The 2nd Annual Southern Illinois Soil Health Symposium, hosted by Glaciers End, will be geared towards educating and motivating people to learn about and take action around soil and water health and the practices that forward these causes. Experts will speak on conservation practices for soil health in agriculture. Come gather and share with other individuals interested in promoting and building soil health in Illinois!

Our featured speaker will be Adam Dahmer, of Advance Cover Crops & Co-Owner of The Patch in Marion. Adam spoke at our event last year on Cover Crops 101 & due to the overwhelming interest and response, we have invited him back to go further into depth as our keynote speaker!

Our 1st speaker will be Logan Karcher, owner of Burnt Hill Cattle Company in Dahlgren & the Southern Coordinator for the Illinois Grazing Coalition. Logan will be discussing Regenerative Livestock Grazing and the practices that he is implementing on his farm.

Register Here

The Marion Chamber of Commerce would like to invite you to our Monthly Membership Luncheon on March 12th, 2024 at the Marion Cultural and Civic Center. Program starts at noon. (Food service begins as 11:30 AM.) 

Cost - $17 for Chamber Members, $22 for guests/non-members

• Please note we're asking for payment at the time of registration. If you have any questions, need assistance, or an invoice to submit for payment, please call the office at 618-997-6311.

• Pre-Program Slideshow featuring Chamber and Member Upcoming Events / Programs (email items to programs@marionillinois.com)
• Welcome from Chamber Leadership & Invocation
• Luncheon Sponsor Presentation
• Luncheon Program 
• Chamber Updates
• Member Network and Updates

• Chris Egelston, Community Engagement Leader, Midland Institute for Entrepreneurship
• Leslie Bradley, Director of Student Career Services, Vienna High School
• Dallas Terry, Career Education Director, Carbondale Community High School

Member Promotion

LEARN. DISCUSS. APPLY.

Learn essential leadership principles and skills. Discuss them with other leaders. Apply them in your organization and with your teams.

Make your reservation for lunch provided by Granny Puckett's at members.ethosmarion.org/events $15 for a meal, dessert, and drink.  The program begins at noon and ends at 1:00 p.m. Networking before and after the program. Limited space is available therefore reservations are required for guaranteed seating. Walk-ins are welcome if space is available. 

Jo Dee Messina kicked off her notable career with "Heads Carolina, Tails California," a single that immediately made her a household name. Following the success of her debut, Jo Dee posted nine No. 1 hits and sixteen Top 40 songs and was honored by the ACM Awards, CMA Awards, and GRAMMY Awards. As Jo Dee's résumé grew, she proved to be a trendsetter and history-maker, becoming the first female in country music history to celebrate three consecutive multi-week, chart-topping songs.

Over the years, Jo Dee has amassed over half a billion streams on Pandora, hundreds of millions of album and single streams on each Spotify and Apple Music, and millions of views on YouTube. Her impressive listenership recently earned her acknowledgment for having one of the Top 20 country albums of the 1990s on the Spotify platform. Additionally, her social media accounts are collectively followed by millions of fans.

Aside from her studio successes, Jo Dee has also created a reputation for herself as one of the most passionate, high-energy performers in the business. Sharing her hit tunes; unreleased, emotionally-driven songs; worship music; and personal testimony, Jo Dee has been traveling the country for many years, receiving rave reviews for her authenticity, commitment, and openness on stage.

Tickets are $45, $50, $55 and $60 plus applicable online/phone ticketing fee. This fee is waived when tickets are purchased at Café at 22 & Vine inside Walker's Bluff Casino Resort®. All ages are welcome. Doors will open one hour prior to showtime.

Please note, when purchasing tickets to our events, we do not recommend using a third party resale site. Tickets may be purchased directly from our website or in person at Café at 22 & Vine.

Must be 21 or older to gamble. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1.800.GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537).

Participation Options

• Jumbo Ducks: $100
• Mini Ducks $25

Sponsorship Options

• Raft Sponsor: $200
• Decoy Sponsor: $200
• Course Sponsor: $100

Illinois First Judicial Circuit Chief Judge William J. Thurston, Access to Justice Improvement Grant, Williamson County Presiding Judge Stephen R. Green, and Centerstone, will host “A Trauma-Informed Courts and Community Symposium: Creating a Culture of Belonging” featuring Gaelin Elmore as the keynote speaker on Thursday, March 21 from 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. at the Marion Cultural and Civic Center, 800 Tower Square Plaza, Marion, IL.

This free event plans to offer various continuing education credits.

Doors will open at 7:30 a.m. The symposium will begin at 8 a.m. with coffee and donuts, provided by Centerstone’s Building Compassionate Communities, followed by a welcome address at 8:20 a.m. and keynote presentation by Elmore at 8:30 a.m. While lunch will not be provided, a break for lunch will be held from 11:30 a.m. – 12:45 p.m. A full agenda for the symposium will be released soon and includes the following presentations:

• “Trauma In the Courts: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow” with Hon. Jeffrey A. Goffinet
• “Bringing Comfort to the Courtroom” with Hon. Carey Gill, Hon. Amanda Byassee Gott, Cynthia York, Steve and Cindy Miller, and Court Therapy Dog Mr. Baker
• “Strengthening Communities, Breaking Barriers” with IL JusticeCorps Fellow Julian Valdes
• “Transcending Adversity Through Resilience” with Ginger Meyer, Children’s Medical and Mental Health Resource Network, SIU School of Medicine
• Building Compassionate Communities with Dr. David Mills, Centerstone

To register for the symposium, click here. To download the event flier, click here.

