QC’s ‘Regional Leaders’ gather for reception, networking

Top business, nonprofit group and community leaders gathered Thursday night, Jan. 25, to network, share stories, receive praises and also be challenged. That challenge came from Caitlin Russell, president of the Russell company and recently selected by Quad Cities Regional Business Journal readers as 2023’s Most Influential leader. She praised the leaders at the event […]

Top business, nonprofit group and community leaders gathered Thursday night, Jan. 25, to network, share stories, receive praises and also be challenged. That challenge came from Caitlin Russell, president of the Russell company and recently selected by Quad Cities Regional Business Journal readers as 2023’s Most Influential leader. She praised the leaders at the event for helping create a “sense of pride” in the Quad Cities community, but added that more always needs to be done.

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“It’s a collective effort of the community leaders here that makes the Quad Cities thrive. … You all have a role in making the community better,” Ms. Russell said at the reception. The event celebrated and honored those local leaders recently profiled in the QCBJ’s inaugural Regional Leaders publication. (For information on purchasing the publication visit here.) She added that it takes “passionate community leaders working together toward a common goal” to help the community improve, grow and thrive. In addition to praising those Quad Citizens on the Regional Leaders list, Ms. Russell and others paid tribute to the QCBJ on Thursday. “You are single handedly making our community better. From the content to the connection, you are doing a phenomenal job of creating a sense of pride amongst Quad Citizens,” she said of QCBJ. More than 130 of those leaders gathered for the reception on the first floor of the IH Mississippi Valley Credit Union corporate headquarters building at 2500 River Drive, Moline. IHMVCU was the event’s Platinum Sponsor. During a brief program that was part of the two-hour reception, John Lohman, CEO and president of Corridor Media Group, based in North Liberty, Iowa, which publishes the Quad Cities Regional Business Journal and the Corridor Business Journal, welcomed the many leaders to the event. He said it is vital to recognize the people who make many improvements to a community. “Our community’s growth and desire to improve hinge on recognizing the collective impact of each person’s contribution. We are fortunate for many legacy leaders who established a strong foundation for collaboration, inclusiveness and visioning,” Mr. Lohman said. In addition, Brian Laufenberg, IHMVCU’s CEO and president, welcomed the community leaders and said he hopes they enjoy visiting IHMVCU’s new 92,000-square-foot facility. He pointed out the building had its grand opening in November of 2019. And when the pandemic hit just a few months later, “Everybody was out of the building. … So, it still feels like a new building,” he added. The reception offered business and community leaders a chance for casual networking and visiting. Many of them also had praise for the IHMVCU gathering space. “This is a perfect place to have this event. And believe me, I’ve been to plenty of these types of receptions,” said LuAnn Haydon, retired manager at John Deere Visual Services, and John Deere Pavilion and Foundation Facilities. Ms. Haydon, who was among the “Legacy Leaders” in the Regional Leaders list, added that she is “humbled and honored” to be named to the list. The crowd spent much of the two-hour event visiting with friends and making new contacts as a series of big screen TVs displayed the Regional Leaders’ photos and names. One of those in the crowd – Dave Heller,  president and CEO of Main Street Baseball  –  was kept busy going from one conversation to the next. “It’s great to get together and see all these old friends after the holidays,” said Mr. Heller, who was also named to the Regional Leaders list. While most of the people at the event are longtime residents of the region, the reception attracted at least one newcomer – Rob Cravaritis, the new president of the Quad-City Times newspaper and Davenport-based newspaper publisher Lee Enterprises’ Iowa business unit. Mr. Cravaritis, who is coming from Houston, Texas, has been in the Quad Cities for less than a week. “I’m not used to this snow. And it’s cold,” he said about the weather in his new home. “But it’s a beautiful city and the people are friendly. … This is the heartbeat of America.”