 The implementation phase will be called Logan 2.0 the GLLC
Initiative, with the acronym representing Grow Lincoln & Logan
County. The GLLC Initiative will use community volunteers to review,
recommend and accomplish objectives from the plan. The GLLC
Initiative uses the five major initiatives of the master plan as its
major points of focus. These initiatives are called Building a
Compelling Place; 21st Century Infrastructure and Cultivating
Entrepreneurs; Leverage Higher Education Assets; Capitalize on Hub
Location; and Strengthen Position as Illinois Wind Capital.
Over the past month the development partnership has sought
volunteers to head each of these initiatives. They looked for people
outside of the partnership who are not elected officials but have
specialized expertise in one of the five major initiatives. The
partnership has decided on three, all of whom are specialists in
their field and will bring life, creativity and ingenuity to the
GLLC Initiative. The partnership is still looking for volunteer
specialists in two fields: Capitalizing on Hub Location and
Strengthen Position as Illinois Wind Capital. Volunteers should be
Logan County residents and have experience in one of the two fields.
Committee chairs will accept volunteer committee members to work
on their initiative. The development partnership will provide each
committee with a starter kit that will offer guidance and reporting
formats. It is the hope of the partnership that the committees and
their work will grow organically as they identify needed projects.
Each committee will also have a partnership board member appointed
to it. The board member will act as a liaison and serve as another
reporting method for the partnership board of directors.
Thursday morning the economic development partnership and the GLLC
Initiative announced the following volunteer leadership for the
initiative:
Logan 2.0 chief operating officer -- Crystal Alley is a
lifelong resident of Lincoln. She has been employed for the past 18
years with the corporate headquarters of State Farm Insurance,
working in human resources and the systems department as a business
analyst and in a number of roles for enterprise projects. She is
passionately involved in the community, serves as the co-chair for
the Education Cooperation Committee and was the communication chair
for the One Cent Makes Sense for Logan County campaign. She served
as vice president of District 27 board of education and represented
District 27 on a number of significant educational committees in
recent years. She is constantly seeking creative ways to foster and
promote community involvement. Crystal and her husband, Shane, have
two daughters, both graduating in May. Adrienne will graduate from
Lincoln Community High School and Arielle from the University of
Illinois with a bachelor's degree in animal sciences, pre-vet.
21st Century Infrastructure and Cultivating Entrepreneurialism --
Mark A. Houpt is a five-year resident of Lincoln and Logan
County. He has over 20 years of experience in the IT industry in a
multitude of arenas, including military, finance and higher
education. He currently serves full time as a chief technology
officer in the higher education context, owns his own IT consulting
company and holds numerous IT certifications in areas such as
networking and information security. He is married to Maria Houpt, a
small-business owner herself. Together they have three boys, Samuel,
Joshua and Benjamin. Mark and his family reside in rural, central
Logan County.
[to top of second column] |
 Leveraging Higher Education Assets -- Kristi Powell is the
site supervisor of the Lincoln Center of Heartland Community
College. She is on the board of directors for the Lincoln/Logan
County Chamber of Commerce, where she has been an integral part of
the Leadership Academy and the Workforce Readiness Expo. She is
passionate about education in Logan County and looks forward to
collaborating with other schools to capitalize on the many
opportunities for both traditional students and lifelong learners in
the Lincoln community. Kristi is the mother of four children, is
married to Deron Powell and lives in Mount Pulaski.
Creating a Compelling Place -- David
Lanterman is the chief fiscal officer for Capitol Strategies
Consulting in Springfield. He was previously the chief information
officer for the Illinois Department of Corrections, where he managed
a staff of 100 employees and a $15 million annual budget. He has
been an active entrepreneur in downtown Lincoln for over 20 years,
owning Corner Cakery with his sister and Beans & Such with his
mother. In January 2011, he purchased the Lincoln Theater 4 cinema
and has made great strides in renovating the 90-year-old facility.
He is a staunch advocate for downtown Lincoln and the community in
general. He has served two terms as president of the board of
directors for Main Street Lincoln and continues to be active in many
projects to revitalize Lincoln.
For public information on the GLLC Initiative, the master plan
and progress, the development partnership has dedicated a page on
its website to this work. The page will be periodically updated with
progress, provide information on the volunteer leadership and
seek public support on specific initiatives. The partnership's
website is
www.lincolnlogan.com.
The Lincoln & Logan County Development Partnership is a nonprofit
organization with the goals to develop new business, retain current
business and enhance the quality of life in Lincoln and Logan
County.
[Text from file received from
Lincoln & Logan County
Development Partnership]
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