamp. If you are unable to attend the session, we request
notification as soon as possible so that we may fill the seat.
Failure to do so may prevent you from participating in future
sessions.
To register, contact Norma Wesley at NormaW@champaigncounty.org or 217.531.4669.
Champaign County business licenses granted in September 2010
25
October/November 2010 • Commerce Connection • p18
(continued from pg. 16)
What three changes will you
make immediately to improve
the business climate in the
state of Illinois, once elected in
to office?
1) Meet our obligations by passing a balanced budget, 2) Redesign the tax policy and streamline
the business regulations and
fees, promote tort reform, 3)
Invest in human capital – more
training skill programs. Illinois is
one of only four states not funding such a program.
COUNTy
TReaSUReR
Dan Welch
Republican Candidate for
County Treasurer, currently the
incumbent
2309 eagle Ridge Rd.
Champaign, IL 61822
Dan Welch is the current County
Treasurer and has held that position since 1998. Dan is a lifelong
resident of Champaign, and
worked in the Treasurer’s office
prior to graduating from the University of Illinois in 1982. Dan is
a certified county official and will
be President of the Illinois County
Treasurers Association starting in
November 2010.
My policy of not investing money
outside of Champaign County is
supportive of Champaign County
financial institutions. We work
with many businesses to streamline access to any information
that they need from us.
COUNTy BOaRD
DISTRICT 1
eric Thorsland
Democratic Candidate for
County Board #1
480 County Road 2500 N
Mahomet, IL 61853
Eric Thorsland currently serves
on the Zoning Board of Appeals,
is an organic farmer, avid hunter,
and a research engineer at the
University of Illinois’ Nuclear
www.champaigncounty.org
COVeR STORy CONT.
Physics Department. Eric is also
a board member of the Mahomet
Area Youth Club.
What are your top three priorities for improving the business
climate in Champaign County?
Recognize and foster our agricultural business focus, a multimillion dollar industry in our county.
Continue to develop the research
park and its ties with the University as an attractive employer in
the community. When spending
county funds, do so within the
county when possible.
Stephanie Holderfield
Republican Candidate for
County Board #1
PO Box 1077
Mahomet, IL 61853
Stephanie Holderfield is the
Business empowered PaC’s
endorsed candidate for County
Board #1.
Stephanie Holderfield is a
licensed real estate agent with
RE/MAX Realty Associates since
1994, past board member of the
Champaign County Association of Realtors, and member of
the Champaign County Farm
Bureau. Stephanie is currently
an active Chamber member and
participates on both the Chamber’s Government Council and
Agribusiness Council committees.
What are your top three priorities for improving the business
climate in Champaign County?
The top three ways to improve
the business climate are to
promote Champaign County as
the best place for jobs. Find ways
to cut spending by using a “zero”
balancing budget method, line by
line overview and finding ways
to limit spending and cut taxes.
Finding ways to cut spending and
cut taxes does not mean having
to cut important services to the
community.
COUNTy BOaRD
DISTRICT 2
Stan James
Republican Candidate for
County Board #2, currently the
incumbent
1310 east County Road 2900 N.
Rantoul, IL 61866
Stan James has called Rantoul
home since 1968 and has served
on local community boards and
committees since his late 20s.
Stan was president of the Rantoul
Rotary in 1992 and 1993 and
served on the Real Estate ReUse Committee while Chanute Air
Force base was closing operations in Rantoul. He was elected
to the county board in 2004 and
serves on the County Board of
Health. Stan is the administrator
for the not-for-profit Champaign
County Housing Development
Corporation, Inc.
What are your top three priorities for improving the business
climate in Champaign County?
I would not like to see fee and/
or tax increases. I think all in
a position to help attract businesses to the county should do
ask
listen
so. All should be working toward
maintaining the current infrastructure within the county and to
enable those charged to do so, to
enforce regulations to ensure our
county is a place others view as
having established great quality
of life venues for all that work and
reside in the county.
COUNTy BOaRD
DISTRICT 5
Mary Jo Reik
Republican Candidate for
County Board # 5
414 Beringer Cir.
Urbana, IL 61802
Mary Jo Reik is the Business
empowered PaC’s endorsed
candidate for County Board #5.
Mary Jo is originally from Danville, attended Eastern Illinois
University and earned a Master’s
in Social Work from the University of Illinois. She is now retired
but has worked in the mental
health field in a variety of capaci-
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October/November 2010 • Commerce Connection • p19
cover story cont.
ties, ranging from counselor to
research specialist.
What are your top three priorities for improving the business
climate in Champaign County?
