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ANDREW MYER
BY DAVID BLANCHETTE
The Edwardsvuille-Glen Carbon community is one of the most important things in Andrew Myer’s life.
“I’m really passionate about the community and there are a lot of times I’ll go the extra mile to help out because community is the biggest thing for people’s business and personal lives,” Myer said. “We need to make sure we keep growing our town and making it the best place to live for years to come.”
Myer is a mentor for the Edwardsville CEO Program, an ambassador for the Ed-Glen Chamber of Commerce, and coordinates a golf tournament for the Angel Fund at Hawthorne Animal Hospital in Glen Carbon, where he is the business director. Myer is a Certified Veterinary Practice Manager, a rare accreditation held by approximately 1,000 people in the nation.
When growing up Myer wanted to be a veterinarian like his father, Paul, who owns Hawthorne,
but Andrew’s trajectory changed as life went on.
“I learned how much science was involved in being a veterinarian and I’m not too good at science or biology,” Myer said. “So I went the business route.”
Myer worked as a youth baseball and softball coach for the East Alton Parks & Recreation Department while he was in high school. He earned bachelor’s degree and an MBA from Maryville University and after graduation went to work for the St. Louis Cardinals and the St. Louis Battle Hawks organizations. Myer lost his job during the COVID-19 shutdowns and was hired by Hawthorne to handle the business side of the operation.
“I enjoy this industry and helping pets every day,” said Myer, who has a dog and two cats. “Seeing people and their pets walk out the door every day is a great feeling. This is where I want to be in ten years, I don’t see myself going anywhere else.”
Myer feels that organizational skills, a strong work
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BY DAVID BLANCHETTE
“I view my role as a community builder, to put people in touch with other people,” said Andrew Ambrose. “I try to take a genuine interest in the people that I meet with, learn what drives them forward, what motivates them and makes them feel successful.”
Ambrose, a Godfrey resident, is assistant vice president and commercial relationship manager with the First National Bank of Waterloo. He is currently working through the Stonier Graduate School of Banking and will graduate next year with a Wharton Leadership Certificate from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School of Business.
Ambrose feels that communication, transparency and especially empathy are important skills in his profession because “it’s important there is no judgment, to be truly empathetic, and understand where someone is and how they got there.”
“I think community banks add a lot of value back to the local economy,” Ambrose observed. “Sometimes that is not stated enough to the average person.”
Ambrose tries to add value back to the community by serving on the North Alton-Godfrey Business Council, the Godfrey Community Advanced Planning Committee, and the local committee trying to establish a recreation center in the village He’s president of the Collinsville-Maryville-Caseyville Rotary Club and is involved with the Collinsville-Troy-Maryville-St. Jacob-Marine Chamber
ANDREW AMBROSE
of Commerce. Ambrose is also a t-ball coach in Godfrey for his son’s team.
“It might sound cheesy but I want to leave the community a better place,” Ambrose said. “My goal is to always work with everyone from various backgrounds to leave a better tomorrow for our kids.”
Ambrose models his community service ethic after his grandmother, whom he lists as a primary mentor and role model. Ambrose is also thankful for his wife, Karley, “who allows me to do all of those things,” and his four children.
Banking may seem an unusual career trajectory for a man who wanted to be a high school principal when he was growing up, but that changed when Ambrose started working at a bank in college.
“Most bankers would say the same thing, that they started at a bank because it was a decent job and then they fell in love with it,” Ambrose said.
In his spare time Ambrose likes to travel with his family to places like Lake of the Ozarks. His favorite destination is the Nashville, Tennessee area “where you can be in the mountains and have coffee in the morning, but do the hustle and bustle later in town if you like.”
Ambrose’s dream dinner companion would be Hall-of-Fame baseball player Jackie Robinson. Ambrose is a big baseball fan and thinks Robinson’s story “is much deeper than baseball, the adversity he faced, but I’d also like to hear his stories about being a Major League player.”
ANDREW MYER
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ethic and good communication skills are important for people in his line of work. His mentors have been Mandy Rupp, who “hired me on with the St. Louis Cardinals, she took a chance on me big time and coached me through the whole process,” and Maryville University’s Jason Williams, “who really got me out of my comfort zone in college because I was kind of shy and reserved,” Myers said.
