VA MayJune Tab - Vermilion Advantage

MAY/JUNE, 2012
Dear Vermilion Advantage Reader...
Inside this issue:
Page 2-3:
Welcome Here
Welcome Home
Page 5-10:
Intern Success Stories
Page 11:
Openings & Expansions
Page 12-15:
Leadership Tomorrow
By Vicki Haugen
This month’s edition has been more fun than usual to assemble
because it is all about people! Features include new professionals that have relocated to our area to assume new positions and
their perspectives of what this area has to offer. You will also find
thoughts from local college graduates that have begun and are
continuing their careers in our area with the support of local businesses that helped them through college and have played a key
role in launching their careers. Also included are perspectives of
area high school students reaping the benefits of business internships providing a flavor of opportunity that awaits young talent
upon graduation.
Recent graduates of Leadership Tomorrow class 24 share their
thoughts with you, as well. Local folks that have dedicated one
day a month the last nine months for class time to learn about
aspects of the Vermilion County area and also required community service time to become engaged in the fabric of our communities; perspectives that have been changed as a result of that
involvement.
A graduating high school student’s winning essay about life’s
experiences and the impact on the workforce today and tomorrow
and celebrations of new openings and expansions of further
investment and job creation in our area.
In short, it is an edition of celebration of so many of the
aspects that keep a community moving forward, changing and
seeking answers to today’s challenges with the ambitions of those
eager to create a stronger community tomorrow. It is a realistic
assessment of what is, and, collectively working together, creating what can be. We hope you enjoy it.
Rebecca Degner
by Alicia Pettigrew
After graduating from Flora
High School in Flora, Illinois,
Rebecca Degner attended Olney
Central College for 2 years,
and then transferred to Franklin
University in Columbus, OH
where she completed both her
Bachelors and Masters in
Business Administration. She
worked in Human Resources at
Menards for one year and then
at Grain Systems, Inc. for two
years before relocating to
Danville and accepting a job
with Watchfire as their new
Senior Human Resource Specialist. “I have always preferred to
work for smaller, privately owned companies, so when Grain
Systems went public, I was ready for a change. I was excited when
Watchfire contacted me after finding my resume online.”
Coming from a small town of about 5,000 people, Rebecca
is excited about all the things there are for her and her two young
sons, Garrett, 7 and Trenton, 6, to do in Vermilion County. “We
didn’t even have a movie theatre in Flora. Here, there is so much
opportunity. I’m excited about all of the parks and activities for
kids here. My kids play guitar and have been in choir, so it’s really great that there is such a large theatre and music community
here too.”
So far, much of Rebecca’s time has been consumed with finding a house for her and her family. “I’ve been staying in an apartment in Catlin while my boys finish up school in Flora. We will
soon be closing on our new house on Poland Road.” In addition
to buying a house, Rebecca is really looking forward to becoming a part of the community. “The community has been so inviting. Once we are settled in our new house, I am looking forward
to taking advantage of the great parks here and also to start volunteering. I love to work with kids and I want to become involved
with the local Boys and Girls Club.”
Garrett and Trenton are really looking forward to making
Vermilion County their home as well. “They are so excited about
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joining the YMCA and local pool. There is so much more to do
here than what they are used to. They are also looking forward to
attending Northeast this summer. They can’t wait for picnic
Fridays!”
And of course, in addition to the community, Rebecca is very
excited to be a part of the Watchfire Family. Watchfire is a very
family oriented company which is growing within the community where the company started in 1932. Their growth in the community will be recognized in the very near future with the addition of a 100,000 sq foot building on Maple St. The manage-
Vicki Haugen
President & CEO
Machelle Dykes
Director of Business
& Community
Services
Alicia Pettigrew
Special Projects
Coordinator
Kim Kuchenbrod
Workforce Development
Consultant
Jo Doggett
Finance Manager
Paula Navales
Administrative Assistant
Phone 217.442.6201
Fax 217.442.6228
[email protected]
www.vermilionadvantage.com
www.442jobs.com
“Danville has been such a great community to move to also;
everyone is very friendly and inviting. I am enjoying all the great
people and things to do within the community.”
WELCOME HOME, WELCOME HERE
Adam Muehl
Linda Bolton
Director of Business
Development &
Government Relations
ment within Watchfire are very open to change and development
of the company, everyone throughout the facility care about each
other and the company’s success. Watchfire is a very communityoriented company and enjoys supporting and being a part of the
community and not just being a manufacturer within a town.”
By Vicki Haugen
Adam Muehl feels he was pre-destined
to pursue the field of accounting. “It
was in my blood from my dad and is
what I grew up with; numbers have
always come naturally for me.” But
what Adam didn’t realize is that he
would graduate from college and come
back to start his career in his hometown of Danville.
In February of this year after graduating
from
Southern
Illinois
University in December 2011 with a
Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting,
Adam accepted his first professional
position as Plant Accountant at
ThyssenKrupp Presta. Adam was very
surprised how many calls he had when
he circulated his resume locally. “I had
no idea there would be so many opportunities back home. I’m real comfortable here. It is not a bad place to live
at all.”
Adam’s current responsibilities include doing all sales reporting, daily, weekly and monthly, and a lot of cost accounting
which Adam describes as his “real love.” “Cost accounting was
actually my favorite class in college. That’s why I was drawn to
manufacturing. The flow of everything just makes sense.”
Adam is the oldest of three children. Brother Alex attends
Eastern Illinois University also studying accounting, and sister,
Abby, will be a freshman at Schlarman Academy. Adam is a
2007 graduate of Schlarman and also a graduate of Danville Area
Community College.
Working for a large, international company has been really
exciting for Adam. “The dynamics and different personalities of
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working for an international company
are great. For fun, I recently did a search
within the worldwide Thyssen employee directory, and I found that there are
five more “Muehls” in the company
throughout their facilities in the world.
Who know, these may be long, lost relatives,” Adam joked. “I can see working for Thyssen throughout my entire
career. There are so many opportunities! I never thought I would come
back and find a job that I could stay in
and grow as far as I wish to go, but I
have.”
When Adam is not crunching numbers, he enjoys playing golf and shyly
admits “I’m pretty good.” His six
handicap more or less affirms that speculation. Adam and his brother and
father (Phil Muehl) are also on a softball team. Adam vehemently dispels
the notion that the area is boring and there is nothing to do.
“There is plenty to do, if you just look for it.”
Not only did Adam start his career back in Danville, but several of his high school peers have come back as well. Adam’s
advice to other young folks pursuing their educations for a professional career is pretty straight forward. “Give Danville a
chance.”
Contact information:
Adam Muehl
Plant Accountant
217-444-5640
[email protected]
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WELCOME HOME, WELCOME HERE
Jason and Terri Bryan
By Vicki Haugen
Jason and Terri Bryan have called Danville
home since last November when Jason
accepted a position as the Plant Operations
Manager for Ball Corporation in Danville.
Jason has been with Ball for 21 years and
most of that career at the Horsham,
Pennsylvania facility. While they have
four children between them, currently they
have no children living at home.
However, Princess the cat has definitely
staked her claim in their new Danville residence. Jason was quick to comment that
“her name fits her lifestyle.”
While Jason grew up in Wisconsin and
spent a little time in northern Illinois,
most of his life since he was 18 has been
in eastern Pennsylvania. Terri was a lifelong resident of the Quakertown,
Pennsylvania area before their relocation
to Danville.
