From the McLean County SBDC Director

Thank you for supporting the Illinois Small Business Development Center at Illinois State University at Illinois State University. We passed our first year anniversary and would not have made it without support from many of you!

Thanks to all those who attended our first anniversary celebration on Friday, March 31st. Our first annual report, which provided highlights on some of our first year success stories and goals for 2006, was mailed in early April.  

We are happy to announce that just as we reached our one year anniversary, we added another member to our team. Autumn Thomson joins us as Project Coordinator with several years experience with small businesses in McLean County. With an expanded team we plan to reach out further into the small business community, strengthen our partnerships, and stay true to our mission to grow the McLean County small business community. See our snapshot data to review some of our accomplishments in the first five months of 2006.

We also formed a new advisory board for the Illinois Small Business Development Center at Illinois State University. Our board will serve as a key listening post into the small business community, act as informal ambassadors, and provide us with a new perspective into our goals and action plans. Our advisory board includes Bernie Anderson, NICOR Gas, Shari Buckellew, Children’s Discovery Museum and President Elect of the McLean County Chamber of Commerce, Julie Dobski, Little Jewels Learning Center, Randy Erickson, Commerce Bank, Ken Klotz, Bradley University SBDC, Michael Malone, McLean County Chamber of Commerce, Jim Moon, Associate Dean College of Business at ISU, Brian Mueller, National City Bank, Ron Stack, Corn Belt Energy, Steve Timmermann, First State Bank of Bloomington, and Marty Vanags, Economic Development Council.

Thanks again and help keep our small businesses strong!

Elizabeth Binning