Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce

Pekin Hospital and Progressive Health Systems are pleased to announce Sue Silcox as Director of Surgical Services. Silcox brings more than 35 years of medical leadership experience to Pekin Hospital. Previously she served as Interim Director of Surgical Services for Winchester Medical Center in Winchester, VA, Director of Surgical Services for Spring View Hospital in Lebanon, KY, and Senior Director of Surgical Services at St. Luke’s Magic Valley Hospital in Twin Falls, ID. Silcox began her nursing career at Methodist Hospital in Houston, TX, where she served for 20 years. She received a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the University of Phoenix and is active in the Association of Operation Room Nurses. Part of Progressive Health Systems, Pekin Hospital is a 107-bed medical center serving Tazewell, Peoria and Mason Counties since 1913. For more information visit pekinhospital.org . 

A $35 million Extraordinary Dividend was recently announced by CEFCU’s Board of Directors and distributed to the Credit Union’s member/owners.  The amount each member will receive was determined by dividends earned and interest paid during the first 11 months of the year, as of November 30, 2016.  On the evening of December 12, funds were deposited to members’ Savings accounts.                              Over the last 17 years, CEFCU has returned $190 million in Extraordinary Dividends to members.  CEFCU Board Chairman, Nancy Medendorp, stated, “Once again, CEFCU showed strong financial results.  That, along with the continued support and loyalty of CEFCU member/owners, made another large Extraordinary Dividend available for members.”               Mark Spenny...

In action at their regular meeting last night, Illinois Central College Board of Trustees approved Dr. Lisa Stich as the College’s Interim Vice President of Academic Affairs. Stich is slated to begin her new role on Jan. 1. She replaces Dr. Margaret Swanson, who retired from the position after more than 32 years with ICC. Stich most recently served as Vice President of Academic and Student Services at West Shore Community College in Scottville, Mich., where she was responsible for academic and student services, including teaching and learning, library services, online programming, admissions, registration, financial aid, disabilities services, business training, performing arts, and accreditation. She also has served in the capacity of Interim Dean of the School of Health Science and Wellness at Laramie County Community College in Cheyenne, Wy.; as Vice President of Educational Services at Flathead Valley Community College, Kalispell, Mont.; as Administrator of Institutional Advance...

Illinois Central College will hold several informational sessions for its Highway Construction Careers Training Program, with program applications and TABE testing available at each session.  There is no registration or fees required for the informational and testing sessions.  If selected for the program, applicants will be eligible to attend classes, which will begin on February 20, 2017, and end on May 12, 2017. The ICC Highway Construction Careers Training Program was implemented to increase the number of minorities, women, and disadvantaged individuals working on IDOT highway construction projects and is offered through the Corporate and Community Education Department at ICC.  This intensive 12-week program prepares participants for careers in the highway construction trades industry through classroom learning, skills labs, and real-world jobsite experience. Training includes, but is not limited to, math for trades, job readiness skills, and technical skills cou...

Illinois Central College will offer “Express Enrollment” Monday through Wed., Jan. 9, 10 and 11 from 8 am to 4 pm, on the East Peoria Campus. Those interested in enrolling at ICC can complete the process of applying and enrolling in just one day. No appointment is necessary, and free parking is available in Lots A and B and in the Visitors Lot. Classes for the spring 2017 semester begin on Tues., January 17. “Express Enrollment” can be completed in just a few hours’ time. Participants are encouraged to arrive by 1 pm in order to complete all of the steps leading to enrollment in one day. For advising or testing completion only, participants must arrive by 2 pm.                 The process includes: Completing and processing an ICC application, completing placement testing, meeting with an advisor to develop a class schedule, filling out financial aid paperwork and setting up a payment plan, and getting an of...

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Illinois Central College Board of Trustees has reviewed candidate applicants for the Trustee vacancy. The Board intends to appoint Doug Stewart, pending Board approval, to fill the vacancy following the death of James Polk.   Polk passed away in November at the age of 77. Polk, whose term was set to expire in April 2017, served nearly 20 years on the Board. During closed session at the December meeting, the Board reviewed the applicants and intends to appoint Stewart to finish out the remaining four months of Polk’s term. The Board is expected to make the decision with a public vote and seat Stewart at its January 19 meeting. Stewart has been a Peoria-area banker for more than 40 years and is the Regional President for Central Illinois at PNC Bank. He was an ICC Board of Trustees member from 1987 to 1997 and served as chairman three times. He is in his third term and currently is chairman of the board at Bradley University. Stewart is active in the community and has bee...