Terri’s career moved with her. She
took a degree and career as a legal secretary
and parleyed it into a specialty area of
develop real hobbies or interests. We do
not miss that and look forward to finding
new interests here to enjoy together.”
That being said, Jason’s professed passion is riding his Harley motorcycle. “I’m
looking forward to the rural areas we can
ride and explore.” Terri’s enthusiasm for
the bike is still growing, but she contends
that her participation will only be “on
warm weather weekends.” Terri was much
happier when Jason described another outdoor passion of yard work and gardening
and was obviously compiling a “honey do”
list for their new home.
Terri also has outdoor interests in the
area of nature photography and sees endless
opportunities to pursue that love in
Vermilion County. She also admits, “I
really love the beach,” which will be the
greatest transition for her in the Midwest.
As an animal lover, Terri is looking forward to volunteering at local animal shelters.
A pleasant surprise for Jason upon
their relocation was to learn of the focus
on education and skill development
through the Vermilion Advantage clusters
and the various education partnerships. “I
started in manufacturing as an apprenticeship in Industrial Mechanics, and I’ve
learned and grown in the business from
that point. Recently, I’ve done a lot of
work in the lean manufacturing process.
Manufacturing is an important part of our
country’s economy. It is the foundation
with agriculture, and manufacturing can be
very rewarding.”
Jason admitted in his 21-year career, he
has seen many change in Ball’s manufacturing with the speed of the production
process and quality having quadrupled
proofreading medical legal reports for
orthopedic surgeons from Allenstown,
Pennsylvania.
Before
leaving
Pennsylvania she had five full-time and
several part-time staff working for her.
With technology, she has continued to do
this work long distance; Terri said she is
eager to find similar opportunities in our
area.
Both Jason and Terri have been happy
with their decision to come to Danville. “I
really enjoy the Midwest because the people are so much more friendly and genuine,
and also because of the lack of traffic,”
Jason told me. In Pennsylvania, Jason
traveled 90 minutes one way to commute
22 miles so he spent more than three hours
on the road every day. Terri’s commute
was equally exhausting taking 45 minutes
each way or 90 minutes to go only 15
miles!
Jason commented, “With that
kind of commute time combined with the
hours spent working, we had no time to
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without having to make any change to the
base process. “I feel the opportunities for
anyone who engages in a manufacturing
career today are only restricted by the limitations one puts on one’s self.”
While the Midwestern lifestyle overall
seems to suit the Bryans very well, Jason
admitted there is one aspect that really surprised him. “One glaring difference
between the east coast and here is the lack
of recycling opportunities. Ball is huge in
recycling
and
sustainability.
In
Pennsylvania, any town under a certain
size was required to have curbside available. I’m eager to see if industry and the
municipalities can work together to
explore more opportunities in this area.”
Contact information:
Jason Bryan
217-446-9784 x 14
[email protected]
Terri Bryan
215-813-2195
[email protected]
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Ryan Schonert - Scholarship Winner
How does life’s learning
experiences beyond the classroom
influence tomorrow’s workforce?
By Ryan Schonert
The students in today’s educational system
have opportunities that give them many
advantages in life – ones that can expand
their education, their views, and their
awareness of diversity. Not only do our
schools have a plethora of information to
present us from the ever-expanding information age, but they also give us the
chance to delve into a world of culture and
life experience through classes designed to
prepare us for the world. While many of
my classes provide a base to build my college education on – math, biology, and
physics, for example – I can also view the
world through the eyes of others by taking
classes that involve literature and culture.
However, one does not simply prepare for
a career by sitting in class and studying.
Students cannot truly experience the world
unless they first see it for themselves, and
if they do not, they have a smaller chance
at success in the workforce. I have learned
a great deal about others and about life by
leaving my comfort zone.
For example, one of my favorite experiences in my life was an event called
Teenserve. This event is designed to gather teens from around the Midwestern
United States and have them serve disabled
or impoverished citizens. Because I live
in a small town, I had never really seen or
dealt with poverty before – I only know
what I had seen in school and church.
Also, I had never interacted with teens outside of my school and church before, so I
did not know what to expect from the
teens from other states. Once I got there,
however, I quickly learned that there is
more to the world than I had ever thought
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before. On the first day, I met teens of
many different backgrounds – some had
lived lives completely different from my
own, whether it involved living in the
inner-city, getting in trouble with the law,
or having different views and expectations
from life. I also saw firsthand the lives of
people who could not easily care for themselves, and it made me realize that the difficulties of life are more powerful than I
once imagined. Going out to see the
world through events such as these is a
great way to see the world.
Even though one can have a better
view of the world by leaving the classroom and going to see the world for himself or herself, the next question is, “What
do these experiences have to do with getting a job and having a successful career?”
In America, today, people of may different
ethnicities and cultures are growing in
number. Many different types of businesses are beginning to have more and
more workers with a variety of backgrounds. Eventually, the workforce will
require one to have the social skills of
understanding and working with people
from different cultures. Those who do not
have these skills will have a smaller
chance at success, as they must be able to
build relationships with others in the
workforce. That is what life’s experiences
beyond the classroom provide-the skills
and understanding to work with those outside of one’s comfort zone.
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Intern Success Stories
By Linda Bolton
A new world is upon us here in Vermilion
County, as many of our young people are
returning, job opportunities are growing,
and we are seeing the payoff of the investment made by our Workforce Business
Clusters back in 2004. The Clusters (made
up of representatives from our local manufacturing, logistics, health care and technology businesses) foresaw the growth we
would be experiencing in each of their
domains. And they began strategizing
about how to “grow our own” local work-
ers. At the time, too many of our young
people were leaving and too few job
opportunities were available to the community in general.
The good news is we are moving away
from our recent past when everyone said,
“We need jobs!”; now, we are faced with
the challenge of filling over 1,800 jobs
by December 2013 – jobs that will either
be new or replacements for retirees. As we
have transitioned into this new reality that
our existing industry and business base
will continue to expand and grow new job
opportunities, we are all working to broaden our efforts to ensure we have an educated, skilled workforce ready and available to
fill those jobs. So this is a good time to
salute the Workforce Business Clusters
who came together to fund scholarships
and create internship opportunities over
the last few years for our local college students. In return for their investment, they
are getting a group of young people who
are anxious to learn, willing to listen,
eager to grow, and who at graduation are
committed to return to our community and
work for at least two years.
We updated you last year on the
progress of our student interns/scholarship
students. It is time once again to let you
know how these students are doing, how
they feel about being in the workplace as
employees and as interns, and how frustrated they are that too many of the students coming behind them may not feel
they should have to work hard.
‘fixing’ complaints. “In the aerospace
industry it is critical that everything be
done properly,” Michael says.
Along the way, he was loaned out to
Provena United Samaritans Medical
Center for a project, and while he was
there, he found his new home. It was love
at first sight. “To be honest, the manufacturing environment did not excite me; I
discovered I have a lot of opportunities for
growth with the hospital, and I like it
here,” Michael says. He has not looked
back to the world of manufacturing he left
behind, because he just knew that the hospital setting was where he wanted to be.
But he says manufacturing is a good place
for many students who will find a wide
range of opportunities there, “Students
need to utilize all the opportunities that
are out there and access the multiple short
term internships that are available so they
can see where they want to work.”
