Some big names in the Quad Cities business world were honored Thursday night, June 8, as Junior Achievement of the Heartland inducted the 2023 Class of Laureates into the Quad Cities Area Business Hall of Fame.
The event, which attracted about 300 people to Bally’s Quad Cities Casino & Hotel in Rock Island, honored “unique and dynamic” people in the business world and showcased the vital work of Junior Achievement, according to Nick Kremer, chairman of the JA of Heartland governing board. He gave one of the opening addresses during the Thursday celebration.
“JA is a force for empowering our youth. … It’s a beacon of hope in this wild world we live in,” Mr. Kremer told the audience.
He also pointed out the community support for JA, which in the past year attracted 314 new volunteers and has gathers about 1,100 volunteers from the community every year.
“That’s just amazing. I see all the volunteers and they talk about how amazing this work is,” Mr. Kremer added.
In addition to outlining JA’s achievements, the night’s event centered on honoring several area business people.
The 2023 Class of Laureates includes Mark Kilmer, president, The Republic Companies; Dan Palmer, CEO, and Doug Palmer, president of Tri-City Electric Co.; and posthumously, Jim Victor, executive director and financial advisor, Morgan Stanley. Mr. Victor died in 2018 in an auto racing accident.
The 2023 Laureates were selected for their entrepreneurial achievements, their adherence to the highest moral and ethical principles, and their demonstrated community involvement. They join 73 other laureates previously inducted into the local hall of fame.
In addition to the induction of the laureates, JA of the Heartland also recognized Maria Ontiveros, president and co-founder, Mercado on Fifth, as the 2023 Young Entrepreneur; and Alvaro C. Macias, Ascentra Credit Union’s vice president of business development, as the 2023 Outstanding Junior Achievement Volunteer.
“This is just so humbling. I never expected anything like this. …. It’s rewarding to spend time with the kids (in JA),” said Mr. Macias.
Other honorees also expressed their gratitude for receiving honors.
“This is a great event. JA is doing a great job of investing in our future,” said Doug Palmer.
Ms. Ontiveros said she is happy the honor will shine light on the work being done at Mercado on Fifth, a downtown outdoor marketplace she founded with her now late grandfather, Robert “Bob” Ontiveros.
“It feels great to be honored for the work we do with Mercado, and making it an economic driver for the community,” she added.
The event’s sponsors include: Quad City Bank & Trust, TAG Communications/dphilms, Raymond James, Bush Construction, Green Buick GMC, and Legat Architects.
Proceeds from the event will help further JA’s mission to inspire and prepare young people to succeed in a global economy.
Here’s a closer look at those honored by JA:
Mark Kilmer
Mark C. Kilmer is president of The Republic Companies. Republic was founded in 1916 by Joseph S. Kimmel, Sr., the grandfather of Mark’s wife, Kathy, and has over a century of experience providing products and support to a broad base of primarily HVAC and electrical contractors as well as industrial and OEM customers.
The company supplies more than 40,000 products including residential and commercial HVAC systems, switch gear, controls, lighting solutions, and related parts and tools. The company also provides logistical support, training, technical assistance, marketing support, and other value-added services with a focus on customer service, delivery speed, reliability, and product availability. Based in Davenport, Republic serves more than 1,000 customers from five locations across Iowa and Illinois.
Prior to joining The Republic Companies in 1984, Mr. Kilmer worked in the Management Information Systems Department of Standard Oil of California (Chevron) in San Francisco after graduating from Iowa State University in Ames.
Mr. Kilmer is currently the chairman of Quad City Bank & Trust’s Board of Directors, a board member of QCR Holdings (the parent company of QCBT), a board member of Genesis Health System, a member of the board of trustees of St. Ambrose University, and a former board member of IMARK Group, Inc., a national member-owned purchasing cooperative of electric supplies and equipment distributors.
He is a two-term past chairman of the PGA TOUR John Deere Classic and the past chair of the Scott County YMCA’s Board of Directors. Mr. Kilmer is the past chair of the board of directors of Genesis Medical Center and has served on the board of directors of the Genesis Heart Institute, St. Luke’s Hospital, Rejuvenate Davenport, the Vera French Foundation and Trinity Lutheran Church.
