Our Board Members
Justin Harnacke
Feb 06 2025
Double Oak Branding Co.
Co-founder / Art Director
Please expand a bit on your experience:
- Started the company with Ethan Frontone in 2022. 20+ years design experience between the two of us.
What are you passionate about?
- Graphic Design
Tell us about your interests outside of your work.
- Skateboarding / art
Why do you believe in Lincoln?
- The people in the community
Why do you support LEAD?
- I want to see Lincoln grow with new and thriving businesses
Ethan Frontone
Feb 06 2025
Double Oak Branding Co.
Co-Founder & Creative Director
Please expand a bit on your experience.
- I’ve been a free-lance designer for the last 11 years. In 2022 Justin and I decided to start our own agency by uniting our 20+ years of combined experience.
What are you passionate about?
- God. Family. Branding. Traveling and Food
Tell us about your interests outside of your work.
- My wife Britney and I love to travel and eat great food! I am also a sucker for anything that is handcrafted…leather, whiskey, art, woodworking, etc.
Why do you believe in Lincoln?
- The people in the community
Why do you support LEAD?
- I believe e LEAD is essential for Lincoln’s growth. Their forward thinking and problem solving drive is a refreshing cornerstone to myself and others as business owners in Lincoln, IL
Jacob LaMothe-Mason
Oct 03 2024
Jacob Tyler Media
Owner
Please expand a bit on your experience.
- Self-taught, award-winning videographer & filmmaker with 7 years of experience in the industry
What are you passionate about?
- Music, Artistic Expression & Storytelling, Nature & Wildlife
Tell us about your interests outside of your work.
- Reading books, Playing guitar, Going to concerts, Watching movies
Why do you believe in Lincoln?
- The love and support of this community is powerful. We are all inspired by each other and motivated to push Lincoln forward.
Why do you support LEAD?
- LEAD is doing amazing work providing resources, networking, and initiatives for Lincoln's community & business owners.
Rachel Marten
Aug 19 2024
Heartland Bank and Trust
Regional Retail Manager
Please expand a bit on your experience.
- I have been in banking for 27 years spending time in both retail banking, training and development, and mortgage lending. I started as a part time teller in college and have held various positions throughout the years. Currently, I support the branches in Lincoln and Clinton. I will celebrate 15 years with Heartland Bank in May 2025.
What are you passionate about?
- I find joy in helping customers and team members gain the tools they need to achieve their personal goals.
Tell us about your interests outside of your work.
- My husband and I have 3 children and enjoy supporting them in all their activities.
Why do you believe in Lincoln?
- After growing up in Lincoln, my husband and I chose to raise our family here. We prefer the small-town community atmosphere of Lincoln. I believe Lincoln has a lot of potential with its geographic location as well as historical significance.
Why do you support LEAD?
- LEAD seeks to bring opportunity to Lincoln, encouraging businesses and individuals alike to make their home here. Since we've chosen Lincoln as our home, I'm proud to be part of a group that shares that vision.
Chris Graue
Aug 19 2024
Graue Chev Buick
Dealer Operator/General Manager
Please expand a bit on your experience.
- I've been in the car business my entire life starting work when I was in grade school coming in with my dad to help in the service department. I've worked in almost every position in the dealership that has provided a great foundation to manage the dealership.
What are you passionate about?
- Helping others especially my family.
Tell us about your interests outside of your work.
- I enjoy spending time with my family, cooking, and open wheel auto racing.
Why do you believe in Lincoln?
- A great place to live, run a business and raise a family.
Why do you support LEAD?
- There needs to be a central point to advocate for and encourage local business.
Eric E. Burwell
Jul 31 2024
Burwell Management Company
Principal
Please expand a bit on your experience.
- We are a property management company managing our own properties.
What are you passionate about?
- Seeing Lincoln grow.
Tell us about your interests outside of your work.
- Spending time with my wife and children, traveling and boating
Why do you believe in Lincoln?
- I grew up in Lincoln and have been involved in much of its growth in the last 25 to 30 years
Why do you support LEAD?
- Because I realize the need for an independent economic development individual who is not associated with the government who can facilitate the requests of potential and existing businesses.
Andrea Runge
Aug 13 2024
Lincoln Economic Advancement & Development, Inc., (LEAD)
Chief Executive Officer
Please expand a bit on your experience.
