Vanessa Ferguson

Last November UIS Innovate Springfield and the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln hosted a public event titled “The Next Technology Revolution,” which featured, Springfield native and Vice Chairman for equity private markets at Jefferies’ Global Technology Investment Banking Group, Cully Davis.Davis has nearly 30 years of investment banking experience and worked with numerous businesses known for being on the cutting edge of technology including, Google, Groupon, Lyft, Box, Kite Pharma, MicroStrategy, and SunPower to name a few. At this event, Davis shared lessons he’s learned in Silicon Valley and the elements needed to make Springfield the home of the next technology revolution.

In 2023 the UIS Lunch and Learn Series featured a program about the history of Lake Springfield. Local historian and researcher Curtis Mann spoke to the crowd about the history of Springfield’s water supply which led to the development of Lake Springfield. The program also featured Mark McDonald, who is recognized for his time as host of the Emmy-award winning program “Illinois Stories.” McDonald shared behind-the-scenes stories and what he's doing now that the program has ended.

Whether you love Bugs Bunny or "Beauty and the Beast," the Illinois Symphony Orchestra (ISO) will bring the music from animation to the stage at their upcoming concert "Tunes from the Toons!" The performance will be conducted by music director candidate Yaniv Dinur and will feature music you heard in Saturday morning cartoons and animated feature films. The ISO will perform in Springfield, Ill. on Jan. 26 and in Bloomington-Normal on Jan. 27. For more information visit: ilsymphony.org

Harrison Gray is a senior at Springfield High School and a student representative for the District 186 school board. In an interview on Community Voices, he shared the concerns seniors have and what they enjoy about school. He also explained the different educational opportunities for local students and how it’s helpful to ask “what are you interested in?” instead of “what’s next for you?”

Mark Caspary is a native of Springfield, Ill. and the co-owner of Ears Up Sound Design, a company which provides sound design expertise for a variety of projects including those in the themed entertainment industry. Caspary spoke to Community Voices about his background in theatre and how theatrical experiences have influenced the numerous projects Ears Up Sound Design has worked on around the globe including projects at Warner Brothers World in Abu Dhabi, the Hollywood Bowl, Disney’s California Adventure and Universal Studios Japan: Super Nintendo World to name just a few.

Last November the Community Foundation for the Land of Lincoln with support from the MacArthur Foundation, hosted a panel discussion at the University of Illinois Springfield titled “A Commitment to Local News.” The event was part of a national effort called Press Forward, which seeks to reshape the local news landscape across U.S. communities.The discussion featured Executive Editor of the Chicago Sun-Times Jennifer Kho, State Government and Politics Reporter at Capitol News Illinois Hannah Meisel, and Evan Smith a senior advisor at Emerson Collective and The Texas Tribune, as well as the host of “Overheard with Evan Smith,” a weekly half-hour interview program that airs on PBS stations around the country. The panel was moderated by Springfield’s retired political writer and columnist Bernard Schoenburg. The panelists discussed the state of journalism, how to grow diverse audiences, and how to rebuild trust with audiences.

Fred Koschmann is a director and film editor living in L.A. but originally from Springfield, Ill. He recently completed a documentary titled “The Interaction Cowboy,” which helps viewers to understand the field of ethnomethodology and the work his father, Tim Koschmann, did before retiring. Fred Koschmann spoke to Community Voices about the film, which will be screened on Jan. 10 as part of the Springfield Art Association’s annual Molly Schlich International & Independent Film Series.For more information visit: https://www.springfieldart.org/film-series.html

Sheila Walk began volunteering at the Springfield Area Arts Council in 2008 for the program Poetry Out Loud. In 2017, she took on the duties of Executive Director and now plans to leave the position in January 2024 after the completion of the Arts Council’s annual New Year’s Eve event, First Night. She spoke to Community Voices about her time at the Arts Council and what she’s looking forward to next.

The former Pillsbury plant in Springfield has been a sore spot for residents for many years. President of Moving Pillsbury Forward, Chris Richmond, spoke to Community Voices about the plans for the future as well as the stories he’s collected from former factory workers and their families. He also explained how the organization has helped the community heal by providing walk throughs of the property and an art exhibit that attracted more than a thousand visitors.

Angela Funk is the new Executive Director of the Friends of the Sangamon Valley, which recently celebrated 25 years. Funk spoke to Community Voices about what’s in store for the next 25 years and how the newly acquired Gudmundson Wildlife Sanctuary is helping the organization preserve Illinois natural habitat.