He was a four-time project business consultant for Junior Achievement, and was a mentor in the Big Brothers, Big Sisters program. Before joining the board of Quad City Bank and Trust in 1996, Mr. Kilmer served on the board of Citizen’s Federal Savings Bank in Davenport.
In 2011, Mr. Kilmer was inducted into the Davenport Central High School Hall of Honor. In 2014, he was named the Outstanding Volunteer Fundraiser by the Quad City Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Also in 2014, the Kilmers received the Bethany Homes Leadership Family of the Year Award. In 2016, they were inducted into the Hall of Fame of the Handicapped Development Center.
Mark and Kathy live in Davenport and have three grown children, Hallie (Sal), Grant (Jen) and Stephanie, and two grandchildren, Cade, and Margo.
Jim Victor
Jim was born in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, to parents Marge and Al Victor and growing up was one of five children including sisters Barbara and Mary Anne and brothers Tom and Mick. In 1956, his family moved to Marion, Iowa, for their dad’s new position with Collins Radio and Avionics of Rockwell International.
Jim and his siblings attended St. Joseph Catholic Grade School, and like so many others took piano lessons, enjoyed student activities and served as an altar boy.
Mr. Victor’s business career started with the Cedar Rapids Gazette as a featured newspaper carrier in 1960. The money he earned went to support his developing education interests and hobbies as an avid reader, model car builder, hot rod enthusiast, and a dedicated music buff. As a teenager, he attended Regis Catholic High School, Cedar Rapids, paying for his own tuition and eventually ran a successful campaign for senior class president.
His high school campaign success, based on the themes of communication, enthusiasm and engagement helped launch Mr. Victor into a highly active college life at Iowa State University in the fall of 1964. Pledging Phi Kappa Theta he was initiated in the following spring and served as the fraternity house social chairman.
As a senior at Iowa State, he served as president of the Newman Club, a faith-based student organization, and was on the Interfraternity Council Board. He was also a member of the Science & Humanities College’s Science Council, the Homecoming Central Committee and was also invited to join Alpha Kappa Psi, a highly respected national fraternity for aspiring young business professionals.
He graduated from ISU with honors and in his graduation interview said: “My experience at Iowa State truly changed my world – it enlightened me, it inspired me, and it empowered me.”
After a few different professional starts Mr. Victor studied further and joined the financial markets as a professional broker and advisor, becoming a voracious researcher of what the market does and why. He eventually joined what is now Morgan Stanley and in his last role was executive director, financial advisor and senior portfolio management director for the Victor/Volrath Group at the Morgan Stanley office based in Davenport.
He was often called on by television, newspapers and magazines to help people better understand the market and why some choices were better than others. This commitment and engaging presentation style earned him a spot on KWQC Morning News – Dollars and Sense and the Quad-Cities Times regularly featured Mr. Victor’s news articles and analysis.
Away from the office he was also uncommonly dedicated and gave generously of his time, expertise and resources to countless institutions throughout the Quad Cities to include United Way, Genesis Foundation, Genesis Philanthropy, JA, Our Lady of Lourdes, Quad Cities Foundation and Quad Cities Arts.
But of all his efforts, JA unquestionably was the brightest star in his tireless drive to bring the best principles of business, entrepreneurship and professionalism to life in young people.
And yet, with all this dedication in hand, Mr. Victor still found quality time to spend with his family and friends. He was an accomplished professional racing driver in events around the U.S. with Arms up Motor Sports, an active member of the Cornbelt Running Club and could often be seen at Crow Valley Country Club in the evening with friends and family for a glass of wine and dinner.
Being together, loving life, never losing your childhood enthusiasm, staying committed to your principles and continually searching for the magic in even the smallest moments. He often said, “From those to whom much is given, much is expected.”
Douglas Palmer, Daniel Palmer: Tri-City Electric
Douglas F. Palmer became the president of Tri-City Electric Co. in 2005, succeeding his father, Daniel F. Palmer, who moved to the role of CEO. That year the company had annual sales of around $52 million.
The pair were inducted together into the Business Hall of Fame.
