The Adams County Works Transition Planning team welcomed guest speaker Julie Boll, Dare to Lead certified facilitator for the lunchtime seminar, which took place on Wednesday, July 22.

In the training, Julie states, “We all have our go-to shame shields when we are faced with difficult situations.  The three shields identified in Dr. Brené Brown’s research are: moving away, moving toward, and moving against.  My go-to shield is moving away.  If I see something wrong, or if someone attacks my work, my instinct is to move away and get small.  But when I’m crystal clear on my values, I can stand in them and stay anchored in a moment of conflict.  We can all use our values to help us stay grounded in conflict and help us make decisions about our future.”

Julie Boll, M.Ed. is the founder of Julie Boll Consulting, which provides strategic planning and leadership training for nonprofits. Julie is a certified Dare to Lead Facilitator, and, in 2019, was a part of the inaugural global cohort of Leadership and Organizational Development professionals selected by thought-leader Brené Brown to facilitate her work in organizations. As a Courage Catalyst in the Dare to Lead™ program, Julie focuses her work on helping nonprofits learn the skills, practices and tools needed to support brave leaders and build more courageous cultures.

Over the course of her career, Julie has helped her clients and employers secure more than $9.4 M in competitive grants from foundation, state and federal funders. Julie has more than 18 years experience in the nonprofit sector, serving in marketing, public relations and grant development roles. She is Grant Professional Certified by the GPCI Institute and a Grants Professionals Association (GPA) Approved Trainer. Julie has taught a graduate level course in Grant Writing at Quincy University, presented at state-wide and national conferences, and recently co-authored a peer reviewed journal article in the Grant Professionals Association Journal.

We were pleased to have Latonya Brock, executive director of the Quincy Area Chamber of Commerce speak with our Adams County Works Transition Planning team, along with other community leaders on Increasing the Bottom Line Through Inclusive Culture.

The lunchtime seminar took place on Wednesday, June 24 via zoom with nearly 30 attendees. Latonya was hired as the Executive Director of the Chamber in September 2017.  She was originally hired as the Chamber’s Membership Manager in February 2016.  Latonya moved here from Indianapolis, IN. Prior to Chamber work, she was in the financial industry for 22 years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in biblical studies from Indiana Wesleyan University.  She is married to Jebora Brock. Together the couple has one adult son, two adult daughters, a teenage son, and seven grandchildren.

Latonya has been a leader of Diversity & Inclusion in the workplace and helps lead the Chamber Diversity & Inclusion committee, which serves as a subgroup within the Quincy Area Chamber of Commerce that was formed to create awareness within our community as it relates to being diverse and inclusive.  The objective of the group is for businesses and organizations to look for ways or form actionable steps to embrace D&I and to leverage the strengths of all employees within their influence.

To our partners,

We write you today in solidarity, speaking out against systemic racism and discrimination that continues throughout our nation. In the midst of global frustration and anxiety due to the pandemic, the world witnessed another horrific act by a white police officer that led to the death of a black man. This racially motivated action, along with many other similar actions, has impacted us all, and has led to an outcry across the United States and throughout the world. The lives of black and brown individuals’ matter. The devaluing of the life of people of color is undeniably wrong.

As Citizens we have the right and the duty to protest gross injustices. Protest is a possible means to finding a solution to a serious issue. Rioting, as we’ve seen in many cities, is not. Criminal activities that destroy personal/public property of innocent people of every race and ethnicity serve only to fuel a detrimental backlash against those that want an end to discrimination in all forms.

Great River Economic Development Foundation stands in solid partnership with the Quincy Area Chamber of Commerce, and community leaders, to promote Diversity and Inclusion as a non-negotiable value for Quincy and Adams County. We urge and encourage a call to action for every resident, company and other leaders to do better; to stand up for racial justice and equity; and to work together. Search within yourselves, have a conversation, actively listen, be willing to step up, be a voice of justice, and be sensitive to all.

Start your journey – QACC Diversity & Inclusion Academy / Updates

Be an ally – ideas.ted.com | Sojourners

Deepen your engagement – Showing Up For Racial Justice Chapters

On behalf of the GREDF team,

Marcel W. Wagner Jr. CEcD                   Mike Elbe

GREDF President                                               GREDF 2020 Board Chair

GREDF, The District and Quincy Area Chamber of Commerce went out to visit our businesses to distribute Opening Up Together toolkits to the community! If you need a toolkit, please let us know.

