Jim Alexander completed his 101st marathon when he ran the Little Rock Marathon in March 2018. He also participated in the Frostbite Short Course Series of races in St. Louis over the winter in which he placed second in his age group.

Jim Proffitt retired from Illinois College as assistant professor of business administration after 16 years of service to his alma mater.

Jim Spizzo is pursuing his life-long interest in photography since retiring from the practice of law after 35 years. His photographs have been included in several juried art exhibits to date.  He most recently had a photograph included in a mixed media exhibit that opened at the University Club of Chicago on March 12.

Carole Ornellas Finchum retired from the Illinois Secretary of State’s Department of Business Services after almost 40 years of employment.

Jay Eckhouse retired from Illinois College as head baseball coach after 18 years of service to his alma mater.

John Jackson was inducted into the Illinois High School Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame on April 7 in Champaign, Ill. The former Plainfield High School-Central Campus head football coach is a 34-year veteran educator and coach. He is currently serving as an assistant coach at Naperville North High School in Naperville, Ill.

Janice Sigrist is the superintendent of kindergartens with Vanke, Shanghai DTD Education in Shanghai, China. She is also the founder of Bright Start Academy and an educational consultant with Little Adam technologies. J.C. Wise is the assistant golf coach at Knox College in Galesburg, Ill.

Marcia Short retired from Illinois College as executive director of development and alumni relations after 31 years of service to her alma mater.

Dr. William Schlosser is an adjunct professor on the Oral-Medical Connection at SIU School of Medicine in Springfield, Ill. He is also on the Sangamon County Medical Society Community Health Committee, a local committee for the Illinois State Dental Society 2018 II Mission of Mercy.

Chris Bichsel was recently promoted to the rank of captain for the Quincy Fire Department in Quincy, Ill.

Tim Green is the new president of Burrus Brothers and Associated Growers. He previously served as vice president of Burrus Brothers and as part-owner of Burrus Seed Farms Inc.  He has more than 26 years of experience developing sales teams and overseeing account and territory management in the seed industry.

Julie Minch-Dailey is a payroll analyst for the Illinois Teacher’s Retirement System in Springfield, Ill. Her artwork is featured at Keefner’s Restaurant in Springfield.

Alice Grady is currently in her 20th year of employment on the Spirit of Peoria and her 10th year as captain of the riverboat.

Jim Lale is a secondary education teacher at Bloom Township School District 206 in Chicago Heights, Ill., where he also serves as assistant football coach. He is a trustee on the District 206 Education Foundation and is a member of the district’s finance committee.

Amy Hull Logsdon was appointed president of the National Bank of Petersburg by the Board of Directors of NBP Financial Services. She joined the bank located in Petersburg, Ill., in 1996 and most recently served as vice president of bank operations and cashier.

Darin Gehrke is executive vice president and community president of Town and Country Bank in Jacksonville, Ill.

Kristin Van Aken Jamison is co-owner of Jamison’s Future Swings in Jacksonville, Ill. The baseball and softball academy provides education for youth learning the foundations of baseball and softball, as well as further instruction for those playing competitively in high school and college.

Charlie White is senior vice president at Illinois Business Financial Services in Springfield, Ill.

Missy Olinger Block was recently promoted to manager of the Management, Research and Analysis Unit at the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services, Office of the Inspector General.

Angie Kuebrich Noble was a top ten finalist for the Illinois State Board of Education’s 2018 Illinois Teacher of the Year competition. Angie is a third-grade teacher at Jerseyville East Elementary School in Jerseyville, Ill.

Ryan Alwood was honored as one of Milwaukee Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 in February. He is a senior vice president at PNC Bank and resides in Milwaukee, Wis.

Josh Evans was recently promoted to chief executive officer of the Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities.

Amy Parnell Hozian earned a doctorate in business administration with a specialization in management information systems from North Central University in May 2017. She is a senior systems analyst with Memorial Health System in Springfield, Ill.

