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By JEFF ROGERS
Director, Illinois Press Foundation
jrogers@illinoispress.org
A textbook come to life.
That’s how one of his former students describes Charlie Wheeler, who has been director of the Public Affairs Reporting program at University of Illinois Springfield since 1993.
Lisa Ryan, who graduated from the program in 2015 and now works for a public radio and television news organization in northeast Ohio, described the Wheeler “textbook.”
“Filled with reporting advice, history lessons, and an amazing memory for the smallest detail,” she said.
Ryan is among more than 700 graduates of the program, which has had only three directors in its 47 years.
But when the program’s Class of 2019-2020 assembles in the fall, there will be a new director. Wheeler is retiring in August, having decided that 50 is a nice, even number of years spent in and around journalism. He started his first full-time job in 1969 as a reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times.
“I feel fortunate. I feel blessed,” Wheeler said. “Not many people get the opportunity to make a career out of doing something they like.”
Family legacy
Wheeler is quick to point out his connection with journalism began long before 1969, long before he was alive.
His grandfather, Charles N. Wheeler, was a newspaper reporter, first for Joliet newspapers and eventually for the Chicago Tribune and the Chicago Daily News. He covered World War I and the Irish rebellion.
His father, Charles N. Wheeler Jr., was a reporter, copy editor, features editor and assistant city editor for three decades with the Chicago Times and then the Chicago Sun-Times.
Charles N. Wheeler III also seemed destined for a journalism career, writing about the sports teams of his high school, Joliet Catholic, as a part-timer for the Joliet Herald-News. He also wrote for the paper’s year-end “progress edition.”
But when Wheeler headed to St. Mary’s College in Winona, Minnesota, he planned to major in chemistry. The U.S.-Soviet space race sparked an interest in science. Still, he wrote about the St. Mary’s sports teams for the college, and for the Winona newspaper. He ended up getting a degree in English.
“I thought, Do I really want to spend my life in a lab?” Wheeler said.
So, he went to graduate school at the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, never having taken an actual journalism course.
But even after getting his master’s degree in journalism there, he delayed the start of his career to serve as a U.S. Peace Corps volunteer in the Republic of Panama, which he did from 1965 until returning home in 1969 when his father was diagnosed with cancer.
Reporting years
Wheeler was hired as a reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times in April 1969. One of his first assignments was to cover a rally of the Black Panther Party, a group Wheeler said he knew little of at the time.
“I always felt like I didn’t know enough about what I was going to write about,” Wheeler said. It was a concern he would later turn into a pillar of the PAR program.
Wheeler found his niche at the Sun-Times covering the campaign for delegates to the Constitutional Convention – or “Con-Con” – and the ratification of the state’s fourth Constitution in 1970. It’s difficult to talk to Wheeler at any length about state government without “Con-Con” entering the conversation.
“I made that my beat, if you will,” Wheeler said.
That “beat” became more official when, in 1971, Wheeler began covering state government in Springfield while the Legislature was in session.
“I was the only guy in the newsroom who had been in Springfield before and wanted to go back,” Wheeler said with a smile.
“The beauty in covering the Statehouse is that what you learn today is the foundation for what happens tomorrow. But what happens tomorrow has enough twists that you can never get bored. It’s always exciting. … You wind up learning the darndest things.”
That wealth of knowledge accrued is something Wheeler’s students marvel.
“I’m convinced the only person who knows more about Illinois state government than him is literally Michael Madigan, and he wrote the state Constitution,” said Seth Richardson, who is a 2015 graduate of the PAR program and is now chief political reporter at cleveland.com.
The Sun-Times moved Wheeler to Springfield full-time in 1974, though he’d still work from the Chicago area during primary and general election seasons for statewide and federal offices. He became the Sun-Times’ Statehouse bureau chief in 1987.
Marcel Pacatte, a journalist in residence and assistant professor at Boise State University who was a member of Wheeler’s first PAR class in 1993-94, recalls a story he’d tell his students.