Using his knowledge as an engineer,
Michael became Director of Continuous
Process Improvement at Provena last
December. His job is to ensure that the
process for individual patients and for
patient care works correctly. He has been
very impressed with the effort the hospital
makes to improve their patient processes,
“They go above and beyond what can be
expected, trying to improve their processes all the time,” he says. Michael maintains that engineering is a good field to
develop a broad range of skills including
critical thinking, analysis of the work
environment and the processes used within that environment.
Michael feels strongly about the work
he is doing at Provena, “Healthcare can
help improve people’s lives,” he says. He
does note, however, that it takes a lot to
bring change in healthcare, saying, “You
can usually do Continuous Improvement
Engineering in the manufacturing setting
and bring about a more immediate change,
because they are used to the need for precision and can adapt to a new process quickly; healthcare changes occur more slowly,”
he says.
Michael says he learned a lot from his
internships at ThyssenKrupp Crankshaft
and Danville Metal Stamping “I gained
valuable work experience and these opportunities helped me better understand what
to expect in the workplace and how to be
in a work environment. “
Michael says he worries some about
the work ethic of the youth coming behind
him, saying, “I sort of do and yet I don’t
understand their entitlement attitudes.” He
says the workplace is different today, and
can be challenging, with as many as five
different generations working shoulder to
shoulder. He thinks that can make communication difficult, and there is such a
higher level of distraction today. He says
you may have people exerting the same
level of mental energy and exertion, but it
does not match what is needed for the
work that has to be done. He feels things
are changing for all of us and it is harder
to keep up with those changes, but says,
“Communication is the key to a healthy
working environment.”
Michael Andrews
Michael Andrews is one of the veterans of
the bunch at age 26. A graduate of
Bismarck-Henning High School, he graduated in 2007 from Danville Area
Community College before earning his
Bachelor’s
Degree
in
Industrial
Engineering at Eastern Illinois University.
He was part of our very first group of
interns. Michael worked at Danville Metal
Stamping as a Continuous Improvement
Engineer, identifying, understanding, and
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Dustin DeNeal
Like Michael Andrews, this certainly was
the case for Dustin DeNeal, as he prepared
to graduate from Danville High School
while figuring out his future. Dustin is 24
years old and has made a major career leap
– from engineering to physical therapy
assistant. How did that happen?
Dustin started out thinking his future
would be in engineering. He liked it, and
thought it could work for him, as he was
putting in a year at Danville Area
Community College; but when he had an
opportunity to get an intern’s closer view
of what engineers do all day, he knew
engineering was not his field. Then he did
an internship at the VA’s Illiana Healthcare
System in physical therapy, and he knew
he had found his path to the future. “I
knew right away this was the right fit,
because I love fitness and I love interacting with people.”
But even when he found his passion,
Dustin still struggled to find his niche.
Another internship at the hospital helped
him understand he does not enjoy inpatient work, but truly does enjoy working with people on an outpatient basis;
and that is what he is doing at Provena
United Samaritans Medical Center’s
Rehab Services Unit. In his “spare” time,
he is doing personal training at the
Danville Family YMCA and at DC
Fitness, as well as building his own business, Allied Wellness, which will focus on
corporate wellness programs. “I believe
wellness programs are key to the future, as
increasing numbers of business and industry look at ways to build a healthier workforce, reduce insurance costs, and improve
employee work environments.”
Once he identified his career passion,
Dustin worked his way through Southern
Illinois University, graduating in August
2011, degreed as a physical therapy assistant; he will seek his license this summer.
Dustin knows he could make more money
in engineering than he is likely to make as
a therapy assistant or personal trainer, but
physical therapy is what he loves, and he
says you have to like what you do.
Dustin sees his destiny in helping people
get back on track and deal with exercise
and diet challenges. “Diet is so important,
because it’s so easy to make the wrong
choices in food.” He is excited because he
believes that with all the talk about obesity, things will start to turn around in the
next 5 years, and he wants to help make
that happen.
Dustin says he is proud of the work
ethic he developed while growing up. He
salutes his parents for helping him to
understand that you earn what you get in
life. He says he was working paper routes
when he was “just a kid,” and believes that
all parents should be teaching their children about earning their way through life
with hard work, saying, “An awful lot of
this is in the parenting.” Dustin says the
lessons his parents taught him became
even more important when he got married.
“I had to learn to be responsible not just
for myself, but also for my wife.”
Dustin says he feels very blessed to
have had the opportunities he has had with
internships – especially at VA Illiana
Healthcare Systems, where he finally
understood what he wants to do. He says
he is thankful to Vermilion County’s
Workforce Business Clusters who sponsor
the internship programs, and, “I am grateful we have an organization like Vermilion
Advantage in this community to help students understand where they are going and
how to get there.”
and gaining knowledge and credit hours
through the dual enrollment program with
Danville Area Community College. Now
a senior at Bradley University, he plans to
graduate next May in Mechanical
Engineering. Andrew’s graduation has
been a little delayed while he finished up
his Business minor, wrapped up the
remainder of his junior/senior classes and
prepared for next year when he will focus
on completing his hands-on senior project. All of his “spare” time has been taken
up with internships.
Andrew has already had internships at
ThyssenKrupp
Machining,
Mervis
Industries, and KIK. Ahead for Andrew
this summer is an internship at
ThyssenKrupp Presta. He is a supporter
of the internship program because he feels
it helps students focus on their futures.
“Each of the internships provide different
dynamics that allow students to be
exposed to the day-to-day operations and
longer-term projects that occur in a realworld work environment.” Andrew says
he believes internships gave him focus, as
it did Matthew Chamberlain. Neither
young man knew in high school where
they were headed. “But with the internship program, I was able to hone in on
what my talents and skills are and where I
would most enjoy working,” Andrew
says.
According to Andrew, practical work
experience is invaluable as well as rewarding. “The great thing is, you get paid and
at the same time, you get work experience; I would not be where I am today,
ready to graduate soon from Bradley
University without this internship pro-
gram and Vermilion Advantage’s Business
Workforce Clusters,” Andrew says.
He says it has been a little tough not
going out to experience the job fairs being
held on campus, and not to experience this
method of job interviewing. “But I know
I have a job back here at home when I
graduate, so for now I am fine with not
having that particular college experience,”
he says.
To the teens coming behind him he
says, “High school is not the finish line;
it is a stepping stone to the rest of your
life and you can’t rest on your laurels; you
have to put in some effort; don’t let opportunities pass you by.
As you have now read, internships and
other workforce development programs
can help students whether or not they
know where they are headed.
Andrew Puhr
Andrew Puhr tells me he wonders if some
of today’s teens are perhaps too complacent, thinking only about their immediate
needs and disregarding the importance of
setting long term goals. At age 22,
Andrew could be considered a veteran of
hard work, having had several internships
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Vidit Patel
Vidit Patel was born in Mumbai, India 19
years ago; his family came to America
when Vidit was 8 years old and moved to
Danville when Vidit was in the 7th grade.
He graduated from Danville High School
and has completed his second year at the
University of Illinois in Nuclear
Engineering. Vidit has developed a true
passion for the radiological track of
nuclear engineering and has a real appreciation for the opportunities he has experienced. “I started out thinking I would go
into pre-med, but then realized engineering
– specifically nuclear engineering – was
where I wanted to be,” Vidit says.
