Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce

The Pekin Park District Precise Ice Skate Team traveled to the Edge Ice Center in Owensboro, Kentucky to compete in the 6 th Annual Living On The Edge ISI Invitational Team Competition on January 28, 2017.  They performed an original competition piece choreographed by Team Coach Christa Lasley to the song Belle from Beauty and the Beast and brought back a first place win.  Team will be travelling to the Niles Park District IceLand 37 th Annual Sweetheart Open ISI Team Competition on February 12, 2017.  Travel to see them compete or go to our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/ppdrecreation to wish them luck! Pictured are your award winning Precise Ice Team:  (sitting) Coach Christa Lasley, Bree Feller as Belle; middle row from left, Jaelyn Dirst, Rachel Kuntz, Jaclyn Mulvey, Isabella Silfies, Baylie Holeman, and Chelsea Worlow; top row from left, Sierra Weaver, Hope Skocaj, Jaydence McClary, Cali Elbert, Kyla Kirkpatrick and Jaycee Silfies. For more information re

Kiwanis Pekin Sunset Club PO Box 484 Pekin, IL 61555 309-550-8780 Jordan Matthews, President Mike Eeten, President Elect Courtney Eeten , Secretary  Earl Riley, Treasurer  Kiwanis clubs, located in 80 nations, help their communities in countless ways. Each community’s needs are different—so each Kiwanis club is different. By working together, members achieve what one person cannot accomplish alone. When you give a child the chance to learn, experience, dream, grow, succeed and thrive, great things happen.

Baby-Friendly USA, Inc. recentl y announced that UnityPoint Health – Pekin has received prestigious international recognition and has been re-designated as a Baby-Friendly birth facility. Baby-Friendly USA, Inc. is the U.S. authority for the implementation of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI), a global program sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The initiative encourages and recognizes hospitals and birthing centers that offer an optimal level of care for breastfeeding mothers and their babies. Based on the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, this prestigious international award recognizes birth facilities that offer breastfeeding mothers the information, confidence and skills needed to successfully initiate and continue breastfeeding their babies. There are more than 20,000 designated Baby-Friendly hospitals and birth centers worldwide. Currently there are 403 active Baby-Friendly hospitals and

Twenty Emerging Leaders attended the January 26th session on Social Media.  The program was presented by Officer Mike Eeten of the Pekin Police Department.  You can see more pictures from this event at:  https://goo.gl/photos/GTqbRr7oM4Fvy2GF6 The Emerging Leaders is a Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce program.  The mission is to empower, unite and develop emerging leaders by providing personal and professional development opportunities through networking, education & community involvement. The objectives of the monthly events are to Welcome and empower leaders in the Pekin area Develop, equip and educate the Pekin area’s next generation of leaders Connect emerging leaders with Pekin’s diverse professionals, entrepreneurs & area resources More information about the Emerging Leaders, and an application, is available at: http://www.pekinchamber.com/EmergingLeaders.html or by calling the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce at 346-2106.

Nearly $3,000 Received Towards Matching Grant The Salvation Army in Pekin is calling on all its supporters here in the final week of its Christmas Campaign.   “Major Rick Ray will be anxious to meet with the donor who offered to help with a $10,000 donation for a Pekin match,” said Rich Draeger, Tri-County Development Director. “The Pekin Corps has received almost $3,000 through online and in person or mail donations in the past few weeks, but there is still time for folks who hadn’t yet donated to help out the cause.” To date, $179,767 has been raised toward the $200,000 dollar goal for the Pekin Salvation Army Christmas Campaign. Achieving the goal means that The Salvation Army will be able to continue providing the current level of services in Pekin and Tazewell County. Donations will be accepted through the end of business next Tuesday. “We sincerely believe that this wonderful offer can be fully realized in this final week and hope it helps convince others to consi

