BY ROBERTA CODEMO The American Lung Association has a long history in Springfield dating back more than 30 years. Now, a new chapter is being written, with the Springfield office recently opening a second location to accommodate its growing needs. The move comes at a time when the American Lung Association is undergoing internal changes. […]
Roberta Codemo
Posted inSpecial Issues
Women of Influence – Margaret “Boony” Luparell
BY ROBERTA CODEMO The odds were stacked against Margaret “Boony” Luparell of Dawson from day one. Born on the south side of Chicago, her family moved to Springfield when she was about four years old. She grew up on Springfield’s north side, the youngest of five children. “I come from very humble beginnings,” she said. […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Women of Influence – Dr. Susan Koch
BY ROBERTA CODEMO Dr. Susan J. Koch always looked up to her mother, who worked full-time while raising five children in a rural South Dakota town. “She was a very courageous and dedicated person,” Koch said. “She had high expectations for us. I didn’t want to disappoint her.” Whenever she left the house, Koch’s mother […]
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Changes afoot in real estate landscape
By Roberta Codemo Three local real estate agents recently left The Real Estate Group (3701 Wabash Ave.) and started their own firms, while two previously independent firms have joined The Group. “Real estate is a transient business,” said managing broker Mike Buscher. “People find other opportunities that are more suitable. There’s plenty of room for […]
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Little log home builders on the prairie
By Roberta Codemo James Mlinar first fell in love with log cabins when he was a kid after he and his family stayed in one while vacationing in Estes Park, Colorado. “They’re part of our history,” he said. Having always enjoyed building things, he jumped at the opportunity to help his brother build his log […]
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Nudo continues to grow under new ownership
By Roberta Codemo Nudo Products, Inc. has a long history dating back to 1954 when the late Sam Nudo, Sr. and his brother founded Economy Awning and Tile Co. Sam and his wife, Wanda, purchased his brother’s share of the business in 1962 and began manufacturing laminated products with the help of their sons. Today, […]
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Homegrown engineers
By Roberta Codemo Springfield Southeast High School junior Maurice Johnson wanted to be a pharmacist, until he met Kevin Seals, chief environmental scientist at Hanson Professional Services, Inc. and the coordinator for the Grow Our Own Minority Participation program. “Three years ago I had no idea what engineering was,” Johnson said, until he attended an […]
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Escape Springfield
By Roberta Codemo Central Illinois now has access to the hottest game sensation sweeping the country. A longtime fan of escape room video games, Rebecca Henderson, founder of SMARTpath Education Services, first founded Escape Bloomington – a live interactive version of the popular video games – in Bloomington in 2014 as an offshoot of her […]
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SMTD: A service in transition
By Roberta Codemo According to the recent 2015 Sangamon County Citizens Survey, bus ridership in Sangamon County is low. Only five percent of the 576 respondents surveyed report using the Springfield Mass Transit District at least once or twice a week while 85 percent report “never” using the system. A small percentage of respondents report […]
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All in the family
By Roberta Codemo A family business is defined as a business where one or more family members have significant ownership interest and commitment to the overall well-being of the business. Bruce Sommer at the University of Illinois Springfield Center for Entrepreneurship and Family Businesses estimates that about 4,000 Sangamon County businesses could be categorized as […]
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Chamber members give back to community
By Roberta Codemo “Springfield is such a giving community,” is the refrain echoed by local business owners. According to American Express, charitable giving by small businesses rose by 4.9 percent between 2012 and 2013. The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce recently hosted a press conference to shine the spotlight on local businesses that give back. […]
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Community Service Committee provides grants for local nonprofits
By Roberta Codemo Two local nonprofits recently received grant monies to help continue to fund the work they do in the community. William Legge, executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of Central Illinois, was thrilled to receive a $15,815 grant from the Community Service Committee of the Capital Area Association of Realtors to […]