In materials the Palmers provided to JA, they focused on their company’s accomplishments.
Tri-City Security Solutions was established in 2005 as a division of the company to provide security access control and video surveillance solutions. Prior to the implementation of the Security Solutions Division, Grace Engineering & Integration was responsible for the security needs of customers.
With a growing demand for a contractor knowledgeable in security systems, this division was developed to better manage security solutions. The division provides a full range of design, installation, and maintenance services to support commercial and industrial security, access control and IP video surveillance needs.
In 2007, Tri-City Electric Co. launched a Prefabrication Department (and today it occupies a space of 90,000 square feet between our two offices) and is overseen by the Constructions Services Division. Tri-City Electric Co. began providing Audio/Visual services in 2008 to meet the growing needs of technology for our customers. The division offers audio systems, video equipment and display equipment for conference rooms, boardroom and home theaters.
In 2010, Tri-City Electric Co. moved its headquarters to 6225 N. Brady St., Davenport. Seven buildings were consolidated into a single 55,000-square-foot energy efficient building putting all the divisions under one roof. The company had annual sales for the year at $55 million.
At this time, the Structured Cabling portion of the Communications Division branched off into its own division named Tri-City Structured Cabling and they focused on the design and installation of structured cabling and fiber optics. The Technical Services Division was also rebranded in 2010 to Power Testing Solutions to better represent their product offerings and Tri-City Electric Co. also started the Residential Services Division to provide residential electrical work and emergency stand-by generators in a growing market.
Maria Ontiveros
Maria Ontiveros is the corporate community liaison for Group O, one of the largest Hispanic-owned companies in the U.S. She also is president of Mercado on Fifth, a nonprofit organization that hosts a weekly Hispanic night market featuring food trucks, vendor booths, Latin entertainment and activities for kids.
Ms. Ontiveros helped launch the organization in 2016 and soon after began the Spanish language Food Sanitation Management program at Black Hawk College, Moline, which helps Spanish speakers become certified to open food service businesses.
Mercado has since helped create and/or provided a platform for over 50 new minority-owned businesses in the Quad Cities.
Ms. Ontiveros, a 2008 graduate of Bettendorf High School and a 2012 graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, also serves as a board member of Two Rivers YMCA, Visit Quad Cities, and United Way Quad Cities. She is a recipient of the 2023 Forward Award from the University of Wisconsin Alumni Association, and was recognized as one of the Quad Cities Regional Business Journal’s 40 Under 40 honorees and 2022’s Most Influential Leaders.
Alvaro C. Macias
Alvaro Macias has spent most of his professional life working to empower the communities traditionally underrepresented in Western Illinois and Eastern Iowa. As Ascentra Credit Union’s vice president, he leads its multi-cultural outreach, community development efforts, financial wellness activities, employer partnerships, and is involved in credit union advocacy.
Mr. Alvaro has been a featured speaker and panelist at schools, colleges, community gatherings and industry conferences. He earned his associate’s degree from Black Hawk College and his bachelor’s degree from St. Ambrose University. He holds two industry certifications including the Credit Union Business Development Professional (CUBDP) and the Credit Union Development Educator (CUDE) designations. In 2017, he was selected as a Credit Union Times’ “Trailblazers 40 Below” and was featured in the trade magazine.
In 2021, Mr. Alvaro was elected to the Moline City Council, where he represents the residents of the city’s second ward and is part of the Project Management Team and Business Owner Occupied Stabilization Transformation Program Committee. He also serves on the boards of Quad Cities Chamber, Economic Growth Corporation and Q2030.
He has also been a JA classroom volunteer at Lincoln-Irving Elementary in Moline since 2014.
He has previously been chairperson of the Greater Quad Cities Hispanic Chamber of Commerce board, a member of the Leadership Council for The Network/QC Young Professionals Network, participated in the QC Leadership Academy, and has been active with community organizations that promote culture, leadership and entrepreneurship.
When they are not driving their three daughters around to their activities or chasing their baby son around, Mr. Alvaro and his wife Jaclyn enjoy spending time with extended family, traveling, going to concerts, and running in local 5k races.
