CALENDAR

Editor 's note: submit events, meetings, workshops and conferences at least one month in advance to cibm@news-gazette.com for inclusion in Mark Your Calendar.

Untitled < Aug Sep Oct >

September 7
Business Success Human Resource Seminars - Seminar 1: Recruiting and hiring right the first time 8:30 a.m.
Chamber Large Conference Room 1817 S. Neil St., Suite 201, Champaign These seminars are designed specifically for chamber members who are seeking quality, practical and affordable education on managing and grow their companies. Interested individuals can choose the sessions that are right for them -- or they can plan to attend all the sessions. Cost for chamber members is $32 per session or $145 for the entire series. Interested individuals can contact Norma Wesley at (217) 531-4679 or NormaW@champaigncounty.org.

September 9
Chamber breakfast 7:30 a.m.
Hawthorn Suites 101 Trade Centre Drive, Champaign Public affairs analyst Thom Serafin will discuss the November elections and their impact on Illinois.

September 9
Chamber ambassadors meeting 4 p.m.
Chamber Large Conference Room 1817 S. Neil St. Suite 201, Champaign For more information and to get involved, contact Paul Caravelli at PaulC@champaigncounty.org.

September 9
Project management certificate 6 to 9 p.m.
Class continues every Thursday through Dec. 16 Parkland College Business Training and Community Education 1315 N. Mattis Ave., Champaign This program assists in taking the PMP Certification Exam sponsored by the Project Management Institute. For additional exam requirements, visit the PMI website: www.pmi.org/CareerDevelopment/Pages/AboutPMIsCredentials.aspx Participants will be assigned a project to work on by the instructor. Upon successful completion, students receive a certificate of completion from Parkland College. Deadline to register is Sept. 2. Class fee is $1,895, including book. To register, call (217) 351-2235.

September 13
Community Spanish: A survival guide for English speakers 6 to 9 p.m.
Class continues Mondays until Oct. 11 Parkland College Business Training and Community Education 1315 N. Mattis Ave., Champaign Deadline to register is Sept. 7. Class fee is $225, including book and CD. To register, call (217) 351-2235.

September 13
Introduction to home inspection (Pre-licensing)
Class begins online on Sept. 13. Online sessions continue through Nov. 5. Classroom sessions are Saturdays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sept. 18, 25, Oct. 2, 9, 30, Nov. 13 Parkland College Business Training and Community Education 1315 N. Mattis Ave., Champaign E-mail access and an Internet connection are required. Deadline to register is Sept. 6. Class fee is $1,275, including book. To register, call (217) 351-2235.

September 14
Business continuity management certification 9 a.m. to noon
Class continues Tuesdays and Thursdays through Nov. 18 Parkland College Business Training and Community Education 1315 N. Mattis Ave., Champaign Complete an online certification exam from the National Institute of Business Continuity Management as well as the requirements for the Professional Development Series offered by the Emergency Management Institute. Deadline to register is Sept. 7. Class fee is $1,995. To register, call (217) 351-2235.

September 14
Food service sanitation certification 5:30 to 9:30 p.m.
Class continues Tuesdays through Oct. 5. Test is Oct. 12. Parkland College Business Training and Community Education 1315 N. Mattis Ave., Champaign In addition to becoming state certified, candidates who successfully complete this course are eligible for the ServSafe food safety certification examination for an additional fee. Deadline to register is Sept. 7. Class fee is $105, not including book. To register, call (217) 351-2235.

September 16
Agribusiness Council 7:30 to 8:30 a.m.
Carle Development Foundation 911 E. University Ave., Urbana Contact Andrew Proctor, public policy manager, at andrewp@champaigncounty.org.

September 16
Correcting performance problems 8 a.m. to noon
Parkland College Business Training and Community Education 1315 N. Mattis Ave., Champaign Deadline to register is Sept. 9. Class fee is $125, including workbook. To register, call (217) 351-2235.

September 16
Business After Hours 5 to 7 p.m.
Benefit Planning Consultants 2110 Clearlake Blvd. Suite 200, Champaign Proceeds from the $5 per person donation at the door will help fund Chamber programs. The donation for non-members and guests is $8.

