PEORIA MAGAZINE November 2022

A P U B L I C A T I O N O F W T V P

M A G A Z I N E

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CLASS OF 2022

JUNE 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 1

y y Keisha Faggett • Nathan Frank • Kate Green • Keith Hanson • Arius Hounwanou • Mitch Johnson • Christopher J yler • Zach Oyler • Scott Phegley • Ryne Meardy • Brinda Mehta • Kari Rauh • Frances Reyes • Shelbey Simone R kayla Vincent • Andrew Weeks • Ashley Whitlach • Nicholas Baker • Zack Baker • Kendra Moultrie -Belk • Tar hachtrup Coad • Lauren Dalfonso • Lacey Jaye Dilbeck • LaKeisha Faggett • Nathan Frank • Kate Green • Keith le McDaniel • Aaron McLean • Spencer Null • Heather Oyler • Zach Oyler • Scott Phegley • Ryne Meardy • Brind mothy Spears • Hank Stickelmaier • Laura Sutter • Mikayla Vincent • Andrew Weeks • Ashley Whitlach • Nicho haturvedula • Manuel Angel Cintron • Stephanie Schachtrup Coad • Lauren Dalfonso • Lacey Jaye Dilbeck • LaKe mp • J. Scott Kriegsman • Renae Stenger Kerrigan • Cole McDaniel • Aaron McLean • Spencer Null • Heather Oy berts • Jay Scholl • Shelley Sharpe • Tim Shelley • Timothy Spears • Hank Stickelmaier • Laura Sutter • Mikayl adley • Andrew Chambers • Pete Chambers • Surya Chaturvedula • Manuel Angel Cintron • Stephanie Schachtru Arius Hounwanou • Mitch Johnson • Christopher Jump • J. Scott Kriegsman • Renae Stenger Kerrigan • Cole McD ehta • Kari Rauh • Frances Reyes • Shelbey Simone Roberts • Jay Scholl • Shelley Sharpe • Tim Shelley • Timoth ker • Zack Baker • Kendra Moultrie -Belk • Taryn Bradley • Andrew Chambers • Pete Chambers • Surya Chatur ggett • Nathan Frank • Kate Green • Keith Hanson • Arius Hounwanou • Mitch Johnson • Christopher Jump • J. S ch Oyler • Scott Phegley • Ryne Meardy • Brinda Mehta • Kari Rauh • Frances Reyes • Shelbey Simone Roberts • ncent • Andrew Weeks • Ashley Whitlach • Nicholas Baker • Zack Baker • Kendra Moultrie -Belk • Taryn Bradle ad • Lauren Dalfonso • Lacey Jaye Dilbeck • LaKeisha Faggett • Nathan Frank • Kate Green • Keith Hanson • Ar cDaniel • Aaron McLean • Spencer Null • Heather Oyler • Zach Oyler • Scott Phegley • Ryne Meardy • Brinda Me y Spears • Hank Stickelmaier • Laura Sutter • Mikayla Vincent • Andrew Weeks • Ashley Whitlach • Nicholas B haturvedula • Manuel Angel Cintron • Stephanie Schachtrup Coad • Lauren Dalfonso • Lacey Jaye Dilbeck • LaKe mp • J. Scott Kriegsman • Renae Stenger Kerrigan • Cole McDaniel • Aaron McLean • Spencer Null • Heather Oy berts • Jay Scholl • Shelley Sharpe • Tim Shelley • Timothy Spears • Hank Stickelmaier • Laura Sutter • Mikayl adley • Andrew Chambers • Pete Chambers • Surya Chaturvedula • Manuel Angel Cintron • Stephanie Schachtru Arius Hounwanou • Mitch Johnson • Christopher Jump • J. Scott Kriegsman • Renae Stenger Kerrigan • Cole McD ehta • Kari Rauh • Frances Reyes • Shelbey Simone Roberts • Jay Scholl • Shelley Sharpe • Tim Shelley • Timoth ker • Zack Baker • Kendra Moultrie -Belk • Taryn Bradley • Andrew Chambers • Pete Chambers • Surya Chatur ggett • Nathan Frank • Kate Green • Keith Hanson • Arius Hounwanou • Mitch Johnson • Christopher Jump • J. S Nicholas Baker Zac Baker Kee dra Moultri - Pete Chambers Surya Chaturvedula Lauren Dalfonso Lacey Jaye Dilbeck LaKeisha F Keith Hanson Arius Hounwanou J. Scott Kriegsman Renae Stenger Kerrigan Spencer Null H ath r O ler Ryne Meardy Brinda Mehta Kari Rauh Fran Jay Scholl Shelley Sharpe Tim Shelley Hank Stickelmaier Laura Sutter Mikayla i ol a B e K u r am C l L y k e ou e t g n y e a J l l r im h k La tt ikayla y

COVER STORIES 37 40 Under Forty

SPOTLIGHTS 22 Peoria’s Bradley University

2022 recipients By Mike Bailey

Celebrates 125 Years of Growth and Achievement By Amy Geier Edgar

29 ‘I Came to Love the States’ By Mike Bailey 32 Peoria, ‘Where Great Businesses Take Root, Flourish’ By Lisa Coon 96 ‘You’ ll Never Find a Better Place to Shoot’ By Nick Vlahos