- I have over 20 years of experience in community and economic development.
What are you passionate about?
- Helping people explore what makes them tic and turn that into the business of their dreams.
Tell us about your interests outside of your work.
- I love spending time with family, friends, and our two cats and exploring a myriad of creative pursuits.
Why do you believe in Lincoln?
- The people of Lincoln are creative, ambitious, and entrepreneurial. I love collaborating with them to imagine our collective future.
Why do you support LEAD?
- The Goldwater Institute reports, "Every 1 percent point increase in the average entrepreneurship rate in a state corresponds to a 2 percent decline in the poverty rate." If there is a better reason to support a movement, I haven't heard it.
Patrick Doolin
Aug 12 2024
Integrity Data
CEO
Please expand a bit on your experience.
- Local entrepreneur, business owner, commercial property owner, in downtown Lincoln since 2000.
What are you passionate about?
- Helping businesses solve business problems and renovating our old downtown buildings
Tell us about your interests outside of your work.
- Landscaping, gardening, golf
Why do you believe in Lincoln?
- I believe we should control our own destiny in life / business, and I am just one of many who believe Lincoln can be more. As we combine our efforts and work together, we can help Lincoln thrive.
Why do you support LEAD?
- The mission and vision of LEAD is what our community needs to foster economic growth and prosperity.
Jennifer Kirby
Aug 06 2024
Heartland Community College
Director, HCC Lincoln
Please expand a bit on your experience.
- I have worked in higher education for 25 years, the last 11 at HCC Lincoln as the Academic Advisor and now as the Director of our center.
What are you passionate about?
- Developing educational opportunities to help others become their best selves and our community thrive.
Tell us about your interests outside of your work.
- Outside of work, I enjoy traveling the U.S. to attend Needtobreathe concerts, Phillies baseball games, and Duke basketball games, as well as visiting family in the Southwest.
Why do you believe in Lincoln?
- I get to work every day with creative professionals who are committed to see our community prosper.
Why do you support LEAD?
- LEAD is making strategic decisions for Lincoln's growth. It is a mission-driven organization recognizing we can make positive change when working together for our community.
Molly
Aug 14 2024
Illinois Stewardship Alliance
Deputy Director
Please expand a bit on your experience.
- Born and raised on a farm just down the road in Elkhart, Illinois, I am now proud to call Lincoln home. In my role as Deputy Director of Illinois Stewardship Alliance, I work to organize farmers and eaters together to solve the problems they face. I bring together members from across the state to identify common problems, develop solutions, draft legislation and build winning campaigns. In my time at the Alliance, I have led successful campaigns on a number of state policy and regulatory changes to better support small farms and food businesses including: improving cottage food laws to grow small home businesses, creating a state grant program to support local food infrastructure such as mills and food hubs, and developing scale appropriate regulations to help grow vibrant farmers markets. Many of these policy changes have directly impacted and supported small businesses in Logan county. It’s this type of grassroots community organizing, communications, and policy change experience that I hope to use at the local level in my role at LEAD to understand the issues on the ground facing businesses and citizens of Lincoln and work with community members to advance community-driven solutions.
What are you passionate about?
- I am passionate about supporting small businesses and buying local, farm-fresh food, and community. I am incredibly fortunate that I get to combine many of these passions in my work. Although my work has focused mainly on state-level issues, I am deeply curious about the issues facing small communities like Lincoln and how to bring people together to solve them.
Tell us about your interests outside of your work.
- Outside of work, I have a large garden where I grow and preserve as much food as possible alongside flowers and native plants. During the winter months, I practice watercolor and run a hobby art business. I never turn down a glass of wine with friends. I also volunteer on the board of the Logan County Tourism Bureau. Whenever I can, I like to visit the farmers markets, art galleries, and local restaurants here in Lincoln, but also in neighboring communities. Mostly these days though, my main interests are chasing around my 1.5 year old with a second one on the way, and trying to get enough sleep.
Why do you believe in Lincoln?
- Growing up in Elkhart, I always thought of Lincoln as the “big city.” It was the place we went to and depended on for everything—groceries, entertainment, recreation. It always felt like the heartbeat of Logan County, and still does. In recent years, Lincoln, like most rural town across the state, has faced many economic issues—but despite these downturns, Lincoln has everything it needs to be a thriving and vibrant community—a perfect location between three larger cities, a burgeoning arts scene, great parks and recreation opportunities, an entrepreneurial spirit, and most importantly, it has people that care and who want to work together to make it the best place to live and work as possible.
