Since coming to Richland county I have been amazed at the opportunities that exist within our community. I don’t think our young graduates fully understand all career choices that Richland County has to offer. I believe the CEO Program will educate our young adults on the businesses and career opportunities that exist while better preparing them to make a positive impact as an employee or small business owner.

I graduated from Northern Illinois University with a major in Finance.  I began my banking career as an Associate Bank Examiner and then went on to work for a family owned banking group in the Chicago area.  I held various positions for over 19 years within the bank group.  Before leaving the Chicago area, I held the position of EVP Senior Loan Officer and was a member of the Board of Directors.  Since arriving in Olney and becoming President and CEO of TrustBank, I have enjoyed the people and opportunities in Richland County.   I am blessed with a wonderful wife Rhonda and three amazing children.

I want to see CEO become a successful program in Richland County so the seniors can see the opportunities right here in our community. I think it is important to give them an opportunity to see the local businesses from the inside. Many of our local businesses reach to many places in the world and you just don’t see that from their sign on their building. They don’t have to ‘move to the City’ to get worldly experience. I think it will be just as beneficial to the businesses to build relationships with students and together they can build the future of Richland County.

I am a 1990 graduate of East Richland High School and a 1993 graduate of Eastern Illinois University with a Bachelor of Science in Business.  I am a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the State of Illinois and a member of the Illinois CPA Society and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.  I have worked at Illinois Gas Company since September of 2002 and worked at Pacific Cycle (formerly Brunswick Bicycles and Roadmaster) for 8 ½ prior to joining Illinois Gas.  I am an active member of St Joseph Catholic Church in Olney and a past member of the Richland Memorial Hospital Board of Directors.  My husband Mike and I have been married for 22 years and we have two very active children.  Evan is a sixth grader at St Joseph School and Claire is a fourth grader at St Joseph School.

Richland County CEO will give students the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the various businesses/industries available throughout Richland County while also providing them with real-world experiences through meaningful interactions with successful business leaders within the community. As a result of these experiences, students will be better equipped with the skills and knowledge to effectively operate their own business.

Chad is in his 2nd year as principal at Richland County High School after serving as principal at Richland County Middle School during the 2014-15 school year.  He spent 10 years as assistant principal at Richland County High School as well as serving as the athletic director for six years.  Prior to moving into administration, he was a teacher at RCHS for 10 years.  During that time, he taught physical education, mathematics, and implemented the Jobs for Illinois Graduates program while also serving as an assistant coach for the boys' basketball team and coaching the girls' track team.  He is proud to say that he has spent his entire career in education in the Richland County district.  Mr. LeCrone has a wife, Kris, who is a Family Nurse Practitioner and two children, Brock and Taylor.

I’m excited about the CEO Program because it’s an innovative, non-traditional approach to learning. I believe it will be a great tool for promoting entrepreneurship at the local high school. Students will learn the skills necessary to develop a business in an environment that will provide a safe-harbor for growth and failure. I view this program as a catalyst to build upon relationships between our business community and educational institutions while improving upon the soft skills of students. These students will be presented with an opportunity to discover various businesses and organizations throughout the community. It is with hope that they will develop a stronger Hometown Pride and Sense of Community.

Courtney Yockey, Executive Director at Richland County Development Corporation, is a Certified Professional Community and Economic Developer with 5+ years of experience in consulting local governments and working with private businesses to expand operations, promoting economic development while creating and retaining employment opportunities.  Courtney is also the Director of Communications of the U.S. Route 50 Four-Lane Coalition, Treasurer of the Southeastern Alliance of Illinois, and Treasurer of the Richland County CEO Program.  He is an MBA candidate at the University of Illinois.  Courtney enjoys being an avid outdoorsman and lives in Olney with his wife and two young daughters.

I accepted an invitation to join the Board when I learned how successful the CEO Program had been for Jasper County. I have always been a strong advocate for retaining the talent that Richland County produces. I believe the CEO Program will expose young, talented people to so much more of what Richland County has to offer than they would otherwise see in a classroom. I am hopeful that these opportunities will encourage them to return to Richland County, and either build upon what is already here or create something that they see is missing.