As county board representative
for District 5, my objective would
be to help foster a pro-business
environment in Champaign
County by encouraging policies
that help entrepreneurs and businesses explain, hire new employees and attract new companies to
the county. In order to maximize
employment opportunities for
county residents, it is important to
promote policies that lower taxes,
reduce fees and provide incentives for business growth.
county board
District 6
Pattsi Petrie
Democratic Candidate for
County Board #6
503 S.Chicago Ave.
Champaign, IL 61821
Pattsi Petrie is an owner of two
small businesses and has been
a resident of the community for
four decades. She earned two
advanced degrees from the
University of Illinois and has been
actively involved in several community economic development
projects such as John Street
water shed and BigSmallAll. She
is president of Little League and
active in the Farm Bureau.
What are your top three priorities for improving the business
climate in Champaign County?
Businesses need profit and our
community needs to preserve
our environment. So I believe we
should create new incentives for
sustainable economic development that encourage creating
long-term enterprises and jobs in
the county. Second, the affordability of the local housing market
is still a challenge, so we should
maintain County Board funding
for the first-time homebuyers program run by the Regional Planning Commission. Finally, even
the best ideas are having trouble
getting credit due to the financial
situation on Wall Street, so I support continuing board funding for
small business loans through the
Regional Planning Commission
and increasing it if conditions do
not improve.
Andrew Timms
Republican Candidate for
County Board #6
302 West Hill St., Ste. 202
Champaign, IL 61820
Andrew Timms is the Business
Empowered PAC’s endorsed
candidate for County Board
District #6.
Andrew Timms is co-owner of
Spectra ART Enterprises, a property management and business
consulting firm in Champaign.
Andrew is also President of the
Central Illinois Apartment Association, Vice President of the
Illinois Rental Property Owners
Association, and past president
of the Champaign Downtown
Association. Andrew has been a
Chamber member since 1998.
What are your top three priorities for improving the business
climate in Champaign County?
For the health of the community,
government should always be
asking, “What have we done to
improve the business climate in a
sensible way today?”
The surest path to this goal is
reducing the cost of government.
As a county board member,
I would be vigilant about the
efficient use of tax dollars. We
need to provide essential government services for the least cost
to achieve the best results. The
equilibrium is constantly changing, so we must always be watchful to keep it in balance.
Champaign County, by reducing taxes and fees on business,
lowering property taxes, and
implementing pro-growth policies
on the county board.
Next, I support policies, investments and ordinances that create
private sector jobs. For example,
Champaign County must be
part of the solution that keeps
resources like the Small Business
Development Center operating.
county board
District 7
Finally, I support and promote
initiatives that are pro-business.
Frankly, after testing for reasonableness, I am more interested in
expanding the right and liberties
of business than of restricting
them.
Bill Glithero
Republican Candidate for
County Board #6
13 Sherwood Ct.
Champaign, IL 61820
Bill Glithero is the Business
Empowered PAC’s endorsed
candidate for County Board
District #6.
Bill was raised in Hume, Ill. and
came to Champaign County to
attend the University of Illinois in
1977 to study Electrical Engineering. Bill worked as a salesman
for a number of local companies
after graduation and has been an
active member of the community
as president of the Spalding Park
Neighborhood Association, member of the Police Training Institute
Advisory Board, and member of
the Carle Foundation Rehabilitation Advisory Board.
What are your top three priorities for improving the business
climate in Champaign County?
My top priority is to increase the
job opportunities in our county.
We can accomplish this by making a friendly business climate in
Al Kurtz
Democratic Candidate for
County Board #7, currently the
incumbent
710 Ashton Lane S.
Champaign, IL 61820
Al is a native of New York, attended New York University, and
served in the U.S. Army Reserve.
He is the former vice president of
stores for L. Frank Co in Washington, DC and was owner of
Blimpie Subs and Salads for 11
years in Champaign County. Al is
an active member of the community, served on the Campustown
Business Group, past president
of the Champaign County Humane Society, and is a mentor in
Champaign Unit 4 Schools.
What are your top three priorities for improving the business
climate in Champaign County?
When the county maintains and
improves roads and bridges,
this transportation infrastructure
benefits jobs and all sorts of
business development. We work
through the Regional Planning
Commission by helping with small
business loans. I also support the
first-time homebuyers program.
I will support programs and policies that bring good jobs to the
county.
Sher Hampel
Republican Candidate for
County Board #7
314 Wheaton Ave.
Champaign, IL 61820
Single-family dwellings sold in Champaign County in August 2010
(continued on pg. 20)
67
October/November 2010 • Commerce Connection • p20
www.champaigncounty.org
COVeR STORy CONT.
(continued from pg. 19)
Sher Hampel is a former at-large
member of the Champaign City
Council from 1999 to 2003 and
also worked as a legislative aid
for a local state representative.
Sher is also block captain for her
neighborhood watch and operates a small architectural firm
with her husband.
What are your top three priorities for improving the business
climate in Champaign County?
