Mt. Pleasant Chamber director Kristi Ray to speak at development summit

Leaders Representing Iowa, Missouri and Illinois to Speak at Tri-State 

Development Summit

Mt. Pleasant Area Chamber Alliance executive vice president Kristi Ray will moderate a panel during the 2019 Tri-State Development Summit Friday, Oct. 25 in Quincy, Illinois.

The event will be held in the Quincy Community Theatre located inside the Oakley Lindsay Center.

Ray, who sits on the steering committee of the Summit and is the Tri-State Development Summit Broadband Task Force chair, will moderate a morning session on a three-state panel on 'The Complexity of Connectivity.”

Ray will be joined by Tim Fencl, General Manager & CEO of Danville Mutual Telephone Company; Bob Winsel, CEO of Ralls County Electric Cooperative and Jim Broemmer, Chief Executive Officer, Adams Fiber / Adams Telephone Cooperative. 

'Connecting our rural communities is fundamental to all aspects of growth and prosperity for our region,” states Mr. Fencl. 'Broadband is an essential piece of the puzzle in making the Tri-State area 

a better place to live, work, and play.” Fencl continues, 'The Summit brings together key partners that are all working to improve the areas of connectivity, housing, transportation, economic development, and tourism. Our region is better off because of the Tri-State Summit and the work it continues to foster.”

Special keynote and guest speakers include Ray LaHood, former U.S. Secretary of Transportation and U.S. Representative for Illinois 18th congressional district; Nikki Budzinski, Senior Adviser to Illinois' Governor Pritzker; and John Sullivan, Illinois Agriculture Director. 

'One thing I've learned as a farmer, business owner, legislator and now as Director of the Illinois Department of Ag is the importance of bringing together community leaders when there are problems needing solved,” said John Sullivan, Director of the Illinois Department of Agriculture. 'The Tri-State Development Summit was created by community leaders and has been improving the quality of life for individuals and businesses in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri for over 20 years.”

The afternoon sessions are impactful, educational presentations focused on workforce and lobbying. Topics and speakers include: 

' 'Creating a Common Workforce Language Between Education, Business, and Industry” by Dennis Fraise | COO, Lee County Economic Development Group in Iowa

' 'Jobs, Jobs, Everywhere a Job … But Where Are All The People?!” by Kyle Moore | Mayor, City of Quincy, Illinois

' 'Integrating Immigration Into Workforce Solutions” by Jeremy Hess | Director of Economic Development, Greater Burlington Partnership in Iowa

' 'The Power of Lobbying” by Aaron Baker | Vice President, Clout Public Affairs in Missouri.

'The Tri-State area is most effective when it speaks with one voice,” said Aaron Baker. 'By working together and learning best practices, we can continue to make this a better place to live and work.'

New this year an additional networking opportunity will be held the evening before the Summit on Thursday, October 24 at 5:00 PM in the Dick Brothers Brewery Stock House & Museum, located at 929 York St. in Quincy, IL. Attendees will have an opportunity to participate in a hosted speed networking experience, as well as history and tunnel tours of the Brewery. Appetizers and cash bar will be available. 

Business partnerships, which include tickets, are available and registration is open at www.TriStateOfMind.com. $45 ticket includes program lunch + Thursday tours & networking.

Currently, 36 counties comprise the one 'Tri-State of Mind” for western Illinois, northeast Missouri and southwest Iowa. Counties served now include 14 in Illinois, 14 in Missouri and 8 in Iowa, making the population supported over 700,000.

The Mission of the Tri-State Development Summit is to bring together Tri-State area leaders to define common issues; To develop an ongoing dialogue to effectively address those issues; And to improve the quality of life of the entire tri-state region through economic development activities. 

For more information about the Tri-State Development Summit, visit TriStateOfMind.com, or call (217) 223-4313.