Tiffaney Rains is the new Quincy High School head volleyball coach. A behavioral health therapist with Quincy Medical Group, she served as assistant volleyball coach at QHS from 2009 to 2013.

John and Rachel Smith Rohn purchased the former Northridge Hills Golf Course in Jacksonville, Ill., in March. The renovated course and clubhouse re-opened this spring as K’s Creek Golf Club and Wine Bar.

Lauren Dwyer is a sales and marketing assistant at Bound to Stay Bound Books in Jacksonville, Ill. Sarah Hicks earned a master’s degree in sociology from Lindenwood University this May.

Ashley Johns earned a master’s degree in global sustainability from Webster University in St. Louis, Mo. She is currently an administrative assistant for the University of Missouri – St. Louis. 

Kaitlin Salisbury is a third-year law student at Loyola University Chicago. She is a law clerk at Daley and Georges in Chicago.

Jared Thoele was named Young Engineer of the Year by the Capital Chapter of the Illinois Society of Professional Engineers in February. Jared recognized with the award based on his engineering achievements; professional and technical society activities; civic, humanitarian and social activities; and continuing professional competence. He is a structural engineer at Hanson Professional Services Inc.’s Springfield, Ill., headquarters.

Luke McQuillan voiced a character and sang in an episode of Cartoon Network’s “The Amazing World of Gumball” in January. 

Kate VonDeBur earned a juris doctorate from Valparaiso University in May 2017. She began working at the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office as an assistant state’s attorney in October 2017.

Terry Grant is the branch and regional manager of Prairie State Bank and Trust in Jacksonville, Ill.

Darcy Holloway O’Connor was recently recognized as 2018 Educator of the Year in the Classroom Teacher category by Illinois Computing Educators. The award is designed to honor ICE members from throughout the state of Illinois who are exemplary educators and leaders at the school or district level, and who have made significant contributions leading to the integration of technology into the educational process. Darcy is a fourth-grade teacher at New Holland-Middletown Elementary School in Middletown, Ill.

Cory Washington will complete a master’s degree in college student personnel administration in the summer of 2018 from Illinois State University.

Spencer Campbell is a loan officer at FCB Banks in the metro East St. Louis, Ill., area.

Logan Giesing works full time as a shift manager at Starbucks while assistant directing a dinner theatre group and performing at Comedy City Sports Improv in Kansas City, Mo.

Sarah Adcock is enrolled in the Master of Fine Arts program at the Sam Fox School at Washington University in St. Louis, Mo.

Megan Kuchar earned a master’s degree in business administration with a concentration in business process management from the University of Illinois Springfield in May 2017. She is a principal consultant with the Illinois State Board of Education in Springfield, Ill.

Marissa DeLong teaches English at Rosetta Stone Learning Center in Osaka, Japan. She also works as a model at GRAM Model Management in Osaka.

Alex Gardner is currently in his second year of medical school at St. Louis University on the Health Professions Scholarship Program through the United States Army.

Dan Lewis was hired as field director for Betsy Dirksen Londrigan’s campaign for United States Congress in February. He was also elected president of the Westside Democratic Club, a political organization in Sangamon County, Ill. He still continues working for United States Senator Dick Durbin.

Jordan Washington is the traffic editor at SafeSpeed Inc. in Chicago, Ill. She also holds an internship with the Illinois Philharmonic Orchestra in Park Forest, Ill.

Lindsey Birdsell recently opened LB Beauty in Jacksonville, Ill. She began her business, which offers full body waxing, facials and makeup, after a year of offering freelance makeup for clients throughout central Illinois.

Sonya Boykin is a patient care technician at Vanderbilt University Medical Center’s Surgical Stepdown unit in Nashville, Tenn. She has traveled to Haiti, Costa Rica, Viet Nam and Kenya to assist in rare surgeries and volunteer in clinics.

Taylor Coad is currently living in Pensacola, Fla., pursuing a certificate in Diagnostic Medical Sonography at the Florida Institute of Ultrasound.