A group of 40 young professionals who represent area businesses, nonprofits, governments and other organizations will be recognized Thursday, Nov. 10, when the Quad Cities Regional Business Journal hosts its first-ever Forty Under 40 Awards dinner.
The inaugural class, selected by a panel of area business leaders, will be honored during the awards dinner scheduled from 5:30-8 p.m. at the Quad Cities Waterfront Convention Center, Bettendorf. The honorees, who were selected from dozens of nominations, will receive a trophy from the QCBJ. Each recipient is being honored for making a difference in the Quad Cities through his or her workplace and community.
The event is sponsored by: Platinum Sponsor Augustana College, Rock Island; Gold Sponsor Genesis; Silver Sponsor HNI, Muscatine, and Bronze Sponsor Tri-City Electric Co., Davenport.
The QCBJ congratulates these young professionals as our first class of Forty Under 40 winners: Emily Adams, Miles Brainard, Megan Brown-Saldana, Janessa Calderon, Janelle Carter, Aaron Castle, Brian Crowley, Jack Cullen, Tyson Danner, Andrew Dasso, Matthew De Bisschop, Haley Degreve, Jonathan Dreasler, Marc Engels, Alisha Espey, Kristin Glass-Berry, Ashley Hicks, Michael Johnson, Erica Lee, Andrew Lehman, Pierce Lohman, Kevin Maynard, Christina McDonough, Mallory Merritt, Daisy Moran, Jazmin Newton, Maria Ontiveros, Adam Pelzer, Melissa Pepper, Eric Reinsch, Anamaria Rocha, Caitlin Russell Brandt, Brian Schoon, Aleeza Singh, Kelly Thompson, Annika Tunberg, Jordan Voigt, Chelsey Waterman, Laura Wittnebel and Allison Wright.
“We are so excited to bring back the Forty Under 40 awards to the Quad Cities community,” said John F. Lohman, group publisher and founder of the Corridor Media Group, the parent company of the QCBJ.
The awards program provides an opportunity for the region to celebrate the hard work and community involvement of many of the region’s young leaders.
“One of the big challenges in the region is attracting and retaining young professionals,” he added. “We’re hopeful that this awards event will help play a small part in celebrating these young professionals who are doing so much for their organizations and communities.”
Nominations were accepted from area employers, nonprofit boards and colleagues. Nominees also could be self-nominated. To be eligible, nominees had to be under age 40 as of Nov. 10, 2022, and live or work in the QCBJ’s coverage area of Scott, Clinton and Muscatine counties in Iowa or Rock Island, Henry and Mercer counties in Illinois.
The selection committee of Quad Cities business and community leaders was hand-picked by the QCBJ. In future years, a subcommittee of the prior year’s Forty Under 40 class will select the next year’s class.
Award nominees were judged on their business success and civic/philanthropic activities.
The Forty Under 40 class will be given the opportunity to select an area charity that will receive a financial award.
This will mark the first time in a decade the Quad Cities has had a 40 Under 40 recognition event. For 10 years beginning in 2003, the Black Hawk College Foundation at the Quad Cities campus hosted its own Quad Cities Area Leaders Under 40 awards program. The last year of the Leaders awards was in 2012.
The QCBJ will profile all 40 award winners in its Oct. 31 edition. To subscribe, visit quadcitiesbusiness.com.
The Forty Under 40 Awards dinner is open to the public. Tickets are $60 per person or $580 for a table of 10. For more information or to register, contact Jenni Hatz, Events Director, at jenni@quadcitiesbusiness.com or at (563) 345-7225. For information about sponsorships, contact Dayle Hall at dayle@quadcitiesbusiness.com or at (563) 345-7225.
Jennifer DeWitt is the editor of the Quad Cities Regional Business Journal.
