Illinois County ARPA Investments

Co-hosted by Illinois Extension and Rural Partners

Wednesday, May 31 at 12PM CT   

Illinois county governments have invested their ARPA funds in various ways to support their residents and communities. Learn about four different county governments (Jackson, Fulton, McLean, and McHenry) and how they used ARPA funds in interesting ways to meet the needs of their citizens.

Presenters:

Jackson County Broadband Coordinator Brian Chapman
Spoon River Partnership for Economic Development Director Cole McDaniel
Village of Arrowsmith (McLean County) Mayor Chad Walden
Michael Buehler, Chairman, McHenry County Board

Jackson County Broadband Coordinator Brian Chapman has served 23 years in a variety of roles at SIUC from fundraiser to Assistant Vice Chancellor to Executive Assistant to the System President.  Until his retirement last year,  Brian served as Executive Director for Regional and Intergovernmental Affairs and as adjunct faculty in the Master of Public Administration Program teaching Human Resource Management and Leadership in Public Administration. Previously, Brian served over 6 years staffing the Illinois Legislature. Currently, Brian is working for the Jackson County Board as the Broadband Coordinator and Deputy Administrator. Brian currently serves on the Illinois Comptroller’s Local Government Advisory Board, Jackson Growth Alliance Board, Carbondale Business Development Corporation Board, Champion Investments Community Board, the Carbondale Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Committee, and the Master of Public Administration Advisory Board.  He has also served on the Center for Rural Health and Developmental Disabilities Advisory Board, St. Luke’s Lutheran Church Council, the Jackson County Board, the Jackson County Building Commission, the Trico School Board, the Trico Area Youth League Board of Directors, and as Supervisor of Ora Township. Brian has a PhD in Political Science and Public Administration. His areas of research included: political theory, public ethics, public corruption, American government, and legislative bodies. In addition, Brian earned a professional fundraising certificate from the Indiana University School of Philanthropy. He has leadership certificates from the University of Alabama and the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard. 

Spoon River Partnership for Economic Development Director Cole McDaniel has been the Executive Director of the Spoon River Partnership for Economic Development (SRPED) since March of 2020. SRPED is based in Canton, IL and is responsible for all community and economic development programs and initiatives in Fulton County. SRPED is also responsible for all marketing and tourism related efforts throughout the county for multiple municipalities and tourist destinations. He is also the Co-Founding Partner of Hometown Consulting, a community and economic development consulting firm, with a strong focus on rural areas. He was the City Treasurer and Economic Development Coordinator for the City of Havana, IL from 2017 – 2020 and prior to that spent four years working in private finance in Downtown Chicago. Cole received his Associate of Science degree from Spoon River College and his Bachelor of Business Administration from Lincoln College. He was also recognized and received WTVP/Peoria Magazine's 40 Leaders Under Forty award in 2022.

Village of Arrowsmith (McLean County) Mayor Chad Walden first served as a village trustee for six years prior to becoming village president. Chad is also a member of the McLean County Mayors Association and has held the position of treasure for the past 12 years within that organization. When he is not tending to matters for those two positions, he is working at his full time job for State Farm Insurance Company and enjoys getting away to go camping, fishing and spending time outdoors with his family and two dogs.

McHenry County Board Chairman Michael Buehler was elected in 2020. Mike Buehler is a well-respected business leader and community member from the Chicago area. He was raised in DuPage County and later moved to McHenry County in 1999 after marrying his wife, Heidi Buehler. Mike is the proud father of three children: Harrison, age 14, Griffin, age 17, and Jackson, age 19. For the past 30 years, Mike has been the owner and operator of D&M Scale Service, a successful business that specializes in the sales, service, and repair of industrial scales. Throughout his career, Mike has gained a reputation for his expert knowledge of the industry, his dedication to customer service, and his ability to think outside the box to find innovative solutions to his clients' needs. This business experience has been instrumental in his success as the Chairman of McHenry County Board.