Allen Schmale has been named president and chief executive officer of United Community Bank, effective immediately. He had been serving as interim president and CEO since Aug. 30. “Allen is the ideal leader for this role,” said Bob Narmont, chairman of the UCB board of directors. “His deep banking expertise, dedication to serving our customers […]
People on the Move
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Jean Bruner Jachino joins United Way
Jean Bruner Jachino has joined United Way of Central Illinois as the new director of strategic partnerships. In this role, she will lead and manage the organization’s fundraising efforts with corporate and business communities, serving as a strategic adviser, expert fundraiser and partnership manager. “Jean’s depth of experience in business development and her passion for […]
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Dan Cody joins Eck, Schafer and Punke
Dan Cody has joined Eck, Schafer and Punke, LLP as senior manager. The firm, headquartered in downtown Springfield, has been in business since 1994. Cody has more than 25 years’ experience in public accounting and the private sector providing audit, accounting and tax services for individuals and businesses across various industries, ranging from privately held […]
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Springfield gets a city planner
Sean Pritchard is many things: 35 years old, a father of five, a lifelong northender and, as of this month, the first city planner in Springfield’s 203-year history. His appointment to the post within the city’s Office of Planning and Economic Development, which garners a salary of nearly $90,000, raised eyebrows among some in the […]
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Ray Williams to retire as CEO of Springfield Clinic
Springfield Clinic CEO Ray Williams will retire effective Dec. 31 after serving in that role for eight years. “Making the decision to retire was not easy, but my family must come first at this stage of life,” Williams said. “It has been an incredible honor to serve as Springfield Clinic’s CEO, working alongside such talented […]
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Amy Rasing slated as new director of OPED
Springfield Mayor Misty Buscher wants to promote the city’s operations coordinator for state and federal grants to head the Office of Planning and Economic Development. Mayor Misty Buscher plans to nominate Amy Rasing, who curren tly w orks as the city’s grant manager, to succeed Val Yazell as director of the Office of Planning and […]
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Jasen Best joins Security Bank
Jasen Best has joined Security Bank as vice president of business development and commercial banking. Best most recently worked for American Bank of Freedom in Rochester as a commercial banker and business development officer. He also previously worked as a treasury management officer at Heartland Bank & Trust and a business development officer at Prairie […]
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Val Yazell to retire from city of Springfield
Val Yazell, the director of the city of Springfield’s Office of Planning and Economic Development, will retire on Dec. 31. Yazell was first appointed interim OPED director by then-Mayor Jim Langfelder in 2017. She was initially hired as a contract employee but later became a full-time employee. Langfelder terminated her employment in March 2021. He […]
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Two new hires for Security Bank
Chris Lawrence and Kemper Younkin have joined Security Bank, Lawrence as the branch manager for the Stevenson Drive branch and Younkin as the assistant branch manager for the Chatham Road branch. Lawrence most recently worked as a loan officer for Alliance Community Bank. He has also worked as a mortgage originator for Regions Bank and […]
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Joan Bartolon receives First Citizen Award
The First Citizen Award committee has selected Joan Bortolon as the 62nd recipient of the Springfield area’s prestigious First Citizen Award. As board president of the Land of Lincoln Honor Flight, Bortolon has played an instrumental role in honoring local veterans by providing them with memorable, no-cost trips to Washington, D.C., to visit the memorials […]
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Cheri Plummer launches her own insurance agency
After many years of working in the industry, Cheri Plummer has launched her own insurance agency. CLP Insurance Solutions officially opens Nov. 1 at 3050 Montvale Drive, Suite C. Plummer most recently worked for Lee/O’Keefe Insurance Agency, specializing in commercial insurance. “It was always in the back of my mind that I wanted to be […]
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Kayla Graven takes job with the state of Illinois
Kayla Graven has a new job with the state of Illinois, working for the Department of Agriculture as the domestic marketing manager. “I grew up on a farm, so it’s really getting back into the skills that I’m passionate about,” Graven said. “I wasn’t looking for a new job, but it’s just been my dream […]