Dr. Tanya DeSanto is a dentist at Prairie Dental Group. She spoke with Community Voices about the challenges of dentistry school as well as how she helps put patients at ease when they are nervous about receiving dental care. She also talked about being an author and how she has helped bring area dentists together to expand upon services offered to patients.

Horace Mann is a national insurance company with roots in Springfield, Ill. Ryan Greenier, the Principal Officer of the Horace Mann Educators Foundation, spoke to Community Voices about the history of the company and its interest in educators. He also shared the programs and ways Horace Mann helps teachers invest in themselves, as well as ways educators can reach out to the community to invest in their classrooms.

Celeste Malham is the CEO of Fed Kitchen which provides healthy meals with flavor. She combined her passion for health and nutrition to create Fed Kitchen. She spoke to Community Voices about her business and how nutrition is the foundation of athletic performance.

Kamen Petkov is a violinist who teaches his students how to play not only the violin but several other instruments as well. He spoke to Community Voices about how he first became interested in playing the violin. He also shared his experiences performing, including for the Queen of England, and his love of teaching.

Olivia Partlow, director, Lincoln Heritage Museum shares what the Lincoln, Illinois museum offers including its current 9-11 special exhibit and the Hawes family letters that provide a window to life at and away from battle during the Civil War.

Cindy Sinclair is from Petersburg, IL, but she lives and works in Nashville. She is a show producer for the Musicians Hall of Fame Awards and Ray Stevens CabaRay Nashville for Public Television. She has also worked on numerous other shows including American Idol, The Grammy Awards, The Latin Grammy Awards, American Music Awards and the Country Music Association awards. She spoke to Community Voices about growing up in central Illinois and her career in the entertainment industry.

John Freml is an instructor of Women’s and Gender Studies at Lincoln Land Community College. He has a masters degree in Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from the University of Cincinnati. He spoke to Community Voices about the topic of gender and explained how it is often confused by a person’s sex. He also shared his thoughts on how to be a better advocate for the LGBTQ community and how to talk to children about gender and inclusivity.

The Illinois Stewardship Alliance (ISA) is a non-profit that works to find, connect, train and amplify the leadership of farmers and eaters who use their choices and their voices to shape a more just and regenerative local food and farm system. Communications Director Molly Pickering spoke to Community Voices about the organization and how policy helps bring about the changes ISA hopes to see in agriculture.Originally aired January 10, 2022.

Gracia started out in the Springfield area and was noticed at the Macoupin County Fair by Luke Bryan. From there she competed on The Voice and now records between Springfield and Nashville. Gracia previews her next single, Run, live in the studio.

Forum on Trauma, students and schools.