BY COURTNEY ENLOW HALL Necessity is the mother of invention, and Rasha Said is a mother whose invention was born out of necessity. When her young son started to lose his vision, Said began to realize how important it was for him to remain independent. On a family trip to Disney World, she found herself […]
Special Issues
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 […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Women of Influence – Molly Berendt
BY COURTNEY ENLOW HALL Molly Berendt was 23 years old when she started the program that would change both her life and the lives of Springfield’s homeless children. Beginning as a ministry at Douglas Avenue Methodist Church, the Compass program – now Compass for Kids – sought to support homeless children at Dubois Middle School. […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Women of Influence 2017 awardees announced
Security Bank announced today the awardees for the 2017 Women of Influence program. Women of Influence honors local women for their contributions to the community in and around Springfield. The 2017 awardees are: Dr. Susan J. Koch, chancellor of University of Illinois Springfield Molly Berendt, executive director of Compass for Kids Margaret “Boony” Luparell, owner […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Winners of 2017 Best Places to Work awards announced
United Community Bank and Springfield Business Journal are announcing the 2017 Best Places to Work awardees. To be eligible, businesses must have 35 or more employees and be located within Sangamon or Menard counties. These businesses each have earned the award by showing a commitment to their employees and their communities. The 2017 Best […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
15 Under Fifteen 2016
By Michelle Higginbotham, associate publisher While our state often gets a bad reputation for both its politics and business climate, a study released last year by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics found that Illinois was one of the states with the greatest increase in the number of new business startups, second only to Massachusetts. While […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Forty Under 40 – 2016
About Forty Under 40 By Michelle Higginbotham, associate publisher It is virtually impossible to read through a list of previous recipients of the Forty Under 40 awards without seeing some familiar names. Since 1997, Springfield Business Journal has been recognizing outstanding young professionals in Springfield and the surrounding communities, representing a wide variety of local […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Security Bank’s Women of Influence 2016
Security Bank and Springfield Business Journal are proud to bring you the 13th annual Women of Influence. This program honors local women for their contributions to the Springfield area community. Selected by their peers through submitted nominations, all have made important contributions to the community at large. You are invited to join us in celebrating […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
UCB – 15 under 15 – 2015
By Michelle Higginbotham, associate publisher Small businesses have a large impact on the economy, and while they may not be as high profile as more familiar company names, they are collectively a significant economic driver. The U.S. Small Business Administration estimates that small businesses represent more than 98% of all employers and employ nearly half of […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
40 Under Forty 2015
By Michelle Higginbotham, associate publisher Springfield Business Journal has been recognizing outstanding young professionals in Springfield and the surrounding communities since 1997, making Forty Under 40 our longest standing awards program. That means our list of previous recipients has many familiar names, including Mayor Jim Langfelder, this year’s keynote speaker. The recipients represent a wide […]
Posted inSpecial Issues
Security Bank’s 2015 Women of Influence
Security Bank and Springfield Business Journal are proud to bring you the 12th annual Women of Influence. This program honors local women for their contributions to the Springfield area community. Selected by their peers through submitted nominations, all have made important contributions to the community at large. Nominations were not limited to the business community […]