Richland County CEO Program

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Richland County CEO Program

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Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities for Future Business Leaders

10/20/2026

A special THANK YOU to our Richland County CEO mentors for taking time out of their busy schedules to join us for our first Mentor Meeting of the year!
Today was all about breaking the ice, sharing a few laughs, and getting to know one another a little better before our one-on-one mentoring sessions begin.
We are incredibly grateful for these community professionals who are willing to invest their time and talents into our young entrepreneurs. Your willingness to show up, share your experiences, and support our young entrepreneurs is what makes the CEO experience so special!

10/16/2026

This is CEO member Annie Angle with this weeks recap! We started off our week on Tuesday by touring the Market Street Offices, led by Elaine and her son, Jon Racklin. During the tour, we learned about what they do, and we learned history about Olney. We are thankful for the time they took to show us around and share their knowledge with our class! On Wednesday, we spent time preparing the goodie bags that were handed out to the juniors at Friday’s career fair. We worked together to get everything organized and ready to go, making sure the bags were prepared for the students who attended. Thursday was an important day for our class as we presented our closing report to the board. This gave us the opportunity to share our progress, reflect on our experiences, and discuss the work we have been doing throughout our CEO journey. We appreciate the board taking the time to listen to our presentation and support our program. To finish off the week, we kicked off CEO Jr. on Friday with our middle school students! We started with a team-building activity called The Human Knot, which challenged everyone to communicate, work together, and problem-solve as a team. It was a fun way to break the ice, get everyone involved, and begin building connections with the students.

10/13/2026

This is CEO Member Annie Angle with today’s tour recap. CEO had the wonderful opportunity of touring the Market Street Offices. Elaine Racklin and Jon Racklin Jr. led our tour and shared the history of the building, how it has been used throughout the years, and what they are doing today. They also shared a little history of Olney, and the different businesses that used to be in town. We enjoyed learning about their personal backgrounds and hearing more about their experiences. These experiences help us to gain a better understanding of the people and stories behind the businesses in our community.

A big thank you to Elaine and Jon Racklin Jr. for welcoming our CEO Class and taking the time to share their knowledge!

10/09/2026

This is Richland County CEO member Jack Davis with your weekly recap! On Monday, Blair led us in the chapter called “The Toolbox of Life.” The chapter focused on understanding the tools you have, embracing the tools you do not understand and always finding new ways to use them. On Tuesday, we toured Walmart Supercenter with Coach Dalton Byars. We had the opportunity to learn about how Walmart operates behind the scenes and learn about how they are stepping into the digital age, where technology is crucial. On Wednesday we participated in Blair’s teambuilder “The Human Knot," which taught us valuable skills like teamwork, communication, and learning to adjust our approach when something was not working. Also on Wednesday we submitted our Micro Business Closing report 45 hours before the deadline! Which is a huge accomplishment. On Thursday, we had the opportunity to tour Illini Wire with Chris Foust and Jennifer Chaplin. We learned about the process of making their products, the different machines used, the difference between types of wires, and all about their facility. Overall, this week taught us a lot about real-world business and was filled with great accomplishments.

10/08/2026

This is Richland County CEO member Zofia Hundley with a recap of today’s tour!

Today, we toured Illini Wire and had the opportunity to learn more about what they do and how they operate. Chris Foust and Jennifer Chaplin showed us around the facility and explained what the different machines do. We learned more about the process at Illini Wire and how the different machines are used to make a variety of products.

A huge thank you to Chris Foust and Jennifer Chaplin for taking the time to show us around Illini Wire and sharing their knowledge about what they do and the products they make. We really appreciate the opportunity to learn more about their business!

10/06/2026

This is Richland County CEO member, Blair Grove, with a recap of today’s tour! Today, we toured Walmart Supercenter and had the opportunity to learn more about how the store operates behind the scenes. Dalton Byars showed us around the facility and gave us insight into the different aspects of Walmart’s operations. We were able to see more of what goes on behind the scenes and learn about the different roles that help keep the store running smoothly.

A huge thank you to Dalton Byars and Walmart for welcoming us, sharing your knowledge, and giving us the opportunity to learn more about the company and its operations!

10/02/2026

This is Richland County CEO member Miranda Dowty with this week’s recap! On Monday, Ryen Gray read this week’s chapter, “Boom Slam,” which was about acknowledging situations and problems while removing the stress associated with potential outcomes. On Tuesday, we toured Southern Illinois Scale and Rinstrum with Brad Fryburger, Darren and LeAnne Pearson from Australia, Kalana Lalitharathne, and Rumesha Pathirana from Shri Lanka, where they showed us examples of their products and how they operate their businesses in different countries. They gave us valuable advice on creating products and services for our future businesses. On Wednesday, we worked in the office on our reports, and Maddy and Jaclyn came in to help with our financial sheets. Since September is over we put our favorite quotes from the month on the board. On Thursday, we visited the pickleball courts and spoke with Richard Lenear and Terry Michels. They shared their experience and discussed their desire for pickleball courts in the community. On Friday, Zofia led a team-building exercise called “Counting with a Twist,” which emphasized teamwork and nonverbal communication skills. As well, Jennifer Glover donated $100 to us from her orange crush soda during her tailgate party. We greatly appreciate the donation from her and her support. Overall, this week was very productive and filled with learning and development opportunities.

10/01/2026

This is Richland County CEO member, Ryen Gray, with a recap of today’s tour! We had the opportunity to tour The Drey and learn more about the pickleball courts and the work that went into making them possible. We had the pleasure of speaking with Richard Lenear and Terry Michaels from the White Squirrel Pickleball Association. They gave us the rundown on how the association got started and the hard work that went into creating something the community could enjoy. We finished the tour by playing a few games of pickleball! Overall, the experience was a great opportunity to learn more about the association and the work they are doing for our community.

A huge thank you to the White Squirrel Pickleball Association for welcoming us, sharing your knowledge, and teaching us how to play! We truly appreciate the opportunity to learn more about your association

09/29/2026

This is Richland County CEO member, Madison Farmer, with a recap of today’s tour! Today, we toured Southern Illinois Scale & Rinstrum to learn more about the company, its history, and its global operations. Brad Fryburger showed us different types of weighing and scale equipment and explained how it is used across various industries. We also heard from Darren and LeAnn Pearson from Rinstrum Australia and Kalana Lalitharathne and Rumesha Pathirana from Rinstrum Sri Lanka. They shared how the company has grown, how its locations work together, and more about its manufacturing process and international operations. It was fascinating to learn how Southern Illinois Scale & Rinstrum connects its global teams to support customers across a wide range of industries.

A huge thank you to Southern Illinois Scale & Rinstrum for welcoming us, sharing your knowledge, and providing an amazing lunch. We truly appreciate the opportunity to learn more about your company!

Address

315 W. Main Street
Olney, IL
62450

Website

http://www.richlandcountyceo.com/

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