ECIDC Celebrates 28 Years of Fostering Regional Economic Development
(Pictured is Brian Moody (left), new ECIDC President, presenting Stepheny McMahon with an award for her dedicated service as ECIDC President from 2010-2012.)
Thank you to our members, partners, and regional friends for supporting ECIDC's development efforts since 1984! Almost 200 attendees helped celebrate ECIDC's history, recent accomplishments and honor four outstanding community leaders during our 28th Annual Banquet and Recognition Awards Ceremony held May 17, 2012 at the Keller Convention Center, Effingham. The 2012 ECIDC Annual Report highlights our recent accomplishments, development news from throughout the region, and the 2012 Recognition Award recipients. To request a copy of our Annual Report, please contact ECIDC Executive Director Jean Anne Grunloh at (217) 540-3517 or jgrunloh@lakeland.cc.il.us. Click here to view pictures from the Annual Banquet.
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ECIDC Thanks Richard West for his 27 Years of Volunteer Service as ECIDC Treasurer
West (pictured left), CPA and managing partner of West & Company, served as ECIDC treasurer from May, 1985 through May, 2012. John Vogt (pictured right), CPA and partner with West & Company, has accepted the role as ECIDC’s new treasurer. West & Company, a full service accounting firm, has offices located in Mattoon, Effingham, Sullivan, Greenville, and Edwardsville. West works in the Mattoon office while Vogt is based in the Effingham office. ECIDC thanks West & Company for their tremendous support!
For more information on ECIDC's feature member of the month, West & Company, please click here.
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Save the Date for 2nd Annual Downstate Economic Development Summit
Don't miss this day-long event set for Thursday, September 20, 2012 at the Decatur Conference Center. Join us as we partner with organizations throughout Illinois to bring together development leaders to "Create a Common Voice" on economic development issues and share that voice in support of a revitalized downstate caucus. Look for more details to come in the near future at DownstateVoice.org.
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ECIDC Volunteer of the Year
Nicole Weigand (left), Economic Development Director for the City of Casey, received this honor from ECIDC immediate past-president Stepheny McMahon as part of the 28th ECIDC Annual Meeting. Nicole was selected by ECIDC's Executive Committee to be the recipient of the first "ECIDC Volunteer of the Year" award for her dedicated service on several ECIDC action teams, valuable support of the inaugural Downstate Economic Development Summit held September 29, 2011, and extensive data analysis and executive summary following the event. Thank you Nicole for your great service to ECIDC!
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New Regional Transit Reservation Program
Transit Reservation Information Program (TRIP) is a new program that provides coordination of transportation services for the residents and visitors of Champaign, Clark, Coles, Cumberland, DeWitt, Douglas, Edgar, Macon, Moultrie, Piatt, Shelby and Vermillion Counties. This program provides passengers with a single point of access to receive information, planning and scheduling regional transportation facilitating greater mobility for all individuals in the 12 counties. TRIP will coordinate trips which require greater distances than you local public transportation provider is capable of doing. While medical, work and education transportation will be a priority, TRIP can be used for any reason by persons of any age and by persons with special needs or abilities.
For more information, visit http://www.colescouncilonaging.org/trip.html or call toll free the Coles County Council on Aging at 1-855-477-8747.
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Making Rural Transit Work
Transit in rural areas is tricky. Folks need to go farther, the passengers are more dispersed, and there's less money to go around. But that doesn't make it any less necessary. On the contrary, according to a new report from Reconnecting America, nearly 40 percent of the United States' transit-dependent population - including senior citizens, the disabled and low-income individuals - lives in rural areas. Despite the challenges, investment in rural transit is improving, Reconnecting America reports, and communities that prioritize services are seeing economic results. More>>
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2012 Long Range State Transportation Plan
The Illinois Long Range Transportation Plan (Plan) presents the policies, goals and strategies that will guide IDOT in their investment decisions for the state transportation system over the next twenty plus years. Stay informed by visiting http://www.illinoistransportationplan.org/. You may sign up for their mailing list to receive project-related mailings or e-mails related to the Long Range State Transportation Plan.
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Looking for Traffic Counts or Road Construction Information? IDOT Provides Free Web-Based Program.
Getting Around Illinois is a web-based interactive mapping site that provides the ability to search and display several sources of transportation data. You can find information on winter road conditions, average annual daily traffic, road construction, trucking routes, and planned road projects. For more information, visit www.gettingaroundillinois.com.
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Community Swap Can Bring New Perspective to Your Community
A Community Swap involves delegations from two separate communities, secretly visiting the other community and evaluating it with new eyes and then providing feedback to each other in the hopes of hearing constructive criticism that could lead to improvements. Recently, two ECIDC communities, Marshall and Sullivan, participated in a Community Swap. Secret visitors from each community toured some of the other community's shops, schools, community buildings, special attractions, and so forth. Please click the "Read More" button below for more details.
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Community Learning Classes Available to Help Area Residents Utilize Internet
Through its Community Learning, Lake Land College offers several classes that can help area residents learn computer fundamentals and feel more comfortable utilizing broadband (high-speed Internet). Attendees can learn in a relaxed environment how to use the computer. Participants can learn a variety of computer skills such as how to create, open, close, edit, save, rename, move, copy, and delete files. They can become skilled at organizing documents, folders, and pictures. Additional topics include using Windows, Word, Excel, and the Internet. Class tuition may be waived for citizens age 65 and older. Classes can be organized and held at various locations throughout the Lake Land College region based on need and can be formed. If you know residents in your community who have been hesitant to use the Internet and might benefit from computer skills training, please contact Johnna Morecraft, Director of Community Programs at jmorecra@lakeland.cc.il.us or (217) 234-5470.
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Older Adults and Internet Use
As of April 2012, 53% of American adults age 65 and older use the internet or email. Though these adults are still less likely than all other age groups to use the internet, the latest data represent the first time that half of seniors are going online. After several years of very little growth among this group, these gains are significant. Read more>>
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Winner Announced for the Vegas Vacation Raffle
Tiffany Macke (pictured, Community Educator with the University of Illinois Extension (Crawford, Clark and Edgar Counties), was the lucky winner of the Vegas Vacation for Two Travel Package valued at $1300. Tiffany's name was drawn during the closing ceremony of the 2012 ECIDC Annual Banquet held May 17, 2012. The raffle fundraiser was sponsored by West and Company, The First National Bank of Dieterich, and Effingham Travel Agency.
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ECIDC New Member Referral Program
Help ECIDC grow by referring potential new ECIDC members and be entered in an annual drawing for a chance to win $250 cash! The ECIDC New Member Referral Program is sponsored by Midland States Bank and Midland States Bank Wealth Management. Click here for program details.
Ken Larimore, Community Educator with the University of Illinois Extension (Effingham, Jasper, Clay and Fayette Counties) was the winner of the 2012 drawing. Congratulations Ken!
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Share Your Development News
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.
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