He is already on the job doing an
internship this summer at ThyssenKrupp
in Veedersburg, Indiana. “I am getting to
work as an engineering intern, shadowing
their engineer, problem solving with him,
working in the inventory room and even
sitting in on meetings with the engi-
neers,” Vidit says, adding, “The best part
is when they ask for my input.” Vidit has
managed to develop good communication
skills, which is sometimes difficult for his
peers. “I like to talk, so communication
comes easy for me, and I believe it is very
important in the workplace,” he says.
He feels internship opportunities like
this are very valuable in helping students
to understand how things work in a realwork environment, with people of different ages and backgrounds. “It is just
important to communicate,” he says.
Asked if he thinks the younger students coming up behind him are preparing
for the future, Vidit says he worries about
that. “Sometimes, you see kids not taking
the ACT tests seriously, as if they don’t
understand how important the testing can
be to their future,” he says. Vidit recom-
mends students try different things and
take different classes, including biology
and core subjects so they can find the areas
they really might want to focus on. “They
really need to figure out how to stay on
track,” Vidit says.
By definition, nuclear engineers use
their knowledge about nuclear energy to
solve engineering problems. Vidit says
power plants and the medical field create
much of the job market for nuclear engineers. When he graduates form the U of I,
Vidit hopes to land a job in a big city such
as Chicago, or Washington, DC – at least
for a while. “I might come back here after
a while, and maybe someday I will work
in my family’s hospitality business,”
Vidit says, “But for now, I am focused on
nuclear engineering.”
ThyssenKrupp Crankshaft. When I spoke
with by phone, he said he was not sure
what he would be doing at ThyssenKrupp.
“I don’t really know yet what all they will
have me doing this summer, but I imagine they will have me learning a variety of
things.” He says Industrial and Systems
Engineers usually focus a lot of their time
on efficiency and “the process”, as well as
how to revise “the process” and/or install
new ones.
Internships are not new to Matt – he
did one at Danville Metal Stamping last
year, and then his dad suggested he contact
us to explore what opportunities might be
available through Vermilion Advantage.
And that led to his upcoming tour of duty
with Crankshaft. He says he learned a
variety of jobs while at Danville Metal
Stamping, and during his internship, he
learned about every machine in the facility. He says, “I gained a lot of knowledge
at Danville Metal Stamping, working with
their Mechanical Engineering department.”
Matt says internships are really valu-
able because, “You learn how things
work, how companies work, how they are
the same and how they are different.”
During his internship at Danville Metal
Stamping, he says they had a good variety
of people there, with different generations
working side by side. “Some of these
folks have worked there for decades, so it
was great to begin to understand how
things have evolved during that time and
how they used to do things, or why they
do them the way they do them now,” he
says. According to Matt, it was often a
case of “the old guy and the new guy
working together to try and make the
process better.”
Matt says that experience and the one
this summer at ThyssenKrupp Crankshaft
make him think a lot about how he will
handle things when he is out working fulltime. But that will likely be awhile. Matt
says he plans to work a semester and then
go to school a semester because he feels
that will give him a better perspective.
“In five years I hope to be done with
school and working in a good engineering
job, with my ultimate goal being to work
in management.” His minor is in
Business.
Matt says he really did not know what
he was going to do when he was a junior
in high school. “But I was always interested in design and architecture, and finally
realized engineering is where I should be.”
Matt says he is concerned about what he
views as an erosion of the work ethic, “It’s
a huge problem today, with many kids
seeming to want everything handed to
them as if they are entitled.” Matt encourages young people to “Get out there and
do something; work for what you want,
and don’t make excuses.” He thinks this
will all turn around over time. Matthew
Chamberlain says he believes that you
succeed by working hard.
Matthew Chamberlain
At 19 years of age, Matthew Chamberlain
is the youngest student intern we talked to
this year. The Schlarman graduate is now
a freshman at Ohio State University in
Industrial and Systems Engineering,
Matthew is back home from his first year
of college doing a summer internship at
7
MAY/JUNE 2012
V E R M I L I O N
A D V A N T A G E
Brennan Love
At 22 years of age, Brennan Love has
already learned a lot about life – personally and professionally. He wrapped up his
final internship last August and graduated
with a degree in Industrial Technology
from Southern Illinois UniversityCarbondale on December 17th. By
Christmas, ThyssenKrupp Crankshaft had
made him an offer, and since January he
has been employed fulltime as an
Engineer, fulfilling his two-year commitment to the Clusters and to the community.
Brennan graduated from Catlin High
School; while there, he did dual enrollment classes through Danville Area
Community College earning 19 credit
hours by the time he left Catlin High for
SIU-C. Brennan had several opportunities
for internships during his college career,
including real-world time spent at both
KIK
and
ThyssenKrupp
Presta.
“Internships were good experiences, but
unlike some of my peers, I was already
very aware of the challenges of real life
and working.” Brennan was pretty much
on his own before he was even a teenager,
dealing with “real life” when his family
situation became divided. He has learned
how to take care of himself, and deal with
college and internships. It has not been an
easy road for Brennan, but he continues
his journey.
He feels Industrial Engineering is a
fairly broad field, and that’s one of the reasons Brennan changed over to it from
Mechanical Engineering; he likes the variety of duties – from maintenance to safety
and quality control. And while he enjoys
Industrial Engineering, it took him some
time to find the right “fit” within engineering. “Internships help students find
where their real talents and preferences
lie,” he says. It was in his freshman year
that Brennan discovered he needed to transition. “Engineering has so many disciplines, but I knew Industrial Engineering
would give me the broader focus I wanted,
and in this discipline I can grow until I
find a specialty area that really fits me,”
Brennan says, adding that he continues to
take any training available to him.
Brennan says doing various internships opened his eyes to the realities of a
work environment. “When you transition
into a work place, you have to begin the
process of learning the unwritten rules and
understand where people are coming from
who have been in that work environment
for decades,” he says. He feels communication is part of that challenge. “Some of
these guys have been doing the same job
for years; sometimes it is hard for the new
guy to come in, but if you can communicate with each other you can learn,”
Brennan says, adding, “Part of earning a
living is learning to deal with the frustrations of a job.”
Brennan believes it takes work to get
anywhere in this world. “A lot of kids
today have an ‘entitlement’ mentality,
believing they have a ‘right’ to whatever it
is they want; too many of them do not recognize the need for hard work,” Brennan
says. “I have busted my butt – I put
of Illinois with a Bachelor’s in General
Engineering. Anthony stepped out of college and into his full-time job at Watchfire
Signs by Time-O-Matic, fulfilling his
two-year commitment to the Clusters and
the community. He started out in the
shop as a Systems Integration Technician,
which gave him an opportunity to better
understand the sign-making process.
“Now, I am a Help Desk Engineer providing technical support for network, software, and hardware issues the onsite sign
company may have with installing the
sign for the end user or to maintain it,”
Anthony says. Watchfire makes the lighted and often animated billboard signs you
see on highways or in front of businesses,
while a sign company installs and maintains it. “Sometimes, there are problems
communicating with the sign, and then
those of us on the Help Desk can provide
a means to bridge that breakdown or problem,” he explains.
Anthony explains that his degree in
general engineering really is about learning a way of thinking and logical reasoning. He observes, “The program I graduated from is really about problem solving,
and because it is so broad, I get to see and
deal with something new every day.” He
is happy in the Help Desk environment
because of the constant variety of problem
solving he must do, and he is working in
a young department, with most employees
there close in age.