ABOVE: Acknowledging this year's 40 Leaders Under Forty

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y y y Jump • J. Scott Kriegsman • Renae Stenger Kerrigan • Cole McDaniel • Aaron McLean • Spencer Null • Heather Roberts • Jay Scholl • Shelley Sharpe • Tim Shelley • Timothy Spears • Hank Stickelmaier • Laura Sutter • ryn Bradley • Andrew Chambers • Pete Chambers • Surya Chaturvedula • Manuel Angel Cintron • Stephanie Hanson • Arius Hounwanou • Mitch Johnson • Christopher Jump • J. Scott Kriegsman • Renae Stenger Kerrigan da Mehta • Kari Rauh • Frances Reyes • Shelbey Simone Roberts • Jay Scholl • Shelley Sharpe • Tim Shelley • olas Baker • Zack Baker • Kendra Moultrie -Belk • Taryn Bradley • Andrew Chambers • Pete Chambers • Surya eisha Faggett • Nathan Frank • Kate Green • Keith Hanson • Arius Hounwanou • Mitch Johnson • Christopher yler • Zach Oyler • Scott Phegley • Ryne Meardy • Brinda Mehta • Kari Rauh • Frances Reyes • Shelbey Simone la Vincent • Andrew Weeks • Ashley Whitlach • Nicholas Baker • Zack Baker • Kendra Moultrie -Belk • Taryn up Coad • Lauren Dalfonso • Lacey Jaye Dilbeck • LaKeisha Faggett • Nathan Frank • Kate Green • Keith Hanson Daniel • Aaron McLean • Spencer Null • Heather Oyler • Zach Oyler • Scott Phegley • Ryne Meardy • Brinda hy Spears • Hank Stickelmaier • Laura Sutter • Mikayla Vincent • Andrew Weeks • Ashley Whitlach • Nicholas rvedula • Manuel Angel Cintron • Stephanie Schachtrup Coad • Lauren Dalfonso • Lacey Jaye Dilbeck • LaKeisha Scott Kriegsman • Renae Stenger Kerrigan • Cole McDaniel • Aaron McLean • Spencer Null • Heather Oyler • • Jay Scholl • Shelley Sharpe • Tim Shelley • Timothy Spears • Hank Stickelmaier • Laura Sutter • Mikayla ey • Andrew Chambers • Pete Chambers • Surya Chaturvedula • Manuel Angel Cintron • Stephanie Schachtrup rius Hounwanou • Mitch Johnson • Christopher Jump • J. Scott Kriegsman • Renae Stenger Kerrigan • Cole ehta • Kari Rauh • Frances Reyes • Shelbey Simone Roberts • Jay Scholl • Shelley Sharpe • Tim Shelley • Timo aker • Zack Baker • Kendra Moultrie -Belk • Taryn Bradley • Andrew Chambers • Pete Chambers • Surya eisha Faggett • Nathan Frank • Kate Green • Keith Hanson • Arius Hounwanou • Mitch Johnson • Christopher yler • Zach Oyler • Scott Phegley • Ryne Meardy • Brinda Mehta • Kari Rauh • Frances Reyes • Shelbey Simone la Vincent • Andrew Weeks • Ashley Whitlach • Nicholas Baker • Zack Baker • Kendra Moultrie -Belk • Taryn up Coad • Lauren Dalfonso • Lacey Jaye Dilbeck • LaKeisha Faggett • Nathan Frank • Kate Green • Keith Hanson Daniel • Aaron McLean • Spencer Null • Heather Oyler • Zach Oyler • Scott Phegley • Ryne Meardy • Brinda hy Spears • Hank Stickelmaier • Laura Sutter • Mikayla Vincent • Andrew Weeks • Ashley Whitlach • Nicholas rvedula • Manuel Angel Cintron • Stephanie Schachtrup Coad • Lauren Dalfonso • Lacey Jaye Dilbeck • LaKeisha Scott Kriegsman • Renae Stenger Kerrigan • Cole McDaniel • Aaron McLean • Spencer Null • Heather Oyler • - Belk Taryn Bradley Andrew Chambers Manuel Angel Cintron Stephanie Schachtrup Coad Faggett Nathan Frank Kate Green Mitch Johnson Christopher Jump Cole McDaniel Aaron McLean Zach Oyler Scott Phegley nces Reyes Shelb y Simone Roberts Timothy Spears Vincent Andrew Weeks Ashley Whitlach s e An e Ci n c a r C Na G J hr p l D l a n c y t c l S o o h Vi e k h ch FEATURES 10 Seed and Soil: From Crop-Growing Soil to Energy-Producing Solar By Phil Luciano 21 Dish and Drink: Cocktail Class – Ciao Bella By Dustin Crawford 102 WordCount: ‘100 Things to Do in Peoria Before You Die’ By Laurie Pillman g p p

78 Peoria Retro:

104 EconCorner:

12 Seed and Soil:

Role Models of Leadership By Chris Kaergard

Josh Lewer, Chairman of the Department of Economics and McCord Professor of Executive Management Development at Bradley University

Harvesting Thankfulness By Emily Sharkey

82 Twenty Something: Commentary Rejecting ‘Cool’ By CeCe Hill 86 Mom and Pop:

16 Dish and Drink: Our Own Little Culinary Pipeline By Laurie Pillman 19 Dish and Drink: What's Cookin' -

116 On the Scene, Central Illinois

The Art of Going With the Flow By Laurie Pillman

Cuccidati: Italian Fig Cookies By Mary DiSomma

90 Hometown:

Progress and Promise in Pekin By Scott Fishel

94 Playing in Peoria:

Peoria's Legal Eagles’ ‘Inherit the Wind’ By Steve Tarter

NOVEMBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 3

COMMENTARY

30 The Promise of America By James E. Shadid

108 Surviving a Bear Market By Daryl Dagit 110 Embrace Constructive Conflict Resolution By Dee Brown 124 One Last Thing:

Lucky to Be Alive By Phil Luciano

127 Toon Town

By Dan Ackley

AND MORE

7 Letter from the Editor 100 ArtsPartners Calendar 120 In Brief 128 Thank You, Advertisers

in this issue November 2022 contributors: Dan Ackley, Dee Brown, Lisa Coon, Dustin Crawford, Daryl Dagit, Mary DiSomma, Amy Edgar, Scott Fishel, Jenn Gordon, CeCe Hill, Chris Kaergard, Joshua Lewer, Phil Luciano, Laurie Pillman, James Shadid, Emily Sharkey, Steve Tarter, Nick Vlahos FOLLOW@PEORIAMAGAZINES: To subscribe or renew, visit peoriamagazines.com/subscribe.