Maintain a balanced County
budget; envisioning not having to
raise taxes or fees on businesses, thereby positioning Champaign County for attracting more
businesses and jobs; and monitor
the Land Resource Management
Plan (LRMP) implementation,
“deferring to the private property
owners when considering the
stewardship of property.”
COUNTy BOaRD
DISTRICT 8
Ralph Langenheim
Democratic Candidate for
County Board #8, currently the
incumbent
401 W. Vermont
Urbana, IL 61801
Ralph Langenheim has served
on the Champaign County Board
since 1998. He is a partner in
Lanman Associates, a geological
consultancy firm, has a Ph.D in
Geology from the University of
Colorado, and is a retired Professor of Geology from the University of Illinois. Ralph was active
in the U.S. Navy during World
War II, participating in both the
Normandy and South of France
landings. After the war he served
24 years in the Navy Reserves.
What are your top three priorities for improving the business
climate in Champaign County?
I will continue to support appropriate use of existing programs
providing loans to business, first
time home buyers and tax increment districts.
Thomas Betz
Democratic Candidate for
County Board #8, currently the
incumbent
707 W. Oregon
Urbana, IL 61801
Thomas Betz has served on
the County Board since 1996,
has served as vice-chair since
2006, and chairman of the Policy,
Personnel & Appointments Committee since 2000. Thomas has
a law degree from Wayne State
University, is on the Champaign
County Bar Association, and is
Director of University of Illinois
Student Legal Services since
1986.
What are your top three priorities for improving the business
climate in Champaign County?
County government has a very
limited ability to do anything
about the “business climate.”
When the county maintains and
improves roads and bridges
in unincorporated parts of the
county, this transportation infrastructure benefits all sorts of
businesses as well as the general
citizenry. The county through the
Regional Planning Commission
should continue to help with new
loans to small businesses. This
program has had positive results.
I supported and continue to
support the first-time homebuyer
program, which certainly assists
the business of home sales as
well as the purchasers. I will support programs and policies that
Employee Benefit
Administration
Flex | HRA | HSA |
COBRA | Cafeteria Plans
401 (k) | Profit Sharing
Money Purchase | 403 (b)
457 | ESOP | DB
Benefit Planning Consultants
2110 Clearlake Boulevard, Suite 200 PO Box 7500
Champaign, IL 61826-7500
217-531-9000 www.bpcinc.com
“We promise professional and
attentive service and consulting.
You have our word on it!”
Habeeb Habeeb
President & CEO
www.champaigncounty.org
October/November 2010 • Commerce Connection • p21
COVeR STORy CONT.
bring decent jobs with benefits to
the county.
Jim Phillips
Republican Candidate for
County Board #8
6 evergreen Cir., apt. a
Savoy, IL 61874
Jim Phillips came to Champaign
County in 1993 to pursue his
Ph.D. in Physics and began work
at the Beckman Institute in 1994
as a full-time research programmer. His field of work is focused
on making supercomputers useful
for biology and will be working
with the new $200,000,000 Blue
Waters supercomputer once it is
operational.
What are your top three priorities for improving the business
climate in Champaign County?
COUNTy BOaRD
DISTRICT 9
Robert Brunner, MD
Republican Candidate for
County Board #9
4001 e. Washington St.
Urbana, IL 61802
Dr. Robert Brunner is a retired
family physician with 30 years of
experience providing health care
needs to residents of Champaign
County.
What are your top three priorities for improving the business
climate in Champaign County?
1) Lower taxes, 2) Less regulation by government, 3) Tax credits
for small businesses.
The University of Illinois is the
greatest long-term generator of
business opportunities in Champaign County, attracting international attention and the brightest
minds to our community. The
County must provide lifestyle and
spousal employment opportunities that will draw top students
and high-impact hires from peer
institutions, promote local service
companies catering to University
researchers, and nurture spinoffs through research parks and
incubators.
If you can pick
the color,
we can do the rest.
A to Z
Painting
217-352-7488
October/November 2010 • Commerce Connection • p22
www.champaigncounty.org
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
business success: money making series
increase your profits by understanding your
financial statements
tuesday, October 12, 8:30 -10 a.m.
business success: know the four phases of
your business that will fund your retirement
tuesday, October 26, 8:30 -10 a.m.
Champaign County Chamber of Commerce
1817 S. Neil St., Ste. 201, Champaign
Cost: $32 per session for Chamber members/$57 for series
Champaign County Chamber of Commerce
1817 S. Neil St., Ste. 201, Champaign
Cost: $32 per session for Chamber members/$57 for series
Participants will learn how to read the three major financial statements, will
understand what financial statements don’t tell them, will see how to benchmark
their business to their industry and will discover how to turn this information into
an action plan. A workbook is provided. This series is sponsored by BankChampaign.