Phase 3 is here and we want to make sure all organizations & businesses are properly prepared with signage and resources!

Adams County Together Opening Up Together Toolkit and Checklist will help your business safely open up for employees and customers. There is general and industry specific guidance from the CDC as well as national associations. Toolkit Includes information on:

Preparing your business space,
Returning to work,
Wellness screenings,
If you have a possible or confirmed case of COVID,
Communicating to employees and customers,
Planning logistics,
Health & Wellness considerations,
Tips for employees,
Tips for customers,

It’s been a crazy few weeks. What has Your GREDF Team been up to?

These past weeks, your GREDF team has been working with several partners and organizations on the Adams County Together Task-force.

As a community, we launched the Adams County Together Fund through United Way of Adams County, Inc. (Adams County, IL) to financially assist businesses, nonprofits and individuals

Economic Development Week Celebration!

We want to highlight our community strength in the Power of Partnership, and thank our organizational and business partners.

Especially those at City of Quincy, Illinois, Government, Adams County, Illinois, Quincy Area Chamber of Commerce and The District.

Gov. Pritzker Announces Modified Stay at Home Order Will Be Extended Through May to Continue Progress

MODIFIED STAY AT HOME ORDER

Lifting mitigation measures is only possible with widespread availability and access to COVID-19 testing, tracing and treatment. The data show that if the state were to lift mitigations abruptly this week, this would result in a second wave of infections, hospitalizations and deaths.

After consulting with doctors, scientists and experts in Illinois and across the world, the Governor has announced he will sign a modified version of the state’s stay at home order that will go into effect on May 1 and extend  through the end of the month. The modified order will strengthen the state’s social distancing requirements while allowing residents additional flexibility and provide measured relief to non-essential businesses in the safest way possible.

The new executive order will include the following modifications effective May 1:

• OUTDOOR RECREATION: State parks will begin a phased re-opening under guidance from the Department of Natural Resources. Fishing and boating in groups of no more than two people will be permitted. A list of parks that will be open on May 1 and additional guidelines can be found on the Illinois Department of Natural Resources website HERE . Golf will be permitted under strict safety guidelines provided by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) and when ensuring that social distancing is followed.

• NEW ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES: Greenhouses, garden centers and nurseries may re-open as essential businesses. These stores must follow social distancing requirements and must require that employees and customers wear a face covering. Animal grooming services may also re-open.

• NON-ESSENTIAL RETAIL: Retail stores not designated as non-essential businesses and operations may re-open to fulfill telephone and online orders through pick-up outside the store and delivery.

• FACE COVERINGS: Beginning on May 1, individuals will be required to wear a face-covering or a mask when in a public place where they can’t maintain a six-foot social distance. Face-coverings will be required in public indoor spaces, such as stores. This new requirement applies to all individuals over the age of two who are able to medically tolerate a face-covering or a mask.

• ESSENTIAL BUSINESSES AND MANUFACTURING: Essential businesses and manufacturers will be required to provide face-coverings to all employees who are not able to maintain six-feet of social distancing, as well as follow new requirements that maximize social distancing and prioritize the well-being of employees and customers. This will include occupancy limits for essential businesses and precautions such as staggering shifts and operating only essential lines for manufacturers.

• SCHOOLS:  Educational institutions may allow and establish procedures for pick-up of necessary supplies or student belongings. Dormitory move-outs must follow public health guidelines, including social distancing.
The Illinois Department of Public Health will also be issuing guidance to surgi-centers and hospitals to allow for certain elective surgeries for non-life-threatening conditions, starting on May 1. Facilities will need to meet specific criteria, including proper PPE, ensuring enough overall space for COVID-19 patients remains available, and testing of elective surgery patients to ensure COVID-19 negative status.

