Local Business
Sunday, April 24, 2005
Countryman joins Cottage leadership
GALESBURG - Cory Countryman joined Galesburg Cottage Hospital as assistant chief executive officer.
He is responsible for overseeing day-to-day hospital operations and business development.
Countryman previously served as chief operating officer for a 190-bed hospital in Las Vegas, Nev. He has quickly become involved in spearheading a number of projects at Cottage Hospital. Among them is the development of the new Emergency Department/Intensive Care Unit addition now under construction.
Countryman started his career as an admitting clerk in the Navy, then went to college and worked his way up into administrative roles. He holds a bachelor's degree in business administration from Dallas Baptist University and has a master's degree in of business administration from the University of Texas.
Countryman is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives and has been active in various civic and community organizations. He has relocated to Galesburg with his wife Tonya, 11- and 13-year-old daughters, and 4-month-old son.
Extension hires new worker
GALESBURG - Darlene K. Stevens, a graduate from Western Illinois University with a degree in home economics in business with an emphasis in food and nutrition, has been hired as the new University of Illinois Extension community worker in Knox County.
Stevens lives near LaFayette. She will be responsible for organizing and working with groups and individuals to provide nutrition, food safety, and food budgeting education to food stamp eligible audiences. As a community worker, she will work to educate and empower individuals by equipping them with the necessary tools to establish safe, economic and healthful nutritional habits.
Brent Jackson promoted at Blick
GALESBURG - Brent Jackson was promoted to distribution analyst effective April 4.
He began working at Dick Blick Art Materials on Oct. 28, 2002, as a warehouse associate. He is a graduate of Galesburg High School and received a bachelor's degree in biology and math from Knox College.
Munson names Clark assistant
GALESBURG - Seth Clark is the new assistant manager at Munson Hybrids.
He lives in the Abingdon area, graduated from Abingdon High School in 1998, was active in FFA, and was an 11-year member of 4-H. He has worked the family farm since childhood. His parents are Ed and Jennifer Clark who farm west of Lake Bracken area.
Clark attended Carl Sandburg College in the ag science area. He worked at the Tractor Supply Co. store in Galesburg for three years.
Clark comes to Munson Hybrids from a 1,300-head feed cattle farm in southwestern Knox County where he managed the operation. He is active with the Abingdon Police Department Auxiliary and has an 80-head cow-calf operation.
Stylists teach 2 salon classes
GALESBURG - Kathy Secrist and Amanda Allison traveled to Jacksonville and Springfield on March 28, and to Decatur and Bloomington on April 11, to teach continuing education classes on "Salon Marketing and Retailing" and "Updo's and Specialty Styling."
The classes were attended by more than 140 professional hair stylists from across the state. Both Secrist and Allison believe in continuing education to provide the best quality of service to every client.
Secrist has more than 25 years of experience in hair design and is employed part-time at Carl Sandburg College as a cosmetology instructor.
Allison has seven years salon experience and is a retail specialist.
Secrist and Allison are co-owners of Hair Trix located at North Broad Street in Galesburg.
Bank announces staff changes
MONMOUTH - Adam Carlson has joined the staff of First State Bank of Western Illinois, Monmouth office, as a retail branch manager and Michael Pearson has assumed the position of business development and loan officer.
Carlson will be responsible for the supervision of the daily operational and sales activities, with a special emphasis on new business origination and business retention. He graduated from Monmouth College with a bachelor of arts degree in business administration and economics. He interned at Community National Bank in Monmouth before accepting the position with First State. Carlson and fiance Michelle Flaar will marry July 16. They plan to live in Monmouth.
Pearson will be responsible for consumer and mortgage lending activities in the Monmouth market and play a vital roll in new business development. He joined First State in 2004 when the branch was bought from Associated Bank. A Monmouth native, Pearson has been in the banking industry for more than 15 years. He and wife Barb have two grown children and live in Monmouth. He remains involved in the community where he is an active Rotarian and has served on the Warren County Board for more than 15 years.
Ex-Victorian site director in Texas
FLOWER MOUND, Texas - Richard Naslund, formerly of Victoria, Ill., has been appointed the new Texas Campus site director for Microsoft Corp.
He joined Microsoft in 1995 as team manager. He started the Dedicated SMS Team in Las Colinus, which grew to include Charlotte and Washington support sites. He accepted the position of CPR escalation manager in 1997 and in 2001 became group manager in developer support. Last year he became director, leading the DSI Internet Teams.
He lives in Flower Mound, Texas, with wife Susan and two sons.
He is a graduate of ROWVA High School and served four years in the Navy aboard the Kitty Hawk. His parents are Herb and Maxine Naslund of Victoria.
Spring to speak at BNI meeting
GALESBURG - Tuesday morning's meeting of the local chapter of Business Network <0x00A0>International, or BNI, will feature Mary Spring of Brighter Life Bookshoppe speaking on the subject "It's Gift Giving Season at Brighter Life."
BNI meets at 7 a.m. each Tuesday in the conference room at the Knox Agri Center, 180 S. Soangetaha Road. BNI is a business and professional networking organization that offers members the opportunity to share ideas, contacts and most importantly, referrals. Guests are welcome.
For more information call the local chapter's president, Marilyn Blucker at 343-1064. Learn more about BNI by visiting www.BNI.com.
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Joanie Stiers
The Register-Mail
140 S. Prairie St.
Galesburg, IL 61401
Fax: (309) 343-2382
jstiers@register-mail.com
