The most exciting thing to me about CEO is the leg up that students will receive through the program. When I look at the curriculum and see all the different life skills they will be learning, I know that this program will put the students at an advantage as they move on from high school and begin further schooling or start their careers.

I have been the manager of the McDonough County Farm Bureau and McDonough County Farm Bureau Foundation for almost 13 years. I graduated from Illinois College and joined the Illinois Farm Bureau training program and was placed in McDonough County shortly thereafter. My husband, Casey, was a lender at Citizens Bank for ten years but recently took on the challenge of ministry as the campus minister at The Crossing in Monmouth. We have two daughters, Natalie (7) and Haylie (3). If I'm not at work I'm usually at church! I serve on the worship team at The Crossing where I play piano and sing. Our oldest daughter is slowly starting to become more busy with sports and as such we can also be found at the softball diamond or at the YMCA!

I have been involved in CEO since 2015, first hearing about it from the Hancock County CEO program. Once I heard McDonough County was exploring the idea, I reached out to get involved. I believe this program creates outstanding young professionals who are our future community leaders. I think this program will change the way people look at education and small businesses.

I joined Western Illinois University's Supply Chain Management faculty in January 2011 as an instructor. In 2015, I was promoted from instructor to assistant professor based on teaching and scholarly accomplishments.

I am currently working on my doctorate through the University of Missouri-St. Louis, and anticipate earning my Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) in 2021. My research emphasis will be in the field of supply chain management. I am also a WIU alumna, graduating with my Bachelor of Business Degree in Management in December 2002 and my Masters in Business Administration (MBA) degree in May 2004. I concentrated my post-bachelorette studies in supply chain management, international business, and finance.

At WIU, I teach Introduction to Supply Chain Management, Supply Chain Negotiation, and Supply Management (Purchasing) and Strategic Sourcing at both the undergraduate and graduate level.

In addition to teaching supply chain management courses at the University, I spend a fair amount of time speaking at various engagements including international trade conferences, statewide educational conferences, regional trade association meetings, and private company events. The various speaking/training opportunities typically focus on the topics of integrative negotiation skills, multicultural negotiations, negotiation fundamentals, and corporate purchasing strategies; however, I enjoy spreading the enthusiasm for the field of supply chain management, as well as presenting on the importance of collaboration between corporations and educational institutions. In addition to presentations, I continue to publish papers alongside my colleagues on topics related to creating an industry-focused SCM program, one of which won the Teaching Innovation/Best Paper Award at CSCMP’s Educators Conference in 2015.

Prior to joining academia, I began working as a buyer at NTN Bower Corporation, a Japanese owned manufacturer of bearings located in Macomb, IL. in September 2004. NTN’s primary customers include John Deere, Caterpillar, Dana Corp., International Truck and Engine Corp., Arvin Meritor, Eaton Corp., and Ford Motor Company.

As a buyer for NTN Bower, I purchased both direct (raw) and indirect (MRO) material. I have over six years of industrial experience in various supply chain management functions including procurement, inventory control, transportation, logistics and customer service, with my primary expertise in procurement.

I have worked with suppliers in multiple countries throughout the world, building vital relationships throughout the entire supply chain (from raw material sources to final customer), and managed a supplier database of more than 3,900 suppliers. I negotiated pricing, terms & conditions with suppliers, negotiated and arranged service contracts, and contracted with suppliers to implement vendor-managed programs. I managed the logistics for inbound and outbound freight, as well as controlled and maintained target levels of direct material inventory.

I am Six-Sigma Greenbelt Certified (since 2006), a Certified Purchasing Manager (C.P.M.) (since 2007), and a Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM) (since 2013). I continue to maintain my certifications through continued education. I am a member of the Institute for Supply Management (ISM), Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM) (formerly APICS), Decision Sciences Institute (DSI), and Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).

On a personal level, I am happily married with four beautiful children (two girls, two boys ranging from 3yrs old to 9 yrs old). We live on a farm west of Colchester, and enjoy the country life spending much of it outdoors.

CEO creates an unavoidable foundation of possibility that our area’s youth might not otherwise see; not only in our community, but more importantly, in themselves. I believe in CEO because CEO believes in our students and our community

Originally from Knoxville, I came to Macomb to attend WIU where I received my bachelors of science in Therapeutic Recreation and masters of science in Recreation Administration, which involved an assistantship with the Macomb Park District. Upon graduation I decided to stay, seeing a need for development with the special recreation and Special Olympics program. I created and became the Director of the McDonough County Special Recreation Association. In 2013 I became the District's Superintendent of Special Events & Facilities and in 2017 I became the third Executive Director of the Macomb Park District.