September 21
Business Success Human Resource Seminars - Seminar 2: Getting your new employee to quickly be productive and connected to your company 8:30 a.m.
Chamber Large Conference Room 1817 S. Neil St., Suite 201, Champaign Cost for Chamber members is $32 per session or $145 for the entire series. Interested individuals can contact Norma Wesley at (217) 531-4679 or NormaW@champaigncounty.org.

September 24
Building Operator Certification - Level 1 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Class continues Thursdays and Fridays: Oct. 8, 22, Nov. 4, 5, 19, Dec. 3, 17 Parkland College Business Training and Community Education 1315 N. Mattis Ave., Champaign All sessions are taught by MEEA instructors and require some out-of-class projects. Deadline to register is Sept. 17. Class fee is $1,250, including BOC certification exams and books. To register, call (217) 351-2235.

ATHENA AWARD March 2010

Lynne Barnes wins 2010 Athena Award

Carle exec credits lessons of her childhood for her upbeat outlook

By Don Dodson
The News-Gazette

Lynne Barnes credits her optimistic outlook to something her mother told her when she was just starting school.

"Remember all the good things you do every day whether it's sitting still or printing neatly and when you get home, tell your dad and me about them," she remembers her mother saying.

Doing that, Barnes said, reinforced positive feelings about herself and gave her a positive spirit.

That upbeat, can-do attitude was repeatedly cited by those who nominated Barnes for the Athena Award, given annually for professional excellence and community service.

Barnes, 56, of Urbana received the award in February at a luncheon at the Champaign Country Club. The award was sponsored by the Champaign County Chamber of Commerce and Worden-Martin Inc.

In their nomination letter, Jane Hays and Mary McGrath called Barnes "a dynamo" and "one of the hardest workers and ... most engaging people we have worked with."

"She has no concept of doing something halfway," they added.

Trained as an occupational therapist, Barnes has been vice president of clinical operations at Carle Foundation Hospital since 2001. She's responsible for a range of functions, including Arrow Medical Services, Carle Therapy Services, The Windsor of Savoy, the hospital's emergency department and the surgery centers in Danville and Champaign.

From 2005 until last year, Barnes was a member of the Urbana City Council. She was chairperson of the Champaign County Economic Development Corp. for the 2008-09 year, and

she served several

years on the board of

the United Way of Champaign County.

Her style, described by Hays and McGrath: "She listens, informs herself and others, builds consensus, shares ideas and credit, and facilitates change, all for good." Barnes avoids negativity and petty arguing, they added.

Dr. James Leonard, president of the Carle Foundation, described her as "extremely creative in finding solutions to difficult problems" and "a self-starter with a tremendous amount of energy."

Barnes, who loves hiking and working out, agrees she is energetic. "When God has given you a gift, you need to utilize it," she said.

Besides, she said, she likes being busy and managing multiple priorities.

"It's competitive," she said, adding that when she was growing up in the Catlin area, she learned to emulate and compete with her older brother and sister.

Their father, Glen Cord, was a farmer and real estate agent, and their mother, Cleota Cord, was a secretary for an accounting firm in Danville.

Her father had to work on the farm when he returned from World War II and was somewhat frustrated he couldn't go to college, so he insisted all three children get college educations.

Both parents encouraged their children to try whatever appealed to them. "You can do anything you put your mind to," Barnes remembers them saying.

But Barnes said she knows her limits in taking on responsibilities.

"Not that I don't ever say 'no.' Of course I do," she said. "I know how far I can stretch

myself. I enjoy being able to deliver."

But she doesn't agonize over every detail.

"I get things done quickly. I'm not a perfectionist. I don't labor over things. I can make decisions quickly and then move on," she said.

Barnes said her experience on the Urbana City Council made her tougher. When she ran as a Democrat, she was criticized because she had previously voted in Republican and Democratic primaries. She said she was branded "a Carle stooge," even though she was running to represent the interests of her neighborhood near South Philo Road.

"My desire for running had nothing to do with Carle," she said.

On the council, she learned to exchange ideas with "people who thought differently" from her. And she came to "appreciate and enjoy them as people, despite their differing views."

Her next goals? Helping to create "self-sustaining" services for adults who can't access dental care. Working with others, she hopes to find a way that Smile Healthy, which provides dental services to children, can provide adults with similar services at Frances Nelson Health Center.

Beyond that, "someday I see being more involved with the whole problem of homeless families and kids not getting a right start (in life)," she said. Many agencies provide good services, and she'd like to see those services pulled together in more cohesive efforts.