Myer’s favorite travel destination is San Diego, “where it’s always in the seventies and clear with great beaches,” and he enjoys golfing, fishing, and
attending sporting events with family and friends.
Myer remains close to his mother and father, and when asked which person from across history he’d most like to have dinner with, Myer stayed within his family.
“My granddad passed away when I was five so I don’t remember much about him, but it would be interesting to hear about his life,” Myer said. “He was a handyman, he served in the U.S. Navy in the Korean War, and I would like to learn more about him.”
Congrats to all of our Young Professionals!
BOSTON TALLEY
BY DAVID BLANCHETTE
It all started with an internship.
“A board member at the time thought it would be a great opportunity for me,” said Boston Talley. “I did the internship with them and they offered me a full-time job, and I was honored to continue to work for them.”
Talley is the development director for Refuge in Wood River, a community organization providing services for children. It’s the type of job she loves and Talley hopes to stay in that career field.
“I see myself in ten years still helping others and continuing to lead a community organization,” Talley said. “I like the collaboration and the connections in this community where we support each other in many capacities.”
Talley, who resides in Dow, also volunteers with St. Ambrose Church and is part of the Wood River Refineries Community Advisory Panel. She helps with other community projects and organizations as needs arise.
“I’ve always wanted to be a leader and I love helping others, so I definitely knew from a young age that I wanted to lead an organization like this,” said Talley, who added that important skills for her profession include “relationship building, communication, organization and a willingness to be a team player.”
Talley was a team player in her first job at the Oyster Bar in Grafton and said her family “team” is important to her life as well, adding, “I’ve always loved spending time with them, it’s an integral part of who I am today.”
Talley’s mother, Brittany, is an important mentor, as is Alana Yount with Wagner Equipment who “has always been an influence in my life and career.”
When not on the job Talley enjoys working out, spending time with friends and family, and “helping others any way I can.” Her favorite travel destination is Hawaii because of its unique beauty and culture. Talley would love to have dinner with Jesus “to be able to meet him and talk to him and really just have that moment.”
But more than anything else, Talley wants to give more of herself to the community.
“I love to be involved, I love to help,” Talley said. “I want to learn more about everybody and everything in our community.”
BY DAVID BLANCHETTE
If you’ve ever been a patient at OSF St. Anthony’s Health Center, you’ve probably been introduced to Casey Zaring’s work.
Zaring is the health center’s Pharmacy Operations Manager, and the medications prescribed to patients by the facility’s clinicians come from his department. It’s a job that requires many skills, but the foremost is communication.
“It’s important to be able to confidently talk to people and have an open line of communication between everyone you interact with,” Zaring said. “That creates trust and the ability to give and receive honest feedback.”
Zaring has a PharmD, or doctor of pharmacy degree, from St. Louis College of Pharmacy. He grew up wanting to become a meteorologist, but in high school “a family friend who was a pharmacist took me on a tour of St. Louis College of Pharmacy and that’s where I fell in love with the profession,” he said.
Zaring worked at Gateway Regional Medical Center in Granite City during college and did a clinical rotation at St. Anthony’s. That’s where Zaring decided he preferred working in a hospital pharmacy setting, and was fortunate enough to be hired by St. Anthony’s in 2015 when he graduated. Zaring was promoted to Pharmacy Operations manager in 2024.
Zaring said the pharmacy manager when he was hired, Mary Wendle, is a mentor.
“She was big in my managerial and professional career,” Zaring said. “She was the first one to show she really trusted me, and gave me the confidence to use the skills I learned and implement them in the pharmacy.”
Zaring’s parents have also been important in his life because “they really encouraged me to seek a higher level of education, the importance of hard work and trustful communication,” he said. “I also had two siblings who laid
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HAYLEY PLOGGER
BY DAVID BLANCHETTE
She’s a self-professed “Disney adult,” would like to have dinner with Captain Jack Sparrow from the movie “Pirates of the Caribbean,” and admits that “running has kind of taken over my life.” Hayley Plogger of Bethalto also helps to save lives and comfort the sick every day.
Plogger is a registered nurse at OSF St. Anthony’s Medical Center. She is part of the Clinical Resource Team and is a certified instructor for Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support, and Pediatric Emergency Assessment Recognition and Stabilization. And yet, amid the daily challenges of her high-stress job, Plogger jokingly admits “I really don’t know what I want to be when I grow up.”
