Security Bank and Springfield Business Journal are proud to bring you the 14th annual Women of Influence. This program honors local women for their contributions to the Springfield area community. Selected by their peers through submitted nominations, all have made important contributions to the community at large. You are invited to join us in celebrating [...]
BY PATRICK YEAGLE She grew up the only girl with five brothers. Maybe that was where Mary Therese Vann first learned to hold her own. Known as M.T. to many, Mary Therese Vann of Springfield died Dec. 31, 2016, leaving a respected legacy of making her own way in the worlds of business and social [...]
BY COURTNEY ENLOW HALL As the director of population health and community outreach for the SIU Center for Family Medicine, Dr. Tracey Smith has devoted her professional life to providing access and equity to people in vulnerable situations. “When I look at something, I always look at it in terms of a system,” she said. [...]
BY COURTNEY ENLOW HALL Necessity is the mother of invention, and Rasha Said is a mother whose invention was born out of necessity. When her young son started to lose his vision, Said began to realize how important it was for him to remain independent. On a family trip to Disney World, she found herself [...]
BY ROBERTA CODEMO The odds were stacked against Margaret “Boony” Luparell of Dawson from day one. Born on the south side of Chicago, her family moved to Springfield when she was about four years old. She grew up on Springfield’s north side, the youngest of five children. “I come from very humble beginnings,” she said. [...]
BY ROBERTA CODEMO Dr. Susan J. Koch always looked up to her mother, who worked full-time while raising five children in a rural South Dakota town. “She was a very courageous and dedicated person,” Koch said. “She had high expectations for us. I didn’t want to disappoint her.” Whenever she left the house, Koch’s mother [...]
BY COURTNEY ENLOW HALL Molly Berendt was 23 years old when she started the program that would change both her life and the lives of Springfield’s homeless children. Beginning as a ministry at Douglas Avenue Methodist Church, the Compass program – now Compass for Kids – sought to support homeless children at Dubois Middle School. [...]
The owners of Cooper's StrEATside Bistro, a popular food truck in Springfield, are opening a new permanent location. The new Cooper's Alleyside is opening at King Pin Lanes, 3115 E. Sangamon Ave., on April 20. Kendra Cooper, who runs the food truck with her husband Justin, says a brick-and-mortar restaurant has always been their goal. They [...]
Capital City Home Improvement LLC 7460 Rolling Oaks Drive, Riverton 414-2304 Owner: Shannon C. Hessler House of Bouncers 8150 Cascade Rd., Rochester 306-3561 Owner: Zac Geist, Aaron Geist KLC Turf Pro 5438 Forrest Lane, Sherman 299-7727 Owner: Pamela Kent Rainbow Massage Spa 348 Williams Lane, Chatham 481-6769 Owner: Miaomiao Liu Just the [...]
Corey Faucon, left, is chef and owner of Long 9 Junction. By Patrick Yeagle A new "chef-driven" restaurant opened downtown on Monday. Long 9 Junction is a gourmet eatery on Springfield's Old State Capitol Plaza, offering fresh bread and roasted meat as part of its menu of New American cuisine. Chef and owner [...]
