After graduating from University of Illinois-Champaign, Sheila Feipel moved to France for two years and later worked as a French teacher. She switched to the technology industry in 2000 and has been the Springfield branch manager for Heart Technologies since 2015. Feipel is extensively involved in the Springfield community and has been a mentor with […]
Newsletter – This Month SBJ
Posted inArticles
All signs point to the future
Ace Sign Co.’s history reaches all the way back to hand-painting carriages in the 1860s and moves forward to its official launch under the Ace Sign Co. name in Springfield in 1940. The company’s pride in its heritage, and respect for the evolution of the sign industry overall, can be seen in the sign museum […]
Posted inArticles
High school student teaches free technology classes for kids
The Cambridge Dictionary defines a prodigy as “someone with a very great ability that usually shows itself when that person is a young child.” Whether Chatham resident Navtej Bhatti is one might be open to interpretation, but let’s do a brief roll call of what Bhatti has accomplished to this point as a 16-year-old preparing […]
Posted inColumns
Hoogland makes updates and improvements
The nonprofit Hoogland Center for the Arts hosts multiple arts and civic organizations in its 80,000-square-foot building. The century-plus-old structure was originally built as a Scottish Rite Temple in 1909, expanded in 1960, and underwent major renovations in 2003 to open its doors to its residents as a community arts center. Tens of thousands of […]
Posted inColumns
Illinois cybersecurity laws
In today’s digital world, cybersecurity is no longer an option – it’s essential. Whether you’re a business handling customer data or an individual concerned about your digital footprint, knowing your rights and responsibilities is critical. Cybersecurity laws serve several crucial purposes. They establish standards for protecting sensitive information, outline consequences for cybercrimes, mandate breach disclosures […]
Posted inColumns
Small shifts, big gains
How many times have you and your co-workers discussed a process in your organization and thought, “It would be better if we could change … (insert clunky or inefficient process here).” These conversations tend to happen at after-work happy hours and often involve cocktail napkins. Sound familiar? It’s easier to have great ideas when we […]
Posted inArticles
Q&A with Monica Zanetti
Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay area, Monica Zanetti moved to Springfield six years ago and quickly made a name for herself in the community. After initially being one of five artists exhibiting at Wild Rose, she bought the downtown art studio and retail shop and now provides space for more than 30 […]
Posted inArticles
Illinois Road Contractors celebrates 100 years as a family-owned business
It started in 1925 as a way to keep dust down on country roads. One hundred years later, oil and chip road maintenance is still the core business of Illinois Road Contractors, Inc., based in Jacksonville. Over the last century, IRC has expanded with a terminal on the Illinois River, tarps manufacturing, trucking and transportation […]
Posted inArticles
Country Market supporting family-owned producers since 1967
Liz Havens remembers being 5 years old and standing on a milk crate to check out customers at her family’s produce business in Springfield. Now, more than four decades later, some of those same customers are regulars at Country Market, the family-owned grocery store Havens and her brother own and operate on Wabash Avenue. The […]
Posted inColumns
Free laundry services and much more
For most people, access to clean clothes is easy. For others, it’s not. A family may have housing without a washer and dryer, and limited income may place a burden on spending, usually prioritizing food, rent and utilities. But other circumstances factor in. “It’s a real public issue,” said Robert Frazier, executive director for Clean […]
Posted inColumns
Evicting a tenant
Evicting a tenant is a legal process that can be complex and emotionally charged for both landlords and tenants. In Illinois, eviction laws are governed by state statutes, local ordinances and court procedures. For landlords, understanding the correct steps is essential to ensure compliance with legal requirements and to avoid potential financial or legal repercussions. […]
Posted inColumns
When to step back from a leadership role
Taking a step back: Does less responsibility lead to more fulfillment? For many seasoned leaders facing burnout, the idea of stepping back into an individual-contributor role can be tempting. The memory of simpler days, when success was measured by personal output rather than team performance, and evenings were free from after-hours emails, can be alluring. […]