Adams County, Illinois is home to over 65,000 individuals and the regional hub for healthcare, retail, and industry in west central Illinois. Adams County is a tight knit community that is built on small business and thrives on social interaction, but also collaboration. We have persevered through many challenges and crises while supporting our entire community and ensuring responsible recovery. In January, when Adams County began public health emergency operations and the Adams County EOC was activated, the County of Adams set three primary goals for the management of the COVID-19 crisis.

• Take actions that protect the health and well-being of the residents of Adams County, with extraordinary emphasis to congregate living setting and vulnerable populations.
• Maintain the critical function of our healthcare system, while increasing capacity for medical surge.
• Protect and maintain critical infrastructure, government functions, and critical resources.

These goals remain the focus of continued response efforts and provide the groundwork as we develop the recovery process.

The purpose of this document is to outline our preliminary process to Reset, Restart, Revitalize, and Reopen Adams County while maintaining COVID-19 disease management. The framework aligns with state and national efforts that are emerging. The criteria for decisions in this document include that it be evidence-based, fiscally responsible, socially tolerable, and politically supportable by local and state leadership. The renormalization planning effort consists of three pillars, addressing specific components of risk and burden within our community. These include Disease Management, Emotional and Social Outlets, and Economic Revitalization. Each team of experts has brainstormed and prioritized specific community components and then met with other teams to resolve conflicting issues. The result of these virtual planning sessions is the documents to follow and includes a phased opening with scientific and measurable community indicators. These indicators give health and emergency management officials guidance on progressing through these phases responsibly.

The framework identifies four distinct phases, with three phases following the current mitigation measures in place. Phase 0 – Reset – outlines our current situation and provides guidance to our community on what they can do now, not just focusing on what cannot be done. Phase 1 – Restart – focuses on maintaining most of the mitigation measures in place now but looking for early wins for responsible social interaction and alternate business models that allow for social distancing of those businesses who were labeled non-essential. Phase 2 – Revitalize – may be attainable after a three to six week period measuring the health indicators. This phase begins to incorporate more responsible social interactions with face coverings and indoor capacity with percentage limitations, but incorporating more business stimulating our economy. Phase 3 – Reopen – begin to see a larger but controlled opening of business and social gatherings increasing indoor capacity to 50% of all with social distancing.

We recognize that building a framework must maintain flexibility to the changing situation in all three pillars across the community. Our community is dedicated to a collaboration across all sectors and engaging our citizens in producing a safe and healthy environment.

Click for full Road to Recovery Framework Presentation

 Adams County Announces Small Business Emergency Loan Program 

Information & Application

Quincy, Illinois (April 20, 2020) – In an effort to assist small businesses that may have been negatively impacted by the Stay-At-Home Order from COVID-19, the Adams County Board unanimously approved establishing the Adams County Small Business Emergency Loan Program. The loan funding sources include up to $250,000 from Adams County and up to $100,000 from Two Rivers Regional Council of Public Officials. Two Rivers will take the lead on administering the program using existing staff. 

“The City of Quincy established a similar emergency loan program last week, and the County wanted to be able to offer the same type of assistance to small businesses in the Adams County areas,” stated Kent Snider, Adams County Board Chairman. “We have partnered with Two Rivers, and they have agreed to administer the program as it directly correlates to their mission to provide leadership for local governments and promote economic development.” 

The basic terms of the program are: 

• Max Loan: $10,000 

• 1% interest rate 

• First payment is deferred for up to 6 months, loan must be paid back in 12 months (or 18 months from when the loan check was issued) 

• Businesses must have at least 2 employees (non-owners), and no more than 50 employees maximum 

• Loan funds must be used for payroll, rent or mortgage payments, insurance, utilities 

• The borrower must not have any outstanding debts with the County and must be able to demonstrate COVID-19 related economic injury to their business 

The Board established a loan review committee to evaluate the loans consisting of the Adams County Board Chairman, 2 Adams County Board members, the Two Rivers Executive Director and Two Rivers Loan/Grant Administrator, an Adams County bank representative, and the Adams County Treasurer. 

The loan application can be found on the Adams County website at www.co.adams.il.us, under Announcements, or on the Adams County Together website at www.adamscountytogether.com. 

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Businesses will have to send support information to document their financials and will be required to sign a personal guaranty on the loan amount. Officials believe the loans could be processed within 10-14 working days of an approved application and checks issued. 

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