News

The 2007 BESI winners were CHI Overhead Doors of Arthur, The First National Bank of Pana, Leach-Wilson Chevrolet-Buick of Shelbyville and Dr. Rick Workman of Effingham.  The 2007 Lifetime Achievement award was presented to Lou Hencken.

CHI Overhead Doors, Arthur, is a home grown Arthur manufacturing company that produces sectional overhead garage doors which are distributed through professional garage door installation companies and local lumber yards and panels are sold wholesale to other garage door manufacturers. CHI started from nothing and is now the sixth largest garage door manufacturer in the country with double digit sales growth over the last several years, and its employment has grown from about 300 to 439 in the last four years.  CHI manufacturing facilities have increased from 300,000 square feet four years ago to 700,000 square feet with assembly lines in open, well lighted, well ventilated, clean work spaces.

A CHI senior officer is a key board member of The Arthur Home and its $4,000,000 assisted living construction project. They are a generous contributor to Arthur's Cheese Festival, the annual barbeque bragging rights competition, Arthur's fantastic Fourth of July Fireworks show and other local events and festivals. About 25 percent of the CHI workforce is Old Order Amish and CHI is a generous contributor to the events at the Otto Center. CHI makes direct contributions to the Arthur Area Association of Commerce, Moultrie-Douglas County Fair and to the Arthur Schools. CHI also has an informal relief program for employees with urgent needs by providing matching funds to those raised by the co-workers.

The First National Bank of Pana is truly a hometown bank for Pana, Illinois.  Its president and employees are involved in the community and provide ongoing support by volunteering their time and finances. 

John Livesay, President, is a major player of economic development for Pana and Christian County.  He is a member of the Pana Industrial Development Board and serves on the Christian County Economic Development Board, working hard to recruit new businesses and retain existing ones.  The First National Bank financially supports economic development as well.

The bank is also a big supporter of area schools and their numerous activities and fund raisers, including making major donations for the Taylorville High School scoreboard and Pana High School's track.  The bank also provided a major gift to the Pana Hospital to ensure that the area had an emergency room that would support the area's needs.  Mr. Livesay and his employees regularly support the Chamber and its events through contributions from the bank and by donating their time.

Mr. Livesay, an alumnus of Lake Land College supports the college and higher education and his bank ensured that Lake Land College had a key presence in Pana by donating $100,000 to the Pana Community Unit School District.  Using the bank's donation, the former Casey's Store in Pana which was donated by the Casey's Store Corporation, the Pana School District renovated and refurbished the new Lake Land College Extension Center in Pana.  Mr. Livesay also serves on the Lake Land College Foundation Board of Directors, has made thousands of dollars in donations for scholarships and has helped secure new donors from Christian County to support scholarships for Lake Land students, particularly, from the Pana area. 

Leach-Wilson Chevrolet-Buick, Shelbyville, has been a major business in Shelbyville for the past 75 years.   This family-owned business is now being managed by its fourth generation of family members.  More than 70 years ago, Mr. Leach moved the Chevrolet Design of the Future Building from the 1934 Chicago World's Fair to its current location in Shelbyville.  This historical building has been the showroom of many new automobiles that have been purchased by area residents. 

Members of the Leach-Wilson family are very committed to and involved in the economic development of Shelbyville and its surrounding areas.  Susan Leach has served on numerous board and committees including the Shelbyville Memorial Hospital Board and is past chair of the First United Methodist Church Board of Trustees. She is a member of the Lake Land College Foundation Board of Directors which she has served for more than a decade and serves as chair of its Scholarship Committee.  She is the biggest cheerleader for the College's Foundation, often motivating other board members and donors. She has raised thousands of dollars for scholarships and her business and family have contributed even more. 

Her son, Bill is a member of the Shelbyville Housing Authority and Tourism Board.  Some of the community activities and organizations that they contribute to regularly include: Little League and the new community pool.  They support many activities of the Shelbyville and area schools.  The business also co-sponsors a 5K Tom Short Memorial Race whose proceeds go toward DACEY, the walking trail around Lake Shelbyvile.  Leach-Wilson is definitely a place where area residents are not just a customer but when they walk through the doors they are greeted with a warm welcome and are often invited into a friendly conversation that makes them proud that Leach-Wilson is their hometown auto dealership.