Before she grew up Plogger give softball pitching lessons and umpired, then planned to be a pharmacist like her older sister. “I knew I wanted to do something in health care,” she said, “and my younger sister was planning to be a nurse, so I ended up
CASEY ZARING
doing the same thing as her.”
“Nursing is a very diverse job title, you can do lots of different roles,” Plogger added. “You just need to be flexible, able to adapt to your environment and situation, be ready to go with the flow.”
Plogger has “so, so many” co-workers, family members and friends who are her mentors that have imparted “nursing skills, communication skills, morals, values and principals” to her life. She’d like to remain with OSF for the foreseeable future, perhaps in a slightly different role in the coming years, because “it’s a very close-knit group of people and it’s nice to be able to serve your local community.”
Plogger serves her community by volunteering with the American Heart Association and American Red Cross. She works part time when she can at the Drip Bar in Glen Carbon. Plogger and her husband Jay have a 14 year old son, Jayson, and ten-year-old son Hayden.
“They’re very supportive. My kids learned grow-
JORDAN STARR
HAYLEY PLOGGERCASEY
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down the law for me about being successful after high school.”
Zaring also wanted to give a shout-out to the speech therapists who worked with him from age two through middle school, who are responsible for “how confident I am at speaking now.”
Zaring’s first job was keeping score at basketball games (he still enjoys playing pick-up basketball) and serving as a camp counselor for the Granite City Park District. He now lives in Troy and commutes
BY DAVID BLANCHETTE
Jordan Starr is an Edwardsville resident who feels that young professionals like herself should possess certain key skills to succeed.
“Number one, stress management, then time management, organizational skills, communication skills, and confidence,” Starr said. “What people realize about me is that I really like to challenge myself.”
Starr works for NicePak Inc. of St. Louis and in addition to her sales duties, she’s involved in setting up donations from the company to some of her clients’ causes.
“We do donations for a lot of my customers’ foundations, swag bags and similar things for accounts like Kroger and Topco,” Starr said. Starr’s first job was in retail sales at a Radio Shack store. After she earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration Starr decided to go into private label sales, which is what she does for NicePak, a private, employee-owned company with several locations across the United States.
Starr is thinking about starting her own tea business while remaining committed to her current position. She always dreamed of being in a management and leadership role when growing up, and would like to work her way up
to work in Alton, where he appreciates “how much Alton does for its residents and businesses while maintaining that small town feel,” Zaring said.
Zaring is a live music fan and his favorite destination is Red Rocks, Colorado where he recently saw his favorite band, Mt. Joy. And his ideal dinner companion? Louis Pasteur, the French chemist and father of modern vaccines.
“I’d like to talk shop with him,” Zaring said.
to such a position.
“I’d like to be in a leadership role in ten years,” Starr said. “That’s where I see myself in the future.”
Starr remains close to her three brothers, especially one she calls an “Irish twin” who is just ten months older than her, and her grandmother, whom she calls “Mimu.” Starr lists Michael Smith, an engineer with whom she grew up, as a valued mentor.
Starr loves Edwardsville, where she has lived since 2014, and describes it as “a very safe, clean and active town,” she said. “It has great walking trails, it’s just a great community.”
Starr likes to go to the gym, cook, garden, and take care of her dog and two cats. She lists Yellowstone National Park as her favorite travel destination, and just recently returned from a trip there.
“It was just amazing and so cool,” Starr recalled. “It gives you a really good, fond view of earth.”
Former First Lady Michelle Obama would be Starr’s ultimate dinner companion because Obama is “a great influence.”
“She is a powerful female, a great representation of continuing on whether people like you or not,” Starr said. “She’s a powerhouse and I’ve always loved her.”
ing up with a nurse mom that something really has to be wrong before they start complaining about things,” Plogger said. “We kind of joke that ‘if you’re not bleeding, you’re fine.’”
Plogger has “fortunately or unfortunately” picked up long-distance running as a hobby and has competed in two marathons, numerous half marathons, and “if I’m not at work or taking care of family stuff, I’m probably outside getting some miles in.”
Plogger and her family like to take trips to “do a lot of fun stuff” and Dis-
ney World is a favorite destination. Another place high on the list is Alaska because of the beautiful scenery.
