| Finalists for the Mayor’s Service Award have been announced Three area leaders have been selected as finalists for the Mayor’s Service Award. The finalists are (in alphabetic order): • Gail Barger with Priority Staffing Group Ltd. • Bill Nielsen with Flanders Electric • Mike Pinto with the Southern Illinois Miners  Three area leaders have been selected as finalists for the Mayor’s Service Award. The finalists are (in alphabetic order):
The winner of the Mayor’s Service Award will be announced during the 97th annual Marion Chamber of Commerce Awards Banquet & Auction on Friday, January 19 at The Pavilion. The event begins at 5:30 p.m. Tickets to attend are $60/person or $400/table (seats 8) and are available by calling the Marion Chamber of Commerce at 618.997.6311, visiting marionillinois.com or emailing director@marionillinois.com. Information about the finalists is below. Gail Barger: Gail was born in Southern Illinois and raised in Golconda. After graduating from Pope County High School in 1978, Gail attended Southeastern Illinois College in Harrisburg, where she completed general studies and real estate broker courses. In 1982, Gail became a real estate broker. Gail has worked in a sales and service industry all of her life, starting with selling Kool-Aid in her neighborhood at the age of 6. At 24, Gail started in the payroll and staffing business, working with her mentor, Gail VanOrmer, with a company out of Tampa, Florida - Action Staffing. From that point, Gail worked as a sales representative for Eurotan Tanning Products for eight years, which allowed her to travel extensively and gain experience in selling products to major retailers in America. “That in itself was an education,” she said. In 2000, Gail partnered with Gail VanOrmer and started a payroll brokerage company - Gail Squared, Inc. They ran the company together for a several years. Gail then worked with Associated Technologies in Marion, where she sold products on the Home Shopping Network and purchased and wholesaled household gadgets. In 2002, Gail joined Southern Illinois Professional Management Association (SIPMA) and has been active in the organization ever since. She has served as an executive board member and officer of the group. In 2008 was awarded the Marion Chamber Distinguished Member Award. In 2010, Gail was one of three partners that opened Priority Staffing Group Ltd. In 2012, they opened Priority Payroll Co., and in 2015, added Priority Professional Group Ltd. to the portfolio. Gail’s volunteer service includes: Hospice of Southern Illinois, Pope County Historical Society, and SIPMA. Gail was one of the founders of the Southern Illinois Chili Cook Off, which is a that has raised to-date more than $130,000 in the last nine years for charities, including American Cancer Society, The Lighthouse Shelter, Kozy Kids, Fowler Bonan Foundation, Williamson County Heartland Rotary (iPads for children with special needs), and Nights Shield. Gail’s Marion Chamber of Commerce involvment includes: board of directors member, executive board member, current 2nd Vice Chair, sponsor of the Live2Lead: Southern Illinois event in 2017, vendor at the 2017 Block Par-tee event, and a member of the following committees: Awards, Bass Tournament, Budget, Community Day, Finance, Legislative Affairs, Membership (including serving as past chair), Nominating, and Remuneration. “I am overwhelmed and honored to be nominated for the Mayor’s Service Award,” Gail said. “I am totally humbled to be selected as a finalist. Regardless of the outcome, this nomination is a prestigious nomination and I am proud to be included with the other nominees. Thank you Mayor Robert Butler, you continue to be an inspiration to me.” Bill Nielsen: Bill was born in Chicago and raised in Wheaton. He came to Southern Illinois in 1965 to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale, where he graduated in 1970 with a bachelor’s of science in management. Bill served as an engineer for Norge/Fedders Corp. from 1970-1972 and then in sales for Giles Armature from 1972-1984 and Toshiba Corp from 1984-1986. Bill served as regional director for Flanders Electric Marion Group from 1986-2016. Bill is now retired. Bill’s volunteer experience includes being active with the Aldersgate United Methodist Church since 1968, including serving as the present chairman of the church’s council; starting Scout Unit #42 and being active with the group for more than 30 years, including pack leader, assistant scout master, committee chair and institutional representative; Rotary president and board member; Regional Economic Development director; board of directors member for Marion Main Street; past international chairman of Electrical Apparatus Service Association; City of Marion Zoning Commission member; and extensively involved in the Marion Chamber of Commerce, including serving on the board of directors, past chairman of the board, and on every committee within the Marion Chamber. “After living in Marion the majority of my adult life and knowing and respecting the Mayor and his wife for many years, it is a great honor to be recognized by him,” Bill said. Mike Pinto: Mike’s business career has taken him from his early years as a booking agent and manager with Beacon Artists and Paramount, guiding the careers of major music industry artists. He transitioned years later as the music industry shifted and became a successful real estate broker and then sales manager for DuVal Caruso Realtors who