Why do you support LEAD?
- I believe that for a community to change and grow, people who care have to come together and help solve problems. LEAD is the only organization in Lincoln working to bring people together to solve Lincoln’s toughest economic issues. LEAD is doing the hard work—they are digging into problems, building relationships, connecting small businesses to resources, researching solutions, and consulting with the community. I joined the board of LEAD because I want to be part of the solution to help Lincoln grow and thrive, and LEAD is the place for that.
Dorsey Hill
Aug 16 2024
Economic Recovery Corps
Fellow
Please expand a bit on your experience.
- Dorsey Hill is an Economic Recovery Corps Fellow working with Greater Peoria EDC and LEAD until August 2026 focused primarily on business outreach. Dorsey has an extensive background in community building. Her professional experience spans sectors within the nonprofit, legal and healthcare tech space where she worked across fields in fundraising, project management and recruiting. While working at the forefront of communities within the nonprofit and corporate sector to align internal stakeholders on organizational goals, source diverse talent and secure funding, she honed her expertise in relationship building and communications. She recently earned a MSc with distinction in Local Economic Development from the London School of Economics and Political Science. Her research focused on makerspaces within the library as a form of accessible innovation generation within local economies. This degree builds on her B.A in Urban Studies from Barnard College and bridges her professional experience with her longtime passion for empowering communities and promoting social and economic inclusion.
What are you passionate about?
- I am passionate about building spaces and strong communities. I believe there is a lot of power in collective action, and I am passionate about supporting people in building upon the strengths that exist within their communities to affect change. Outside of this, I am passionate about my family and friends. I really value the love, companionship and lessons I get to learn from the generations that came before me, and my peers navigating the world with me.
Tell us about your interests outside of your work.
- Outside of my professional life, I enjoy running (completed first marathon in 2023), sewing, salsa dancing and writing.
Why do you believe in Lincoln?
- I believe in Lincoln because of all the people that call Lincoln home and believe in it. Yes, Lincoln has had its fair share of hardships, but there are still people willing to shape its future. Knowing people still have hope and vision for a future makes Lincoln easy to believe in.
Why do you support LEAD?
- When the ideas are there, the people are there, and the drive is there, sometimes you need a little extra help to bring it all together. I support LEAD because it’s that bit of extra help. LEAD is working towards supporting Lincoln in its new chapter to define its new vision, and I am happy to contribute to this effort during my tenure.
Becky Strait
Sep 27 2024
Lincoln Park District
Executive Director
Please expand a bit on your experience.
- As a member of the U.S. Air Force, I developed a love of working out and became a personal trainer at Gold's Gym in North Las Vegas. After moving back to Illinois with my husband and starting a family, I decided to pursue my Master's Degree at the University of Illinois in Recreation, Sport, and Tourism. This paved the way for me to continue contributing in not only the fitness industry, but also expand into other areas I had developed an interest in. It allowed me to promote play in all its facets, whether through sports, parks and playgrounds, or other programs that bring us together and form the basis of our physical, mental, and social wellbeing.
What are you passionate about?
- Family, health and nutrition, and serving the community.
Tell us about your interests outside of your work.
- I like to spend time with my family, work out, read, and learn about new things and old things (I am intrigued by ancient history especially). I also started crocheting about a year ago and go through phases with that as well though I still have a lot to learn!
Why do you believe in Lincoln?
- My husband and I had never been to Lincoln before we moved here. Despite this, we were treated kindly by the people here and got plugged in through going to the gym, church, and becoming part of the broader community through work and school. We still call Lincoln home after 16 years because we feel that Lincoln is a good place to raise a family (we prefer rural communities to urban), the cost of living is reasonable, it is centrally located with good access to larger surrounding towns and cities, and we feel Lincoln is a welcoming place with all of the amenities we need either right here in town or within a short distance.
Why do you support LEAD?
- I believe in LEAD's mission of economic development in Lincoln and Logan County and I'm grateful that we have such a fantastic organization to seek grants, to assist new and established businesses, and to bring new ideas, while preserving the heart of Lincoln and the surrounding area for future generations.