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E D I T O R I A L EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Mike Bailey mbailey@peoriamagazines.com PUBLISHER Lesley Matuszak lesley.matuszak@wtvp.org C R E A T I V E SENIOR COMMUNICATIONS EXECUTIVE Phil Luciano phil.luciano@wtvp.org WTVP DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND COMMUNITY RELATIONS Julie Sanders A D V E R T I S I N G PRESIDENT AND CEO OF WTVP Lesley Matuszak lesley.matuszak@wtvp.org SENIOR CORPORATE SUPPORT MANAGER Angie Spears sales@peoriamagazines.com CORPORATE SUPPORT MANAGER Kristina Gamez sales@peoriamagazines.com DIRECTOR OF PHILANTHROPY Tom Zimmerman sales@peoriamagazines.com julie.sanders@wtvp.org STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Ron Johnson GRAPHIC DESIGN Debbie Cody

6 NOVEMBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE

L E T T E R F R O M T H E E D I T O R

ALL HAIL THE YOUNG AND THE RESTLESS

W elcome to Peoria Maga zine’s November edition, in whichwe celebrate at least 40 reasons to be optimistic about the future of central Illinois. In compiling the stories for this annual 40 Under Forty issue, I stumbled into a painful self-realization: Indeed, as I recall myself at their ages, it was all I could do to dress myself properly and get towork on time. So I must say I came away impressed by – and more than a little envious of – this crop of young leaders and all they have accomplished in such a short time. They are saving lives and searching for cures, defending our nation abroad and fighting injustice and inequality at home, sheltering the homeless and foster-parenting vulnerable children, starting new companies and building a skyline, exploring the universe and protecting the environment, governing and giving back to their communities, often with little fanfare. Until now. Meanwhile, it is to marvel at their discipline and time-management talents as they juggle work demands with fami ly obl igations, further education and community service. Referring to them as up-and-comers is selling them short. They’ve already arrived. Perhaps it’s time to bust out the capes and cast our own central Illinois superhero movie.

We’d like to say it’s easy to pick 40. It isn’t, which is why we outsource that job to a top-secret committee of select Selectors who review the nominations and whittle those to the names you’ll learn about in the pages to follow. We did place a bit more emphasis this year on the contributions people make outside their workplaces. It’s an impressive group. Be encouraged. Be inspired. Take inspiration, as well, from the stories of the 95 new Americans of choice who recently took their oaths of citizenship. That naturalization ceremony was presided over by U.S. District Judge James Shadid, who shared his own immigrant family’s voyage-to America tale. His grandparents, Phillip and Adeebi Shadid, weremarried in 1919 in the nation known today as Lebanon – they were considered Syrian, then — and for their honeymoon boarded a boat to America. In 1930, Phillip Shadid swore his allegiance to the United States, the documented proof of which now hangs in the office of his grandson, the federal judge now administering those same oaths to others. Call it a full-circle phenomenon. Those newly minted American Shadids from nearly a century ago would produce nine children and 33 grandchildren who’d go on to serve their communities and adopted country as police officers

and laborers and business owners, as doctors and lawyers and even a state senator – Jim’s father, George Shadid – who in Springfield would befriend a future U.S. president, Barack Obama. That’swhy Judge Shadid can share the truthhe’s lived that the decisionof these 95newAmericans “will affect your family, your friends, all of us, inmoreways than you can imagine.” And it’swhy he can say that “if my grandfather were here today, he would say to me that no matter the law I’ve learned, or the books I’ve read, or the titles I have obtained, I already hold the highest office in the land: the Office of Citizen.” It is a month of thanksgiving. We here at PeoriaMagazine are thankful that we can have hope in our collective future, confident that our 40 view this moment in their lives as less a pinnacle than a prelude to more great things to come. Go forth and lead. Enjoy.

Mike Bailey mbailey@peoriamagazines.com

NOVEMBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 7

NOVEMBER 19, 2022 3:00 PM & 7:30 PM . CATHEDRAL OF SAINT MARY JOY AT THE CATHEDRAL

PEORIA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA GEORGE STELLUTO, CONDUCTOR/VIOLIN SIMON MICHAL, VIOLIN MUSIC OF ALBINONI, BACH, AND VIVALDI

YUKIE OTA, FLUTE SARAH CARRILLO, TRUMPET PEI-YEH TSAI, HARPSICHORD

CONCERT SPONSORS AND UNDERWRWITERS:

The Meredith Foundation This program is partially supported by a grant from the Illinois Arts Council Agency.

Sid & Flo Banwart

8 NOVEMBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE

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NOVEMBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 9

S E E D A N D S O I L

FROM CROP-GROWING SOIL TO ENERGY-PRODUCING SOLAR Israeli-based company to build nation’s second-largest solar farm in Fulton County

BY PHIL LUCIANO

10 NOVEMBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE

The targeted site consists of privately owned land, most of it agricultural. But the property is more valuable producing energy than growing crops, said McDaniel and Blake Murphy, Buckheart’s local representative. “It’s going to help with tax revenue and the schools,” Murphy said. The shuttering of Duck Creek cost Fulton County almost $2 million in yearly property taxes. In 2021, Fulton County’s total equalized assessed valuation of property was $634 million. A fully operational Buckheart Solar would boost that figure by more than 10 percent, to almost $700 million, McDaniel said. That translates into a total of $120 million in added tax revenue — $4 million a year – over the expected 30 year lifespan of the facility. When the 30-year leases end, the equipment will be recycled or reused, with the land returned to its original condition, according to Doral. “The condition of the soil will be improved substantially due to the long resting period and the use of native vegetation under the panels,” the company said. Doral expects to spend the next two years working with the state on permits. Construction would begin in 2024, with the farm producing power the following year. McDaniel is investigating whether the project needs approval from the Fulton County Board. So far, McDaniel has heard no complaints about the project. “We have only heard the benefits and the excitement surrounding the project to this point,” McDaniel said. “That could certainly change, but with the closure of the Duck Creek Power Station, many are excited and know what it means for Fulton County to get a project of this magnitude.”

