Jonna Cooley is the Executive Director of the Phoenix Center, the LGBTQ Center located in Springfield, Ill. Jonna spoke to Community Voices about the history of the center and the services they provide. Jonna also discusses misconceptions of the LGBTQ community and how to become a better ally.

Director of the American Heart Association in Central and Western Illinois Catherine Henebry sat down with Community Voices co-host Vanessa Ferguson to highlight the importance of staying active and keeping your heart happily beating along. She discussed ways to stay healthy in everyday life, signs to spot a stroke, and the free AHA hosted Heart and Stroke Walk on June 25 designed to help everyone stay active and have fun while doing it.

Alberta Commey is a student at Southeast High School with an interest in journalism. She helped lead our first NPR Illinois LISTEN session at the high school during which we asked students about their views on the media. The session was also designed to identify citizen journalists who can report on issues important to underrepresented communities. Commey reported on the event and the experience on her fellow students.

Ross Blakeman is the owner of Rosebud & Co., a flower and plant shop in Beardstown, Ill., and he brightens any room with his beautiful flower arrangements. He sat down with Editor and Co-host Bea Bonner to talk about his roots in business and affinity for flowers.

Gabrielle Thompson is a Springfield native who has worked in the food and consulting industry for nearly 30 years, starting when she was a child. Recently she has carried on this legacy with the opening of her new business Bloom Hospitality & Catering. She sat down with Logan Bricker of Community Voices to tell her story, what she brings to the table, and what she hopes to accomplish.

Chris Camp is well known in Central Illinois as "the Whip Guy." He spoke to Community Voices about how his love of Indiana Jones led him to a career in performing on stage and on TV as an expert whip cracker. You can catch Camp as he performers at the Illinois State Fair this summer and as he performs in a band called Chris Camp and His Blues Ambassadors.

A Citizen's Club of Springfield discussion on how local news media is changing. Panelists include Fletcher Farrar, Illinois Times/Springfield Business Journal; Jason Piscia, UIS Public Affairs Reporting Program; and Randy Eccles, NPR Illinois General Manager

Springfield-based TalentESO is working to be the "Uber" of IT. TalentESO's Corey Honegger, co-founder, and Deepak Dhankher, CEO, join Community Voices to shed light on the area tech scene.

Amy Wolf is a veterinarian and proponent for the health of pets. She sat down with our animal lover Vanessa Ferguson to discuss the best ways to take care of our pets, especially now that summer is in full swing. Wolf also shared how her new brick-and-mortar business Prompt Vet will offer same day sick and urgent health care.

Melanie Holmes is an author from Illinois. Her new book 100 Things to do in Illinois Before You Die details some of the most interesting destinations in Illinois. She spoke to Community Voices about being a writer and gave insight on the importance of telling Illinois stories.