Friends, family, and customers of the Gingoteague Convenience Store joined owner Jon Flynn and representatives from the City of Pekin and the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce for a ribbon cutting on December 14.  Located at 2601 S. 14th, the Gingoteague Convenience Store offers soda, tea, nachos, snacks, beer, wine, spirits, frozen pizza, soft serve ice cream, chips, medicine, household items, Spudnut Donuts and more. They are open 7 days a week and can be reached at 346-7007. 

Coming up at Pekin Academy of Fine Arts     ********************************************************* We are excited to collaborate with The Mansion on Walnut on this project! We will offer crafts for the kids while the adults meet. Stay tuned for more information. Mark your calendar, our first meeting is January 19th.  Like their page  HERE  for further events.

Winter Newsletter from Mackinaw Valley Vineyard Wishing you a Happy Holiday Season! Two New Wines for the Holidays! Red Dragon and White Dragon are two new wines ready in time for gift giving, Paul, Eric and our friend Aaron worked on these two sweet wines and we are excited to release them.  The descriptions are shown below for these  New Wines , come in for a taste and take home a bottle.  We will have Hot Wassail samples on the weekends too! .  RED DRAGON: This red wine blend with apple fla...

Tribute artist Ted Vigil brings a holiday-themed performance based on a beloved music icon to the ICC Performing Arts Center, located on the East Peoria Campus, on December 16 at 7:30 pm. A John Denver Christmas features Vigil, along with backing musicians as they present a mix of traditional holiday songs, holiday music recorded by Denver, and several of Denver’s classic songs in a 90-minute performance. Vigil started out singing rock and pop music, but his career took a slightly different turn in 2006 when he entered a talent contest. When he arrived at the competition, he was told he could also enter in the country music category. After two days, he was bumped out of the rock and pop category, but he held a spot in the Top 20 of the country category. After numerous people approached him with the same question during the weeklong contest, Vigil said he decided to try singing a John Denver song. “After a few days of being there and everybody in the hallways saying, ‘Hey, did...

Susan Webb, Branch Manager of South Side Bank’s Bartonville Facility , was appointed to the Illinois Bankers Association (IBA) 2016-2017 Women in Banking Committee by IBA President and CEO Linda Koch. As a member of the Committee, Webb will assist the IBA in developing the Annual Women in Banking Conference and other networking and educational opportunities for female bankers. 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 100,000 people in nearly 5,000 offices across the state.  The IBA is proud of its diverse membership, serving all sizes of financial institutions from the smallest community bank in the state to the largest national bank in the country.  Illinois headquartered ban...

Seasons Greetings from The Clubs of Sunset Hills! Mark You Calendar! Customer Appreciation Party December 15, 2016  Happy Hour!  ~ 4-6:00 PM FREE Appetizers, $2.00 Domestic Drafts ~ 5:30-7:00 PM 6:00-8:00 PM A visit from Santa's "Fireball Girls" Stop by and wish Keith Dunkelburger & Bill Craig a  HAPPY BIRTHDAY!   They will be celebrating being 70 years young!   Holiday Gift Certificates You can't go wrong with Golf Gift Certificates - Use them for Golf Rounds, Cart Fees, Food & Beverage, Pro Shop Merchandise and More... Buy 1 $50.00 Gift Card & receive a bonus $5.00 card. The Gift of Membership Membership at Sunset Hills Golf Course has it's benefits.  Haven't had time to re-new or get information regarding our 2017...

Ameren Illinois is providing tips to customers in the Peoria area to help make them aware of scam artists who are attempting to defraud them. This week, more than 25 small businesses in Greater Peoria area, including several in Pekin, have reported suspicious activity. The majority of those incidents were phone calls from scammers who threatened immediate disconnection of utility service unless a payment was made from a pre-paid debit card. "Our business customers in particular have been recent targets of this scam, however, residential customers must also be vigilant because they are often targeted with a variety of scam tactics as well," said Shirley Stennis, Director of Customer Service for Ameren Illinois. "Scammers claim they will disconnect service within the hour if a payment isn't made. This is not a practice or policy of Ameren Illinois. In fact, we give our customers the opportunity to make payment arrangements and would never demand a payment in this ...