Anthony says he did a lot of maturing
during his first 2-3 months on the job,
even though he is used to working; he had
six internships – two at KIK, and one each
at MT Systems, Watchfire, Automation
International,
and
ThyssenKrupp
Crankshaft. “I am goal-oriented, making
checklists each day for what I must do and
I keep an eye on my daily accomplishments,” he says.
Anthony likes life at Watchfire.
“Everyone has been very welcoming and
supportive; people listen here, and honestly, I was comfortable from the first day
working, probably in part because I had
interned here,” Anthony says. But he is
the first to say this has been a year of
learning and he still has a lot to learn.
“Every workplace has its own environment, and as the new person, you have to
figure out what are the keys to that environment in which you will be working,”
he says. The internships have allowed
him to be better prepared for and better
able to understand the work environments,
as well as how to adapt to them.
For advice to interns coming behind
him, Anthony suggests they use their
newfound knowledge to absorb and listen
– hear what the experienced people have to
say before jumping in to “suggest” how
things could be “improved.” That said,
though, Anthony also says one of the
best things about being a new, young
Anthony Hornbeck
23-year old Anthony Hornbeck is beginning his second year in the full-time work
world. The Hoopeston native graduated
from Hoopeston High School, and then
last May, he graduated from the University
8
V E R M I L I O N
A D V A N T A G E
WELCOME NEW VERMILION ADVANTAGE MEMBERS
JOINING IN MAY-JUNE 2012!
Brennan Love (continued)
myself through school, working since I
was 17; you don’t graduate cum laude
without hard work; so it is difficult for me
to see kids have this kind of attitude,
expecting someone to just hand them a
$70,000 a year job without making any
effort, and I get frustrated.” But Brennan
has hope things will turn around. He
says, “I think this is cyclical and will
change, or else the world will simply shut
down.” Brennan says he is grateful for the
help he got from the Clusters’ internship
program, and believes it is important the
program continue to help those students
who are willing to work hard.
ThyssenKrupp Crankshaft Company’s
Human Resources Manager Butch
Buesing says Brennan’s story is one example among many of the success stories
coming out of the Vermilion Advantage
Workforce Business Clusters’ internship
program. “It is great to watch the development of students as they work through the
internship process, gaining a better under-
standing of the jobs we have and skills we
require, as well as what we expect of our
employees,” he says. Butch says that from
ThyssenKrupp’s perspective, it is important that this be a part of the process for
their interns, so that when they complete
their internships they realize the relevance
of what they are learning in school and
how it comes into play in an actual job
situation, as well as the importance of
completing their degrees.
“The manufacturing sector today is
very different than what it was even ten
years ago; a workforce with science, math
and technology skills is a must,” Butch
says. He notes, “As employers, we all
share the same basic needs and skill sets.
It is important for everyone involved in
manufacturing to help the public understand that manufacturing jobs are a wise
choice for students to consider as they
enter college today.”
EMPLOYMENT PLUS
Contact: Tricia Teague
P.O. Box 945
Danville, IL 61834-0945
217-754-8045
www.problacknews.com
Product/Service: Progressive Black News is
the brainchild of Danville native Tricia
Teague and a subsidiary of Plethora
Publishing, Inc., founded by Teague in 2005.
The vision of the Progressive Black publication is to shine a light on all things positive
and progressive in Danville's Black community.
Contact: Pam Quinlan
1001 E. Voorhees St.
Danville, IL 61832
217-431-7521 | 217-202-0000 (Cell)
www.employmentplus.com
Product/Service: The company provides
award-winning staffing, professional and
technical recruiting, Managed Services support and innovative contingent workforce
solutions. Employment Plus drives business
results in industrial / light manufacturing,
office, call center, transportation, health
care and construction industry sectors. By
combining its local branch teams, exclusive
Plus Process™, centralized corporate
resources and difference-maker culture,
Employment Plus creates lasting partnerships with clients and cost-effectively fills
temporary, temp-to-hire, contract and
direct-hire positions.
CLASSIC HOMES REALTY
Contact: Heather Cunningham
3821 N. Vermilion St., Suite 3
Danville, IL 61832
217-446-4663
www.danvilleclassichomes.com
Product/Service: Classic Homes is a new
Danville full-service real estate company
dedicated to serving the entire Illinois and
Indiana real estate markets. They are a
people-oriented business with lifetime ties
to the area with the intent to stay involved in
our local community.
DANVILLE TENNIS CENTER
Anthony Hornbeck (continued)
employee is that you view everything
through new eyes, because being in an
environment like Watchfire allows you to
observe and ask “why do you do it this
way?” and then open a dialogue. “That
could lead to identifying a better method
for how things are done, and that may
eventually lead to a better bottom line for
the company and that leads to a gain for all
of us.” Anthony says Watchfire has an
environment in which a lot of learning is
going on all the time, for everyone.
A lot of work went into putting
Anthony Hornbeck in the position he now
has at Watchfire. He worked to earn good
grades; he worked to get into the
University of Illinois Engineering program; he worked every summer and other
vacations to do his internships. He says
for him, it’s a self-respect thing, because
he does not want to be seen as lazy. “My
parents have always worked, and the level
of expectation was that I would also, and I
PROGRESSIVE BLACK NEWS
Contact: Cathy Simpson
900 Lincoln Park Ave.
Danville, IL 61832
217-443-4232
www.danvilletenniscenter.com
Product/Service: Danville Tennis Center is a
Not-for-Profit organization. They are open
to the public up to 6 times per year, after
that, memberships are available.
Memberships are categorized as Junior $75 per year, Individual - $165 per year, and
Family - $215 per year. The Individual and
Family membership are required to pay an
additional $100 Building Fund fee for the first
3 years. They provide 4 indoor courts and 6
outdoor courts. They offer leagues, clinics,
drills, camps, men’s night, and tournaments
throughout the year. The center also has 4
certified USPTA Teaching Pro’s on staff for
private lessons, in addition to helping with
their events.
feel lucky to have parents who have
always seen the benefit of hard work.”
Anthony speculates that some teens do
not have role models like he has had, and
that may make it hard for them, “But they
need to realize no one is going to hand
them everything in life, even though
many of them may think that.” Anthony
says he was raised to believe you get back
what you invest in hard work.
As to the future, Anthony is not sure
what will happen at the end of his two
year commitment. “I like it here, especially since Watchfire continues to grow and
expand and create job opportunities, but I
am still very interested in entrepreneurship; someday I hope to create freedom and
success by owning my own business.”
9
ALDI, INC.
Contact: Mindy Friddle (Corporate Office)
502 S. Gilbert
Danville, IL 61832
www.aldi.us
Product/Service: Aldi is a discount grocery
store. Through a select assortment and
convenient grocery shopping approach, they
are able to offer their customers the highest
quality everyday items at the lowest possible prices. They carry everything from fresh
meat and produce to frozen foods to dairy,
bakery, canned goods, and paper products.
FETCH DOG PARK
Contacts: Dr. John Mason or Darrel Jacobs
Located at the end of N. Kimball St., off of
Voorhees
Danville, IL 61832
217-442-1941 (J. Mason) | 217-443-0582 (D.
Jacobs)
www.fetchdogpark.org
Product/Service: Fetch Dog Park is a member-supported facility, with membership
open to the general public. Membership is
required to use the dog park. This dog park
is a fenced public area where dogs can
legally run off-leash and play with other
dogs under the supervision of their
owner/handler. In other words, this dog
park is a playground for pet-loving people
and their dogs. Membership tags can be
purchased at the Humane Society of
Danville, 1225 N. Collett Street.