Brent Brodeski selected for his unequaled passion for  helping others. Brent Brodeski , chief executive officer of Savant Capital Management , a nationally-recognized fee-only wealth management firm, was named the Rockford Chamber of Commerce’s 2017 Citizen of the Year. He received the award at the Rockford Chamber’s Annual Dinner on January 19 at Giovanni’s Restaurant and Convention Center in Rockford. The Citizen of the Year Award is open to any Rockford area individual who has, over a period of several years, contributed to the welfare and progress of the community. Brodeski’s forward thinking and proactive style has helped Savant grow to become one of the nation’s leading advisory firms. Success in his career has only strengthened his sense of personal and corporate responsibility throughout the 30-year history of the firm. Not only does he encourage and support Savant staff members to give time and resources to the communities they serve but he also leads by example.

Illinois Central College Massage Therapy clinic, located in Arbor Hall on the ICC North Campus at 5407 N. University St., Peoria, is now accepting appointments for the spring 2017 semester. The clinic is staffed by students in ICC’s Massage Therapy Program, and services are offered under the supervision of faculty and licensed massage therapists. Appointments are available now through April 12 on Mondays from 3 to 7:30 pm or Wednesdays from 9 am to 7:30 pm. Cost is $20 for a 50-minute Swedish massage. To schedule an appointment, visit www.schedulicity.com/Scheduling/ICC7FG or call the clinic at (309) 690-6822.

Leadership Management International  Pekin, IL 61554 309-620-3693 Karen Shorey Karen is a leadership development coach. SHe has been working with LMI International for over 7 years, combining over 20 years of experience of working with people and her passion for helping leaders. She works with leaders helping them develop their full potential by long term mentoring that results in measurable growth. She can help you bridge the gap between potential to performance with guaranteed results.

Illinois Central College is hosting an informational session for home educators and their high-school-aged students on Friday, February 24, from 8:30 am to noon, on the ICC East Peoria Campus. The event is aimed at providing an overview of ICC as well as discussing ways in which ICC can partner with home educators to supplement and/or extend their home school curriculum. Topics will include information on financial aid and admission, including ICC’s home school admission policies, an overview of student activities and other ways of getting involved on campus, and tours of the Agricultural and Industrial Technologies Building and Art Gallery. Students also will have the chance to fill out surveys at the Career Center to see how their interests align with career options. The event is free, but space is limited. Reservations are required, as breakfast will be provided. For more information or to make a reservation, contact Mandy Hidden at (309) 694-5228 by Friday, February 17.  

In this webinar, Deluxe product expert Brad Keys will explain how to make your website easy to find, how to boost website traffic and how to generate leads -- all while following Google's rules. To see more about this Webinar and the many other classes SCORE has to offer visit  www.peoria.score.org

Fondulac Bank and the Embassy Suites hosted a Titanic themed regional Business After Hours on January 19th. Attendees came from the Chambers in Peoria, East Peoria, Morton, Washington and Pekin.  A huge crowed enjoyed the refreshments and networking.  You can see more pictures from this event at:  https://goo.gl/photos/LbV3tj7Js6cY77ds9

The R. David Tebben Community Leadership Academy, sponsored by UnityPoint Health - Pekin, met this morning for their second classroom session.  While learning about leadership from Nathan Thomas from Bradley University they had to deal with those pesky helium hoops.  You can see more pictures from today's class here:  https://goo.gl/photos/fPjbAggyeiZ4Ae7C8

The 2017 R. David Tebben Community Leadership Academy began on January 19th.  The students got to know each other with a speed networking activity.  The 10-week program is sponsored by UnityPoint Health - Pekin.  You can see more pictures from this event at:  https://goo.gl/photos/hp5vjj5BUvrBeqYc6

