Meet 25 Individuals Who Are Leaving Their Mark On Our Region Everyday heroes are all around us. Parents, emergency responders and teachers come quickly to mind. But what about the small-business owners, conservationists, philanthropists and quiet leaders among us? It’s easy to take for granted, but it’s important to recognize the many ways these heroes inspire us to dream more, ...
Helping Others Make the Grade Sitting in the maker lab at Rockford Public Library’s (RPL) Hart Interim Library, Leon Smith invokes a phrase he might have picked up from the philosophy courses he took at Rock Valley College and the University of Illinois. “Sometimes you choose your work,” he muses. “Sometimes it chooses you.” After retiring from the United States ...
In its pursuit of lasting transformation, this nonprofit is finding success where other institutions are collaborating on workforce development. ...