InterBusiness Issues - June 2005

An Interview with Steve Backlund
Proving Smaller Companies Can Deliver Big Results
Better Banks Chairman and CEO Steve Backlund believes in making business personal. "Because we're independent and owned locally, we have to live with the decisions we make. It becomes more than protecting a financial investment; it also is a matter of protecting quality of life, our community, schools, and neighborhoods. We have personal relationships with the people we serve. Those personal relationships can't help but influence the decisions we make or the way we do business," he said.

Features

Business Profile
Josh Waite: Northwestern Mutual Financial Network
Josh Waite, managing director of Northwestern Mutual Financial Network-The Wright Financial Group, found his niche in college and never looked back.
From the Editor
If You Ran Your Business Like...
Pick up any newspaper or watch any television news, and you're bound to learn retirement benefits are becoming the latest lethal line in the sand.

Columns

  • Agricultural Issues
    A New Way to Assess Farmland
    Patrick Kirchhofer - Peoria County Farm Bureau
  • Airport Issues
    Another Year, Another Great Air Show
    Solomon Balraj, Peoria Greater Regional Airport
  • Civic Center Issues
    Peoria Civic Center Redevelopment
    Daniel Daly, Peoria Civic Center Authority
  • Community Issues
    Medical/Technology District: Organizing
    W. Michael Bryant, Methodist Medical Center
  • Consulting Issues
    The Dynamics of Communicating Change
    Kris Arvind, CGN & Associates
  • Education Issues
    What's Your Story?
    Dr. John Erwin, Illinois Central College
  • Ethical Issues
    Is Demanding Company Loyalty Ethical?
    Dr. John Throop, The Summit Group
  • Fitness Issues
    Looking Good: How Important Is It?
    Michael Hintz, Absolute Fitness
  • Health Care Issues
    Leadership in the Industry and the Community
    Daniel Baker, OSF Saint Francis Medical Center
  • HR Issues
    Creating a Great Workplace Yields Many Rewards
    Mary Pille, Employers' Association
  • Insurance Issues
    New Business Questions
    JR Runkel, Fortner Insurance Agency, Inc.
  • Investment Issues
    Choosing Stocks Through Technical Analysis
    Scott Elger, Morgan Stanley
  • Junior Achievement Issues
    Financial Literacy and Credit Scores
    Larry Timm, Junior Achievement
  • Occupational Health Issues
    Did Your Dermatologist Deliver Your Baby?
    Michael Davis - IWIRC Corp.
  • Public Issues
    BRAC List: Good for Peoria, Mixed Bag for IL
    Congressman Ray LaHood, 18th Congressional District
  • Social Issues
    Summer Programs Help Kids Develop
    Michael Stephan, Heart of Illinois United Way
  • Staffing Issues
    Workplace Safety is Everybody's Responsibility
    David Smith, Manpower Professional
  • Workforce Issues
    Raising Community Awareness
    Bashir Ali, Central Illinois Workforce Development

Also in This Issue...

Eliminate Office Gossip
6 Skills to Kill Off the Rumor Mill at Work
InterBusiness Issues - June 2005
Who did what to whom? How did she get into trouble? Why did he miss the project deadline? If workplace gossip a part of your office, it’s hurting you and your work environment.
Guest Editorial
Continue Water Company Buyout Due Diligence
InterBusiness Issues - June 2005
by Jeff Giebelhausen
More than 80 percent of voters in the most recent Peoria election opposed the city buying the water company. Based on this alone, should the city stop pursuing the acquisition?