Everyone has an imagination.  Art helps develop it.  Art takes what was just a thought and makes it a reality.  Creating art is a way for children to learn how to make choices and solve problems by taking them through a step by step process. The end result is an object they created. Local artist and high school teacher, Amy Psinas, has developed Masterpiece Mondays to help children find an expressive outlet through art and to help them develop hidden talents. Masterpiece Mondays is a 6-week session with each class building on each other until at the end of the program children have a compilation of art pieces.  Ages to attend are 8 years – 16 years.  Classes meet on Monday from 4:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. in the Pekin High School Art Room (enter through the Tech Ed Center doors).  Materials are included in the $79 fee ($89 if registered less than 7 days prior to the start date;         non-residents add $3). For more information, please contact Dawn Wilde-Burgess at dwilde@pekinpark

Once you've played our golf course at Sunset Hills Golf Club, you're going to want to return again and again to conquer this shot-maker's course with its challenging holes. And a full golfing membership at our club is one of the best ways to guarantee that you'll be visiting often. At Sunset Hills Golf Club you'll be able to improve your game and meet new friends who share your passion for golf.Perhaps you've thought about a club membership before but thought it was out of your price range. But once you've heard about the opportunities at Sunset Hills Golf Club, you'll change your mind. We have a variety of membership plans available -- plans designed for either families or individuals. Beyond the recreational opportunities, you will also want to take the social plunge and join in on our mixers and holiday parties. We help create traditions for the whole family on Mother's and Father's Day, Halloween, Labor Day and many more important dates.

Illinois Central College will host Campus Visit Days from 9:30 am to noon on Fridays this spring to give potential students information on various program options and the chance to see the College up close and personal. ICC will feature the following programs on these dates: ·          Fine and Performing Arts : January 20, East Peoria Campus, Room 212C/D ·          Graphic Design : February 3, East Peoria Campus, Room 212C/D ·          Criminal Justice/Paralegal/Law Enforcement/911/Fire Science : February 10, North Campus, Poplar Hall Room 127 ·          Psychology/Sociology: February 17, East Peoria Campus, Room 212C/D ·          Culinary Arts: March 3, North Campus, Dogwood Hall Room 102 ·          General Information: March 24, East Peoria Campus, Room 212C/D Parking for the East Peoria sessions is available in the Visitors Lot. Tours of the Academic Building and Campus Housing will be offered during sessions at the East Peoria Campus. The Friday Campus Visit

The Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) is alerting motorists that travel may be impacted by freezing rain and sleet today through Sunday. The National Weather Service is expecting ice to accumulate in many areas of Illinois, particularly the southern half of the state, starting Friday morning. Ice accumulation of at least 0.25 inches is forecast in the southwestern part of the state, creating hazardous driving conditions. "Whenever a winter storm is forecast, you should ask yourself if your trip is necessary before heading out," said Illinois Transportation Secretary Randy Blankenhorn. "We will be out making sure the roads are as safe as possible, but icy conditions may make roads slick this weekend. Give our crews plenty of room to work and please slow down if you will be driving." Crews have been pretreating bridges, overpasses and ramps - the areas most susceptible to icing - in advance of the expec

The Boards of Directors of Progressive Health Systems and UnityPoint Health – Peoria have finalized and approved an affiliation agreement, which became effective January 1st, 2017. The agreement brings the two systems together, allowing for enhanced access to primary care providers and specialists while improving care coordination and patient experience. Pekin Hospital’s name is being changed to UnityPoint Health – Pekin, effective immediately. ProHealth Medical Group and ProCare will retain their names and become part of UnityPoint Health. There will be no immediate changes to operations or services. “Bringing these two organizations together allows us to continue delivering outstanding healthcare to Pekin and the surrounding communities,” said Debbie Simon, President and CEO of UnityPoint Health - Peoria. “We are committed to enhancing services in Tazewell County and are eager to work together as one team moving forward.” “UnityPoint Health and Progressive Health Systems share si

The Illinois Central College Educational Foundation will offer more than 600 scholarships worth more than $750,000 to students attending ICC this coming academic year (2017-2018). The scholarships are awarded to students who will be attending ICC in fall 2017. Students may apply for the scholarships from January 15, 2017, until 11:59 pm on April 1, 2017 , using the online application system. Please note: The link will be active as of January 15, 2017.          The online application process is simple, and by completing one application, students are automatically considered for every scholarship for which they are eligible. Online applications, as well as a complete listing of all available ICC scholarships, may be accessed by visiting http://icc.edu/students/scholarships/ . Questions about scholarships or the application process may be directed to Stephanie Holmes at (309) 694-8420.