“One of my favorite stories he told is when his editor called from Chicago to tell him that he needed to write a story to answer one the Tribune had, and Charlie was able to say, ‘But I broke that story last week!’”
Being an ‘editor’
Wheeler said he still considers himself to be a reporter, even though he’s been a teacher for 26 years.
He said his role as director of the Public Affairs Reporting program is more like being an editor, with the students being reporters.
But there’s another role Wheeler plays in the program that is apparent in the way past students still speak of him, with reverence and affection.
“Charlie was like a father to all of us, providing gentle guidance,” said Dana Perino, a 1995 PAR graduate who now is an anchor and co-host on the Fox News Channel. “I’ve appreciated how he’s kept in touch with us all these years.”
Wheeler recently completed and sent to all grads and others the annual “Green Sheet.” The holiday-season newsletter shares greetings from a number of PAR grads and as much contact information as possible about each alum.
His connection to PAR reaches back to 1973, when the Sun-Times had its first intern from the program’s first class. Wheeler got familiar with how the program worked, what it taught, by working with interns every spring in the Sun-Times’ Statehouse bureau.
“I enjoyed working with the students, so when the position opened up” it was a natural step to take, Wheeler said.
“It wasn’t all that different because, in a sense, I was doing the same stuff that I had been doing as a reporter – taking complicated stuff and explaining it for readers.”
The PAR program was founded in 1972 by former U.S. Sen. Paul Simon, who was lieutenant governor at the time and had just lost the Democratic primary for governor. Simon had been a newspaper editor and publisher in his earlier years, and decided to bring both his journalistic and political knowledge into creating a program that trained young reporters to cover state government. It was a novel idea at the time, Wheeler said, and the more “avant-garde” Sangamon State University (now UIS) was a perfect birthing place for the program.
Bill Miller, an award-winning radio reporter, took over as director in 1974. The program became prominent in both legislative and journalistic circles during Miller’s tenure.
“When my fellow Statehouse reporters learned I had been chosen to succeed Bill, they asked me how it felt to be taking a job where all I could do was mess it up, so high was the regard in which Bill and PAR were held,” Wheeler wrote in this year’s “Green Sheet.”
Wheeler did anything but mess up the program. It’s thrived, and continued to help place former students in prominent journalism jobs throughout the country. The first semester is sort of a “boot camp” for budding Statehouse reporters, where students are drilled on the important but often mundane issues central to state government. Think property taxes and school funding.
Wheeler wants to be sure his students aren’t like he was when he was a young reporter, feeling like he didn’t know enough about the subjects he was assigned to write about.
“Charlie not only teaches students, he’s a student of government,” said Sean Crawford, the news director at the college’s WUIS and a member of the PAR Class of 1997. “He understands why things happen and why they don’t. … He is as well researched as anyone I know.”
In the spring, students get to apply that knowledge as interns with newspapers, TV stations and wire services covering the Statehouse. They work as full-time reporters from January until they graduate.
“I feel the courses are geared toward preparing students for their internships, but also for their careers later,” Wheeler said.
“If you can cover the Legislature in Illinois, you can cover just about anything else. Maybe not the White House these days. …”
Said Kate Clements Gary, a 1998 PAR graduate who now is a director of communications and marketing at the University of Notre Dame College of Arts and Letters: “Charlie’s retirement is the end of an era. He taught a generation of reporters not just how to be better interviewers, writers and investigative reporters, but why our role as watchdogs was so essential to democracy.”
What’s next?
That role of being a watchdog is one that Wheeler worries is slipping away from news organizations that have been cutting into reporting resources.
The top challenge to the PAR program, he said, is something that’s out of its control.
“The attrition in the Statehouse in terms of full-time bureaus is a challenge,” Wheeler said. “It’s not just in Illinois, it’s across the country.