I n a remarkable economic boon to central Illinois, the nation’s second largest solar project is planned for Fulton County. The $800 million Buckheart Solar Farm would operate on 8,000 acres of land south of Canton, producing 820 megawatts of energy, enough to power 118,000 homes.

Power Station southeast of Canton, costing 90 jobs. Buckheart Solar’s construction phase would bring 300 jobs to Fulton County. Long-term, the facility would employee 10 workers, plus local subtractors for site maintenance. Neither McDaniel nor Doral would disclose the intended location of the project, citing ongoing leasing negoti ations with multiple property owners. However, the solar farm is to be sited in Buckheart Township, south of Canton, said Jonathan Baker, Doral’s director of project and business development. “Doral looks for several qualities when selecting a site,” Baker said. “These include available capacity on local transmission lines, open, privately owned landscape where projects can be sited, and local communities open to new investment. Buckheart met all of these criteria. The closure of DuckCreek coal power plant also meant existing infrastructure could be utilizedwithout building new transmission lines. “Once an area is selected, we begin negotiating with local landowners to see if theywould like to voluntarily lease their property for solar farming. Often the solar farming includes agrivoltaics, whereby we graze livestock or cultivate various crops within and around the solar field. The initial response from local landowners and officials was positive, so Doral felt comfortable moving forward with preliminary studies and engineering.”

THE PROPERTY IS MORE VALUABLE PRODUCING ENERGY THAN GROWING CROPS

“It’s a very exciting project,” said Cole McDaniel, executive director of the Spoon River Partnership for Economic Development. “It’s trajectory changing.” The project is being spearheaded by Israeli-based Doral Renewables, which operates 400 energy facilities in its home country and has branched out into the United States with several projects. It is behind the biggest U.S. solar farm, the $1.5 billion Mammoth Solar development under construction in northwest Indiana, where almost 3 million solar panels will occupy 13,000 acres and generate 1.65 gigawatts of electricity. (The world’s biggest so lar farm is Bhadla Solar Park in India, which spans 14,000 acres and can pro duce 2.25 gigawatts of power.) News of the project comes less than three years after tightened pollution regulations prompted Vistra Energy to shut down the coal-fired Duck Creek

Phil Luciano is a senior writer/columnist for Peoria Magazine and content contributor to public television station WTVP

NOVEMBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 11

S E E D A N D S O I L

HARVESTING THANKFULNESS

BY EMILY SHARKEY

12 NOVEMBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE

W henourkidswereyounger, every year about this time, we hung up a handmade tree trunk fashioned out of tissue paper on the wooden pocket doors in our dining room. We then scattered construction paper of every color on the table, collected every pair of scissors we could lay our hands on, and spent the next couple hours cutting out leaves and writing what we were thankful for on them. Every day for the whole month of October, we added piles and piles of leaves to our tree. The leaves were adorned with the names of family members, answered prayers, friends, events, and even pets that made us feel blessed throughout the year. It was a tradition that we hoped would make our kids realize the magnitude of rich blessings in their lives. A couple weeks ago my husband Rob and I were sitting in the combine harvesting corn and eating a home cooked meal my sister-in-law Marcia had so thoughtfully dropped off for us. We were having an in-depth conversation about how difficult it is to be truly thankful when you feel like life just “chewed you up and spit you out.” That’s an understatement, in our case, as we lost our 17-year-old son to a car accident a couplemonths ago. We cling to our faith and appreciate all the prayers but are in themidst of struggling with the relentless grief of it all.

So, in a month when we traditionally count our blessings and feel the joy that comes with hard work and our family cooperating together on the farm, in a year in which we have felt the struggle and loss more deeply than ever before, I decided to list the things I’m thankful for as a farmer, to make my own adult “Farmers Thankful Tree,” so to speak. It’s my attempt to work through a tough time. So, I am: • Thankful to live in a free country where I can safely harvest my crops. • Thankful for drivers that giveme the space I need tomove my equipment down the road and return safely home to my kids instead of passing me at dangerous speeds. • Thankful for consumers who askme about how I farm and how I safely use herbicides and pesticides to raise my crop rather than believing the lies that farmers are destroying the environment. • Thankful for consumers who appreciate the safe, affordable food farmers grow that nourishes their families as well as our own. • T hankful for people who question farmers directly and voice their concerns rather than asking Google. • Thankful for the fact that I live close to the Illinois River that allows the transport of my corn, beans and wheat and creates new markets for my products to go all over the country and world. • Thankful for several ethanol plants that use the corn I raise to make safe, affordable fuel. Sometimes we have to choose to be thankful during the hard times until our hearts truly feel it again.