Know Before You Go with IDOT'S Winter Road Conditions Map SPRINGFIELD - With more snow in the forecast this weekend and the official start of winter coming soon, the Illinois Department of Transportation reminds you to visit www.gettingaroundillinois.com for updated Illinois road conditions before heading out.    Available on your computer and mobile device by clicking the "Winter Road Conditions" tab, this handy map provides an overview of how the roads are looking throughout the state. The map receives more than two million visitors and nearly five million page views each winter.    "Be ready before going out on your travels this winter," said Illinois Transportation Secretary Randy Blankenhorn. "Our winter road conditions map gives you an idea of what to expect. As a reminder, it's always best to stay off the roads if travel isn't absolutely necessary during a ...

About 90 people attended the December 9th Puttin' On Pekin breakfast held at the Avanti's Dome.  New chamber member Cliff Faber (Jester's Workshop) won the early prize while Mitch O'Shaughnessey (DreamScapes Landscaping) won the late prize, again.  Members of Artistic Community Theater entertained the crowd with a short original skit.  The December breakfast also features the year-end big grand prize drawing.  Nine different people won prize packages valued at over $300 each:  Joe Shehorn, Jim McClarey, Kevin McClaren, Gregg Ratliff, Dennis Kief, Annette Davis, Brigitte Krieg, Nancy Morris, and Manda Brown.  You can see pictures of this event at:  https://goo.gl/photos/tSD8n4KUubF8SBQB6

The Institute of Women's Leadership recently completed their six-week fall session.  The Institute is a partnership between the Pekin Area Chamber of Commerce and Char Richardson of Richardson Counseling and Wellness Center. The Institute was designed for committed, engaged career women ready to approach key challenges with a new perspective. The program provided a unique forum for women to realize their full potential and attain their highest levels of effectiveness and productivity in both their personal and professional lives. Participants worked toward goals and created and maintained change through a supportive community of accountability.  Topics included... Boost your career    Lesson plan for change  Growing in emotional intelligence  Diffusing anger in others / effective conflict resolution  Life balance and energy  Eliminating obstacles / goal setting Participants had favorable comments about the program. Great pro...

Jester's Workshop 217 Court St.  Pekin, IL 61554  309-338-4927  Cliff Faber , Owner Dan Downard , Owner  Website Jester's Workshop is a woodworking shop specializing in custom made outdoor furniture and wood turning.

Gingoteague 2601 S. 14th St.  Pekin, IL 61554  309-346-7007  Jon Flynn , Director Website Locally owned convenience store selling soda, tea, nachos, snacks, beer, wine, spirits, frozen pizza, soft serve ice cream, chips, medicine, household items.

Pekin Villas of Holly Brook and Reflections 2720 S. 14th St.  Pekin, IL 61554  309-201-3763  Jennifer Horn , Director Website At the Villas of Holly Brook our goal is to be a leader in providing compassionate quality senior care, focusing on the unique needs of our residents and their families. We are committed to fostering an environment that promotes dignity, respect, positive communication and the "whole" person - mind, body and spirit. You've worked hard all your life to make sure your retirement years are comfortable and secure. Reflections Memory Care Communities offer individualized healthcare plans, supervision by a nurse in a secured building that includes activity stations, outdoor walking paths and sensory gardens. Families will find peace of mind knowing that their loved one is being cared for in a state-of-the -art retirement care community thatspecializes in Alzheimer's and other memory care.

Quinn Johnston Receives Outstanding Small Business Award We are proud to announce that Quinn Johnston received the Peoria Area Chamber of Commerce's Outstanding Small Business Award. The honor, presented at the Chamber's annual Thanksgiving Day luncheon, was based on several criteria including innovation, commitment to community and perseverance. We know that it takes a strong team to build a great firm. We are fortunate for every individual that makes up Quinn Johnston and are proud of our team's character, expertise and hard work that earns thi...