“There’s a new generation of ownerships that have less of an understanding that the newspaper is a community resource.”
That news bureaus have mostly disappeared from the Statehouse has impacted the PAR program as well as news consumers. This year’s class has only seven students – four in print and three in broadcast – in great part because there was only that number of internships available.
“It’s a challenge for the program, but in a broader sense it’s a challenge for the industry, for our nation,” Wheeler said. “If you don’t have newspapers there chronicling what’s going on … people can’t be engaged citizens.”
That Wheeler reporting legacy? It will have to wait at least another generation. Wheeler’s children work in unrelated fields.
As for the PAR program, Wheeler said the university is committed to its continuing, and is actively working to hire his successor. And he vows to stay involved, whether it’s as an adviser to the next director, continuing to show up at the Capitol a few days a week as he does now, or working in his role as a board member for the Illinois Press Foundation and helping it grow its new state government news service.
“Despite its downsizing, the program still provides aspiring journalists a unique opportunity to gain professional experience in a very demanding reporting environment, all the while earning a graduate degree,” Wheeler said. “Now someone else will have the honor of bearing the PAR standard. … May he or she have as wonderful and rewarding a tenure as I!”
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 22, 2024 Contact Information: Claire Tatman Jasculca Strategic Communications claire_tatman@jtpr.com 616-216-9983 www.illinoisvision2030.org
Vision 2030 plan details education leaders' priorities for future learning, shared accountability and predictable funding for K-12 schools
CHICAGO – Education leaders from five statewide organizations in Illinois announced Vision 2030, a blueprint for public education in Illinois, developed with input from the statewide membership of the Illinois Association of School Administrators (IASA), Illinois Association of School Boards (IASB), Illinois Principals Association (IPA), Illinois Association of School Business Officials (Illinois ASBO) and Illinois Association of Regional School Superintendents (IARSS). Vision 2030 seeks to engage parents, educators, policy leaders, elected officials, and the general public around a platform that emphasizes student and school safety, attracts and retains high-quality educators, enhances postsecondary success and more effectively measures what is working well in schools in a timely, usable manner. The Vision 2030 Policy Framework is organized into three pillars: Future-Focused Learning, Shared Accountability, and Predictable Funding.
In the public release of the plan at the organization’s Joint Annual Conference held in Chicago on November 22-24, the leaders of the five organizations stated, “We have to acknowledge that students learn best, and educators teach most effectively, when they feel safe and connected to one another and to their communities. This is the single most important thing we can do to support both academic achievement and individual well-being — and it is something that has to be considered in our instructional approach, curriculum, student support services, facilities and finances to ensure that local districts have the resources needed to ensure their school buildings are safe.”
Vision 2030 outlines specific policy, legislative and fiscal goals to fulfill the promise of public education in Illinois, including:
Future-Focused Learning
“Future-focused learning is about reshaping our schools and classrooms and redefining student success to reflect and prepare students for all the different ways that the world and economy continue to change,” said Brent Clark, executive director, IASA. This includes:
Shared Accountability
“Just like children’s physical growth, academic progress does not always happen in a linear manner – both growth and proficiency should be measured over time within and across grade levels,” said Jason E. Leahy, executive director, IPA. Vision 2030 advocates for:
Predictable Funding
“School districts need the flexibility to determine how to allocate public monies to best meet the needs of their students and communities,” said Kristopher Monn, executive director, IASBO. Achieving the goals outlined in Vision 2030 requires long-term sustainable funding with additional investment to support updated instructional resources and technology, keep pace with economic pressures on salaries and equipment, and maintain aging infrastructure. For example,
“Vision 2030 seeks to put systems and processes in place that support all school districts throughout the state in sharing what works for our kids and our communities, while also preserving local flexibility and leadership so that the best decisions are made closest to home,” said Kimberly A. Small, executive director, IASB. “This plan will require conversation, collaboration and action between the education community, our locally elected school boards, the State Legislature, the Governor and the Illinois State Board of Education,” said Gary Tippsord, executive director, IARSS. “The skills and career demands of the future are changing, which is why we must prioritize future-focused learning and meet this moment with smart strategies around funding and accountability.” This is the second time that these groups have collaborated on such a plan. The first initiative, Vision 2020, resulted in numerous achievements that sparked legislative action on school funding through the passage of the Evidence-Based Funding Formula in 2017, as well as important enhancements to teacher recruitment policies, college and career readiness initiatives, and the state’s accountability model.
