Ford The Rock

Today's guest is Gretchen Gilmore, General Manager of RAVE - Rockford Area Venues & Entertainment Authority.

After working in private-sector accounting, Gretchen started with RAVE as the Director of Finance. She became interim GM during the pandemic and secured well over $20 million in grant funds to keep the BMO Center and the Coronado afloat. Gretchen is employed by ASM Global Management, which has a management agreement with the RAVE board. Rockford has been Gretchen's home for over 20 years. She has an accounting degree from Western Illinois University. Among her accomplishments, RAVE generated a surplus in operations for the first time in the building's history in 2023. Please enjoy some great background on the workings of downtown Rockford's economic driving force - RAVE.

Mike Dunn is the Executive Director of the Chicago/Rockford International Airport. Mike is a Rockford native who started his career in Illinois state politics. Mike has presided over much of the tremendous growth that has occurred at Rockford’s airport over the past two decades. Under Mike’s leadership, Chicago Rockford International has become one of the leading cargo airports in the country. Mike has generated this success by creating ongoing bipartisan cooperation among local, state & national politicians. Sit back & listen to a master of the art of “making things happen”

Our guest this week is Melissa Hagerman of Rockford Career College. Melissa is the Vice President of Career Services, Community Outreach, and Alumni Affairs at the College. Before moving to the Rockford region, she grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and eventually made her way out to DeKalb to receive her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Northern Illinois University. Melissa plays a critical role in constantly improving RCC’s relationship to the Rockford Region.

At Rockford Career College, the goal is student success. Students gather in Rockford in a friendly, small-class environment that feels like home. That means you’ll get plenty of one-on-one attention, unlike a big school. You’ll learn from highly qualified

and caring instructors, all of whom have real-world experience in their field. Classes are hands-on, so you can get a feel for what you’re learning. During the last quarter of your program, you’ll even enter an externship off-campus at a local employer, where

you’ll put your skills to work.

Earlier this year, Kailee Schulz and Kendra Moreno began a homegrown plant business appropriately named “Terrakotta”. While working full-time, they grew and cared for hundreds of plants and ran their business at the Rockford City Market and other local events. Perhaps most shocking is that they started this business in their homes, setting up growth operations in their spare bedrooms and basements. Join me in learning how two Rockford natives were able to start this small business and their big plans for the future of Terrakotta.

Kevin Versino is the General Manager of Rocktown Adventures

Kevin has been an outdoor guy his whole life. In 2008 an opportunity arose to move to Rockford and make outdoor sports his career. Kevin moved his family here from Chicagoland and has been living a sporting life ever since. Kevin knows the Rockford region’s outdoor sports opportunities as well as anyone. Hear all the possibilities for kayaking, canoeing, hiking, running, etc, in the Rockford area. Once you’ve finished this podcast, it will be time to get up off the couch and move!

Today’s podcast features 317 Art Collaborative in the longest-running

arts building in Rockford at 317 Market St. Our guest is Eamonn James

Talkington, a resident artist at 317 Collaborative. James attended

Columbia College in Chicago. After finishing up at Columbia College,

Eamonn moved around the country, trying out different places to live.

Ultimately, he returned to Rockford to work in his father’s business.

Today will talk about his work and the role the 317 Art Collaborative

plays in Rockford’s art community.

A Rockford lifer, Kevin grew up around and in the newspaper business. His father, Wally Haas, worked at the Rockford Register Star for over 40 years. Kevin followed in his father’s footsteps while still in high school. He left the RRS to take over Rock River Current, a local startup on the internet, supplanting the daily newspapers. We are talking today about a startup that places positive news at the heart of its day-to-day content. We also want you to know that since this was recorded, Kevin had a snowboarding accident that has left him with some serious bills to pay. You may help him out at the Kevin Haas has medical bills gofundme page. Enjoy learning about a fine new enterprise in Rockford.

Soccer tournaments, heads in beds, Stroll on State, murals in downtown, and beyond! What do

these things have in common? John Groh. John is President & CEO of the Rockford Area

Convention and Visitors Bureau. (The CVB for short.) John has been President of the CVB for 14

years and did a stint as executive VP for 8 years. John is currently leading the reinvention of

Davis Park on the Rock River. There is no shortage of topics in this podcast. Please

listen to one of Rockford's outstanding leaders: John Groh.

Summertime is upon us; it is time to discover what the Rockford Park District has planned. Our

guest today, Laurie Anderson, is a Superintendent of Operations for the Rockford Park District. Laurie is originally

from Peoria, IL, and graduated from Western Illinois University with a Parks & Recreation

Management degree. Laurie made her way to Rockford in the 90s and rose through the Rockford Park District

ranks to be the outstanding park district & community leader she is today. Laurie is also one of

the most delightful people you & I will ever meet. So sit back & enjoy finding out what one of

Rockford's most significant assets the Rockford Park District has to offer you and your family this

Summer.

If you need a loan to start or expand a small business, you want to meet our guest on this episode of Ford the

Rock Podcast . John Phelps is the Executive Director of the Rockford Local Development

Corporation in Rockford. John and the RLDC historically have specialized in SBA loans. Now,

they’re expanding into the housing market. Their housing loans target developers

willing to take on single-family homes that need a lot of work. John has a master’s degree

in Economics & Finance from NIU. Rockford is lucky to have someone with John’s expertise serving

the community. Take a listen to one of Rockford’s most knowledgeable community leaders.

