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12/16/2011 |
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Seasons Greetings from ECIDC On behalf of the ECIDC Board of Directors and Advisory Staff, I wish to thank our members and regional friends who have supported ECIDC this past year. We look forward to continued collaborative efforts for enhancing and promoting east central Illinois and providing networking and professional development opportunities for the area's community, education and business leaders.
If not already a member, I invite you to join ECIDC and discover how you can support community and economic development efforts in the region.
Happy Holidays and best wishes for a prosperous New Year!
Jean Anne Grunloh, ECIDC Executive Director
iEntrepreneur Challenge Winner Announced for Global Entrepreneur Week Competition
(Pictured from left: Brian Moody, ECIDC Vice President: Annette Lynch, challenge winner; and Jeanne Dau, Business Solutions Center Director).Article Submitted by Lake Land College Lake Land College student Annette Lynch was awarded first place for her film short submitted to the iEntrepreneur Challenge sponsored by the Business Solutions Center at Eastern Illinois University and ECIDC. Lynch recently received her award at the ECIDC's Board of Directors meeting. The iEntrepreneur Challenge was a YouTube video contest put on to celebrate Global Entrepreneurship Week, which was held Nov. 14-20.
Downstate Voice Initiative Moving Forward
On September 29, 2011, ECIDC hosted Creating a Common Voice for Downstate Illinois at the Keller Convention Center, Effingham. The event brought together over 200 community and economic development leaders from throughout the state to network and collaborate on common development issues facing rural Illinois. By the end of the Summit, 125 attendees volunteered to serve on various task forces to carry forward the Downstate Voice initiative. The 2011 Downstate Summit Executive Summary and presentation materials are available at DownstateVoice.org.
A steering committee and task force chairs have been appointed and will focus on key issues such as TIF Districts, Enterprise Zones, and Making Illinois More Competitive. The leaders will meet again in January, 2012 for strategic planning of each task force and initial planning for a second Downstate Summit to be held this coming fall.
Save the Date ECIDC and goodWORKSconnect are co-hosting the 2nd Annual East Central Illinois Community Development Symposium on Wednesday, March 28, 2012 at the Education Center of Sarah Bush Lincoln, Mattoon. It will be a late afternoon to early evening event and will begin with an interactive workshop focusing on entrepreneurial or creative thinking as well as entrepreneurial support services in the region. At approximately 6:00 p.m., speaker Tim Miles will provide a keynote designed for community and non-profit leaders titled "Managing change from the inside out". Admission is free for both ECIDC and goodWORKSconnect members, otherwise $15. Additional event sponsors to date include Southeastern Illinois Community Foundation and Business Solutions Center at Easterm Illinois University. Look for more details to come at www.ecidc.com.
Regional Broadband Summit Held in Mattoon Over 70 business representatives, educators, Internet Providers, and other community leaders attended the 2nd Annual Regional Broadband Summit in Mattoon, Illinois on December 1st. The event was held at Sarah Bush Lincoln Hospital's Education Center. It was sponsored and organized by East Central Illinois Development Corporation (ECIDC) and Broadband Illinois/PCI.
Area Resource Directory for Community Leaders Did you know ECIDC offers an online Resource Center for area community leaders? This provides extensive information on regional demographics and top industry sectors, potential grants and funding sources for development projects, and contact information for area chambers, government offices, schools, health care facilities, utilities, non-profits and much more. This also includes a consolidated listing of Area Resources for Entrepreneurs and Business Owners. ECIDC works to ensure community, education, and business leaders within the region are connected with all possible tools and resources in their economic and community development efforts. Please forward any suggested resource information to ECIDC at (217) 540-3517 or jgrunloh@lakeland.cc.il.us.
Illinois Critical Access Hospitals Report The Center for Government Studies at Northern Illinois University was commissioned by the Illinois Critical Access Hospital Network (ICAHN) to update recent studies of the economic impact and financial conditions of critical access hospitals in Illinois. In May, 2011, ICAHN published the report, Critical Access Hospital Program: Economic and Community Impact in Illinois. Instrumental in the development of the report was completed surveys from 36 of the 51 Illinois' critical access hospitals by hospital CEOs and CFOs. Critical access hospitals are located in small rural communities throughout the state, with many in or near the ECIDC region. Click here to view the complete report or discover which Illinois hospitals are part of ICAHN.
Micro-Grants Available for Nonprofit Staff and Board in East Central Illinois GoodWORKSconnect offers micro-grants of up to $1,500 for attendance by nonprofit staff and board members at trainings and professional development programs of their own choosing. Grant funds may be used to defray the cost of attending programs targeted at improving the management, governance, and leadership of the applicant organization. Micro-grants are awarded twice a year. The next submission deadline will be in mid-February, 2012. Visit goodWORKSconnect.org in early January, 2012 for the specific deadline date.
Local Holiday Tourism Information Looking for fun things to do within the region this holiday season? Looking to promote your community's special event or area attraction? In addition to your local newspaper, radio, TV or other media source, your local and regional tourism offices can be great resources to discover local activities and also to help spread the word about your tourism destinations and special events. If your community has an upcoming event, be sure to contact your local tourism office to see if they can help market your event. All area tourism offices are listed on ECIDC's website <Area Tourism Offices>. Also, be sure to request posting of your upcoming community event to the regional website, Visit Central Illinois. Contact this office directly at (217) 525-7980 or by e-mail to webinfo@visitcentralillinois.com.
Illinois Specialty Crops, Agritourism and Organic Conference The Illinois Specialty Crops, Agritourism and Organic Conference will be held Jan. 11-13, 2012, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Springfield, Ill. The conference, which features more than 100 speakers and 50 trade show exhibitors, will again host four concurrent preconference workshops, general sessions and breakout sessions aimed at helping Illinois specialty growers cultivate their operations. View the full conference schedule and details>>
How to Start a Business Workshops The Business Solutions Center at Eastern Illinois University (BSC) released a schedule for their first four monthly workshops (January - April, 2012) on "How to Start a Business".
Made in America - A Case for U.S. manufacturing The following article is from the Agurban e-newsletter - An Agracel Publication, Issue 359, dated December 6, 2011. The past three weeks we have discussed reasons why manufacturing will return to the U.S. This week we want to share some facts with you that were recently reported by Jones Lang LaSalle Research about the U.S. manufacturing industry.
Top Site Selection Factors from a 2010 Corporate Survey (Source: Area Development Online Newsletter: SFP Insider # 65, November 22, 2011)
According to Area Development's 25th Annual Corporate Survey (2010), the top site selection factors include:
For more details on each of these site selection factors, www.areadevelopment.com
ECIDC Feature Member The First National Bank of Dieterich, with five locations in Effingham County, is a proud member of ECIDC and supporter of community development efforts in east central Illinois.
New Member Referral Program - Chance to win a $500 U.S. Savings Bond! The 2011-2012 ECIDC New Member Referral Program, jointly sponsored by Midland States Bank and Midland Financial Strategies, provides a great way for ECIDC members to help their regional development group grow. Simply refer the name of a potential new member to the ECIDC Executive Director at jgrunloh@lakeland.cc.il.us or (217) 540-3517. For each successful referral, you will be entered into the contest for a chance to win a $500 Series EE U.S. Savings Bond. The winner will be announced at the Annual Meeting scheduled for May 17, 2012.
Share Your Development News or Success Stories If you wish to share your development news or success stories with almost 1,000 community, business, and education leaders in east central Illinois through the ECIDC e-newsletter, please forward your information to the ECIDC office via e-mail at jgrunloh@lakeland.cc.il.us. Read More
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