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About Vision 2030
Vision 2030 was developed through a statewide engagement effort that included input from more than 1,000 stakeholders statewide, as well as discussions with local educators who work tirelessly inside and outside of school buildings to improve the outcomes for children from all backgrounds across Illinois. To access the full Vision 2030 plan and a list of alliance members, click here.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: November 21, 2024 Contact Information: Jann Ingmire janningmire@isms.org 312-520-9802
Holidays are a good time to talk about final wishes?
Yes! Strange as it sounds, your physician recommends it!
As you gather together with family and close friends this holiday season, you might want to introduce an unusual topic – advance directives. While most adults believe it’s important to have advance care planning conversations, very few have done so. An advance directive is a legal document that outlines your preferences for medical treatment in case you become unable to communicate or make decisions for yourself. Having one is important because it provides clear direction to your physician and your family about what kind of medical care you want or don’t want, even if you are unconscious or incapacitated. The Illinois State Medical Society offers A Personal Decision as a free resource for the public to educate patients and their families about advance directives and help patients make their wishes known. This booklet provides Illinois patients with practical information about determining future medical care. The advance directives booklet includes:
Anyone can download this ISMS resource for free. Having an advance directive in place also helps alleviate the burden on loved ones when making decisions about your health care in a crisis situation. These documents will provide the guidance needed about your wishes for whether you want medical treatment in particular circumstances. Download A Personal Decision and have that conversation with your loved ones this holiday season!
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Founded in 1840, ISMS is a professional membership association representing Illinois physicians in all medical specialties, and their patients, statewide.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 2, 2024 Contact Information: Illinois Region 3: Mutual Aid Team Dr. Patrick M. Twomey 309-229-9093 c4ol.twomey@gmail.com
United States Rural School Safety Project: Conducting a first of its kind, full scale regional response parent-student reunification exercise
MACOMB, Illinois – The Illinois Region 3: Mutual Aid Team will conduct a full-scale regional response reunification exercise at Western Illinois University on Friday, Oct. 4, 2024. The exercise will commence at 11:30 a.m. Parents, media outlets, and exercise participants will be stationed in Q lot directly east of Western Hall located on University Drive. There will be electronic signage directing all media outlets to a predetermined staging area. Separate signage will direct parents to their appropriate parking location, while dignitaries and invited observers will go directly to the Emergency Operations Center located at the east end of Q lot just in front of Tanner Hall. The goal is to reunite approximately 430 students with their parents or guardians between the hours of 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. In addition, there are a significant number of state, county, and local personnel and organizations practicing and participating in this exercise. Organizations include local, county, and state law enforcement, hospitals, fire departments, emergency services, disaster agencies, State Police K-9 Unit, Salvation Army, and the American Red Cross, as well as others. The United States Rural School Safety Project was created to assist rural schools in tabletop exercise trainings and the formation of regional mutual aid teams. The tabletop exercises are designed to improve each individual school district’s crisis responses, while additional trainings create a prepared regional response to any district experiencing a catastrophic event. The Illinois Region 3 Team has been training together for more than two years. A calm and organized reunification process after a critical school incident is paramount and marks the beginning of the recovery phase. Parents, students, staff members, and the community at large must be assured that a well-designed plan in conjunction with a highly trained team is ready and prepared to respond at all times.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 1, 2024 Contact Information: Sherry Sejnost, program chair irc@illinoisreadingcouncil.org
