ChampaignArchive for the ‘’ Category

Facebook Live Q&A: Unit 4 Referendum

In advance of the November 8th election, Champaign Unit 4 Schools—in partnership with us and chambanamoms.com—will host a live Facebook Q&A on the school facilities referendum next Monday, October 17th. The hour-long broadcast will take place on the Unit 4 Facebook page starting at 8:30 p.m. Community members will have the opportunity to gather information and ask questions about the school facilities referendum that will impact six of the District’s campuses.

Board of Education Vice President Amy Armstrong and Member Kathy Richards will host the chat and take questions from participants. We’ll help facilitate the discussion.

Learn more: http://www.champaignschools.org/news-room/article/15091

Grand Opening: The Tech Nest at AARP

Today we celebrated the Grand Opening of The Tech Nest at AARP at the University of Illinois Research Park, the latest addition to AARP’s Innovation portfolio! 

The new technology lab, a 2,700 square-foot innovation-focused facility, enables AARP to collaborate with University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign students and faculty on leading-edge, technology-based research and creative solutions to address the needs of the 50-plus population.

The Tech Nest will focus on developing prototypes in the fields of artificial intelligence, mobile apps, information security, biometrics and software engineering. By leveraging the university’s academic research and adjacent startup community, AARP will create opportunities to enhance the daily lives for us all as we age.

Luncheon speakers:

– Laura Frerichs, Director of University of Illinois Research Park
– Peter Schiffer, Vice Chancellor at UIUC
– Ed Seidel, Vice President for Research at UIUC
– Craig Rost, Executive Director at Champaign County Economic Development Corporation
– Terry Bradwell, Executive Vice President & Chief Enterprise Strategy and Innovation Officer at AARP
– Amy Doherty, Chief Information Officer at AARP
– Jose Hernandez, Vice President – Information Tecnology at AARP

Learn more about The Tech Nest: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20161012006334/en/AARP-University-Illinois-Announce-Opening-Tech-Nest

Photos from the Grand Opening celebration: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10154097470612807.1073741864.122833457806&type=1&l=e6498a948e

Photos from UI Research Park: https://www.facebook.com/uiresearchpark/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1255202107865298

Press:

#MFGday16 – Manufacturing in Champaign County

In honor of National Manufacturing Day 2016 (), here’s a look at the Manufacturing Industry in Champaign County:

  • 7,444 jobs (2016)
  • $59,285 average earnings per job (2016)
  • 154 establishments (2015)
    • *A single physical location of some type of economic activity (a business), used for reporting purposes in government data sources. A single company may have multiple establishments.

Interested in products and innovation Made in Champaign County (#MadeInCC)? Here’s a look at a few:

View more Made in Champaign County products here.

Data via EMSI.

Manufacturing Roundtable: Early College and Career Academy (ECCA)

img_9683To celebrate National Manufacturing Day & Manufacturing Month (as determined by the Illinois Department of Commerce), we teamed up with the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce to host a Manufacturing Roundtable on Tuesday, October 4th at Parkland College.

The discussion focused on the Early College and Career Academy (ECCA), a joint effort of Education for Employment System #330 and Parkland College. ECCA is a program for high school juniors and seniors to earn credits that count toward a high school diploma and college, all while gaining skills in six different Parkland College degree programs, including Manufacturing.

We had representatives from Parkland & EFE #330 in attendance, along with local companies + students enrolled in the program.

Frasca International, Inc. was in attendance to share their experience of partnering with ECCA to sponsor a student.

Download a PDF overview of ECCA here. Download a PDF of the current ECCA – Manufacturing courses being offered here.

To learn more about ECCA, visit: http://www.parkland.edu/ecca

Photos from the EDC: https://www.facebook.com/ChampaignCountyEDC/posts/10154078875187807

Photos from the Chamber: https://www.facebook.com/ccountychamber/posts/10157575924370008

 

Illinois American Water to Host Ribbon Cutting for One Million Gallon Elevated Water Tank

From the Illinois American Water press release:

Champaign, Ill. (Sept. 22, 2016) – Illinois American Water’s Champaign County District, the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce and the Champaign County Economic Development Corporation will celebrate the new one-million-gallon elevated water storage tank located at 2814 Hundman Drive in Champaign. A ribbon cutting will be held on Sept. 28, 2016 at 1 PM.

According to Dave Farrar, Sr. Operations Manager for Illinois American Water’s Champaign County District, this investment of over $3 million ensures reliable water service to customers. “The water tower is a critical component of our water infrastructure. The new tank will help ensure adequate supply for residents, businesses and fire protection,” said Farrar. This investment includes a steel tank that was built mostly at ground level and now sits on top of a concrete shaft, comprising the composite-style elevated storage tank. According to Farrar, using concrete for the shaft was both less expensive and requires lower future maintenance.

The new water tank also welcomes visitors to the area with both Illinois American Water’s logo and the You’re Welcome logo, representing a community campaign to brand Champaign-Urbana as a hub for innovation, attract top talent and companies, drive economic development, and brag about our micro-urban community. Craig Rost, Executive Director of the Champaign County EDC, a leader of the You’re Welcome campaign, said, “We are proud to have the You’re Welcome logo on the water tower. This investment not only enhances our community visually, but ensures water service for economic development.”

The U.S. EPA reports that the nation’s water utilities will need to make more than $384 billion in infrastructure investments by 2030 to ensure public health. These investments include replacing thousands of miles of pipe and upgrades to treatment plants, storage tanks and other assets. Illinois American Water’s investment in the Champaign County District is just another example of continuous investments and improvements being made, helping to meet the demands of today’s customers and planning for the future.

Photos: https://www.facebook.com/YoureWelcomeCU/photos/?tab=album&album_id=1095203890555872

Video from the ceremony: https://www.facebook.com/YoureWelcomeCU/videos/1095139803895614/

To see photos & video of its construction, visit: http://champaigncountyedc.org/youre-welcome-cu-reaches-new-heights

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