                Join Illinois Central College’s “Between the Lines” program as it explores the impact of one poem on 1950’s era American culture. “Starving, Hysterical, Naked: Allen Ginsberg’s Howl ,” moderated by ICC Professor Jim Sullivan, is set for Mon., Feb. 6 at 2:30 pm in Room 212C/D on the ICC East Peoria Campus.                 It would be hard to find a poem that has changed American culture to the extent that Allen Ginsberg’s great rant of a poem   Howl did when it was published in 1956. It tore the cover off the placid media image of America, drawing attention to all those who did not fit into the supposed mainstream of American life. It offered a wild denunciation of the world Ginsberg found himself in as well as a spiritual vision of a more compassionate America. “Between the Lines” is a lecture series presented by the faculty members of the English, Humanities and Language Studies Department at ICC. The goal of the series is to offer literary presentations which

Beginning this month, ICC’s Dental Hygiene program and clinic will relocate from its former location in Downtown Peoria to the ICC North Campus, located in Arbor Hall, 5407 N. University St., in Peoria.  The new facility is being relocated as part of the College’s long-term plan to transition from the Downtown Campus to the North Campus, which is currently under renovation. Students, dentists, and dental hygienists, who serve as faculty members, will have new digital x-ray equipment and computerized documentation at each dental station at their disposal. “The move of Health Career programs to the North Campus will provide faculty and students the opportunity for interdisciplinary teaching and learning, as well as advanced simulation exercises for multiple programs at the same time,” said ICC Dean of Health Careers Wendee Guth. “We are excited to provide greater accessibility and high-quality care in a state-of-the-art facility for clinic patients.” “The move is the next step in

There are two ways for companies to increase profits - focus on sales, and focus on spending. Many companies put all of their energy into sales, leaving money on the table and opening themselves to unncecssary risk.  This presentation, by Jennifer and Joseph Albright, CEO and COO of Spendright, Inc., is designed to introduce the building blocks of supply management and discuss ways that entrepreneurs can incorporate these concepts into their businesses in order to maximize profits and minimize risk as they grow.

Illinois Central College is offering a Pharmacy Technician Certification Board Exam (PTCB) test preparation course, covered in two Saturdays in February. The twelve-hour course will be held on Sat., Feb. 11, and Sat., Feb. 18, from 8:30 am to 3 pm, at Hickory Hall on the ICC North Campus, 5407 N. University St., in Peoria. The course is designed for currently-employed pharmacy technicians and is an accelerated class aimed at providing an overview highlighting the main content areas covered by the PTCB exam. The course includes overviews of: ·          Pharmacy law and drug regulation ·          Calculation of percentage strengths, ratio solutions, and allegations ·          Preparation of IVs and other sterile preparations ·          Insurance billing and inventory control               The class is not intended to replace a full-length educational program or on-the-job training, and students will not receive a certificate of completion. In order to obtain certification a

97.3 Nash FM, Peoria’s Country is proud to once again be partnering with the Children’s Hospital of Illinois for the annual Teddy Bear Drive, sponsored by Bob Lindsay Acura. Please help us by donating new teddy bears.  Teddy Bears can be dropped off at our studio located at 120 Eaton St. in Peoria,   Monday through Friday from 8am – 5pm or Bob Lindsey Acura on Allen Road until February 13, 2017. The goal is to stuff an “Acura MDX” in their show room with teddy bears. Our goal is to collect more than 2,500 bears this year.  Our delivery will make for a nice Valentine’s gift for any child who is in the hospital that day, and the Children’s Hospital continues to use our donations year round to give to sick kids. Thank you for your support!