ILLINOIS READS! A Reading State of Mind www.illinoisreads.org and www.illinoisreadingcouncil.org www.facebook.com/IllinoisReads www.twitter.com/IllinoisReads #IllinoisReads #IRCReads Illinois Reading Council's 2025 Illinois Reads book list will be featured at the IRC Conference on March 13-14, 2025, and the Illinois Reads Book Festival on April 26, 2025
The Illinois Reading Council (IRC) has just released the list of Illinois Reads books for 2025. Illinois Reads is a statewide program that promotes reading for all Illinois citizens. The program promotes six books in six different age bands by authors and illustrators who have ties to Illinois. The books range from read-to books for infants to books for adult readers. Bookmarks and posters highlighting the Illinois Reads books will be available in early 2025. Order early as supplies are limited! The Illinois Reads Program will be featured at the annual IRC Conference in Springfield on March 13-14, 2025. Conference registration is now open for educators, librarians, and others interested in promoting literacy. The 2025 Illinois Reads Program will also be featured at the Illinois Reads Book Festival in Jacksonville on April 26, 2025. Readers throughout Illinois are invited to this free family event. Visit our websites to find out about other upcoming Illinois Reads events.
The Illinois Reads book selections for 2025 are: Birth-4 Can You Dance Like a Peacock? by Rekha S. Rajan Hide-and-Seek by Molly Cranch Moms Can Do It All! by Ted Maass Sleepy: Surprising Ways Animals Snooze by Jennifer Ward Painting the Sky with Love: A Celebration of Love and Community by Mary E. Haque Play Outside with Me by Kat Chen K-2 Bats Beneath the Bridge by Janet Nolan Love Grows by Ruth Spiro Somebody Needs to Do Something About That Monster! by Doug Cenko The Ghost Who Was Afraid of Everything by Nadia Ahmed The Heartbeat Drum: The Story of Carol Powder, Cree Drummer and Activist by Deidre Havrelock and illustrated by Aphelandra Umami by Jacob Grant 3-5 Cloud Puppy by Kelly Leigh Miller Detective Sweet Pea: The Case of the Golden Bone by Sara Varon It Belongs to the World: Frederick Banting and the Discovery of Insulin by Lisa Katzenberger Legendarios: Wrath of the Rain God by Karla Arenas Valenti One Cool Duck #1: King of Cool by Mike Petrik The Great Lakes: Our Freshwater Treasure by Barb Rosenstock 6-8 Forget-Me-Not Blue by Sharelle Byars Moranville I Felt Myself Slipping by Ray Nadine Kareem Between by Shifa Saltagi Safadi Rare Birds by Jeff Miller Stage Fright by Wendy Parris The Labors of Hercules Beal by Gary D. Schmidt 9-12 American Wings: Chicago’s Pioneering Black Aviators and the Race for Equality in the Sky by Sherri L. Smith and Elizabeth Wein Dear Wendy by Ann Zhao Last On His Feet: Jack Johnson and the Battle of the Century by Youssef Daoudi and Adrian Matejka This Book Won’t Burn by Samira Ahmed This Night Is Ours by Ronni Davis We Shall Be Monsters: A Novel by Alyssa Wees Adult By Water Beneath the Walls: The Rise of the Navy SEALs by Benjamin H. Milligan Star Wars Dad Jokes: The Best Worst Jokes and Puns from a Galaxy Far, Far Away . . . . by Kelly Knox and illustrated by Johnny Sampson The Best Lies by David Ellis The Great Divide: A Novel by Cristina Henriquez The Wheel of the Year: An Illustrated Guide to Nature’s Rhythms by Fiona Cook Woe: A Housecat’s Story of Despair: (A Graphic Novel) by Lucy Knisley
A special title for 2025 will also be A Love Letter to My Library by Lisa Katzenberger. Illinois Reads is a statewide literacy program provided by the Illinois Reading Council, a nonprofit organization with nearly 2,000 members across Illinois. The mission of the Illinois Reading Council is to provide support and leadership to all who promote and teach lifelong literacy. Book lists from 2013 to 2025 may be found on the Illinois Reads website. For more information, visit our websites at www.IllinoisReads.org and www.IllinoisReadingCouncil.org.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 1, 2024 Contact Information: Alison Maley, government and public relations director Phone: 217-299-3122 alison@ilprincipals.org