MAY/JUNE 2012
V E R M I L I O N
A D V A N T A G E
Joe Lerner
Joe Lerner may be one of the few 23-year
olds in Vermilion County that has a fulltime job, but owns a flip phone and not
till recently finally bought an I-Pad (but
it’s a used one that does not even have a
camera on it). Joe is not a techy, but he
is his own man, and a hard worker who is
in the middle of his two-year commitment
to the Business Clusters, working in
Mechanical Engineering at MT Systems.
The Danville company makes the machinery components manufacturers like
General Motors need to make their parts.
Joe graduated from Danville High School
and then from the University of Illinois
Engineering program in May 2011.
When we talked to Joe last year, he
was still pinching himself, trying to
adjust to the fact that he had a fulltime job
with good pay and good benefits. A year
later, he says he is still not used to the idea
of having a fulltime job. He says this has
been a year of adjustment and lots of learning, as his responsibilities have grown,
along with his comfort levels. “I have had
to adjust to being on the road a lot, travelling to various GM plants in Indiana,
Michigan, and Ohio,” so he can be onsite
for projects.
Joe is a document-oriented kind of
guy, but he says he has been out in the
shop a lot learning some electrical engineering and getting acclimated out there to
the work that is being done. “I enjoy
being out in the shop more, but I know I
am better-suited to doing the documentation that has to be done for projects.” He
says the environment at MT Systems is
pretty much what he expected, and he
enjoys the work environment there.
“There’s not really a lot of difference
between work and school, both have deadlines, but in school you have more access
to the information you need; here in the
workplace you often gather the information you need as you go, and that can be
more challenging and require more careful
planning. “
Joe had plenty of experience with
internships; he did two at ThyssenKrupp
Presta; and internships at Watchfire, KIK
and Alstom-Gas Turbine Manufacturing.
As to the internship program itself, Joe
says it is an invaluable experience. “No
matter what you may learn in a classroom,
being in the workplace during an internship gives you a step up in your learning
about how to deal with a boss and other
workers, as well as understanding the
small nuances that reflect the inner mechanisms of a work environment.”
He says he laid out his plans early,
taking as broad a look as he could at what
his interests were. He recognized he was
leaning toward engineering, and after he
took CAD classes in his sophomore year,
he began to see engineering as a good way
to build his future. And so he invested in
his future with classes, and the internship
program.
Joe believes a person’s work ethic
begins at home. And he feels the internship program – or some form of it –
should start even earlier for students. “I
hope more programs can be developed in
schools to promote science and help kids
develop an interest in science and math, so
they want to learn more.”
As for Joe, “There were rough spots
along the way, but I believe that if you
work hard now, you will benefit later, so I
just keep working and moving forward. “
Asked if he would do it all over again, Joe
says “definitely.”
What a talented group of young people
we have here in Vermilion County! Each
of them is focused on their futures, each of
them believes that there is a payoff if you
invest in hard work, and all of them are
working hard themselves to accomplish
their goals. Hopefully, they will be role
models for those who will follow in their
footsteps, showing them the value of all
that hard work.
LOCAL HEALTH CARE CLUSTER
SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT WINS AWARD
Emma Feingold has been the recipient of a Physical Therapy
scholarship from the Vermilion Advantage Health Care
Cluster since graduating from Danville High School in May
2007. Emma graduated from Danville Area Community
College in 2009 and transferred to the University of
Indianapolis. On April 3, she was awarded the Dr. Charles
and Maryrose Dill Award for outstanding junior athletic
training student at the University. The award is chosen by
the Department Chair and the faculty of the athletic training
program based on academic performance, work ethic, skill
and delivery of athletic medical care and professionalism.
10
The award includes a scholarship that will be applied to her
senior year.
During her education, Emma has interned with cluster
members including the VA Illiana Health Care System,
Provena, Danville Polyclinic and Hoopeston Regional
Health Care System. This summer, Emma is interning for
a physician and St. Vincent’s in Indianapolis.
The Vermilion Advantage team and cluster members are
extremely proud of Emma for her continued accomplishment
of excellence.
V E R M I L I O N
A D V A N T A G E
Openings and Expansions
GOODWILL
EMPLOYMENT PLUS
COUNTY MARKET
The Land of Lincoln Goodwill store opened its doors in
Danville on April 26, 2012, to a long line of customers.
Over 1,000 people had visited their new store at the corner of Fairchild and Gilbert by noon on opening day.
Employment Plus opened the doors on their Danville
facility at 1001 East Voorhees June 13th. With over
100 locations across the country, Employment Plus is
one of the fastest growing staffing firms in the nation.
Founded in 1993, Employment Plus provides awardwinning staffing, professional and technical recruiting,
Managed Services support and innovative contingent
workforce solutions.
Covington Foods opened their third Vermilion County
store on June 13th in Tilton in the old Eagle’s Plaza.
Following a five month, $7.3 million renovation, the
store will operate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, with a
café, salad bar, soup station and deli.
Land of Lincoln Goodwill CEO Sharon Durbin gets
ready to welcome the crowd on opening day April
26th at their new store at Fairchild and Gilbert
Stre e t s i n D a n v i l l e .
Vermilion County board Chairman Jim McMahon,
Danville Alderman Mike Puhr, and Land of Lincoln
Goodwill CEO Sharon Durbin cut the ribbon opening
the new Goodwill Store in Danville on April 26th.
Employment Plus Regional Manager for
Danville, Champaign and Decatur Pam Quinlan,
D a n v i l l e Vice Mayor Rick Strebing and
Employment Plus Regional Manager for We s t
Central Indiana Chris Fegan enjoy a light lunch
at the opening of their D a n v i l l e f a c i l i t y a t 1 0 0 1
East Vo o rhees June 13th.
The interior of the newly renovated Tilton County
Market. The grand opening for C o v i n g t o n F o o d s ’
third Vermilion County store drew huge crowds on
opening day. The store will operate 24/7 in the
former Eagle’s Plaza on Georgetown Road.
WATCHFIRE
Watchfire Signs by Time-O-Matic broke ground June 7th
on a multi-million dollar expansion at their main Maple
Street facility. The expansion will allow the 80-year old
company to consolidate all five of their locations into
one facility with the addition of 11,000 square feet of
manufacturing space and 17,000 square feet of office
space.
Officials shovel dirt
to begin a multi-million dollar e x p a n s i o n
o f Watchfire S i g n s b y
Time-O-Matic at their
g roundbreaking ceremonies June 7th.
11
MAY/JUNE 2012
V E R M I L I O N
Leadership
Tomorrow:
A Journey
Worth
Taking
By Patrick Williams, Country Financial
2011-12 Leadership Class 24
A D V A N T A G E
It was almost a year ago that my boss forwarded an email
to me and suggested I take part in a leadership class
being put on by Vermilion Advantage. Like many of
you, I had heard of Leadership Tomorrow, and though I
didn’t know much about it, had been told by those in
past classes what an impactful experience it had been.
Having been through a typical leadership class before,
my initial thoughts centered around the prospect of business networking opportunities this may provide and of
course, taking part in the requisite ‘Trust Fall’ activity
that is inevitably part of such classes. What took place
over the next nine months offered me so much more and
became Leadership Tomorrow Class 24.
