Illinois Lt. Governor Simon to speak at downstate economic summit, volunteerism conference
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Simon will voice her support for President Barack Obama’s American Jobs Act
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Illinois Lt. Governor Sheila Simon will speak at the East Central Development Corporation’s Downstate Economic Summit in Effingham today (September 29th) to voice her support for President Barack Obama’s American Jobs Act and discuss her role as chair of the Governor’s Rural Affairs Council (GRAC).
The event, Downstate Economic Summit: Creating a Common Downstate Voice, will be held at the Keller Convention Center, 1202 North Keller Drive, Effingham, at 9:30 a.m.
The American Jobs Act would support up to 14,500 educator and first responder jobs in Illinois and could provide nearly $1.1 billion to modernize the state’s public schools and over $200 million to modernize Illinois community college facilities. These investments will provide students the resources necessary to train for the high-skilled jobs of the future, while making schools more energy efficient and saving taxpayers money. The plan could also support a minimum of 20,700 jobs modernizing highway, transit, rail, and aviation infrastructure in Illinois.
Under Simon’s leadership the 25-member GRAC is focused on developing markets for local foods, improving emergency services in rural areas and monitoring other emerging rural issues. Simon is working to expand LINK usage at farmers market and has created an EMS subcommittee that will focus on identifying ways to improve response times and retention among other pressing issues.
Later in the day Simon will speak in Mt. Vernon at the Southern Illinois Volunteerism Conference sponsored by the Serve Illinois Commission. That event will be held at the Mt. Vernon Holiday Inn, 222 Potomac Boulevard, Mt. Vern, at 11:30 a.m.
Simon will urge conference attendees to remain engaged in their communities and discuss her involvement with volunteers across the state.
Simon’s office worked with volunteers from the American Red Cross to coordinate emergency response efforts in the aftermath of devastating flooding that swept through Southern Illinois last spring. Simon is also exploring ways to expand pro-bono legal services to domestic violence victims and is working with volunteer legal experts to draft a new Statement of Economic Interest to make public officials more accountable.