Illinois Principals Association to host 'Legacy Builders' Conference in October
SPRINGFIELD, Illinois - The Illinois Principals Association (IPA) will host its 53rd Education Leaders Annual Conference, “Legacy Builders,” Oct. 20-22, 2024, in Peoria. The event will feature keynote speakers, breakout sessions, and networking opportunities to help school leaders enhance their impact on schools and communities. 2024-2025 IPA President Cris Edwards shared, “We’re excited to welcome Illinois school leaders to this year’s conference, offering inspiring speakers and opportunities to celebrate the legacy they bring to their schools.” The conference kicks off Sunday with a golf tournament, committee meetings, and a welcome reception honoring past IPA presidents. Keynote speakers include: Dr. Stanley Leone, Jr., CEO of This Side of Hope, will open Monday with his session “The HeArt of Teaching and The Science of Relationships.” Dr. Leone will share his personal journey from a traumatic childhood to success, emphasizing how relationships within schools transformed his life. A Certified Clinical Trauma Professional and award-winning speaker, Dr. Leone has shared his story with more than a million people. Cris Edwards, 2024-2025 IPA president and Dr. Jason Leahy, IPA executive director, will speak Monday afternoon. IPA Awards for Excellence, Herman Graves Award, Reaching Out & Building Bridges Award, and the Mr. John Ourth & Dr. Fred W. Singleton Professional Development Scholarships will also be presented at this session. Monica Genta, author and educator, will deliver a keynote Tuesday morning titled “180 Days of Awesome – Celebrating Every Day of Education.” With 14 years of teaching experience, Genta will inspire leaders to turn each school day into an exciting adventure. She is the author of five books, including “180 Days of Awesome,” and is a National Board Certified Teacher. Illinois State Superintendent Dr. Tony Sanders will speak on Tuesday, addressing the state of education in Illinois and sharing insights with school leaders. Additionally, Tuesday’s IGNITE session will feature fast-paced presentations from notable principals, including Allan Davenport (Granger Middle School), Dr. Lisa Carlos (Plainfield Elementary School), Charles Williams (Michele Clark Academic Prep Magnet High School), and IPA President-Elect Dr. Angie Codron (Normal West High School). Each will share their unique perspectives on school leadership in 5-minute bursts. The conference will conclude with IPA Deputy Executive Director Brian Schwartz and Government Relations Director Alison Maley providing updates on new education-related laws passed during the 2024 Illinois Legislative Session, offering insights on how school leaders can stay informed and advocate for their schools. For more information about the IPA or to register to attend, please visit ilprincipals.org.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 30, 2024 Contact Information: Alison Maley, government and public relations director Phone: 217-299-3122 alison@ilprincipals.org
Illinois Principals Association encourages principal appreciation in October
SPRINGFIELD, Illinois – The Illinois Principals Association (IPA) encourages communities to celebrate Principal Appreciation Week October 20-26, 2024, and Principal Appreciation Day on October 25 to highlight the dedication of principals, assistant principals, and deans. This annual recognition has been recognized by Illinois governors since 1990. October is also National Principals Month, supported by the IPA, National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), and the American Federation of School Administrators (AFSA). Cris Edwards, IPA president and principal of Richland County Elementary School in Olney, shared: “Whether this is a principal’s very first year, last year, or somewhere in the middle, Illinois is celebrating these leaders for all they do for children. As ‘legacy builders’ we are constantly mentoring others; helping students to find their voice or their career path, supporting paraprofessionals who want to return to school to become a teacher, and encouraging teachers that are thinking about becoming an administrator. Thank you to all the leaders across Illinois for your unwavering commitment and for building a legacy that will inspire generations to come. I am excited to thank you and celebrate you during National Principals Month!” “This year, we celebrate our state’s school leaders for what they do – build a lasting legacy with those they serve,” said Dr. Jason Leahy, IPA executive director. “These courageous individuals lead their learning organizations with optimism, humility, vision, perseverance, and a deep commitment to do what is best for their students. Both research and common sense tell us how critical these servants are to positively influence young people, teachers, and communities. For this, they deserve our respect and gratitude.” IPA invites teachers, students, parents, and community members to show appreciation for school leaders on October 25.