I was born and raised in Richland County.  I attended the University of Illinois, graduating from what is now known as the College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences, and, three years later, from the University of Illinois College of Law.  I practiced law in the Chicago office of Kirkland & Ellis for a couple years before starting my practice in Olney in 2003.  My wife, Jennifer, and I live in rural Richland County with our two very young daughters.  In addition to spending time with my family, I enjoy tending to our surrounding acreage and recycling scrap metal.   

I graduated from Eastern Illinois University in 1981 with a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Technology and received my MBA from EIU in 2001.  I started my career at AMF/Roadmaster where for 20 years I held various positions ranging from Supervisor, Plant Manager and Director of Purchasing.  Since 2002 I have worked for US Weight dba Escalade Sports as Director of Operations and have concurrently been co-owner of ASL Solutions, a startup rotational molding company.  I am an active member of Trinity Lutheran Church and the Rotary Club of Olney.  My wife Jane and I have been married for 30 years and we have 3 daughters and 2 granddaughters.

I am very excited to see the Richland County CEO Program get started. I have heard a number of good comments come out of neighboring Counties and am glad to see it happen in Richland County. I think this is a wonderful opportunity for Richland County students and businesses alike. Education in a “school” setting is needed, but I feel some education in a business atmosphere will be equally rewarding for these individuals that are selected for the program.

I began my school years in Lawrenceville Illinois. I moved to Olney in 1974 and graduated from East Richland High School. After that I graduated from Olney Central College with an associate’s degree. I then received a bachelor’s degree from McKendree University. I started working for the First National Bank in Olney in February of 1981. I have served on numerous committees and Boards and am currently involved with, R.C.D.C., Illinois Workforce Innovation area 23 Board, Trinity Lutheran Church Council, Olney Elks P.E.R. Association, and the Richland County CEO Program. I have been married to my wife, Cindy, for the past 33 years.

"CEO offers us a very positive step in helping our Community to build future business leaders. It will give our young people perspective on how they may one day own and operate a business in Olney or elsewhere. They will see the opportunities around them and understand more clearly how business works from the inside out. "

I became involved in CEO through my position as Director of Guidance at Richland County High School. I was already familiar with the Jasper County program, and I knew that CEO is something that would greatly benefit students at RCHS as well as the Olney community. The process of explaining CEO, recruiting students, and ultimately working with the CEO group has been fun and interesting. For the students who have chosen to go on the journey of CEO, I believe they will receive an experience that will stay with them for a lifetime. The skills and knowledge they will acquire from real-world interaction with businesses and business leaders in our community will be unique for students their age. Hopefully, the students will also learn about the great opportunities that exist in the Olney area. CEO is a win-win situation for everyone involved, and I'm proud to be involved with the program!

It has been an honor serving on the Richland County CEO Board of Directors. The CEO program is an important community/county collaboration with the school district and our area business community. CEO is an amazing opportunity for RCHS students to engage in an innovative and applied approach to "real life" business opportunities. Learning in the Richland County CEO class will truly be an active process.

I have served on the Richland County CEO Board of Directors since the inception of the program.  I have been the Superintendent of Schools of the Richland County School District since July 2015.  Prior to this position, I was Asst. Superintendent, High School Principal, High School Asst. Principal, Athletic Director, teacher and coach, all in my hometown district, Richland County CUSD # 1.

In the short time that I have been involved with the Richland County CEO Program I have been very impressed by the synergy and collaboration between the program and the local business community. This innovative program allows students to gain knowledge outside of a traditional classroom setting and develop business skills to utilize in the future. I am so excited to be part of a program that is building the foundation for the next generation of leaders in our community!

Sara is a graduate of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacy and is currently the Director of Pharmacy at Carle Richland Memorial Hospital. She is the chairperson of the Richland County Addiction Prevention Coalition and an active member of the Illinois Pharmacist Association Board of Directors. Sara resides in Effingham and enjoys spending time with her husband and dog, listening to podcasts, kayaking, and gardening.