Now about that dinner companion, the fictional Captain Jack Sparrow. Why choose to dine with a rogue who’s always getting into and out of impossible situations?
“Because he’s so resourceful and when he puts his mind to something, he accomplishes it,” Plogger said. “I think we could have a lot to discuss at the dinner table.”
BY DAVID BLANCHETTE
Grace Sakry hasn’t been in the Riverbend area long, but it still feels like home.
“I immediately fell in love with the location, it’s beautiful along the river, and the people are so warm and friendly,” Sakry said. “Finding a community that is so strong and welcoming is something I’m so thankful to have. I’m always open for a conversation and find myself making friends sometimes in the grocery store line.”
Sakry is helping more people to fall in love with the Riverbend area as the destination sales and partnership coordinator at the Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Bureau. Her position puts Sakry in constant contact with people and organizations that want to engage in or promote area tourism, and Sakry draws upon what she learned from her parents, both of them teachers, when selling what the community has to offer.
Sakry hails from Anoka, Minnesota where she grew up wanting to be a marine biologist. Her first job was
a swim instructor for the local YMCA where Sakry taught youngsters how to swim. Sakry was a competitive swimmer through college and continues to enjoy water activities in the Alton area.
Sakry moved with her fiance to the area when he enrolled in dental school in Alton. She worked as a barista and became involved with several community activities, and that’s where she heard about an opening at the Great Rivers and Routes Tourism Bureau. Although she still serves coffee at the same shop and does graphic design work on the side, Sakry’s passion is now with her tourism bureau job, which fits her personality.
“My job requires creativity, innovation, flexibility and strong relationship-building abilities,” Sakry said. “I get to find new ways to attract visitors, support local businesses, and create memorable experiences to help communities stay competitive and growing.”
Sakry enjoys going on hikes along the Mississippi River and taking ceramics classes at Jacoby Arts Cen-
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GRACE SAKRY
MEGAN ARMENTROUT STEWARD
BY DAVID BLANCHETTE
Megan Armentrout-Steward knows what qualities people should possess in order to succeed in her profession.
“A collaborative spirit, not trying to go it alone, a realization that complex problems require complex solutions with people from a variety of backgrounds,” Armentrout-Steward said. “Also an ability to survey what’s happening and bring investment or success to a community.”
That formula works for the Greater Alton Community Development Corporation, where Armentrout-Steward is executive director. The organization plays a critical role in bringing social and economic benefits to the Alton area and provides oversight for the Overnight Warming Locations, where Armentrout-Steward has served as an overnight volunteer, and the Alton Housing Coalition.
Armentrout-Steward has led the organization since last August and brings a wealth of experience to the role in dealing with the issue of homeless-
ness and operating in the not-for-profit world.
“I did an internship in Portland, Oregon during college working for a day center for people experiencing homelessness,” Armentrout-Steward recalled. “I was doing a lot of what I would consider as putting a Band-Aid on something that needed open heart surgery. So I always want to think about going upstream and figuring out what we can do to make sure people don’t keep ending up in homelessness.”
Armentrout-Steward worked in the philanthropy sector in St. Louis where she dealt with funding community development corporations and other place-based initiatives, and also did a stint running a non-profit housing group in the city. But she wanted to be closer to home with her husband, an Alton pastor, and their two young sons, so Armentrout-Steward took on her current role, where she can use her experience and passion to benefit the area. She can also spend more time making and
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BY DAVID BLANCHETTE
Liz Campbell decided to own and operate Brush Salon + Spa in Godfrey because the business suited her personality.
“I’m pretty much a busybody and I did not want to sit at a desk all day, I love to chat and connect with people,” Campbell said. “So I decided to go to cosmetology school so I could brand and do my own business and have total control of what I wanted to do.”
That local business keeps Campbell grounded and gives her a passion for the Godfrey area community and its residents.
“We talk to people all the time and I just love being able to connect with so many people,” Campbell said. “I feel like knowing everybody in the area really makes it comforting and I’m happy to call this place home.”
Campbell continues to be involved in several community activities. She is currently on a committee trying to get a recreation center built in Godfrey,
has done a lot of volunteer work with the Riverbend Growth Association, and has helped with the annual Duck Pluckers, Deer Skinners and Fish Hookers Ball. Campbell also does a lot of networking with fellow citizens and business people through those community organizations.
