the
‘TIS THE SEASON TO GIVE BLOOD LISA ENTRIKIN PAGE 11
October 2023 | Volume 36 | No. 10
of the rockford business community
Power up
The Rockford Area Arts Council (RAAC) is accepting Access Grant applications for projects/programs taking place in 2024.
By Andrew Wright, Greater Rockford Chamber of Commerce
lighting and appliances to reduce the costs of operating their home, office or manufacturing facility. The latest round of federal and state funding has put the power into the hands of energy consumers to make decisions for their home or office that can be a lasting source of energy generation long past the breakeven point. “We’re at this stage because of the Inflation Reduction Act, alongside the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act, that customers can enter into an upfront payment for energy production on the grid to significantly help offset the costs of implementing efficiency solutions,” Cacciatore explained. Greenlink Energy Solutions has helped families and companies take a holistic approach to energy conservation – taking into account everything from
energy efficiency of HVAC systems, the effectiveness of existing insulation, reviewing windows and doors for energy loss, and discussing the viability of solar panel solutions. Austin Carr, president of Greenlink Energy Solutions, has made it his focus since 2011 to help customers get the most from these efficiency programs. “We’ve recently hired an attorney to serve as a policy analyst to help us look at funding and connect our customers to all incentives and rebates from federal, state and local programs, as well as utility funded energy initiatives. This is where the biggest opportunities are to serve customers in our market,” he said. One of the bigger objections that customers have had with installing a solar generation system is the return (continued on page 14)
The Annual Dinner an annual success
Thank you for supporting our mission
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FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR CREATIVE WORK
Energy conservation and the bottom line
“Don’t you wish you had a friend mining Bitcoin early on that gave you inside information? Back when you could get it for $20?” said Jared Cacciatore, chief revenue officer for Greenlink Energy Solutions. At the time Bitcoin had just topped $26,000. “In Illinois, we’re there with energy. With any new subsidized technology, the subsidies are there to coax market adaptation. There’s an inverse relationship between market adaptation and incentives. Once this becomes something everyone is doing, the norms, perks and incentives to do so won’t be as great,” he said. More and more, individuals and companies are looking to incorporate alternative energy and energy efficient
RPS LAUNCHES WORK STUDY PROGRAM BRIDGET FRENCH
The Rockford Chamber Annual Dinner, presented by OSF HealthCare, took place on September 15 at Tebala Event Center. With 415 people in attendance, the room was full of energy and connection. While always a popular event in the business community, the ability to connect, in person, seems to hold greater excitement in this postCOVID era. The Rockford Chamber thanked three board members who have served their full 9 years on our board of directors – Tim Honquest (Honquest Family Funeral Home With Crematory), Ira Grimmett (Collins Aerospace) and Dan Ross (Community Foundation of Northern Illinois). Rockford Chamber Board Chair Jean Crosby provided her perspective and expectations for the newly merged Greater Rockford Chamber of Commerce. Rockford Chamber President Caitlin Pusateri looked back on the past year as well as a peek into the future.
The evening included a celebration of our 2023 Citizen of the Year presented by Woodward, Inc., Rebecca Epperson – founder/CEO of Chartwell Agency. Guests enjoyed a delightful meal catered by Greenfire Restaurant and were treated to complimentary wine thanks to Cheers Sponsors WilliamsMcCarthy, LLP and Berg Industries. Kyle Scheele entertained and motivated guests with a hilarious and yet meaningful presentation on how constraints fuel creativity and resilience. In accordance with the “Thinking Inside the Box” theme, Midwest Packaging & Container designed and manufactured boxes used in décor throughout the room and as table centerpieces. With much to celebrate, the Annual Dinner is an event that is designed to thank our members while raising funds to support our mission to Lead. Business. Growth. For a full listing of sponsors and to see photos from the evening, flip to page 12 & 13!
Grants are one of the ways the RAAC supports and promotes access to the arts for everyone. Access Grants nurture, cultivate and advocate for artists and organizations by providing necessary funds for compelling projects, programs and initiatives. These grants are partially supported by the Illinois Arts Council Agency and the City of Rockford. Who can apply: Individual artists in partnership with a 501c(3), arts organizations and nonprofit organizations. Must be in Boone, DeKalb, Ogle or Winnebago County. Grant award: Up to $2,500. Application deadline: Nov. 20, 2023. Apply online: artsforeveryone.com/grants/ access-grants Grant-seeker workshops: Workshops hosted by the Arts Council will answer questions and walk through the application process. Via Zoom, Sept. 18 at 3 p.m. and Oct. 11 at 3 p.m. Questions: Email info@ artsforeveryone.com or call 815-963-6765
SURVEY PARTICIPANTS NEEDED Alignment Rockford is conducting a community study of early childhood health and well-being in the Rockford area. Part of this work includes a survey about early childhood experiences in the Rockford area. Residents are encouraged to visit https://survey. alchemer.com/s3/7447067/ Ready-to-Learn-Survey to complete this brief survey. In partnership with Region 1 Planning Council, Alignment Rockford is analyzing the Early Development Instrument (EDI) data from the most recent survey by digging deeper into trends and anomalies, pre-COVID vs. post-COVID measures and other items. The community report will be ready in December.