Emily and Rob Sharkey harvesting a corn field together on their family farm

down themachine shed doors, the wind began to blowand severeweather alerts sent our cell phones into a frenzy, all simultaneously chiming out a warning to take cover in the basement and stay away from windows. A short 10 minutes later, the destructive storm had blown through and moved on to its next victim, but we knew it had just changed this year’s harvest for us, making it somuch harder. The winds were clocked at 85 miles per hour and we knewwithout a doubt that when the sun rose in the morning, we would have hundreds of acres of corn down or damaged. That is the tough thing about farming. We plant the seeds in the spring and spend the next six months pouring countless hours, money and prayers into having a profitable harvest, but it can all change in an instant when a weather event comes through, grain markets plummet, or someone threatens war. Farmers are never guaranteed profitable prices or large yields in any given year no matter how much we spend to put a crop in the ground. No amount of planning can keep a weather event from making harvest 10 times more difficult than it had to be. We had amazing yields in the field this year only to find ourselves struggling with the ability to even capture it all in the combine.

SOMETIMES LIFE TAKES AN UNEXPECTED AND PAINFUL TURN

So many aspects of life and farming are out of our control. As much as we strive to grasp our own destiny, sometimes life takes an unexpected and painful turn that leaves you feeling wiped out. And yet life around us seems to keep going at its usual pace. Back in late September, the night before we were to start harvest, a thunderstorm popped onto the radar out of nowhere. As we were hurrying to put equipment away and locking

Emily Sharkey is one half of the dynamic duo that make up “The Shark Farmer” broadcasting company. She and husband Rob Sharkey till the land at the family’s fifth-generation farm in the Bradford area. Their

“A Shot of Ag” program appears regularly on WTVP PBS

NOVEMBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 13

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14 NOVEMBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE

Over the last decade, the Doug Oberhelman Caterpillar Visitors Center has welcomed nearly half a million visitors from over 30 countries and all 50 states. Through beautiful storytelling, the history of Peoria’s industrial roots comes alive for guests of all ages. A hands-on playground of yellow iron lets you explore the present. And you can learn about sustainable solutions that will take our world well into the future. Come visit and help us celebrate this 10th Anniversary milestone! For all the latest, be sure to follow us on Facebook or at www.visitcaterpillar.com .

NOVEMBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 15

D I S H A N D D R I N K

OUR OWN LITTLE CULINARY PIPELINE ICC is stocking local kitchens – and beyond — with top talent

BY LAURIE PILLMAN PHOTOS COURTESY OF ILLINOIS CENTRAL COLLEGE

C hef Keith Shank first started teaching for the Il l inois Central College (ICC) Culinary Arts Management program in 2007, but it wasn’t at the beautiful Dogwood Hall kitchens where he can now be found prepping for his Modern Cuisine class. At the time, Chef Shank was working through ICC in the prison system, where he taught the culinary arts to inmates. It wasn’t until a few years later that he became a full-time professor at the college’s North Campus. Now, with 15 years of teaching under his belt, Chef Shank is proud of how the program has grown. “I got hired (at ICC North) right after the remodel in 2009. This was the original Zeller building and our kitchens

here were the industrial, cinder-block style kitchen,” Shank said. “In 2009 they renovated Dogwood Hall. The renovation included three teaching kitchens, a refrigerated butcher shop, a full bar for mixology, a full classroom, a dining room, a demo kitchen, student lounges and even a retail shop.” Respected chef educators and the well-provisioned Dogwood Hall facilities aren’t the only draw for the program. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has projected that Illinois chef and cook employment rates are expected to increase up to 17% in the next five years. The 56 students currently in ICC’s program are attending one of only two culinary schools in the entire state to be given “exemplary” status by the American Culinary Federation

Instructor, Chef Keith Shank

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Educational Foundation (ACFEF) Accrediting Commission. To earn that status, ICC had to prove compliance with ACFEF standards across the board – from qualified faculty to facilities — during a three-day on-site visit with an accreditation team. ICC is the only Illinois school outside Chicago to earn the distinction. “I wanted to go into a culinary arts college or programand I didn’t originally know that ICC had a culinary program,” said student Grace Fady. “When I started looking into it, I realized they had an amazing culinary program and it was like 15 minutes from my house.” What do students learn in an exemplary program? According to Chef Shank, more than most people expect. It takes two years of intense training to earn a culinary certificate. Students can take additional courses to pair their certification with an associate’s degree. “Half of what we teach here is how to cook and the other half of what we teach here is how to make money doing that,” he said. “The business side can be very difficult for chefs, and that's probably the biggest benefit is that we really focus on the math and the numbers.” ‘HALF OF WHAT WE TEACH IS HOW TO COOK…THE OTHER HALF IS HOW TO MAKE MONEY’ Each day, chefs in training arrive at the test kitchens with the handwritten recipes they've calculated to produce the proper quantities for a specified number of diners. Shank stresses that showing up prepared to do the work in the test kitchen is half the battle. “I absolutely love how they do that here,” said student SarahWiegand. “We are very structured … If you don’t show up with (your recipes prepared) you get basically kicked out of class. That just gets us ready for the real world.” “I also think it weeds out people that aren’t necessarily ready for the industry yet,” added Fady. “Not saying that they never will be, but I feel like sometimes people go into this not fully prepared and maybe it’s a bit of a reality check. You can’t just skip days all the time.”

