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.

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 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.

In December 2021, I graduated with my Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) degree from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. My research emphasis was 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 for experiential learning. 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), Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals (CSCMP), 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 5 yrs old to 12 yrs old). We live on a farm west of Colchester, and enjoy the country life spending much of it outdoors.