Machelle Dykes, a Leadership Tomorrow alumnus
from Class 16, has been with Vermilion Advantage for
twelve years and in 2008 took over as Coordinator for
the program. In that function, Machelle partners with
public officials, subject matter experts and business
owners from almost all segments of industry in the
county to provide class members unique, in-depth and
often hands-on access to the events, places and people
that make Vermilion County what it was, is and will
become.
Our Class 24 is made up of seventeen professionals
as diverse in age and background as they are in professional experience. Through the program, each member
of the class is tasked with accumulating at least 75 hours
of community service and the group is asked to complete
a Class Project benefitting Vermilion County. It was
through these combined hours of volunteer work, weekend morning fundraising, thousands of emails and ultimately the construction of a new pergola at the Douglas
Discovery Garden that our group came together. The
bonds that were formed through brainstorming sessions,
writing donation requests, and time spent giving back,
were the foundations on which countless friendships
were built. Leadership Tomorrow allowed all of us to
use and grow our specific skill sets in order to positively impact the communities we live and work in. It was,
though, the incredible access provided us during activities in the program that made it the remarkable experience it turned out to be.
Our class had organized meetings once a month, each
having a theme and agenda geared towards a different
facet of the county’s makeup. Days dedicated to subjects
such as Government or Agriculture were not simply a
string of guests speaking to the group in a classroom
setting. Instead, the class shared experiences like a guided tour of Danville’s Federal Courthouse, or witnessing
12
the art of cheese making at Ludwig Farmstead Creamery,
to impress the value of what we have available to us in
Vermilion County. I was struck from the beginning at
the amount of time and attention given by each of our
activity hosts to ensure we had an impactful experience.
While constantly reinforcing the skills and lessons of
Leadership, the program provides exposure to the successes and challenges that are shaping some of the most
important arenas in Vermilion County. Education Day,
for example, provided a guided first-hand look into the
changing educational platform being implemented at
Danville High School and the impact it is having on our
community’s young people. Also, the willingness of
county leaders to collaborate with Machelle and
Vermilion Advantage to accommodate our class was
truly remarkable. The Law Enforcement segment provided the group with several rare and eye-opening activities including riding along with officers from both our
city and county law enforcement branches, and a tour or
Danville’s Public Safety Building given by Sheriff Pat
Hartshorn. Time was taken at every turn by each individual or group we were given access to so that our questions were answered and curiosities satisfied when looking at all that have at our disposal in the way of community resources and local treasures to numerous to list.
Taking part in a Leadership Tomorrow Class offers a
view of Vermilion County that very few are afforded. It
provides those who participate an opportunity to debunk
negative myths and stereotypes about where we live and
to better understand what kind of impact their own community involvement can make. Seeing where we have
come from, to what makes us unique and competitive
today, as well as having discussions with those who will
help define our future, is a powerful experience and a
journey I would definitely recommend.
V E R M I L I O N
A D V A N T A G E
Leadership Tomorrow
Class 24 Graduation
By Machelle Dykes
What are the issues facing Vermilion County… who will
lead the community… tomorrow? That’s what Vermilion
Advantage’s Leadership Tomorrow program is all about –
to develop an awareness of the community, its problems,
challenges and opportunities through an educational
process, and to develop personal & professional leadership skills and a commitment to use those skills to
knowledgeably shape the future of Vermilion County.
Leadership Tomorrow Class 24’s graduation took
place on Friday, May 11, 2012, at DACC’s Bremer
Conference Center. The class met privately in the morning and turned in their Service Learning
Journals/Reflection Papers and talked about what they
learned while volunteering. The Service Learning course
required a minimum of 75 hours of community “volunteerism,” a written journal documenting the service, & a
reflection paper that demonstrated civic responsibility &
awareness. They then had a brief, but fun and informative training session by Kim Kuchenbrod of Vermilion
Advantage. Then the class had a discussion to critique the
8-month program and each of its days:
• The September Retreat that kicked off the year
• Agriculture & Conservation/Natural Resources Day
• History Day
• Business & Industry Day
• Health Care Day
• Education Day
• Government Day
• Criminal Justice Day plus other activities that week
(police ride-alongs & the tour of the Public
Safety Building)
We were then joined by the graduates’ family, friends,
fellow employees and employers, and past Leadership
alumnus, for a luncheon and graduation ceremony. The
keynote speaker was Vicki Haugen, President & CEO of
Vermilion Advantage. Jana Messmore gave a report on
the class project at the Douglas Discovery Garden (DDG),
which included raising funds for the purchase of a pergola, funds for an inscribed boulder recognizing the donors,
a storage shed, gardening tools to be kept in the shed, a
bench, a rainwater collection barrel, and a pet waste station. They also participated in the cleanup and beautification and constructed the pergola at DDG as part of the
Keep Vermilion County Beautiful/Great American
Cleanup event on May 5 (see separate article in this publication for more project details). Tara Rieman and
Patrick Williams then gave the class response. Finally,
plaques were presented to the graduates.
Congratulations to the Graduates of Leadership
Tomorrow Class 24: Andy Price, Aqua Illinois, Inc.; Tara
Rieman, Aunt Martha’s Vermilion Area Community
Health Center; Chad Sollars, Cellular One of East
Central Illinois; Crystal Truss, Cellular One of East
Central Illinois; Patrick Williams, Country Financial;
Jill Cranmore, DACC; Mandy Alvarez, Danville County
Markets; Danica Hayes, Danville Sanitary District; Amy
Dixon, NACCO Materials Handling Group; Lorena
Glover, Provena USMC Radiology; Kevin Hill, Quaker
Oats Co.; Michael Conley, Sleep Inn & Suites; Andre
Santiago, ThyssenKrupp Crankshaft Co.; Paula Navales,
Vermilion Advantage; Jana Messmore, Vermilion County
Health Dept.; Lacie Martin, Veterans Affairs Illiana
Health Care System; Suzanne Robinson, Veterans
Affairs Illiana Health Care System
We want to thank DACC and all of those who presented, helped plan and who hosted the class during 201112. We also sincerely thank the companies who sponsored their employees and allowed them to take part in
this program.
Leadership Tomorrow Class 24 on Graduation Day May 11, 2012: Back Row L-R: Michael Conley, Sleep Inn & Suites; Patrick
Williams, Country Financial; Tara Rieman, Aunt Martha’s Vermilion Area Community Health Center; Andy Price, Aqua Illinois,
Inc.; Kevin Hill, Quaker Oats Co.; Crystal Truss, Cellular One of East Central Illinois. Front Row L-R: Andre Santiago,
ThyssenKrupp Crankshaft Co.; Paula Navales, Vermilion Advantage; Chad Sollars, Cellular One of East Central Illinois; Suzanne
Robinson, Veterans Affairs Illiana Health Care System; Danica Hayes, Danville Sanitary District; Lorena Glover, Provena USMC
Radiology; Lacie Martin, Veterans Affairs Illiana Health Care System; Amy Dixon, NACCO Materials Handling Group; Jana
Messmore, Vermilion County Health Dept.; Mandy Alvarez, Danville County Markets; Jill Cranmore, DACC
13
MAY/JUNE 2012
V E R M I L I O N
APPLICATIONS ARE
BEING ACCEPTED
FOR LEADERSHIP
TOMORROW
CLASS 25, 2012-2013
WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU, FOR
YOUR EMPLOYER AND FOR
YOUR COMMUNITY…
“I have a strong belief in giving back to those in my
community. I love where I’m from and wouldn’t
choose to live anywhere else. I also want to raise my
kids in a place they can be proud to call their own. I
can’t believe that it took this class for me to realize
what a privilege it is to get out and help others and
give back to my community. I only wish half of the
community would put in 75+ (volunteer) hours every
year; what a difference it would make.”
