Chancellor Koch and UIS alums featured at Forty Under 40 awards

Ten alumni from the University of Illinois Springfield were honored during the Springfield Business Journal’s annual Forty Under 40 Awards on July 13, 2011. UIS Chancellor Susan J. Koch delivered the keynote address.

The awards honored 40 leaders who are under the age of 40, in the Springfield and surrounding business communities. This was the 15th year for the awards, but the first time they were held at Brookens Auditorium at UIS.

"This isn't a list of the richest people in town, this isn't a list of the top attorneys or the top bankers or what have you. We think it should reflect the community as a whole," said Brant Mackey, editor and publisher of the Springfield Business Journal.

Chancellor Koch, making her first public appearance in Springfield, spoke to the crowd on the topic of leadership, sharing with them three lessons she has learned through personal experience. Those lessons: 1. Execution is important – Show up at work, be good at what you do, and always do your best work. 2. Get the right people on the bus – Have the right talent in place, on the bus and in the right seats. 3. Always do the right thing – Regardless of the time and effort required, focus on what is most important and right.

“I’m confident if you apply (these principles) good things will happen,” said Koch. “It’s so exciting for me to imagine the potential that this group has to make future contributions to this community.”

The ten UIS alumni honored during the awards include Jennifer J. Benanti, financial marketing director, Williamsville State Bank & Trust; Justin A. Blandford, historic site manager for the Old State Capitol, Lincoln Law Office, and Vachel Lindsay State Historic Sites; Lara Donovan, project manager at GoWeb1; Joshua Evans, legislative director, Illinois Association of Rehabilitation Facilities; Holly Fowler, development associate, The Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce; Josh Kauffman, public information officer/spokesperson, Illinois Department of Transportation; Jason Loftus, DSM, Spine Wave / JML Medical LLC; Penny L. McCarty, executive director of Human Resources, SIU School of Medicine; Travis Schutte, chef/owner, Secret Recipes; and Kelly W. Shores, registered representative, Davis Financial Group.

A full list of winners and their accomplishments is available in the July edition of the Springfield Business Journal.