Small Business Administration: Greater Peoria hosted the new Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator, Kelly Loeffler, on Wednesday of this week. Ms. Loeffler spent a good chunk of the day in Peoria to help roll out the new Made in America Manufacturing Initiative. She toured RHEO Engineering, a designer and manufacturer of material handling equipment for the pharmaceutical industry. She also hosted a roundtable discussion with small and medium sized manufacturers at Peoria NEXT Innovation Center that Sally was able to join. There is no better place to launch a manufacturing initiative than the heart of manufacturing in America. Some media coverage here.
Another Voting Chance: Well the Peoria area was shut out after the first round of voting in IMA’s Makers’ Madness: The Coolest Thing Made in Illinois, but you have another chance to put our region on the map. An organization called Startup Midwest has their own bracket contest called Midwest Madness. This contest pits 64 Midwest communities head-to-head to be crowned the champion. The contest is determined by voting via a LinkedIn post with multiple rounds of voting over the next few weeks (you can only vote once per round). Last year Peoria made it into the Sweet 16. This year we are a #2 seed and facing #15 Jefferson City, Missouri. As of the moment I’m writing this, Peoria is smoking our friends in the Show Me state 79% – 21%. But we can’t rest on our laurels and be the bad guy in a Cinderella story. You can read more about the contest here or just go right to the voting here. Vote soon as this opening round ends at midnight on March 21.
Meals on Wheels: This week, our team joined local leaders, including Peoria Mayor Rita Ali, to support Neighborhood House’s Meals on Wheels program as part of Community of Champions Week during March for Meals. Chris, Melissa, and David (who is on the board of Neighborhood House) helped pack, prepare, and deliver meals, ensuring homebound seniors receive the nutrition and companionship they need. Meals on Wheels is made possible through the Older Americans Act, which funds critical services that help seniors maintain their independence. By supporting Neighborhood House, we help keep these essential programs running, ensuring that no senior in our community goes hungry or feels alone. Learn more about Meals on Wheels and other Neighborhood House programs here.
Metamora Career Exploration: Our friends at Junior Achievement of Central Illinois are seeking volunteers for an exciting opportunity at Metamora Township High School to assist students in exploring local career opportunities and options for their futures through the CareerSpark: You’re Hired! Virtual career exploration platform. This learning opportunity was developed to equip students with the knowledge and tools to identify their personal strengths, preferences, and interests to guide them through career exploration and assist them in defining a path to their future career goals before they enter the workforce. Volunteers will spend about 40 minutes helping students navigate the online career expo. Volunteers are needed on three separate days. To register, click on the date that interests you: March 26, April 9 and/or May 14. You can also contact Destinee at JA via email at Destinee.Wilson@ja.org for more information.
Congrats! Congratulations to Dr. Sheila Quirk-Bailey, GPEDC Board Member and President of Illinois Central College, for her selection to join the Central Illinois Business Hall of Fame, an initiative organized by Junior Achievement. I’ve had the privilege of working with Dr. Quirk-Bailey (or “SQB” to many) ever since joining GPEDC and can attest first hand that there is no better friend of business than her. Through her leadership, ICC has become the go-to resource for companies looking to recruit and train their workforce. This is a well earned honor, and we are proud to have her as a part of our organization.
Have a great weekend.
Chris