Campbell feels that young professionals should have creativity and a business mindset in order to succeed in today’s world. Campbell draws inspiration from her family and fellow community business, and cited former State Representative Monica Bristow, “who is very important to me and who I look up to in a lot of ways,” as a key influence in her life.
CampbellgraduatedfromMarquetteCatholicHigh School and earned an associate’s degree in cosmetology. As a youth Campbell wanted to go into either law enforcement or entrepreneurship, and her first job, outside of helping with her father’s business, was working at the local Farm and Home Supply. Campbell and her husband Brian have a blended family
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LIZ CAMPBELL
CaseyZaring PharmacyManager
HayleyPlogger
RegisteredNurse,ClinicalResourceTeam
CongratulationsonbeingrecognizedasoneofAlton’sYoung ProfessionalsUnder40.Yourcommitmenttoservingour patientsandcommunityexemplifiesthespiritofexcellence thatdefinesOSFHealthCare.
leadershipyoubringtoourorganization andthecommunitiesweserve.
SAMANTHA DUGAN
BY DAVID BLANCHETTE
“The challenges that I was faced with, the things I’ve been through and the things I have seen, have made me the strong person that I am today and make me more committed to serving others.”
Those are the words of Samantha Dugan of Wood River, a hospital-based recovery coach for Amare NFP. Dugan’s career is focused on helping others who are going through what she experienced in her life.
“I had gotten in some criminal trouble and they recommended that I do substance abuse evaluation, so I went through Chestnut Health Systems and completed their intensive outpatient program,” Dugan recalled. “When it was done they asked if anybody was interested in becoming a recovery coach, so I took a class at SIUE, landed an internship here at Amare, and I passed my state exam for the position.”
Dugan is reminded every day on the job how far she has come in her personal journey.
“It’s a very humbling experience, an everyday reminder of what life was like and why I strive to be as excellent as possible for people that I help,” Dugan said. “It’s super important to understand that they are just like me, and for them to understand that I have been where they are.”
Dugan named her sobriety sponsor, Christina Peterson, as a key mentor. Dugan’s younger brother Jared has “been my biggest cheerleader my entire life,” and her grandmother, who died in 2023, “never judged me and encouraged me to follow my dreams, which was very hard when I was addicted and unhoused,” Dugan said. She also said that “my dad Rick and also Ethan have been very supportive of my career.”
Dugan feels that recovery coaches need to have empathy, compassion and be supportive of others, and those personality traits were what inspired Dugan in fifth grade to indicate that she’d like to become a mortician. Dugan sees herself in
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ter in Alton. Her favorite travel destination is Door County, Wisconsin because the Great Lakes scenery there “reminds me of the Riverbend area’s outdoor beauty.” Sakry lists her parents, “who taught me that you are never done learning,” and her swim coaches, “who taught me to believe in myself,” as key mentors in her life.
Sakry named actress Hedy Lamarr as an ideal dinner companion “because I admire her for her contributions as an inventor as well as being a famous actress,” she said. “I would love to hear about how she approached problem solving and remained creative in multiple areas of her life.”
Sakry hopes to continue to grow professionally and personally in the coming years while remaining deeply involved in the community she serves. She envisions herself becoming a community leader who brings people together and continues to create opportunities for local businesses and residents.
“I want to express how much this community means to me,” Sakry said. “I am so fortunate to have been welcomed with open arms into this inviting and warm community, and will continue to support it in any way I can.”
LIZ CAMPBELL GRACE SAKRY
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with four children and their lives are quite busy.
“We both own our own businesses so we juggle day-to-day life as business owners and parents,” Campbell said. “Our kids are very active with sports and activities and we are always running around with them.”
In ten years Campbell sees herself “doing different avenues of entrepreneurship while still continuing to grow my salon and spa.” Her favorite place to visit was London where Campbell “got to see a whole different way of living,” and she’d like to have dinner with the late U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg “because she fought for gender equality and women’s rights.”
More than anything else, Campbell hopes she can help others to succeed.
“I like to help my female entrepreneur friends, I love helping other people to succeed,” Campbell said. “It’s what I enjoy most and makes me feel more whole as a person.”