Both Wiegand and Fady work in restaurants and bakeries after school. Chef Keith said many students split their time between the college and local kitchens. Those students tend to thrive because they’re comfortable with the basics of culinary theory and the hard work of being in a restaurant. Chef Shank appreciates the insight and interest students bring to the program.

and Chef Golda Ewalt, are graduates of ICC’s Culinary Arts Management Program. After Pyle graduated, she opened The Cookery in Morton and returned to ICC to teach students about catering cost control. Ewalt went toOSF Saint Francis Medical Center, where she is now the director of food and nutrition services. Students learn about nutrition and menu planning from her. Shanks points to both women as great success stories for the program. To encourage local talent like Pyle to stay local, Shank and chef and fellow educator Charles Robertson encourage students to take part in the Heart of Illinois Professional Chef’s Association. The group helps students with scholarships, mentorship and education, but also gives thema place to network and stay aware of new trends. “I feel like the connections we make are all good for us and they can help us expand our education inmany ways,” said Wiegand. ‘THE FOOD SCENE IN PEORIA IS BETTER NOW THAN IT EVER HAS BEEN’ In the end, Shank says it’s about keeping chefs excited about what they do. He believes education is the best way to propel students and professionals forward in their career and avoid burnout. “I think that's the key,” he said. “It's easy just to sort of stop learning. What I hope we're doing at ICC is sparking an interest in our students to keep learning. It's not easy. It's up to (students) to continue this education and continue learning and evolving so that maybe they don't get burnt out. They have a creative outlet. It really is sort of an art.” To learn more about Illinois Central College’s Culinary Arts Management program, visit www.ICC.edu.

‘I THINK THE YOUNGER GENERATION HAS A BETTER IDEA OF WHAT QUALITY FOOD CAN BE’

— Chef Keith Shank

“I think the younger generation has a better idea of what quality food can be than when I grew up in the ‘80s,” he said. “I wasn't exposed to quality food as much as somebody who's growing up now is exposed to quality food.” Growing up near Peoria’s thriving food scene is a definite bonus, he said. “I think their standards are probably a little higher and that's reflected with Peoria restaurants doing really great things out there,” said Shank. “I would argue that the food scene in Peoria is probably better now than it ever has been in terms of quality.” At the end of the program, students intern at restaurants tomake sure they can put their knowledge to use in every different station of a working kitchen. While many of the students intern in Peoria kitchens, some have interned as far away as California. Some graduates have gone on to work in major culinary hubs like Chicago, but Shank said that ICC’s main focus is to help the labor force in the Peoria area. “We hope that a lot of them stick around in Peoria, but the reality is they come to culinary school here and they're getting hired at restaurants in major metropolitan areas. High-end restaurants want them. Our students are very hirable.” Case in point, two of the program’s adjunct professors, Chef Amanda Pyle

Laurie Pillman is an author and freelance writer/editor, based in Peoria

NOVEMBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 17

A Steady Path to Peace of Mind

At DVI, trust is the most valuable asset we build. We work hard to earn it and even harder to ensure our clients stay on a Steady Path to Peace of Mind – now and for generations to come.

5823 N. Forest Park Dr. | Peoria, IL | www.DVIinc.com | 800.332.5944

18 NOVEMBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE

D I S H A N D D R I N K

WHAT’S

COOKIN’

CUCCIDATI: ITALIAN FIG COOKIES

T his recipe is from my grand mother, which likely came from her grandmother and from her grandmother before that. They are called cuccidati or buc cellati in Italy, and hail from Sicily. The dried figs, nuts and citrus tell the story of the island’s many influences, from the Middle East to Greece. Making cuccidati during the holidays gave my mother so much joy that I was eager to continue the family tradition myself. It has become my signature cookie and the star of my cookie tins. Meanwhile, my cookbook, Gif t of Cookies: Recipes to Share with Family & Friends , features 130 of my favorite cookie recipes. Purchase a copy on my website — marydisomma.com/shop/ cookbooks — and I’ll donate 100% of the proceeds to Peoria’s OSF Children's Hospital of Illinois. Just enter code OSFCHILDREN at checkout. Help me help the children of Peoria! On to the recipe.

First, the INGREDIENTS (for 10 dozen cookies): Dough • 8 cups all-purpose flour • 4 tablespoons baking powder • 1½ cups (12-ounces) unsalted butter • 2 cups granulated sugar • 8 large eggs plus 1 additional (if needed) • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Fig filling • 1-pound dried figs, stems removed, chopped • 2 cups raisins • ½ cup walnuts • ¼ cup honey • Juice of 2 oranges • Zest of 1 orange Icing • 8 cups confectioners’ sugar • 1 cup water • 2 teaspoons clear vanilla extract, optional • Nonpareils Next, the PROCESS: 1. In a largemixing bowl, combine flour and baking powder. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine butter and sugar. Beat until light and fluffy. Add 8 eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. With mixer on low, gradually add dry ingredients to butter mixture.

If the dough is too dry, add the additional egg. Divide dough into four portions. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour. 2. To prepare the fig filling, use the grinder attachment on an electric stand mixer and grind figs, walnuts and raisins. Place in a mixing bowl. Add honey, orange juice and orange zest. Mix well. 3 Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a lightly flouredwork area, roll out each portion of dough into a 16-by 6-inch rectangle. Spread approximately 1 cup of filling lengthwise down the center of each. Starting at a long side, fold dough over filling, then fold the other side over the top. Pinch seams and edges to seal. 4. Cut each rectangle on a slight diagonal into 1-inch strips. Place cookies on parchment-lined sheet pans and bake in preheated oven for approximately 25 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove pan from oven and allow cookies to set for 10 minutes. Transfer cookies to cooling racks. 5. Sift confectioners’ sugar into a large mixing bowl. Add water as needed to create a glaze. Clear vanilla is optional. Dip cookies into glaze. Sprinkle with nonpareils. When glaze has dried, transfer cookies to an airtight container. Enjoy!

