As a farmer, past communications consultant and association manager, Heather Hampton+Knodle is dedicated to developing rural economies through incentivizing investments in telecommunications, innovative workforce development and enabling entrepreneurship.  Heather was the founding chairman of the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation, the Central Illinois Economic Development Authority and the Montgomery CEO (Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities) program.  She currently serves as the appointed Vice Chairman of the Accelerating Broadband Deployment Working Group of the Federal Communications Commission Precision Agriculture Task Force and as a Citizen Member appointee to Illinois Governor’s Rural Affairs Council.  Heather farms with her husband Brian where they and their four children grow corn, soybeans, and wheat and manage a small herd of black Angus cattle.

Patrick Ward is a Vice President at Bank of Hillsboro. He has been with the bank for 6 years and serves as the bank’s Controller and Default Manager.  Prior to his time at the bank he worked for the Illinois Department of Revenue as a tax specialist.  Patrick graduated from Iowa State University with Bachelor’s in Accounting in 2011 and moved to Hillsboro shortly thereafter.  He currently lives in Hillsboro with his wife and two kids. 

Hope is the Director of Curriculum, Instruction, and Grant Services for the Hillsboro School District. After graduating from SIUE with a degree in elementary education, she began her teaching career in 2008 at Beckemeyer Elementary School. In 2019, she moved to her current administrative role where she has worked to expand dual credit and CTE opportunities to students in Montgomery County. She is a proud graduate of the Hillsboro School District and currently resides in Hillsboro with her husband and two young children.

Born and raised on a grain and Livestock farm in Raymond, IL. 

Graduated from Lincolnwood High school and then the University of IL in Agriculture Economics.

I worked for Aldi Foods as a District Manager for 10 years before returning to Montgomery County.

I was the director at Fusion Fitness and Aquatics for 10 years.

I currently work for Country Financial in Hillsboro IL where I reside with my husband and 3 girls. 

Patty Clarke is a native of Montgomery County, growing up in the rural Waggoner area.  She graduated from Lincolnland Community College and Eastern Illinois University.  After working for the FDIC for 10 years, she joined the First National Bank of Raymond and has served in various capacities for 33 years, concluding as the President and C.E.O.  Patty retired from active management of the bank and remains on the Board of Directors as Chairman.  Patty is involved in many organizations in the Panhandle area including the Farmersville/Waggoner Athletic Association, Irish Days Association, Waggoner Centennial Players, St Mary’s Church, Raymond-Harvel Community Fund, TEAM Committee, and the Panhandle Educational Foundation.  On the county level, Patty has served on various committees and Board of the Hillsoboro Area Hospital and Foundation; plus serving on various County Economic Development Boards and Committees.  She has served on several Boards with the Community Bankers Association of Illinois and has served on the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis Board of Directors for six years.

Katie is the Director of Human Resources and Materials Management at Hillsboro Area Hospital.  She has also served as the Accounts and Finance Commissioner for the City of Hillsboro since September 2014.  In 2010, she completed her Master of Arts in Accountancy degree at UIS.  For the past 20 years, she has worked in a variety of healthcare roles including retail, continuing education, billing and medical records, accounting, and management.  She is a graduate of Hillsboro High School and resides in Hillsboro with her husband and two girls.

Claire Eskew is currently the marketing director at MarkNet Alliance. An alumnus of Hillsboro High School, Claire has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where she studied communications and journalism. Claire has worked in corporate communications, marketing and advertising for over 20 years. She has experience as an event director, account executive and project manager. She has worked with the Hillsboro Area Health Foundation during the past five years on the Valentine Gala to raise funds for health initiatives in the area. In her free time, Claire volunteers for and supports animal rescue groups and shelters, including Montgomery County Animal Control in Hillsboro.

Personal Bio:

Originally from St. Elmo, IL where I grew up on a farm, I became a teacher in the fall of 1997.  I taught at FOCUS Alternative School in Vandalia prior to becoming a Junior High/High School Teacher in the Brownstown School District.  I have a genuine interest in History and enjoyed teaching students about our rich past. 

In 2005, I began my employment in the Panhandle School District as an administrator and have enjoyed my experiences in Panhandle.  It has been wonderful to assist with learning process throughout a student’s career.  Panhandle is a tremendous place to raise your family and the kindness of the community was clearly demonstrated to my family when I lost my late wife, Kim in 2019. 

Outside my role as an administrator, I enjoy being with my family and watching them participate in their many activities.  I am grateful for the many blessings which have been afforded to me, and thankful for my wife Michelle, and our family which includes six children.  I am excited to see all that they will accomplish as they grow. 

Additionally, I enjoy growing in Faith, working on the farm or at our home with our family, reading nonfiction books (27 books in 2021), watching sports (Cardinal Baseball), playing video games, researching history, taking trips, and attending the Indianapolis 500 each May.     

Rachelle McDowell is the Principal at Nokomis Jr/Sr High School.  After graduating from Sangamon State University, she taught math for 24 years at Nokomis Junior High.  She earned her Master's Degree in Educational Leadership from Eastern Illinois University in 2011 and has been the Jr/Sr High School Principal at Nokomis for the past 7 years.  She resides in Nokomis with her husband, Adam and children Alexis and Austin.   

Nathan Potts is a CPA at Patton & Company, PC in Hillsboro. Prior to Patton & Company, he was a senior associate at PriceWaterhouseCoopers in Peoria, Illinois with a focus in auditing. Nathan is a 2018 graduate of Greenville University with a degree in Accounting and Business Management. While at Greenville, Nathan exceled in the classroom and on the track. He graduated magna cum laude honors and five-time NCCAA national champion. In addition to Montgomery CEO, Nathan fills his spare time as a part-time coach for Greenville University’s cross country and track teams and is the treasurer for The Coop, a nonprofit shared workspace and business incubator set to open in Hillsboro in Fall of 2021. Nathan currently resides in downtown Hillsboro.

Jonathan Weyer is the Community and Economic Planner for the city of Hillsboro, Illinois. He wrote Hillsboro 2030, the city’s strategic, economic development and future land use plan.  Further, he is a founding member and Chairman of the Board for The Coop, a nonprofit shared work space/incubator that will open its doors in Fall 2021. Jonathan also sits on the board of the Montgomery County Economic Development Corporation which serves the citizens of Montgomery County, Illinois. Before he came to Hillsboro, he worked in the nonprofit world for twenty years in a variety of community development roles. Jonathan is a graduate from Western Illinois University with a Masters in Community and Economic Planning from the Illinois Institute of Rural Affairs and he also has a master’s degree in theology. He currently lives in Hillsboro, Illinois in a hobbit house on the hill along with his kids and a ridiculous cat named Moon.