Regional collaboration is the key to our success here in Central Illinois. The Heart of Illinois Mayors Association is a partnership of local public leaders pursuing a better future for residents of Central Illinois. The mayors and village presidents from twenty-four local communities are active today in the association.

It does not take long for those newly elected members to recognize the benefits of regional collaboration. No matter the population of the community, we tend to face many of the same municipal challenges. The sharing of best practices, knowledge, resources, administrative support, and solutions has allowed us to collectively tackle a number of those challenges. 

The membership meets every other month and exchanges ideas, discusses common issues, and allows us all to learn from the experiences and success of our peers. Together we have tackled shared issues, such as transportation, energy, specialized services, funding of community development projects, and opportunities for education, training, and professional development. 

The host mayor or village president of each meeting invites a keynote speaker to touch on the topic of his/her choosing. We do our best to focus on matters that impact Central Illinois the most. Our previous speakers include state and federal elected officials, the Director of the Illinois Municipal League, community leaders from local not-for-profit organizations, private businesses, economic development organizations, law firms, healthcare systems, information technology companies, energy consulting firms, and the regional planning commission just to name a few. 

Belonging to the HOI Mayors Association also helps us local leaders to strengthen regional advocacy and provide a unified voice to influence state and federal policy. It has been my experience that any egos or partisan politics are checked at the door. We demonstrate complete respect for one another and have forged strong bonds amongst us. While we may not always agree on every subject matter, we share in a common goal to lift the region as a whole and provide for a better future for all residents of Central Illinois. 

Central Illinois has a lot to be proud of, and I think that is important for our residents to know that we have a great core of community leaders in this region who remain committed to delivering impactful results.  

Always grateful,
John