Rural Partners Board of Directors

Robert Baren
Senior Advisor to the Lt. Governor
Office of Illinois Lt. Governor Juliana Stratton
214 State House
Springfield, IL 62706
(217) 558-1021
rob.baren@illinois.gov

Susan Wynn Bence
Watseka, IL 60970
(815) 278-1513;
Fax (815) 432-1079
susanbence320@gmail.com

Dick Breckenridge, Asst. Treasurer
1560 N. 1100 East Road
Taylorville, IL 62568
(217) 414-4188
rpbreck@gmail.com

Monica Bristow
Deputy Director, Local Government Programs
Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity
(618) 789-7074
Monica.j.bristow@illinois.gov

Dan Fisher
Treasurer, City of Gillespie
906 N. Clinton St.
Gillespie, IL 62033
(217) 825-8189
dfisher51@mac.com

Cindy Frisina
CEO, Heartland Development Partners, Inc. and Revitalizing Rural America
123 S. Washington
Taylorville, IL 62568
(404) 281.9773
cfrisina@gmail.com

Janelle Gurnsey
Director of Public Relations
Teachers’ Retirement System
2815 W. Washington
Springfield, IL 62794-9253
(217) 415-3039
JGurnsey@trsil.org

Molly Hammond
Acting State Director
USDA Rural Development
2118 West Park Court, Suite A
Champaign, IL 61821
(217) 403-6203
molly.hammond@usda.gov

Liz Hunter, Assistant Secretary
Jackson County Treasurer
1507 W Walnut St
Carbondale, IL 62901
(618)521-3152
lizhunter12@gmail.com

Matt Johnson, Treasurer
Vice President, Govt. Policy
Shawnee Communications
P.O. Box 69
120 W. Lane
Equality, IL 62934
(618) 276-3335 (office)
(309) 824-3527 (cell)
mjohnson@shawneetel.com

Laura Hepp Kessel, Past Chair
Executive Director, Telehealth Services
SIU School of Medicine
175 S. Main Street
Canton, IL 61520
(217) 545-7830
lkessel21@siumed.edu

Levi Kinnard
Branch Manager, Springfield Illinois Branch
U.S. Small Business Administration
3330 Ginger Creek Drive, Suite B-East
Springfield, IL 62711
(704) 344-6585
timothy.kinnard@sba.gov

Cole McDaniel
Co-Founding Partner
Hometown Consulting
(309) 370-2865
cmcdaniel@hometownconsultants.com

Callie Jo McFarland, Vice Chair
Community Development Director
City of Monticello
210 N. Hamilton St.
Monticello, IL 61856
(217) 762-2583
cjm@cityofmonticello.net

Chris Merrett
Director and Professor
Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs
Western Illinois University
Macomb, IL  61455
(309) 298-2281;
Fax: (309) 298-2142
cd-merrett@wiu.edu

Brian Moody, Chair
Director, Tuscola Chamber & Economic Development, Inc.
214 N. Main St.
Tuscola, IL 61953
(217) 253-2552; (217) 369-0940
brian.moody@tuscola.org