ClarkLindsey in Urbana stands as East Central Illinois’ first and only nonprofit Life Plan Community, a tribute to the legacy of Ethel Lindsey Clark and Maud Lindsey. These two visionary women generously left bequests with the directive “to establish, construct, and maintain a home for elderly persons”. Today, ClarkLindsey’s 28-acre campus serves 316 residents and employs 290 community members.
LWIA 20 recognizes Mel-O-Cream Donuts International for their demonstration of leadership in the areas of workforce and economic development. Following expansion of production to serve the emerging growth segment of in-store bakeries in supermarkets, Mel-O-Cream designed, built and opened a new facility in Springfield, Illinois, in 1997. The twenty-seven acre location provided room to continue to grow.
In August 2023, Ronk Electrical Industries, located in Nokomis, Illinois, was referred to West Central Development Council by the Illinois Manufacturing Excellence Center (IMEC). Founded originally in 1950 as Systems Analyzer Corporation, the company designs, manufactures and assembles various types of electrical equipment. With 41 employees, the company continues to be family owned and is led by the company’s president, Caitlin Simhauser.
Americas Central Port, in Granite City, Illinois, is located at the heart of the US transportation network, with access to railroads, multi-modal harbors and four US interstates. The Central Port is home to over 75 businesses. The businesses and services located at the port range from agri-businesses, fabricated construction, chemical manufacturing, warehousing, non-profits, and residential housing.
Lansdowne Up began in 2008 as the East St. Louis Wrestling Club, establishing a children’s wrestling program at the Jackie Joyner-Kersee Center (JJK) located in the Lansdowne neighborhood of East St. Louis. Beyond the JJK Center was a decaying neighborhood riddled with overgrown properties, abandoned houses, and sparsely populated streets plagued by illegal trash dumping. Even as the JJK Center was a haven of resources and opportunities for children and families, the need for hope clearly continued beyond the campus boundaries.
In 2013, Shawnee Health developed a “grow your own” program addressing the need for more healthcare staff to serve the community in their Clinical Behavioral Health (Counseling) department. Shawnee hired individuals with a Master’s degree in Social Work or Psychology, requiring at least two (2) years of supervised experience to sit for a licensing exam.