Knox County Area Partnership for Economic Development

10/15/2026

From police chief to city leadership to KCAP, John Schlaf's commitment to Galesburg has left a lasting mark. He was recognized with a 5 Over 40 Award. See link below ⬇️

📸 Provided by Bill Gaither/Galesburg Area Chamber of Commerce

10/07/2026

One week left to donate!

👗 It’s time to clean out that closet! 💙

We’re honored to host the 2nd Annual Alice’s Career Clothing Drive in memory of our dear friend, Chamber Ambassador, and community advocate, Alice Stenander.

Alice was known for her impeccable style, but even more so for the way she made people feel—valued, encouraged, and special. This drive is one small way we can continue her legacy by helping students and young professionals feel confident as they head into interviews, internships, career events, and new opportunities.

Take a few minutes this weekend to look through your closet! If you have gently used professional clothing that you no longer need, consider giving it a new purpose.

📅 Donations accepted: Now through Wednesday, October 14
📍 Drop off at the Chamber/KCAP office: 200 E. Main St., Suite 200, call us ahead of time to coordinate: 309-343-1194
🎓 Or donate anytime directly to the Community Career Closet at Knox College, Alumni Hall, Room 222.

The Community Career Closet at Knox College accepts donations year-round, and we’re proud to partner with them to help equip the next generation with confidence—one outfit at a time.

Be like Alice. Lift someone up. Give what you can. Make a difference. 💙

Knox County Area Partnership for Economic Development Knox College Knox County IL CEO

10/07/2026

Congratulations to John Schlaf, recipient of the Galesburg Area Chamber of Commerce’s 5 Over 40 Award! John’s commitment to serving the Galesburg community spans decades and countless roles. From his years as Chief of Police for the City of Galesburg, IL Government, to his service at Knox College, his time as Interim City Manager for the City of Galesburg, IL Government, and now his work with KCAP, John has consistently answered the call to serve.

His career is a wonderful example of what it means to invest in a community. Not just through a job, but through leadership, relationships, and a genuine commitment to making Galesburg a better place. We are proud to celebrate John and the many years he has dedicated to the people of this community.

We also want to congratulate KCAP Board Members Ali Sours of Graham Health System and Joe Mangieri of Estes Construction on their well-deserved recognition at the Evening of Excellence. Their leadership, dedication, and service reflect the same spirit of community involvement that makes Galesburg and Knox County such a special place to call home.

Congratulations to all of the Evening of Excellence honorees! Your contributions remind us of the impact that dedicated individuals can have when they choose to serve their communities. We are grateful for all you do!

*Photo Credit to Bill Gaither and the Galesburg Area Chamber of Commerce

10/05/2026

Our Director of Communications and Development, Abby Thomas, had the privilege of moderating the Career Panel during this Welcome to the Real World event.

Abby says "It is always an event I look forward to. The Regional Office of Education #33, Sandburg Workforce Development and Community Education , and all the volunteers and partners that put on this event truly make such a difference in the lives of our community eighth graders. You can tell this is one of the first sparks that get them to understand what their potential path could be in the future and which partners in our community are looking for those talents."

09/11/2026

KCAP President Ken Springer took the stage at the Alliance of Illinois Community Foundations Annual Meeting 2026, earlier this week.

Ken participated in the Closing Plenary, “The Missing Middle: Philanthropy’s Role in Solving the Housing Crisis,” exploring the critical role philanthropy and community partnerships can play in addressing the shortage of attainable housing.

This was an important conversation about collaboration, community investment, and creating stronger, more sustainable communities across Illinois.

Thank you to Joshua Gibb, President of Galesburg Community Foundation, for moderating the panel, and Olivia Ortega, Director of Housing Solutions from the IL Governor's Office, & Mike Royse, Chairman of Royse + Brinkmeyer, for adding to the conversation.

08/26/2026

👏 Congratulations to our own Joe Mangieri, Market Manager, on joining the Knox County Area Partnership Board! Estes Construction is also the newest Champion investor!

The Knox County Area Partnership for Economic Development (KCAP) launched in 2015 to provide economic development services to the Galesburg and Knox County region.

Reflecting on the opportunity, Joe says, "When we decide where to put our time and resources, we look for partners who are actively moving the needle and driving real progress, not just discussing the possibilities. That's why Estes Construction invested in the Knox County Area Partnership for Economic Development. Strong communities don't happen by accident. It takes an organization willing to do the work and stay at the table long after the ribbon is cut. That's what KCAP does..."

08/21/2026

With heavy hearts and profound sadness, we share the passing of our esteemed friend, founding KCAP Board Member and Past Chair John Pritchard.

John was critical in the formation of the Knox County Area Partnership. For over a decade, our team worked alongside John to better our region. We are grateful for his long service to the organization and his countless contributions to the projects and issues we worked on over the years.

John dedicated his time, wisdom, and passion to growing Galesburg. His leadership and guidance helped shape our organization, and his presence will be deeply missed by all who had the privilege of working alongside him.

Our thoughts, prayers, and deepest condolences are with Jane, their family, and loved ones during this time.

Celebrate the life of Mr. John Pritchard and join others in sharing memories, stories, and condolences.

08/21/2026

Last week, our KCAP Annual Meeting - Stories that BUILD our Community speakers, Colleen Callahan & Kelsey Litchfield, reminded us of something that matters deeply to Knox County's future: our message matters.

We have an incredible story to tell.
A story about businesses investing and growing.
A story about people choosing to build their lives and careers here.
A story about communities working together, creating opportunity, and believing in what’s possible.

Thank you to our KCAP Board Chairperson, Adam Vitale, President of G & M Distributors, Inc., for your impactful message and for awarding BNSF Railway the KCAP Economic Merit Award for their investment in our community.

Thank you to our many sponsors of the event and investors in the partnership.

☕ Orange Cup & Innkeeper's Fresh Roasted Coffee
🥐 Orange Cup
📍 Galesburg Community Arts Center

08/13/2026

Thank you to Knox County Area Partnership for Economic Development for inviting us to keynote their 2026 Annual Meeting this morning!

Our presentation, “Message Matters,” centered around one simple but powerful idea: storytelling matters.

In a room filled with Knox County business leaders, organizations and community partners, we talked about the important role each of them plays in telling the stories of our communities.

There are good things happening throughout Knox County and Galesburg. Businesses are growing, organizations are making an impact, people are investing in their communities and new opportunities are taking shape. Those are the stories we need to be telling to developers, potential investors, prospective businesses, future residents and others who are deciding where they want to invest their time, talent and resources.

As we often say, if you don’t tell your story, someone else will, and it becomes their story.

Our challenge to the room was to share complete, authentic stories. Stories of resurgence and resilience that show where our communities have been, where they are today and where they are headed. Those stories help others see the opportunity, momentum and potential that exist throughout Knox County and Galesburg.

Thank you, KCAP, for giving us the opportunity to share this message and be part of the conversation.

Every community and organization has a story worth telling. If “Message Matters” could benefit your team, organization or next event, we’d love to continue the conversation.

06/29/2026

Ken Springer and C. Mark Williams from the KCAP Team were proud to attend the Illinois Economic Development Association Summit in Chicago last week. It was a great conference with interactive discussions covering housing, transportation, workforce strategy and a host of other subjects. Over 200 local and state developers attended this year.

KCAP's team has had a long affiliation with IEDA and we are hugely supportive of the great work IEDA does for our state and our profession. Ken served as the IEDA President for the past two years and is looking forward to remaining active in the future.