About our chef : Mary DiSomma lives in Oak Park and Cuba, Illinois. She is the author and publisher of A Gift of Cookies: Recipes to Share with Family & Friends, a philanthropist, podiatrist, entrepreneur, wife to Bill and mom to four adult children

NOVEMBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 19

Here For You When Life Changes

You’ve worked hard for your assets. You want them to grow and be protected so you can enjoy them now and preserve them as a legacy to share with the special people and places in your life. At CEFCU® Wealth Management, we agree! With Kevin Barbier — a local Trust & Investment Officer and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional — you’ll discuss: • What’s important to you — your goals and your values. • Strategies to make your money last and continually assess your plan for tax benefits, market changes, and risk tolerance. • Your existing investment portfolios to provide a second opinion. From retirement and estate planning to fee based investment management and asset protection trusts, Kevin has over 25 years of experience. He can work with your attorney, accountant, other trusted advisors, and even family members to help ensure your financial well-being and your legacy. For more information, go to cefcu.com/wealth or give Kevin a call at 309.633.3836 or 1.800.356.7865, ext. 33836.

Kevin Barbier, CFP ® Trust & Investment Management Officer

309.633.3836

CEFCU Wealth Management is a marketing name used by CEFCU. Trust and Investment Services provided by Members Trust Company, a federal thrift regulated by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. Non-deposit products offered through Members Trust Company. Not NCUA/NCUSIF/FDIC insured, May Lose Value, No Financial Institution Guarantee, Not a deposit of any financial institution.

Main Street values. Wall Street expertise.™

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12/9/2020 3:09:22 PM

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D I S H A N D D R I N K

COCKTAIL CLASS

Welcome back to Mixology 101

C I A O B E L L A

Next, the INGREDIENTS : To the cocktail shaker, add: • 1 dash of Crude Rizzo bitters

The heat is officially gone from outside so we will have to compensate by heating up our insides a bit with the best warming liquid. Bourbon! The quintessential Americanwhiskey withmany governing laws and myths of origin and definition is a good liquor to turn to as the days get shorter. We turn to this corn-based whiskey — so often consumed neat, on the rocks, or in an Old Fashioned — and we use it as the base of our cocktail today. Augmenting with some French liqueurs — we are staying patriotic here, as the French greatly helped our independence with their supplies, sea battles, and previous revolution of their own — we add some herb, spice and fruit notes to this cocktail. This particular drink crosses the line between a sour and a sidecar, with cascading flavors on the finish after a smooth, jammy taste up front. The French ingredients include a thyme liqueur for specific herbal notes, yellow chartreuse for a variety of alpine spices and herbs that meld well with the bourbon, and creme de cassis to balance out with some sweetness and rich blackcurrant flavor. To balance the entire cocktail, we add lemon juice and a little simple syrup. We are serving this one up, as it needs no dilution from rocks after being shaken. On to the cocktail! First, the TOOLS : For this cocktail you will need a cocktail shaker, a measuring jigger, a hawthorne strainer, and a champagne couple or large martini glass, keeping in mind to chill your glass before use.

• 1 dash plum bitters • 1 dash peach bitters • 1 dash Old Fashioned bitters

• .25 oz. simple syrup • .75 oz. lemon juice

• .25 oz. Crème de Cassis • .25 oz. Yellow Chartreuse

• .5 oz. Bigallet Thyme • 1 oz. Bulleit Bourbon

Finally, the PROCESS : Fill your shaker with ice and shake hard enough to turn the cubes into a bit of slush, roughly 10 to 15 seconds. Use your hawthorne strainer and strain into your prepared cocktail glass. Garnish with three blackberries on a pick (or blackcurrants if you can find them.) Sit back and enjoy the Ciao Bella!

About our mixologist: Dustin Crawford is co-owner – with partner Kip Rodier – of the 33 Room in Peoria Heights. Prior to that, the U.S. Marine Corps veteran traveled the world before returning home to work his magic behind the bar at various central Illinois establishments.

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S P O T L I G H T

PEORIA’S BRADLEY UNIVERSITY celebrates 125 years of growth and achievement

buildings, buy laboratory equipment and library books, and provide for annual operating expenses. Classes began in Bradley Hall on Oct. 4, 1897, with 14 faculty members and 150 students. Four days later, Bradley Polytechnic Institute was formally dedicated. Its first graduate was Corinne Unland in June 1898. By 1899, there were 350 students in the School of Arts and Science at Bradley studying subjects such as biology, chemistry, food work, sewing, Engl ish, German, French, Latin, Greek, history, manual arts, drawing, mathematics and physics. Bradley later donated the rest of her estate to the school, including nearly 1,000 different pieces of property. In 1906 she announced an additional gift to build Hewitt Gymnasium, now Hartmann Center for the Performing Arts. Following Bradley’s death in 1908 at the age of 91, the school continued to

BY AMY GEIER EDGAR PHOTOS BY MIKE BAILEY, RON JOHNSON AND TODD PILON A s BradleyUniversity celebrates 125 years of operation, it continues to have a positive impact on the city and region with which it has become virtually synonymous. BRADLEY'S ORIGINS STEM FROM THE DREAMS OF LYDIA MOSS BRADLEY AFTER EXPERIENCING LOSS Bradley’s origins stem from the dreams and determination of Lydia Moss Bradley. After the deaths of their six children, Bradley and her husband Tobias considered establishing an orphanage in their memory. Those

plans ended when Tobias died in May of 1867, leaving Bradley alone to determine what kind of legacy she could create for her beloved family. After careful study and research, Bradley began to focus on a new goal: the creation of a school to help young people prepare for life. Bradley Polytechnic Institute was chartered on Nov. 13, 1896. To get it off the ground, she gifted 17.5 acres of land to the institute, plus the funds necessary to construct two campus