For more information, call Brenda Sprague, Office of the First Judicial Circuit Chief Judge, at (618) 997-1234.

This symposium is a part of “The Belonging Need” training series, which includes:

• “The Belonging Need: Part 1” – January 24 from 9-11 a.m. CT via Zoom
• “The Belonging Need: Part 2” – February 21 from 9-11 a.m. CT via Zoom
• In-person “A Trauma-Informed Courts and Community Symposium: Creating a Culture of Belonging” – March 21 from 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. at the Marion Cultural and Civic Center featuring Gaelin Elmore as the keynote speaker presented by Illinois First Judicial Circuit Chief Judge William J. Thurston, Access to Justice Improvement Grant, Williamson County Presiding Judge Stephen R. Green, and Centerstone
• “The Belonging Need and Deficit for Youth Navigating Trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)” – March 26 from 5:30-7 p.m. CT via Zoom

There are few things more powerful than family harmony and rarely has that been more evident than on the three new albums recorded by Country Music Hall of Fame and Oak Ridge Boy member, William Lee Golden who, along with his talented sons have created William Lee Golden and The Goldens. The Brewton, Alabama native cements his considerable legacy in the music industry with three distinctive collections that reflect his musical roots and the journey that has made him one of America’s most unique troubadours. From revered gospel classics to beloved country gems and iconic rock favorites, Golden leads his family through the songs that have been stepping stones on his well-traveled musical journey. It all comes together as a rich sonic tapestry that fans will cherish.

Centerstone will co-host, along with Illinois First Judicial Circuit, Heritage Behavioral Health and Kane County System of Care, the no-cost “The Belonging Need and Deficit for Youth Navigating Trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)” webinar on March 26 from 5:30-7 p.m. CT featuring advocate, speaker and former NFL player Gaelin Elmore. CEUs will be available.

“The Belonging Need and Deficit for Youth Navigating Trauma and ACEs” is geared toward professional and person caregivers of youth, however everyone is welcome to attend.

To register or for more information, visit bit.ly/032624belonging.

The purpose of this webinar is to help caregivers of youth erase the belonging deficit by:

• Understanding the vital nature of belonging for human flourishing
• Discussing the correlation between belonging, development, and flourishing
• Utilizing the CARE model to meet the belonging needs of youth

Belonging is a vital component of human flourishing. However, youth who have experienced traumatic and adverse situations often lack a sense of belonging, which can hinder their relationships, development, and their future.

Elmore believes that the only thing that was more powerful and long lasting than the trauma that he experienced was the belonging that he encountered. After a childhood filled with trauma, abuse, neglect, and homelessness, Gaelin believed that his issues would be solved if he became successful. From college football to signing an NFL contract, Gaelin was driven, even comforted, by this assumption.

It wasn’t until Gaelin achieved what he thought was “success” (making it to the NFL), that he finally realized he had been wrong all along. And so, Gaelin retired as a rookie to begin his journey of self-love, self-discovery, and belonging.

That journey has led Gaelin here today, and to stages all across the country, aiming to inspire, encourage, and equip others, to erase the belonging gap plaguing youth with adverse childhood experiences. Gaelin lives in Eden Prairie, MN, where he gets to experience the purest form of belonging, as a husband to his wife, Micaela, and a dad to their two daughters, Laniah and Tatum.

CEUs are being applied for through the Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation (IDFPR – counseling / social work) and the Illinois Certification Board.

“Centerstone’s Building Compassionate Communities (BCC) program is thrilled to partner with the Illinois First Judicial Circuit, Heritage Behavioral Health and Kane County System of Care to bring in Gaelin to work his time, talent and treasure with our region to tell his inspiring story,” said Dr. David Mills, Centerstone BCC grant coordinator.

This webinar is a part of “The Belonging Need” training series, which includes:

• “The Belonging Need: Part 1” – January 24 from 9-11 a.m. CT via Zoom
• “The Belonging Need: Part 2” – February 21 from 9-11 a.m. CT via Zoom
• In-person “A Trauma-Informed Courts and Community Symposium: Creating a Culture of Belonging” – March 21 from 8 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. at the Marion Cultural and Civic Center featuring Gaelin Elmore as the keynote speaker presented by Illinois First Judicial Circuit Chief Judge William J. Thurston, Access to Justice Improvement Grant, Williamson County Presiding Judge Stephen R. Green, and Centerstone
• “The Belonging Need and Deficit for Youth Navigating Trauma and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)” – March 26 from 5:30-7 p.m. CT via Zoom

Employment discrimination cases often start as“just another day at the office.” Supervisors,managers, and workplace leaders, therefore,play an important role in preventing or mitigating these issues if they know what to look for and how to handle matters when an issue arises. This workshop will cover a wide range of topics including:

• Update on new laws that impact Illinois employees and employers
• Delve into anti-harassment training including bystander issues
• Discuss "reasonable accommodations" under the ADA
• Evaluate ongoing issues related to cannabis
• Consider how to best manage issues as they arise, including workplace investigations

Continuing Education Offered: 4.00 HRCI, 4.00 SHRM, 3.75 CLE credit per attendee request prior to event, and 4.00 HR & Management/Supervision Compliance Certificate Credits. HR Certification Institute’s® (www.HRCI.org) official seal confirms that the Illinois Chamber meets the criteria for pre-approved recertification credit(s) for any of HRCI’s eight credentials, including SPHR®and PHR®.