By David Blanchette Corky Joyner has lived in the Springfield area since he was 10 years old. He and his wife, Kelly, are currently residents of Leland Grove. They have been married for 23 years and he has a stepson, Claude, who is in his fourth year at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. Joyner […]
David Blanchette
David Blanchette has been involved in journalism since 1979, first as an award-winning broadcaster, then a state government spokesperson, and now as a freelance writer and photographer. He was involved in the development of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum and more recently the Jacksonville Area Museum. David and his wife, Sue, live in Petersburg.
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Q&A with Andrea Aggertt
By David Blanchette Andrea Aggertt was hired in October 2019 to serve as the Architect of the Capitol. She is currently overseeing $350 million in work at the Capitol complex that was allocated as part of Rebuild Illinois, the first capital spending bill approved in the past decade. Aggertt is also responsible for completion and […]
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Q&A with Jan Schramm
By David Blanchette Jan Schramm is the senior vice president for trust management services at Hickory Point Bank & Trust, the same company where she began her banking career after graduating from Bradley University with a degree in business administration and management. In September, Schramm received the 2022 President’s Award from the Illinois Bankers […]
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Q&A with John Kelker
By David Blanchette John Kelker says he always knew he wanted to help people, and he worked in the nonprofit sector throughout his professional career. After graduating from MacMurray College in Jacksonville, he worked in Carrollton and Jacksonville before moving to Springfield in 1996 to become president of the United Way of Central Illinois. He […]
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Q&A with Michelle Tjelmeland
By David Blanchette Michelle Tjelmeland has started two businesses and a nonprofit, all while being profoundly deaf. She hears only through the technology of a cochlear implant, and now works to provide cochlear implants for deaf people who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford them. She has a bachelor’s degree in education from Eastern Illinois […]
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Q&A with Ruby Davis
By David Blanchette Ruby Davis was born in Mississippi, where she worked chopping cotton before leaving home at age 15 to get married. Two years later, her mother and sister were killed in a car accident, and her father died the following year. Those experiences of loss inspired her to work with other grieving families. […]
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Q&A with Joseph J. Mullany
By David Blanchette Joseph J. Mullany was appointed the new Illinois president and CEO for Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) on April 25. He holds an MBA and master of health sciences from University of Florida. He became a hospital CEO at the age of 30 and since then has held management roles at Detroit […]
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Q and A with Marne Fauser
By David Blanchette What was your first job after graduating from college? I grew up in Peoria, and my first job after college was working at Illini Bluffs High School as a high school teacher and middle school volleyball and basketball coach. I became interested in the nonprofit world after years of working with people […]
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A Q&A with Dana Lyons
By David Blanchette Dana Lyons is a lifelong resident of the Springfield area. When she was a senior at Riverton High School, an employment agency placed her in a receptionist position with Lincoln Land Title and Abstract Company. She later worked for Lexis Document Services and Zelle Title Company before opening The Illinois Real Estate […]
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Q&A with Paul O’Shea
By David Blanchette Paul O’Shea is a Springfield native who has left his mark on his hometown through a variety of historic preservation projects and extensive community involvement. After graduating from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a degree in architecture, he returned to Springfield and was involved in the reconstruction of the Old State Capitol. […]
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Carole Keating takes the reins – Springfield entrepreneur adds more businesses to her portfolio
By David Blanchette Carole Keating’s entrepreneurial success can be simply summed up. “I really don’t take ‘no’ for an answer,” Keating said. “If I hit an obstacle, I always keep going. That pretty much sums it up, perseverance and hard work.” That perseverance has paid off, most recently with Keating’s acquisition of Egizii Electric, located […]
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Hospitals cope with ripple effects from COVID – Few patients, but many changes for the health care industry
By David Blanchette The one constant for the health care industry has been change during the ongoing COVID pandemic, and Springfield hospitals are striving to stay one step ahead of the microscopic menace and the unprecedented disruption it has wrought to one of the area’s biggest and most vital industries. “We’ve had to change every […]