People on the Move

Bryan Rives, director of the University of Illinois Springfield Performing Arts Center, will be retiring this summer after leading the arts and entertainment center for nine years. UIS has appointed Sarah Brewer, current director of development for the center, to serve as interim director effective July 1. The university plans to conduct a national search […]

As Gordon Gates, managing partner at Gates, Wise and Schlosser, is preparing for retirement, the law firm bearing his name is finalizing the details of a merger with another local firm. Gates, Wise and Schlosser PC and Frazier and Sabin LLP are merging to become Frazier, Sabin and Schlosser. The merger should be complete by […]

The Ali Group, which acquired Springfield-based BUNN in March, has appointed a new president and CEO to lead the beverage equipment manufacturer. Brad Willis, who is currently the chief financial officer of Ali Group, will take the reins at BUNN as of May 11, according to a statement from Chicago-based Ali Group. As president and […]

After nearly three years leading the University of Illinois Springfield’s downtown business incubator, Ben Hage’s last day at Innovate Springfield will be May 31. Hage has been named director of the Petrick Idea Center at Illinois Wesleyan University, effective June 1. The Petrick Idea Center is set to open this fall in a 15,000-square-foot facility […]

The Downtown Springfield, Inc. (DSI) board of directors has appointed Jay Shanle as the nonprofit’s new executive director. “I’m incredibly grateful for the trust the DSI board and our community have placed in me, and I’m honored to step into the role of executive director,” said Shanle. “Downtown Springfield has shaped so much of my […]

United Community Bank (UCB) has announced that David J. Drennan has been named president of the bank and elected to the bank’s board of directors, and Kayla Mahaffay-Musson has returned to the organization as chief financial officer. Drennan has served in multiple leadership roles during his 20 years with UCB. Most recently serving as chief […]

Kirsten Taylor has joined Hickory Point Bank as a mortgage loan originator for the Springfield area. She will work out of the branch at 3131 W. Wabash Ave. in Springfield. “We are excited to welcome Kirsten to our Springfield team,” said Jeff Raes, Hickory Point Bank executive vice president. “The addition strengthens our successful lending […]

Dr. Sandra Gilmore has become a co-owner of Coble Animal Hospital after returning to the practice in August 2024. Gilmore is a native of Oquawka, Illinois, and earned her doctor of veterinary medicine from University of Illinois in 2004. She began her career in mixed animal practice in Pike County, serving rural farmers and families […]

Downtown Springfield, Inc. is searching for a new executive director “following a mutual separation with Carlos Ortega,” according to a statement the organization issued Feb. 17. Always On Consulting, the human resources company led by Debbie Thompson, has been retained to lead the search process. Jay Shanle, who currently serves as DSI’s director of communications […]