The Midland Institute for Entrepreneurship’s CEO program was established eight years ago in Effingham as a way to give high school seniors the opportunity to learn about how to start and run a business.

Funded entirely with private investment, CEO classes are created by local business, civic and educational leaders.

Executive Director and Chief Visionary of the Midland Institute for Entrepreneurship, Craig Lindvahl, appointed Donnie Wilson as President of the Institute and Cheryl Mitchell as Director of Entrepreneurship Education recently.

“Donnie and Cheryl add to the strong team that has placed the CEO program into 158 high schools across four states,” Lindvahl said. “The growth of our program demands the talents that Donnie and Cheryl provide.”

Wilson, a serial entrepreneur, spent nearly 26 years as CEO of Elastec Inc., a global manufacturer of environmental pollution control products based in Carmi, Illinois. Wilson originally joined the CEO program when he served on the board for the White County CEO program. He joined the Midland Institute board in March.

Mitchell has worked to strengthen existing and establish new CEO programs since she joined the Institute in the fall of 2015. Prior to 2015, Mitchell worked as a teacher in the public system, trained instructors as a consultant with Show and Tell Education and PLS 3rd Learning and was the Director of Training Development with Northwestern Mutual.

The CEO program now serves 566 students in 37 communities throughout four states, including Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota and Colorado. With excitement about entrepreneurial education, the number of CEO programs will grow to 45 in 2017.

Source: Effingham Daily News