Chad Sollars, Cellular One, Class 24
A D V A N T A G E
Vermilion Advantage is accepting applications for the
Leadership Tomorrow Class 25, 2012-2013 year.
Applications are due August 1, 2010. Please find the
application at http://www.vermilionadvantage.com/initiatives/leadership.html or contact Machelle Dykes,
Leadership Tomorrow, Coordinator, at Vermilion
Advantage at 217-442-6201 or [email protected]. The members will be interviewed and chosen in August, and a one-and-a-half day Retreat is
planned for September 13 & 14. The session days will
generally be the second Friday of the month – starting in
October of 2012 and running from around 8:00AM to
4:30PM each session day. Graduation is in May of
2013.
The Leadership Tomorrow program is beneficial to all
involved as follows:
• Employers – provides exposure to local social,
political and economic factors that impact business.
• Participants – encourages and provides
opportunities for networking with peers and
established community leaders; provides a greater
understanding and broader perspective of local issues;
increases understanding of community needs; and
reinforces and builds upon personal leadership skills.
• Our Community – creates a pool of emerging and
future leaders with a broad perspective of local
issues; encourages civic responsibility; and equips
leaders with the tools & knowledge to make a
difference.
• Additionally – the other aspect as a benefit of the
program is the close bond, networking, and
friendships that are the end results. Many of the
class members stay in touch, know who they can
call for help, and have used the networking in their
personal & professional lives. It is a mix of people
from different walks of life, age groups and back
grounds – coming together with different
perspectives and sometimes perceived notions, who
might not have known each other before or be aware
of each other’s talents and expertise.
• Lastly – we want participants to be involved in the
community (Vermilion County) and care about what
happens in the area they live, work & play.
Class 25 will continue to partner with DACC to earn
college credit for the required 75 community hours (giving back to the community). The class will also include
14
community history and leadership training. We are
preparing for future leadership of the community with
informed, accurate information and awareness.
The one-and-a-half day (local) Retreat
September 13 & 14 will address community
issues/concerns; leadership styles; conflict re solution and team building/trust exercises – the
team approach: when it works and when it
might not. The remaining program days are:
Agriculture/Conservation, History, Business & Industry,
Health Care, Education, Government, and Criminal
Justice/Court System. Most of the program or community days will allow members access to people and
places the public do not normally get to see or discuss
on such a personal level. We relate these ideas and management/leadership skills to the workplace.
As a part of the 75 community service hours’ segment, the program will partner with area agencies to educate class members on volunteer opportunities. Also
available is a one-year rotating Leadership Tomorrow
seat on the Library Foundation Board for those class
members who are interested in applying.
The Leadership Tomorrow program is tuition based
and does include an interview/selection process. This
community awareness & development program is open
to all Vermilion Advantage members, staff, and employees – all ages, all backgrounds – regardless if you are
new to Vermilion County or have lived here all your life.
Most companies/businesses have been very supportive in the past by covering the tuition cost for the participant.
This program is for all – it is a matter of making a difference. There have been over 500 graduates in
the past 24 classes, some of which include Sheriff Pat
Hartshorn; Linda Bolton, Vermilion Advantage; Mike
Puhr, Danville Alderman; Peter Blackmon, Palmer
Arena; Nanette Mellen; Neal & Melody Ehrlich from
Bud’s Cellular; Jeanne Mulvaney, Danville Area United
Way; Dr. Shawn Mallady, Chittick’s; Todd Lee, Danville
Sanitary District; Candy Underhill, Mervis Industries;
Dan Nobbe, Fiberteq; Brian Hensgen, DACC/JTP;
Charles Mockbee, IV, Asst. State’s Attorney; Carla
Boyd, DACC; Rick Rotramel, Country Financial; Andy
Price, Aqua Illinois; & Jana Messmore, Vermilion
County Health Dept..
V E R M I L I O N
A D V A N T A G E
Leadership Tomorrow
Class Project
By Jana Messmore
Vermilion County Health Dept.
2011-2012 Leadership Class 24
Leadership Tomorrow Class 24 didn’t take the task of choosing a class project lightly. We came up with so many great
ideas that we couldn’t decide which one to choose. We knew
we wanted our project to have meaning and we wanted it to
benefit the community as a whole. After hearing Steve Lane
from the City of Danville and Lynn Wolgamot from Keep
Vermilion County Beautiful speak about building a pergola at
the Douglas Discovery Garden, we knew it was what we
wanted to do.
The main goal of the Douglas Discovery Garden is to provide a place for children and adults to visit and learn about the
outside world. The vision is to have school children come to
the garden for field trips to learn that vegetables come from
the ground and not the grocery store. The Douglas Discovery
Garden is in the location of the former Douglas Elementary
School, north of Douglas Park in Danville. The City of
Danville took possession of the property after the school was
demolished. The idea of a discovery garden grew after a group
of local citizens took a trip to the Michigan State Children’s
Garden. The group decided a discovery garden would be perfect
for the vacant lot. One of those participants, Jeanne
Eisenhauer, Mayor Scott Eisenhauer’s mother, lived in the
neighborhood and was instrumental in getting the garden
started.
On May 14, 2009, the Douglas Discovery Garden broke
ground by planting a flower garden at the former flag pole of
the school. The first flower was planted by Mayor Eisenhauer
in memory of his mother. Others soon joined in, making it a
joyous occasion celebrated by neighbors, Douglas Discovery
Garden committee members, and local citizens. An herb garden, various flower gardens, raised vegetable garden beds, and
fruit trees have since been planted at the garden.
The first part of our project was raising money to purchase
the pergola. One of our classmates, Michael Conley, who is
the manager of the Sleep Inn & Suites, took a gamble on us.
He paid us to reupholster the chairs in the breakfast nook of
the hotel, even though none of us had any past reupholstering experience. Much to our surprise, the chairs turned out
rather well. We decided to reach out to our employers and the
community. We sent a letter to Vermilion Advantage mem15
bers and the Julius W. Hegeler II Foundation and we presented our project to the Rotary Club of Downtown Danville.
The response was overwhelming and we were much more successful than we thought we would be. Not only were we able
to purchase the pergola, we also purchased a “Leadership
Tomorrow Class 24” engraved bench, a boulder engraved with
our donors’ names, a garden shed, a rain barrel, various garden tools, and a pet waste station.
We erected the pergola on May 5 as part of the 2012 Great
American Cleanup. The Great American Cleanup took place
in downtown Danville and at the Douglas Discovery Garden.
It was amazing to see all of the volunteers working in the garden and the surrounding neighborhood. The garden is a work
in progress and there is much more work to be done. It is a
wonderful feeling to know we have been instrumental in getting the garden a step closer to the committee’s goal.
We would like to thank all of our donors: Julius W.
Hegeler II Foundation, Sleep Inn & Suites, Aqua Illinois,
Inc., Cellular One, Watchfire Signs by Time-O-Matic,
County Market, Dennis R. Price PAC, Dillman Eye Care,
Rotary Club of Downtown Danville, and Menards.
We will have a dedication ceremony at the Douglas
Discovery Garden on June 24 at 2 p.m. as part of the 2012
Vermilion County Master Gardeners Garden Walk.