In addition to officiating for NCAA Women's Collegiate Basketball and chairing the CEO Program, I am involved in many other community organizations, panels and foundations in our area, including the Quality of Life Committee, the Macomb Area Recreation & Leisure Foundation, the Human Rights Committee and more.

I was introduced to Craig Lindvahl, founder of the Midland Institute for Entrepreneurship/CEO, years ago at a rural conference hosted by the Institute for Rural Affairs. I was immediately hooked on his message, but also knew the program had to be introduced slowly and consistently to be successfully integrated into our McDonough County schools. Fast forward to the present and our inaugural year is thriving! Our CEO students are learning through real life experiences as they meet and interact with the business community and what better way to learn than hands-on! This program truly is transformational and the students will walk away from CEO with a better awareness of both themselves and community. These student entrepreneurs are already showing us they have the potential to be lifelong learners, makers and achievers.

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.

I am a servant leader who truly believes in the philosophy, “It takes a village to raise a child.” That's why I am excited to be on the McDonough County CEO Team and support our CEO students to get real-world, on-the-job training and entrepreneurial skills they need to succeed in higher education and/or the world of work.

My name is Chad Cox and I am the Principal at West Prairie High School. I was raised and educated in the Abingdon and Avon (now "A-Town") schools. After high school graduation, I enlisted in the military and served three years in the United States Navy in Bremerton, Washington. I received my Bachelor’s Degree in History from WIU, then I earned a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration from the University of Phoenix while I lived in Colorado. Also, in 2016, I earned my Education Specialist Degree in Educational Leadership at WIU. I taught and coached sports in Colorado for five years before we decided to move back to Illinois to be closer to our families and start our own family. I have been married for 18 years to Karra Sullivan and we have an 11-year old daughter, Charly, who is in 6th grade. We live in a country home about 25 miles from Macomb.

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.

I attended the first presentation to Macomb area business leaders regarding the CEO program several years ago and was hooked immediately. One of the reasons I was so interested in bringing this program to McDonough County is because of the high percentage of students who take the program and decide after college, vocational school, armed forces, etc., to come back and reside in the rural communities they grew up in. Population loss is something we all battle in rural areas and this program seems to do a wonderful job of convincing young people that it is ok to live, work and raise their families in the same communities they were raised in. I am truly excited to see this program offered to all 3 McDonough County High Schools and the positive outcomes it can bring to our students!

My name is Todd Lester and I am the Community President of Citizens Bank, a division of Morton Community Bank located in Macomb, IL. I have been in this position since 2006. I am from Avon, IL and attended Western Illinois University. I graduated from Western with a degree in Finance and have worked for Citizens Bank since graduation, starting as a consumer loan officer in May of 1990.

I am married to my wife Ann Ward Lester and we have two children, Alyssa and Nicole. Alyssa just graduated from Western Illinois University and works for the McDonough County Circuit Clerk’s office and Nicole is a sophomore attending the University of Kentucky majoring in biology.

My wife and I reside on a 12 acre hobby farm about six miles south of Macomb where we built a home about 8 years ago. We stay busy with all of our animals and activities on the farm. In my spare time, I enjoy sports.

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.

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.

My first encounter with the CEO Program was in 2009 while at a business conference in Effingham. Craig Lindvahl, founder of the CEO Program, presented to our group and then introduced his current Effingham CEO students. These were not your typical high school students; they were professionally dressed, introduced themselves with full eye contact and a firm handshake, worked the room – interacting with about fifty adults, and conveyed pure confidence. Some went on to speak to the group about how life-changing the program had been for them. That was the moment I wished I had been given this opportunity as a high school student and knew that I wanted to be part of bringing it to McDonough County. Ten years later that dream has become reality and I cannot wait to see our students excel from the real-life learning experiences they will encounter as a result of the CEO program.

I joined the McDonough Power Cooperative family in 2006 as a records clerk and quickly moved into an executive role as Energy Services Manager. In this position I oversee operations of the office; including member services, billing, collections, marketing, communications and public relations. McDonough Power distributes electricity to approximately 5,000 rural members in portions of Fulton, Hancock, Henderson, Knox, McDonough, Schuyler and Warren counties. Prior to joining the Cooperative, I spent ten years in the banking industry. In 2013 I graduated from Western Illinois University as a non-traditional student.

I was raised down the road, in Carthage, and currently live just outside of Macomb with my family. My husband, Josh, is president of the State Bank of Industry and we have two children, Connor and Sydney. This season of our life is filled with running our kids to their practices and activities. We enjoy following our son around on the golf course as well as watching them both in action on the basketball and volleyball courts.