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 [...]
The Chatham Area Chamber of Commerce has hired Ashleigh Brinkman as executive director and Ryan McKennedy as coordinator. Brinkman was born and raised in Chatham, where she and her husband, Tim, currently live with their three children. She most recently worked in medical sales and also has experience in event planning and fundraising. Brinkman holds [...]
Nick Williams has been chosen to succeed Phil Gonet as president of the Illinois Coal Association. He will start with the ICA on Dec. 1 and assume the position of president on Jan. 1, 2020. Williams, an Illinois native, is currently the associate director of the Illinois Petroleum Council. He has previously held several legislative [...]
Brad Reach is the new vice president and chief financial officer for Springfield Clinic. Reach most recently served as CFO of Arkansas Heart Hospital in Little Rock, Arkansas, and Illinois Valley Community Hospital in Peru, Illinois. Prior to that, Reach served in various finance roles at OSF St. Francis Medical Center and Heartland Regional Medical [...]
John A. Scherschel, MD, has been named president of Prairie Cardiovascular in Springfield. Scherschel is the fourth president in the group’s 40-year history and succeeds Marc E. Shelton, MD, who was appointed vice president and chief physician executive of Hospital Sisters Health System in March. Scherschel has served as a clinical cardiac electrophysiologist at Prairie [...]
Mark Birtch has started a new position as a licensed Realtor with Keller Williams Realty, Inc. “I’ll be doing primarily residential real estate, representing both buyers and sellers,” Birtch said. “I’m working with Jim Skeeters and his team.” Birtch spent the past eight years with Midwest Family Broadcasting, most recently as the director of sales, [...]