BY DAVID BLANCHETTE
Nick Kribs of Alton likes his job.
“I’m a pretty basic person and I just like to mow grass,” Kribs said. “That’s good because it’s a fulltime job this time of year.”
Kribs is the owner and operator of Nick’s Lawn Service and when the grass grows, the firm is busy cutting it for residential and commercial clients in the Riverbend area. The business also does snow removal in the winter, so even though Kribs has some time off during that season, “when it snows, we go,” he said.
Kribs helped his parents, who operate the Town Club Bar & Grill in downtown Alton, when he was younger, but pretty much nonstop since the age of 13 he’s been mowing lawns big and small.
“I love what I do, it’s great,” Kribs said. “We stay pretty busy.”
Staying busy was ingrained at an early age. Kribs’ father “taught me as a kid to be a hard worker and I’ve kid of stuck with that,” Kribs said. “I love working, I guess that’s pretty much all I do is work.”
That work ethic is important for Nick’s Lawn Service and for anyone who wants to move into the lawn care business.
“You can tell when somebody’s got the drive to want to do the job, and you can tell when they don’t,” Kribs observed.
But Kribs is never too busy to help when he sees a need in the community.
“If we see somebody when we’re out working who needs help, I’ll gladly lend a hand whenever I can,” Kribs said. “I try to help whenever I can no matter how busy we are.”
Kribs enjoys duck hunting during the off season and relaxing on the river when all of the mowing work is caught up. In the next ten years he’d like to flip more houses and operate rental properties, things he does on a limited basis right now, but he also intends to keep mowing grass as long as he enjoys it and is able to do so.
Kribs’ brother runs a crew for Nick’s Lawn Service “and I couldn’t do it without him, he’s a huge part of the business.” Kribs got married last October and gave a shout out to his wife, Karrie, a kindergarten teacher “who is also a huge help and I love her,” he said.
Kribs’ favorite destination is Branson, Missouri where he went each year with his family while growing up. But he’s also quite fond of the Alton area, which Kribs describes as having “a small town vibe,
NICK KRIBS
I like being in a small town.”
For now, it’s back on the mower for Kribs because he’s doing what he loves.
“I’m a pretty open book, I just like to mow grass,” Kribs said.
RYAN WYLDE
BY DAVID BLANCHETTE
“I wake up every day and decide I’m going to serve people,” said Alton resident Ryan Wylde, and that philosophy serves him well in both of his professions.
Wylde is the owner and general manager of Cardinal Plumbing, Heating, Air and Electrical in Alton, and he’s also administrative pastor at Church Unusual in Carlinville.
“In the plumbing, heating, air and electrical business I literally wake up, put on my working shoes and gloves, and decide I’m gong to bring myself to my customers’ homes with a smile and serve them,”
Wylde said. “The secret to success in a service business is to serve with excellence. That’s the same in ministry, which I tell people is spelled W-O-R-K, because you are serving people.”
“I tell people to not try to be perfect because perfectionism focuses on the outcome, whereas excellence focuses on the process,” Wylde said. “Carry the very best version of yourself every day and you can change people’s lives.”
Wylde wanted to become a Major League baseball player as a youth, and received a scholarship to play baseball at Arkansas State University. When an injury cut his baseball career short, Wylde took a job working with horses while increasing his in-
volvement in ministry, something he had started while in high school. An opportunity to become a plumber came along, and Wylde began his current career while simultaneously continuing his ministry work. He eventually worked his way up to become the owner of Cardinal Plumbing.
Wylde is grateful for the support his business has received from the Alton community, a city that “has a real home-town feel to it,” but he wants people to realize that his faith continues to be the number one priority in his life.
“When I die I don’t want people to know about a business that I built, some song I sang or something I invented,” Wylde said. “I want people to know about my faith in the Lord Jesus and what he did for us on the cross.”
Wylde’s mentors include his older brother Caleb; his father, “who definitely taught me how to work hard;” and Church Unusual Lead Pastor Ed Linhart, who always asks, “how can we apply faith to this?” Wylde likes to golf, deer hunt and play pickleball, and his favorite destination is Cleveland, Tennessee because he has family there and “it’s the closest thing to Alton that I’ve found, it’s not too big and not too small, and it’s growing the same way Alton is growing.”