became part of the renown Baird and Warner Company. Mike went on to become National Sales Manager for Tom Hopkins International, the nation’s leader in sales training. In 1990, Pinto began his career as a consultant and professional speaker. He has done more than 1,000 presentations as the keynote speaker at corporate conferences and conventions throughout North America, speaking to more than a half-million people. His presentations on brand strategy, corporate culture and client experiences have consistently received rave reviews. Companies like Merrill Lynch, Bank of America, Morgan Stanley, Ameriprise, Hyatt Hotels and many others have used Mike’s presentations regularly to inspire their employees and management teams. Mike has also created comprehensive strategic brand initiatives for companies like John Hancock and NorthStar Financial as well as brand collateral for hundreds of financial professionals. On the baseball side, Mike has spoken at baseball clinics helping coaches with ideas on better developing their programs, including being a featured speaker at the Illinois High School Baseball Coaches Association Annual Meeting, the Chicago Area High School Coaches Conference, the I-70 Classic, and the South Dakota High School Coaches Conference. Mike Pinto begins his twelveth season as Miners manager in 2018, and his third in a dual role of manager and Chief Operating Officer. Mike is the only manager in the Miners team historians has built a model for successful independent baseball organizations. He joined the team for the inaugural 2007 season and has led the Miners to a 615-439 record over nine seasons, with the Miners’ .583 winning percentage standing as the best mark in the history of the Frontier League for teams that have lasted more than one season. Pinto is also the league’s winningest manager since 2007, and enters the 2018 campaign eleven wins away from passing Frontier League Hall-of-Famer Fran Riordan's record as the winningest manager in Frontier League history. He has also guided the team to seven playoff appearances (2008, 2010-12, 2014-16) and four division titles (2010, 2014-16). During 2010, the Miners set a new Frontier League benchmark when they put together a 20-game winning streak. In 2012, Pinto managed the Miners to their first ever Frontier League Championship and was named the 2012 Minor League Manager of the Year by the Pitch and Hit Club of Chicago. From 2014-16, Pinto guided the Miners to three straight division championships (the second time in league history that had been accomplished) and three straight 60-win seasons (which no team in league history had ever achieved). In his eleven years in Southern Illinois entering the 2017 campaign, 50 Miners players have signed affiliated contracts, including seven in 2014 to represent the highest number of players to sign in a single year in franchise history. In addition, three former coaches have also had the opportunity to join a MLB organization, while two have moved on to manage other independent league teams. Three former Miners (Clay Zavada, Tanner Roark and Brandon Cunniff) have reached the major leagues. Since he took on the added role of Chief Operating Officer, Mike has been on a mission to reinvent the experience for fans at Rent One Park. In that short time the Miners have introduced the popular Winter Wonderland ice skating experience, and the Links at Rent One Park Stadium Golf Experience. The Miners have also added a new 10-hole miniature golf course to the stadium. Mike is a Director on the Frontier League Board of Directors. His focus on the business side of the Miners is to guide the organization to creating a “Disney-like” fan experience, extraordinary customer service and rewarding partnerships with area companies. In 2017, Mike started a program called Pinto and Paws, Saves for St. Francis a fundraising and visibility program to help save animals at the St. Francis No-Kill Animal Shelter. “To even be considered for an award with Mayor Bob Butler's name is an honor,” Mike said. “Mayor Butler has been the model for growth and innovative thinking in city government and I would hope that any award would be a validation on the work the Miners organization has done over the years and the impact the team has had in the community. I am humbled to be considered.” The Mayor’s Service Award finalists and winner are selected by the Mayor of the City of Marion Robert Butler and the members of the Marion Chamber of Commerce Awards Committee, including Butler, Gail Barger with Priority Staffing Group Ltd., Dalus Ben Avi with the Marion Chamber of Commerce, Kristin Beutel with the Marion Chamber of Commerce, Ashlee Church with Volkswagen of Marion, Misty Cobb with Banterra Bank, Dana Dooley with HireLevel powered by Extra Help, Kenya Garner with State Farm Insurance, Cindy Gibbons with U.S. Bank, Ashley Gott with Bank of Herrin, Janet Jensen with Auto Credit of Southern Illinois, Doug Kimmel with Veterans Airport of Southern Illinois, Brian McHugh with BNI STAR Chapter, Bill Nielsen with Flanders Electric, Sara Perdue with Harbory Medical Cannabis Dispensary, Christy Pulliam with StaffQuick, Mindy Reid with Banterra Bank, Rick Richert with Flanders Electric and Kimberly Walker with Kemper CPA Group LLP. The first Mayor’s Service Award was given in 1996 to Elfora Aikman. Last year’s winner was Clarence Bagby Jr. Past winners of the Mayor’s Service Award can be viewed at www.marionillinois.com/award-winners. Published: 12/01/17 |