I’ve been working with Prairie Farmer for 21 years, all from our farm near Bushnell. I started my career with Prairie Farmer before graduating from the University of Illinois in agricultural communications, starting as a field editor. Today I serve as Editor of Prairie Farmer and Executive Editor for Farm Progress, managing editorial staff at 6 magazines throughout the eastern Corn Belt. I’m past president of the American Agricultural Editors Association and serve on several boards throughout the state. My husband, John, and I farm with his parents and our three children, Jenna, 16; Nathan, 14; and Caroline, 11, raising corn, soybeans and beef cattle. In my spare time, I like to volunteer with our church, school and 4-H and enjoy playing the piano, photography and working with cattle. I wrote about CEO for the magazine several years ago and believe it to be, hands down, the best program I’ve ever seen for both challenging small-town students and for developing rural communities. It’s a win-win for everyone.

Hello! I am the executive director of the Macomb Area Economic Development Corporation (MAEDCO). I began my career with MAEDCO as an administrative assistant and worked my way into my current position in 1999. I have a bachelor’s degree from Western Illinois University and will receive my Masters of Community and Economic Development this December. I am also a graduate of the University of Oklahoma’s Economic Development Institute.

In addition to serving as the Vice-Chair of the CEO Program, I am on various boards and committees; including, the Illinois Economic Development Association (immediate past Chairman), Workforce Investment, Housing Authority of McDonough County, and the Western Illinois Regional Council.

I live in Bushnell with Steve Walters and our beloved two-year old: a coated German Shepherd Dog—Agustus (Gus) Von Panzer.

I collect vintage Pez dispensers and enjoy participating in area 5K walk/run events.

My name is Kristen Conrad.  I'm one of the newest board members of the McDonough County CEO program and serve as the Chair of the Investor Committee.  I knew from the minute I heard about CEO that I wanted to be involved.  Make Fit Happen, a fitness studio, is my current business and was started in 2010. The Pampered Chef was my first venture as an Independent Consultant and my second venture was a business I created and owned, The Glass Bracelet.  Working with these students as a mentor over the past three years has been such a rewarding experience.  The growth throughout the school year is amazing to watch. I'm so proud to be a part of the McDonough County CEO Program!

I am entering my 7th proud year as the superintendent of schools for Bushnell-Prairie School District. I am excited that our students have the opportunity to participate in the McDonough County CEO Program, which will allow them to develop skills and talents not always available in your typical high school, and am pleased that I'm able to offer my support to the program as a board member. I am married and have 3 adult children and 1 grandchild. In my spare time, I enjoy home construction projects and spending time with family.

Higher education professional with 13 years of experience. 

Certified Professional Resume Writer.  

Faculty member in the WIU School of Management & Marketing. 

Greetings! I am entering my 4th year with the Macomb School District as a school counselor. The past three years I have been with the junior high and this year I have taken on a new role as high school counselor. I am a 2013 graduate of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and received my Master’s in Counseling Psychology from Oklahoma State University in 2015. My husband and I reside on a farm near Roseville with our three daughters where we raise row crops and feeder cattle. I spend most of my free time in a gym coaching volleyball in the fall for Macomb and at Immaculate Conception School in the winter where my youngest attends. I am eager to start my journey with the McDonough County CEO program as a board member and see firsthand how our students will utilize the valuable skills they learn over the next year.