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 23, 2024 Contact Information: Becky Jansen, senior vice president Phone: 217-821-6036 becky@paycourt.com
PayCourt named one of 2024 Best Workplaces in Illinois
PayCourt, a government collections company, has been named one of the Best Workplaces in Illinois for 2024. The company earned a 97% overall score in the workplace assessment. The Best Workplaces in Illinois award is based on an employer questionnaire and employee engagement survey. It examines workplace indicators such as leadership, culture, satisfaction, work environment, training and overall engagement. "We're incredibly proud of this recognition as it's extremely rare for a collection agency to have ever won this award," said Rick Bonitzer, CEO of PayCourt. "Since 2010, we've focused on making our employees the cornerstone of our success, and this award highlights our commitment to fostering a thriving workplace." PayCourt has won the Best Places to Work in Collections award every year since 2019. With more than 900 reviews, the company proudly maintains a 4.9 out of 5.0 Google rating and has also been honored with the Better Business Bureau’s prestigious Torch Award for Ethics. "Our approach has always been to be large enough to ensure maximum results, yet small enough to provide personalized service to every client," Bonitzer said. PayCourt provides government collections for cities, counties, courts, districts, municipalities and parishes; court-related collections for fines, court fees and tickets; and consulting services for Illinois Circuit Court Clerks. For more information, visit www.PayCourt.com. About PayCourt: Re-established under new ownership in 2010, PayCourt blends a digital-first strategy with in-depth courthouse operational expertise, delivering a fully reimagined approach to government collections. The company serves clients across more than three-quarters of Illinois counties, as well as in Indiana and municipal courts in Louisiana. About Best Companies Group: Best Companies Group is an independent research firm that identifies outstanding workplaces through evaluation processes.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: September 2, 2024 Press Release Contact Information: Damon Schuldt rescue14me@yahoo.com
Illinois Fire Service Conference coming soon
The Illinois Association of Fire Protection Districts (IAFPD) and the Illinois Fire Chiefs Association (IFCA) are pleased to announce their combined conference at the Peoria Civic Center on Sept. 15-18, 2024. Titled the Illinois Fire Service Conference (IFSC), this event spans four days and includes a memorial service honoring fallen firefighters and friends of the fire service, numerous educational classes including nationally know keynote speakers, a large vendor exhibit showcasing equipment and services while supporting the event, along with social networking opportunities, just to name a few. “If you are involved in the fire service in any way, this conference is for you” states Damon Schuldt, IAFPD board member and IFSC Conference co-chair. The IFCA will also host its annual Officer installation Dinner and President’s Reception on Tuesday evening. Added again this year will be opportunities to obtain Emergency Medical continuing education credits and pension board training hours. Ray Larson, deputy fire chief and IFSC Conference co-chair said “Months of planning by many dedicated people has come together to bring high quality educational programs to fire service professionals.” For additional information and to register for the conference, please visit IAFPD.org or illinoisfirechiefs.org The IFSC is a collaborative event sponsored by the IAFPD and the IFCA.
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