Rockford boomerang definition: Individual or couple returning to Rockford for family support while raising a family. Meet Josiah (Joe) Vander Heyden: family man, engineer, developer, realtor, excellent guy, and Rockford boomerang. Joe graduated from the University of Illinois with a degree in civil engineering and moved to Houston, Texas to work in the oil and gas industry. We talk with Joe about moving back home to start a family with his wife, Allison, and their son, Desmond, and to be doing business in his hometown of Rockford. His latest project is the Union Event space at 112 N. 2nd St., Rockford. Please listen to The Element of Rockford’s latest Ford the Rock Podcast with this returning Rockfordian, who moved back for family and is also involved in doing a lot for our community.

A unique entrepreneur, creative stylist and advocate for women’s health - her holistic salon and boutique, Lucette is located on East State St. in Downtown Rockford. Kate Wirth is a joy to talk with because she is positive, uplifting, and knows her stuff. Kate pays her employees by the hour so they may help run the business and be paid for the work. Holistic health is a concept that leaves some people cold, when Kate discusses the nature of holistic health, it makes all the sense in the world. Please enjoy this episode of Ford the Rock podcast because Kate is insightful and a lot of fun.

“Live in downtown Rockford. Are you crazy?” “Rent an apartment downtown. You’re out of your mind. Who would do that?” Well, all the naysayers have been wrong over the years. Many folks will not only live in downtown Rockford but will love it. Justin Fern, our guest today, knows. He’s the founder and owner of Urban Equity Properties, UEP.  UEP has developed more than 500 apartments in and around downtown Rockford. Justin is the very definition of an entrepreneur who bought his first property at 19 years of age. Join us in listening to a real Rockford success story, Justin Fern, the primary real estate developer in downtown Rockford.

Snow removal, water from your faucets, potholes in your street, and sidewalks—whose

responsibility are they? How about major street projects such as Charles St., Harrison Avenue,

9th St., and the Whitman St. interchange? Who handles these large-scale projects?

Sit back and listen to the man responsible for leading all these efforts daily, Mr.

Kyle Saunders, Director of Public Works for the city of Rockford. This episode has a lot of great information, so listen and learn from Kyle. I did.

We welcome Kyle Saunders, a Rockford native, to this episode of Ford the Rock.

Lynn Stainbrook is the Executive Director of the Rockford Public Library, one of our city’s most challenging roles. Lynn came to Rockford from Brown County, Wisconsin, where she was the library’s executive director. In this episode, we discuss the opportunities facing the Rockford Public Library as the world of information changes around us. Lynn discusses the library’s increasing role in education and outreach to the Rockford community. We also spend some time talking about the new library being built on the river in downtown Rockford. Please sit back and enjoy listening to one of Rockford’s outstanding leaders.

Singer/songwriter Miles Nielsen is a bandleader, father, husband, and Rockford native. He established his band, The Rusted Hearts, 10 years ago. He and the band have toured America and Europe and produced numerous recordings.

Miles brought along his guitar, so you’ll also hear some original songs today. We’re talking to Miles because he lives in Rockford and is a great example of an independent spirit creating original music in the Midwest. He named his Rockford studio Midwest Sound. Please listen to some behind-the-scenes stories from Miles and some of his music.

If you looked in the dictionary for the definition of a community leader, you might find Mike Schablaske’s picture. Mike’s professional background is in corporate business. At his last suit and tie job, he worked in finance at Woodward, an aerospace corporation founded in the Rockford region.

After leaving Woodward, he helped to establish the not-for-profit group, Transform Rockford, created to make Rockford a top-25 city. Today we’ll be talking with Mike about a wide range of issues that concern many of the Rockford region’s residents.

We’re talking with Amy Chatfield, Vice President of Ad Vice Marketing. Amy is a businesswoman, mom, and community activist. Ad Vice Marketing is a boutique marketing agency serving the Rockford market and beyond.

We’ll talk about marketing in this world of seemingly infinite communication platforms, with a special focus on storytelling and the toll ineffective marketing can take. Please join us as we learn how to cut through the noise to deliver an impactful message to your audience.

Dr. Carlson-Dexter has been practicing family medicine in Rockford for five years.  He is a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Medicine in Rockford, which is just one of the reasons we’re talking with him today. A primary care physician, Dr. Carlson-Dexter is working on becoming board-certified in addiction treatment.

We are interested in talking to Dr. Carlson-Dexter about how best to relate to your own doctor.  He’ll also share some tips on how to live a healthy lifestyle today and into the future. Dr. Carlson-Dexter is affiliated with UW Health/SwedishAmerican here in Rockford, IL.

In this episode, you’ll be introduced to Greg Watt, one of the founders of The Element of Rockford. He is president of WATT Global Media.

Although an international company, WATT Global Media operates a results-only work environment that allows its employees to work remotely at all times. Greg is a strong advocate for Rockford’s downtown, choosing to locate here several years ago. We invite you to learn how you can successfully run an international business right here in Rockford.