Participants will learn the two most important questions to ask about their business, will discover how to build a life, not just make a living from their business,
will understand the four phases of a business that will fund their retirement and
will learn the essential components of each phase. A workbook is provided. This
series is sponsored by BankChampaign.
chamber annual meeting
Friday, October 29, noon - 2 p.m.
marketing seminar:
Capturing the mind of your customers
Thursday, october 14, 8-9:30 a.m.
Hilton Garden Inn
1501 S. Neil St., Champaign
Cost: $39 per person/$400 table sponsor (seats 8)
Holiday Inn Hotel and Conference Center
1001 Killarney St., Urbana
Cost:$49 Chamber members/$79 non-members
The average person is inundated with advertising every single day - on the street,
on TV, online, everywhere he or she goes. How can your business stand out
among all of them? On Thursday, October 14, author and speaker Tony Rubleski
will present “Capturing the Mind of Your Customer; How to Win More Business
in a Challenging Economy,” teaching businesses how to effectively market themselves in the digital age.
Business Success:
How to give effective feedback
Tuesday, october 19, 8:30-10 a.m.
A9. B13. C5. Aw, you sunk my battleship! Celebrate with the Chamber at the
2010 Annual Meeting. Music, food and entertainment await you. Do not pass Go.
Head to Neil Street. Hilton Garden Inn is located at 1501 S. Neil St., Champaign.
The Small Business of the Year and Most Valuable Citizen will be announced.
The featured speaker will be Tim Clue, a corporate comedian who has opened
for starts including Jerry Seinfeld and Steven Wright. Cost is $39 per player.
Tables can be sponsored (seating eight) for $400. Sponsored tables receive
sponsors status, which includes reserved seating for your group.
Business after Hours:
parkland college foundation
Thursday, november 16, 5 - 7 p.m.
Champaign County Chamber of Commerce
1817 S. Neil St., Ste. 201, Champaign
Cost: $32 per session for Chamber members/$145 for series
Business Success is designed specifically for Chamber members who are seeking quality, practical and affordable education on how to manage and grow their
companies. Choose the sessions that are right for you or plan to attend all the
sessions. The Human Resources Series of the Business Success program will
be taught by Cindy Guthrie, MS, SPHR, owner and president of Three Degrees
of Change. Ms. Guthrie has more than 30 years of experience in human resources and a background in training and professional development and coaching.
Parkland College Foundation, Tony Noel Center
1400 W. Bradley Ave., Champaign
Cost: $5 donation Chamber members/$8 non-members
Join fellow Chamber members and their guests in this great networking opportunity hosted this month by Parkland College Foundation. Proceeds from the $5
per person donation at the door will help fund Chamber programs. NOTE: The
suggested donation for non-members and guests is $8.
thanksgiving holiday:
Chamber offices closed
Thursday, november 25, all day
Friday, November 26, all day
Business after Hours:
country inn & Suites
Thursday, october 21, 5 - 7 p.m.
Chamber offices will re-open on Monday, November 28, at 8 a.m.
Country Inn & Suites
602 W. Marketview Dr., Champaign
Cost: $5 donation Chamber members/$8 non-members
Join fellow Chamber members and their guests in this great networking opportunity hosted this month by Country Inn & Suites. Proceeds from the $5 per person
donation at the door will help fund Chamber programs. NOTE: The suggested
donation for non-members and guests is $8.
Registration Information
To register for any of the Chamber events listed, contact Norma Wesley at the
Chamber at 217.531.4669 or NormaW@champaigncounty.org.
To register for SCORE events, contact Lynette Lykins at 217.359.1791 or
LynetteL@champaigncounty.org.
Register online at:
www.champaigncounty.org
CONGRATULATIONS!
Champaign County’s Business Empowered PAC has endorsed the
following candidates for the Nov. 2, 2010 election:
A subsidiary corporation of the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce
state senate 52nd district
sen. mike frerichs
county board #5
mary Jo reik
104th house district
chad hays
county board #6
bill glithero and andrew timms
county board #1
stephanie holderfield
governor’s race
sen. bill brady
Champaign County’s Business Empowered PAC, a subsidiary corporation
of the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce, was formed in 2007
and is a voluntary not-for-profit Illinois corporation of individual citizens,
business men and women and firms that are interested in preserving and
strengthening the principles of government.
“Paid for by Champaign County’s Business Empowered Political Action Committee d/b/a Business Empowered. A copy of our report filed with
the State Board of Elections and the County Clerk is (or will be) available for purchase from the State Board of Elections, Springfield, Illinois,
and from the County Clerk, Champaign County, Illinois.”
WWW.CHAMPAIGNCOUNTY.ORG/ADVOCACY
BUSINESS EMPOWERED • 1817 SOUTH NEIL STREET, SUITE 201 • CHAMPAIGN, IL 61820.7269
PHONE 217.359.1791 • FAX 217.359.1809
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