It’s no surprise that Wylde chose a fellow pastor, the late evangelist Billy Graham, as a dream dinner companion, whom he’d ask “questions about the good times, the bad times, and how he was able to create such an impact on people’s lives.”
Wylde wanted to make sure to share the credit for his 15 Under 40 selection.
“The only way I would be able to win something like this is the team I have with me,” Wylde said. “There is no way on earth I’d be able to do anything without that team and the grace of God.”
MEGAN ARMENTROUT STEWARD
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selling her own pottery, reading, and tending her garden.
Armentrout-Steward loves “being in a small river town” with a “lot of really awesome small businesses popping up.” She also likes visiting the weekly Alton Farmers and Artisans Market, going to the library, and working in The Wedge where “it’s a great
space to connect with other people who are doing good work in Alton.”
Armentrout-Steward lists her board president Peter Huff among her many trusted mentors. Iceland, where she and her husband spent their honeymoon, is a favorite destination and she’s “already plotting for a trip back.” And her dream dinner companion?
Catholic Worker Movement organizer Dorothy Day.
“There are so many beautiful things to pull from her work and the way she moved through the world focused on the poor,” Armentrout-Steward said. “If I could just sit down and talk with her about those experiences and get any advice for me about working with the poor in Alton, that would be great.”
BY DAVID BLANCHETTE
Tyler Duty wants to have a positive impact on people.
“When I was growing up I was like everyone else, I wanted to do something different but I never knew specifically what I wanted to do,” Duty said. “Well, what I truly want to do now is be an influencer, someone who has a positive impact online.”
Duty is the owner-operator of Beyond Creative, an Alton and Godrey-based video agency, and as part of that he’s also creating an app which connects salespeople to products and services they can sell. Duty began as a TikTokker, he now has more than 300,000 followers, and decided to turn something at which he excelled into a paying business.
“I was good at social media and enjoyed it but I wasn’t really making much money at it,” Duty recalled. “So I decided to start working with businesses to get them more customers since I know how to make things go viral. That led to video editing and into this app we’re producing.”
Duty’s arrival at this point in his life came about circuitously. He started a small lawn mowing business at age 15, graduated from Gateway Legacy Christian Academy in Granite City, then attended college for three semesters.
“I was just racking up debt but I’m just a business guy and often times school doesn’t work out too much for that,” Duty said. He worked
in an online payroll business, and around age 20 Duty got into retail sales.
“You now the guy at Walmart that you avoid because he’s trying to sell you something? Yeah, that was me,” Duty admitted. “That was my first real sales job, but it then led me into solar energy sales, then bathroom remodeling and roofing.”
Then came TikTok and Beyond Creative, where Duty has learned that you need to really listen to customers.
“The number one skill is relatability, you have to connect to the people you’re working with,” Duty said. “People work with who they know, like and trust. If I have the best product but I’m a jerk, no one’s going to want to work with me.”
Duty said the Riverbend area has “bent over backwards to help me and my business and make me feel welcomed,” and he’s returned the favor by volunteering with the Community Hope Center and the Riverbend Growth Association. Duty’s family members remain his biggest supporters and his mother, Jackie, has been a key mentor by sharing her experiences working in corporate media.
Duty would like to have dinner with Jesus, whom he’d ask “a lot of questions,” and treasures a recent trip he made to Mexico City.
“It was my first trip out of the country, I got to meet a girl who I’ve known for a while but never got to visit, and she is really close to my heart,” Duty said. “No amount of money can pay for that experience.”
SAMANTHA DUGAN
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 10
the social work field in the coming decade, and she currently volunteers with Narcotics Anonymous. She also plans to own donkeys some day.
Dugan is pleased with the way that the community is helping people with substance abuse and those who are unhoused.
“There are a lot of resources available for individuals and these issues are becoming less stigmatized,” Dugan observed. “They are asking what is going on and how they can help. They are
committed to listening to people.”
Dugan likes being outside in nature with her children and dogs, and her favorite travel destination is Nashville, Tennessee “because the drive there from Illinois is so beautiful.” Her ideal dinner companion would be the late actress Judy Garland.
“I love ‘The Wizard of Oz,’” Dugan said. “It’s my favorite movie of all time.”