Two new exhibits open on January 18 at the Illinois Central College art galleries, located on the East Peoria Campus. An artists’ talk from will take place in Gallery 336B from noon to 2 pm to open Making a Life, an exhibit featuring ceramics and sculpture by Erin Furimsky and Claire Hedden. Gallery 336B is located in the Academic Building. In addition, a printmaking exhibit by Florin Hategan opens at noon in the ICC Performing Arts Center Gallery, located in the lobby of the facility. Erin Furimsky is a practicing studio artist in Bloomington whose work focuses on the relationship of sculptural form with highly ornamented surfaces. She received a bachelor degree from Pennsylvania State University in 1997 and a master degree from The Ohio State University in 2002. Furimsky has exhibited her work nationally with inclusions of her work in international exhibitions in China and Taiwan. Since 1997, her work has been included in over 100 group and solo exhibitions, with reproductions

Illinois public high schools are now required to administered the SAT to high school juniors instead of the ACT or PARCC exams. Illinois Central College will offer a series of four, three-hour review courses to help students prepare for the SAT test, as well as informational sessions for students and their parents or guardians on this transition. All SAT Prep course sessions and the Introductory Night will be held at Hickory Hall on the ICC North Campus, located at 5407 N. University St., Peoria. Participants must register to take the SAT exam separately. The sessions meet in the two weeks prior to each of the SAT test dates scheduled throughout this spring. The next session is scheduled to begin on Feb. 27. Illinois public high schools will administer the SAT test to area high school juniors on April 5, 2017. However, students may wish to take the test more than once to try to improve their scores. SAT Prep course participants will learn strategies for building test-taking skills

What businesses are likely to boom this year? Are there specific trends you should be aware of in order to position your small business for growth? Join us for this webinar and learn: What types of businesses are going strong today How to take advantage of consumer purchasing behaviors Which demographic groups have extra purchasing power What customers want from small businesses and much more https://www.score.org/event/hot-businesses-markets-trends-2017

Emma Vandeveer, Vice President Marketing and Sales at South Side Trust and Savings Bank in Peoria, IL, was reappointed to the Illinois Bankers Association (IBA) 2016-2017 Communications and Marketing Committee by IBA President and CEO Linda Koch. As a member of the Committee, Vandeveer will review IBA communication vehicles such as the Illinois Banker magazine, e-newsletters and the website; and makes recommendations for the enhancements and improvements, while providing feedback on IBA communications practices.  The Committee also reviews the IBA’s public relations efforts and suggests ways for the IBA to better serve as a resource to its members. The Illinois Bankers Association, the voice of Illinois’ banking industry, is a full-service trade association dedicated to creating a positive business climate that benefits the entire banking industry and the communities they serve.  Founded in 1891, the IBA brings together state and national banks that together employ well over

Innovative Medical Therapies is excited to announce a Weight Loss Information Session on Thursday, January 12 to help you accomplish your health goals in 2017! Come learn about the comprehensive, medically supervised weight management program, sample some of the products and learn about what the program can do for you. Join Dr. Fisher, a national expert from the Robard Corporation (manufacturers of the New Direction Food products), and others working to change their lives with this all encompassing, supportive program THAT WORKS! ·          Date:  Thursday, January 12, 2017 ·          Time:  5:30 pm – 6:30 –pm ·          Location: 2 nd Floor Conference Room, Pekin Library.  301 S. Fourth Street; Pekin, IL 61554. ·          RSVP:  Write clientcare@csccil.com or call 309-347-2714. About Innovative Medical Therapies Weight Loss Program The Robard Corporation has been helping people lose and manage their weight for decades, and Innovative Medical Therapies has embraced