20 Community Cornerstone recipients chosen by IVAC

The Illinois Valley Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors announced its inaugural class of Community Cornerstone recipients.

IVAC’s first group of members represents individuals from across the Illinois Valley and in many different industries. The individuals recognized have put in hard work and dedication with their organizations and communities. The effort and enthusiasm they bring to the table every day should not go unnoticed. Their selection is a reflection of the work they do.

The group is made up of leaders in small business, finance, non-profits, retail, police force and education, among other sectors.

“We had an amazing group of nominees for our first Cornerstone program, but this group of 20 really stuck out,” said Bill Zens, IVAC Executive Director. “These are people who have, and continue to, chase dreams and drive change in our communities. They are amazing mentors, and we are lucky to have them share their talents and passions with our region.”

The Chamber thanked the selection committee who volunteered their time to select this year’s recipients. The committee included Jeff Borelli, Rachel Balestri, Jeff Billig and Spencer Luecke.

The recipients are:

Kerri Hicks, Business Employment Skills Team, Inc.

Adam Curran, Spring Valley Police Department

Dean Tieman, Tieman Builders, Inc.

Stanley Wolf, Jr., Spring Valley City Bank

Jeff VanAutreve, Johnsons Carpet Shoppe, Inc and Second Story Teen Center

Greg Vaccaro, La Salle County Circuit Clerk

JC Heerdt, Ficek Electric / Stress Free Event Group

Ryan Linnig, Dimmick CCSD #175

Dawn Trompeter, OSF HealthCare

Lisa “Kelly” Jones, Maitri Path to Wellness

Jessica Kreiser, Lighted Way Association, Inc.

Julie Eilers, Spring Valley City Bank

Robert Vickrey, Economic Development for city of Peru (contract employee)

John Spencer, Starved Rock Media, Inc

Jennifer Bias, Ficek Electric & Communication Systems, Inc. & Camp Aramoni, Inc.

Mike Schmidt, MCS Advertising

Jennifer Scheri, Illinois Valley Community College

Jim Manning, Springfield Electric

Luke Tomsha, The Perfectly Flawed Foundation

Gary L Peterlin, Perona, Peterlin & Associates LLC