TYLER DUTY
NOAH ANDERSON
BY DAVID BLANCHETTE
Noah Anderson is happy with owning and operating Anderson’s Classic Barbershop, but he dreams of one day establishing a barber college in the Alton area.
“I’d like to help start the next generation of barbers, give people an option outside of a formal education to build a good solid career,” Anderson said. “I think there are a lot of creative people out there who have a hard time sitting at a computer all day and want something more hands-on. I think barbering is an amazing field for that.”
Anderson knows first-hand about transitioning from a computer-driven field to a hands-on profession. He went to college to study mass communications but ended up going to barber school.
“I was primarily doing videos and graphic design in the mass communications world, but I was falling out of love with the creative side,” Anderson recalled. “I was cutting hair in college in my apartment to save money and I decided to give barbering a try because I enjoyed it so much.”
Anderson feels his personality is perfect for barbering. He has a lot of patience with himself and his clients, which he feels is a key in the profession, as is flexibility, “being able to go with the flow, stay with what’s trending, to keep up with everybody else,” he said.
Anderson has come a long way from his childhood dream of working at Steve Irwin’s Zoo in Australia, then his first real job as a teenager behind a fast food counter. Anderson credits his father and mother, David and Michelle, for being mentors who “pushed me
from childhood to just be better, to be the best version of myself,” he said. “Plus my mom taught me patience because I had ADHD and was a lot to handle as a kid.” Noah also listed his sister Jordan Anderson and brother Danny Redden as important influences in his life.
As someone with ADHD Anderson is a “major hobbyist” who does photography, music, leather working, woodworking and sculpting. “I do a little bit of everything and I always enjoy learning how to do new things,” he said.
Anderson also enjoys doing things for the community and is involved with St. Baldrick’s Day and Cuts for Kids fundraisers at local high schools, Riverbend Family Ministries, and other volunteer activities where he can donate his skills as a barber. Anderson feels it’s a good way to support the community that has supported him.
“I love Alton for so many reasons, we have such an amazing art and music culture here, and the city wholeheartedly supports small businesses,” Anderson said. “The Alton and Godfrey area is always cheering us on, they are our number one supporters.”
Anderson’s favorite destination is Rotterdam, Netherlands where he spent a week studying at a world-renowned barbershop, and he would love to have dinner with former President Teddy Roosevelt.
“I’d like to pick his brain about what inspired him to invest in the national parks program, the experiences that really influenced him to make the decisions he made,” Anderson said. “He seems like such an interesting character and I’d love to sit down with him and hear what he thinks.”
BY DAVID BLANCHETTE
Ryon Williams Sr. has always wanted to go into the family business, and not surprisingly he draws upon family for his inspiration.
“My mother Cathy and my late father Roy are my mentors,” Williams said. “I have a strong belief in God and I want to be like my mother.”
Williams is a funeral director and embalmer at Cathy Williams and Sons Funeral Home in Alton. From an early age he wanted to be involved in the funeral business just like his mother and father, and his first job as a youth was working in the family funeral home. Williams took a career detour working for a regional telemarketing firm before returning for good to Cathy Williams and Sons, and is a licensed funeral director in Illinois and Missouri.
Williams also owns and operates a lawn service through which “I help out a lot of elderly people and widows in the community,” he said. “I also do the video recording and maintenance at my church.”
Church is important to Williams, who said that faith, spiritual beliefs and social skills are good qualities for people to have in the funeral business. He hopes to take more responsibility for the office side of the funeral home in the coming years.
Williams is optimistic that his tenyear-old daughter and four-year-old son will want to follow in his footsteps and eventually join the family business just like their father. Williams’ brother also works at the funeral home, and his sister is an attorney.
The Alton community “is small, everyone knows each other so people
RYON WILLIAMS SR.
support each other,” said Williams of his hometown. “They’ve been supporting the Williams family and our business for more than 30 years. I like how they trust us and are always loving toward us.”
Williams’ favorite travel destination is Hawaii, where he and his wife of ten years went for their anniversary.
“It was beautiful, it has culture, the air quality was great,” Williams said. “Plus the people were very generous.”
Williams would most like to dine with former President Barack Obama so they could talk about the two-term leader’s experiences. But his number one desire remains rooted in family and community.
“I want one day to own my own funeral home, whether it’s my mother’s business where I work now or another,” Williams said. “That is my life’s dream.”