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grow, transitioning into a four-year college offering bachelor’s degrees in 1920 and a full university offering graduate programs in 1946, when it was renamed Bradley University. Today, BUhas grown to 77 buildings on an 84-acre campus. It has an enrollment of approximately 4,600 undergraduate students and 1,300 graduate students from across the United States and 43 countries. Undergraduates can choose from more than 185 programs in five colleges, while graduate students can select from more than 30 available programs. Students can earn degrees in fields including engineering, business, biology, chemistry, nursing, education, communications, art, music and theater. In addition, the university offers unique academic services such as the Turner Center for Entrepreneurship and the Smith Career Center, which assists with résumés, cover letters and interviews. Somethingmust be working, as BU brags a 93% placement rate – at a job or graduate school – within six months of graduation. BUalsohas beena leader in game design and development, offering top-ranked undergraduate and master’s programs in that discipline. The Center for Cybersecurity provides cutting-edge education, collaborates with local companies, and facilitates research in this growing high-tech field. BRADLEY UNIVERSITY FREQUENTLY RANKS AMONG THE TOP SCHOOLS IN THE MIDWEST

Meanwhile, Bradley’s Charley Steiner School of Sports Communications was the first named sports communications school in the country. Opportunities abound for students outside the classroom, as well, both in athletics and academics. Students can participate in Greek life, among approximately 250 other campus organizations. The Bradley University speech team has won more than 40 national championships, making it the most successful speech team in the nation. Meanwhile, 15 Bradley Braves varsity sports teams participate in the NCAA Division I Missouri Valley Conference. The men’s basketball team has played in the NCAA Championships nine times, advancing twice to the Sweet Sixteen. The Braves baseball team made it to the College World Series twice. The university’s sales team also is wildly successful, having defeated 66 other colleges this year and becoming the first back-to-back national champion of the National Collegiate Sales Competition. BU frequently ranks among the top schools in the Midwest, according to major publications suchas thePrinceton Review and Wall Street Journal. In the 2022-2023 rankings by U.S. News & World Report, Bradley came in at 166 out of 443 national universities. Peoria’s university has produced some very notable alumni over the years. They include former U.S. Secretary of TransportationRay LaHood;Maj. Robert H.Lawrence, Jr., thefirstAfricanAmerican astronaut; Gen. JohnShalikashvili, former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff;

Academy Award-winningmakeup artist Tami Lane; and retired Congressman Robert Michel, who was the longest serving Republican leader of the U.S. House of Representatives. THE BRADLEY SPEECH TEAM HAS WON MORE THAN 40 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS Bradley University President Stephen Standifird leads an academic staff of more than340full-time facultymembers, while overseeing an endowment of some $310 million. Standifird became the university’s 12th president in 2020, following the retirement of Gary R. Roberts. Joanne K. Glasser served as Bradley’s 10th president and the first woman to hold the position. Its first president – then known as a director – was Edward O. Sisson, who oversaw the school from 1897-1904. The school’s longest serving president was Dr. Martin Abegg at 22 years (1970-92). Over the years, the university has been guided by other leaders who navigated the Depression, worldwars, campus unrest, and financial difficulties. The footprint of the campus has expanded and its facilities have grown to include the Caterpillar Global CommunicationsCenter, theRenaissance Coliseum, the Hayden-Clark Alumni Center, and theBusiness andEngineering Convergence Center (BECC). "One-hundred twenty-five years ago, LydiaMossBradleycreatedan institution focused on uniquely serving the needs and interests of students at that time,” said Standifird. “We’re continuing Lydia’s

NOVEMBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 23

125th anniversary theme into their programs, said Linda Aylward, special collections assistant at the Virginius H. Chase Special Collections Center. Work began there this past summer to develop a digital exhibit, “125 Years of Bradley History in Objects,” which offers a snapshot of the university’s history through news clippings, photos, artifacts and documents. Special Collections Director Libby Tronnes, Ph.D., emphasized that the pieces selected do not necessarily represent themost important moments of theuniversity’s history, nor do they tell a complete story of the people, places and events that make up the fabric of Bradley. However, they do highlight the social, political and economic changes experienced across campus and the nation during the past century. Items range from a sample of a 1902 Domestic Science book that highlights the gender expectations of women at the time to a pride flag raised in 2021 honoring National Coming Out Week and celebrating LGBTQIA+ History

Month. There is a program from the first Founder’s Day in 1898, as well as a link to the BU COVID-19 Oral History Project and Archive. Special Collections Center officials want to add to the digital exhibit, and they are encouraging donors to contribute physical items, images and stories. Learn more about that at https://bradleyspecialcollections. omeka.net/exhibits/show/bradley university-125-anniv. For informationonBradleyUniversity’s founder Lydia Moss Bradley check out WTVP’s original historical documentary, Lydia: Ahead of Her Time

legacy by focusing on the needs and interests of today’s students. Students should choose us because we’ll help them build the futures they want and meet the challenges of tomorrow." Numerous events are planned over the course of the 2022-23 school year to celebrate this milestone anniversary. The public was invited to participate in the Founder’s Day Convocation in September. Homecoming and Late Night Bradley are incorporating the

Amy Geier Edgar is the Youth Services librarian at the Dunlap Public Library District, following a career in journalism that included working for the Associated Press in Ohio, Connecticut and

South Carolina, where she covered the Statehouse. She lives in Peoria with her husband, Rik, and two daughters

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Hometown Holidays BRING YOUR FAMILY TO MORTON FOR A DAY OF HOLIDAY FUN!

TREE LIGHTING SANTA MEET & GREET HORSE & CARRIAGE RIDES AND FUN FOR ALL AGES!

Hosted By:

www.facebook.com/PumpkinLandCommunityEvents

Saturday, November 26 Morton, IL Holiday Shopping & More! A Small Business Saturday - Shop Local Experience Hosted By:

www.mortonchamber.org

NOVEMBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE 25

YOU CAN HELP HALF OF ALL LIFETIME CASES OF MENTAL ILLNESS BEGIN BY AGE 14.*

YOUNGMINDS project

DONATE TODAY AT: youngmindsproject.org/donate

*From the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)

26 NOVEMBER 2022 PEORIA MAGAZINE