Dr. Rick Workman, Effingham is the founder of Heartland Dental Care, a dental practice management company, headquartered in Effingham, but with nearly 200 dental offices in 12 states and 1750 employees.  Dr. Workman founded his company in 1997 on the belief that dentists would rather focus on practicing dentistry and helping people instead of running a business.  Heartland's skilled professionals handle everything from payroll and human relations to information technology, education and coaching. 

The result of these efforts has placed Heartland Dental and Dr. Workman as a leader in the dental industry and has earned him numerous awards, including the 2003 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year in the Master category, the 2004 Dental Executive of the Year, and the Effingham Noon Rotary Club Vocational Excellence Award.  Heartland Dental Care has been recognized by Inc. magazine as one of the top 500 fastest growing companies in the country.

Dr. Workman's philosophy of care for his affiliated dental practices and patients extends to the communities they serve.  Many local charitable organizations benefit from Dr. Workman's efforts, including the United Way, Red Cross and the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life.  Dr. Workman and Heartland Dental annually choose a charity to which they devote an extra amount of time and attention. 

2007 Lifetime Achievement Award Recipient

Louis V. Hencken, who has served Eastern Illinois University in a variety of administrative positions for more than 40 years, was formally named university president on August 1, 2001. Under his leadership, student enrollment has increased significantly.  In fall 2005, the university saw its enrollment increase for the fourth consecutive year, topping the 12,000 mark.  Eastern also celebrated two consecutive years of record-breaking freshman enrollment (2,751 in 2002 and 2,927 in 2003) during his tenure.

While pleased that Eastern is, indeed, the choice by many Illinois residents, Hencken has placed enrollment management high on his priority list. Several major capital development projects have been completed during his tenure.  These include the MLK Jr. University Union Food Court, the renovation/expansion of Booth Library and Blair Hall, the construction of a new Human Services Building, a new wing on the Tarble Arts Center, and an addition onto Lantz Arena, making room for an academic center, as well as additional classroom and office space. A $60 million expansion and renovation of the Doudna Fine Arts Center is currently underway, with a tentative completion date set for late Fall 2007.

Hencken has also been a strong advocate for Eastern with the state government leadership, improved the university's image within Illinois, promoted improvements in academic support services and enhanced the quality of student life.

He has aggressively increased private giving, paving the way for the university's successful three-year "You Are EIU" fundraising campaign, which raised in excess of $11 million. Hencken is widely recognized among his colleagues in student affairs and has been honored for his work in the field.  He has also been involved in university community work with affirmative action, undergraduate education, minority student recruitment and administrative appointments.

As an active member of the Charleston-area community, Hencken has served on the Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center Board of Directors - six years as chair - and the Credit Union 1 Board of Directors.  He has also served on Coles Together, Coles Connected and the Charleston Area Chamber of Commerce.  A few years ago, he was named Southwestern Illinois College's Outstanding Alumnus.

Past Lifetime Achievement Award Recipients

Pat Ehrhart
Dale Fitzpatrick
Robert K. Luther

Past BESI Recipients

N.W. (Bud) Althoff

E.C. Bauer

James and Robert Bitzer

Citizens National Bank of Paris

Noreen Connolly, OCE Imaging Supply

Consolidated Communications

Max Cougill

First Mid-Illinois Bank and Trust

The First National Bank in Toledo

Sara Holmes

William Hopper, First Trust Bank

Imperial Bondware

Edward H. (Ned) Jenison

Frank Kabbes

Kingery Printing Company

Carl Koerner, Koerner Distributor, Inc.

Lenders Bagels and Employees

Melvin C. Lockard

Joyce A. Madigan

Marathon Pipe Line Company

Newlin Martin, Martin's IGA

Jim McDaniel, Effingham Truck Sales

Dr. George Mitchell

The Monahan Family, The Monahan Company/First National Bank in Arcola

Jerry Moon

Mooney Motors

Delbert D. Mundt

Old School Market & Essenhaus

Petro/Iron Skillet Restaurant

Don Portugal, S & K Air Power & Tool

Jerry J. Ray, Schrock Cabinet Co.

R.R. Donnelley and Sons

Roger Roberson, Roberson Corporation

Rowe Foundry and Machine Co. and Employees

John M. (Jack) Schultz

Jim Short

Siemer Milling Company

Simonton Windows

State Bank of Arthur

US Soy

Victor Products (Dana Corporation)

Dr. Robert D. Webb

Bob Willenborg

Doehring Winders & Co. LLP

Wright's Furniture

Don Yost

The BESI Award is presented at the annual ECIDC meeting held each Spring.  Area business, industrial and governmental leaders are encouraged to submit nominations.