Springfield Business Journal has hired Will Norris as creative director and digital media coordinator, effective Jan. 14. Norris had a long career at the State Journal-Register, most recently as creative director of Springfield’s Own Magazine until it ceased publication last year. He also teaches drawing classes for Springfield Art Association. In addition, Rachel Otwell of [...]
Tony Smarjesse is now working at ReMax Professionals in Springfield as a full-time Realtor. Smarjesse has been a Realtor since 1992 and has worked for several local real estate agencies, most recently Century 21. He retired from the State of Illinois as a public service administrator for the Department of Innovation and Technology on Dec. [...]
Mark Butler, who spent nearly 18 years with HIP Advertising before the agency closed at the end of 2019, is now the marketing and creative director for Paszkiewicz Court Reporting & Records Retrieval, one of HIP’s previous clients. Ironically, Butler said he had never met Sarah Paszkiewicz during her time as a client of HIP. [...]
Tiffany Mathis has been chosen as the new CEO and executive director for The Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Illinois, leveraging more than two decades of experience serving area youth and their families. Mathis has worked at the Club since 2015, most recently as director of fund development and community engagement. She previously served [...]
Chuck Davis is the new managing partner of Brown, Hay & Stephens LLP, effective Jan. 1. He succeeds Jeff Wilday, who served in the role for more than 18 years. In a note posted to the law firm’s Facebook page on Dec. 31, Wilday stated, “This is not retirement for me, however. I will continue [...]
David Drendel has joined E.L. Pruitt Company as the Chief Financial Officer. Drendel has 25 years of CFO experience, 15 of which have been in the construction industry in the Springfield area. He worked in construction accounting for Eck, Schafer & Punke and helped initiate the Fat Ass 5K in 2008, an annual charity race [...]
Raychel Yokem has started a new position as the diversity, inclusion and affirmative action manager at Growmark, effective Dec. 1. The company, an agricultural cooperative serving businesses and customers throughout the U.S. and Canada, is based in Bloomington, Illinois, although Yokem said she will commute from Springfield. She most recently worked in human resources at [...]
After nearly 14 years, Dan Linn has stepped down as the executive director of Illinois NORML, an advocacy group which works to reform marijuana laws. In a written statement to supporters, Linn noted how much public opinion has shifted since he first became involved in NORML two decades ago, including cities allowing low level possession [...]
The Illinois Network of Centers for Independent Living (INCIL), a statewide disability advocacy organization, has hired John S. Herring, Sr. as its new executive director. The vacancy resulted from Ryan Croke’s departure to become the chief of staff for the Illinois Department of Human Services. Croke had served the organization since 2017 following founding executive [...]
After more than 50 years in architecture, Ralls Melotte has retired and returned to his roots in Wisconsin, where he recently purchased a home in Kewaunee. Melotte was born in Wisconsin and graduated from University of Illinois in 1970 with a degree in architecture. Along with Richard Morse, he co-founded the firm now known as [...]