Speaking events planned for Col. Wilkerson in Ames, Des Moines and the Iowa City area

Des Moines--Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson (retired), former Chief of Staff to US Secretary of State Colin Powell, will speak in Ames, Des Moines, and the Iowa City area on October 21-23. His comments will address the excessive political influence of Pentagon contractors on US foreign policy.

"Iowans are increasingly aware of the dominating role of the weapons industry in the making of public policy as it relates to war and peace," said Kathleen McQuillen of AFSC. "Unfortunately the candidates are not speaking about this so we are delighted to have Col. Wilkerson, who has been so deeply involved in these issues, shed light on this anti-democratic practice."

Currently a professor of Government and Public Policy at the College of William and Mary, Colonel Wilkerson is an expert in foreign policy and national security affairs. American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) is sponsoring the speaking tour as part of AFSC's Governing Under the Influence campaign.

Colonel Wilkerson's schedule includes:
Wednesday, October 21; 8:00 pm
Iowa State University Memorial Union Sun Room
This event is co-sponsored by the Iowa State Lectures Committee

Thursday, October 22; 7:00 pm
Drake University, Olin Hall Rm 101
This event is co-sponsored by Principal Financial Center for Global Citizenship

Friday, October 23; 7:00 pm
Iowa City area (details TBA)
Co-sponsors include Veterans for Peace, PEACE Iowa

Wilkerson's speaking tour complements AFSC's "Governing Under the Influence" project, which calls attention to the excessive political weight of corporations investing millions of dollars in lobbyists, campaign donations, and advertising to secure lucrative government contracts and policies. As a part of the project, residents in Iowa and New Hampshire are trained to engage presidential candidates in direct dialogue on the corporate influence behind militarism and incarceration. For more information, see http://gui.afsc.org.

The American Friends Service Committee is a Quaker organization dedicated to social justice and peace.

CHICAGO - Governor Bruce Rauner announced he has made the following appointments to the Board of Trustees for the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency.

 

 

Name: Jim Bruner

Position: Chair - Illinois Historic Preservation Agency

 

Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed Jim Bruner to the Board of Trustees for the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. He brings nearly five decades of business experience to the board.

Bruner is the President of United Contractors Midwest, an asphalt paving company founded in 2001. Prior to that company's founding, Bruner was President of Illinois Valley Paving Company in Winchester, where he worked for over  30 years.

On top of his business, Bruner is an active member of the community. He serves as Trustee and Secretary of the Central Laborers Pension and Annuity Board and Chairman of Investments. He is a Life Director of Associated General Contractors of America and a past two-term President of the Associated General Contractors of Illinois.

Bruner earned his bachelor's degree in business from Illinois College. He lives in Jacksonville, Illinois.

 

 

Name: Gail Shiel

Position: Trustee - Illinois Historic Preservation Agency

Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed Gail Shiel to the Board of Trustees for the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. She brings over three decades of experience in art, design and civic engagement.

Shiel is a self-employed interior designer and has been designing commercial spaces for over 30 years. She is also an adjunct professor at Indiana University-Purdue University-Indianapolis (IUPUI). She teaches architectural and interior technology. She previously held full-time faculty positions at IUPUI and Butler University.

Shiel is also a fellow of the International Interior Design Association, a member of the board of directors for the Institute of Business Designers and a member of the Illinois Humanities Council.

Shiel received a bachelor's degree in environmental design & interior design from Purdue University. She is currently working on her master's degree in arts administration and policy at the Art Institute of Chicago. She lives in Chicago.

 

Name: Andy Volpert

Position: Trustee - Illinois Historic Preservation Agency

 

Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed Andy Volpert to the Board of Trustees for the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. He brings 15 years of experience as a history and social studies teacher.

Since 2003, Volpert has taught AP American Government, U.S. History and other classes at Springfield Southeast High School. He previously spent three years teaching at Morrisonville High School.

Volpert volunteers as a youth baseball and basketball coach in the community. He is also a dedicated member of the Laurel United Methodist Church and the Southern Illinois University Alumni Association.

Volpert received a bachelor's degree in history education and a master's degree in history from Southern Illinois University Carbondale. While earning his master's, Volpert won the Stanley A. Zucker Essay Prize for his outstanding research in the SIU History Department. He lives in Springfield.

 

 

Name: Jane A. Hay

Position: Trustee - Illinois Historic Preservation Agency

Governor Bruce Rauner has appointed Jane Ann Hay to the Board of Trustees for the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency. She has an extensive background in state government and real estate.

Hay is a real estate broker with The Real Estate Group, Inc., a company that provides residential and commercial real estate sales and leasing in Springfield and Sangamon County. Prior to obtaining her real estate license in 2009, Hay served as Project Manager for REAL ID in the Illinois Secretary of State's office. She was also Manager of Scheduling for the Office of the Illinois State Treasurer for eight years.

Hay is a member of the Capital Area Association of Realtors (CAAR) Board of Trustees, and was awarded the CAAR "Rising Star" Award in 2011.She is President of the Chatham Area Chamber of Commerce, Secretary of the Chatham Area Public Library Foundation Board, and a member of the Ball-Chatham Education Foundation Board.

Hay is a graduate of Taylorville High School and has a certificate from Patricia Stevens Business College. She lives in Chatham.

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Scholarship application available for high school seniors interested in STEM degree

The Quad-City Engineering and Science Council, or QCESC, has released its 2016 scholarship application at www.qcesc.org . Applications must be mailed by January 22, 2016. The scholarships will be awarded at its 54th annual National Engineers Week banquet on February 25^th, 2016. This will be the 22nd year of awarding college scholarships to encourage high school students planning to major in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). Last year 12 scholarships were awarded worth $20,500. Funding comes from QCESC member societies, industry, and regional universities.

The scholarships are awarded based on academics, extracurricular activities including work and community service, and leadership experience. The applicants' essays on career goals and why they are interested in the STEM field round out how these applications are evaluated. High school seniors from Carroll, Henry, Knox, Lee, Mercer, Rock Island, and Whiteside counties in Illinois; and Clinton, Louisa, Muscatine, and Scott counties in Iowa are eligible to apply.

The Quad City Engineering and Science Council (QCESC) is an umbrella organization representing 30 technical societies in the Quad City region with approximately 5,000 associated members. The QCESC is non-profit organized in 1963. Its mission is to Promote and support engineering, science, and technical professionals and associated societies in the Quad City Region and to also support and encourage students in the Quad City Region to study in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) related fields.

 

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UPDATE:  - The Scott County Sheriff's Office says registered sex offender Ben Sanders will not make the move to Scott County. The Sheriff's office notified the Department of Human Resources today that he will not make the move. This move may still occur at a later date in which the Sex Offender Task Force will do another public notification. Sanders was set to move into the 1400 block of Bridge Avenue in Davenport later today.

On October 13th 2015 Ben Lee Sanders, aka: Todd Brown, Sandman Sanders, is required to register as a Sex Offender in Iowa. He will be residing in the City of Davenport.
Sanders was convicted in Scott County in 1966 for Rape: Iowa statute of 698.1.
Sander was also convicted of a second offense in 1987 in Scott County for Sexual Abuse 2nd degree: Iowa statute 709.3. In 2011 Sanders was placed in the custody of the Department of Human Services after being court committed as a sexually violent predator.
Sanders is classified as a Tier III offender and is subject to prohibited employment.
No action should be taken against Ben Sanders by the general public. However, any suspicious activity by him should be reported to your local law enforcement agency.
More information on Sanders can be obtained from the Iowa Sex Offender Registry at: http://www.iowasexoffender.com .