Basic HTML Version
At Caterpillar Barton was
involved in the community, as
well. While CEO he helped estab-
lish the Peoria Civic Federation,
which is a group of local business
leaders, and was a founding di-
rector of Peoria NEXT because he
was one of the business leaders
who saw a need for a technology-
based business incubator.
Those kinds of experiences not
only helped achieve Caterpillar’s
top rung, Barton said, it put him
in demand when he retired from
the company. “All of a sudden I
was being approached by people
needing help with one thing or
another, including people need-
ing help getting started with a
business. I realized we needed
some kind of model to help these
entrepreneurs and to give finan-
cial assistance,” he said, explain-
ing the role of another group he
started, Central Illinois Angels.
The Angels are a group of busi-
ness leaders with the experience
and wherewithal to help new en-
trepreneurs with finances, advice
or whatever is needed. Members
look at the business opportunities
being brought to the community
and choose which ones they want
to invest in as individuals.
The Angels were the single
largest investor in Lumec Control
Products in Peoria and the Main
Street Commons apartment com-
plex near Bradley University.
The Bartons have not limited
their time and finances, how-
ever. They were instrumental in
helping the Peoria Park District
upgrade the Peoria Zoo, includ-
ing the
Africa!
exhibit, and most
recently the new entrance for the
zoo that is now under construc-
tion.
His largest project, and one he
says is extremely important to the
region, was heading the effort to
bring Quest Charter Academy to
Peoria.
The idea stemmed from chal-
lenges being faced by Peoria
School District 150 in meeting
basic requirements in math and
sciences. Barton was part of a city
Workforce Development office
group looking into improving
education and it was there that
he got his first “detailed exposure
to the problems in our schools. It
was alarming. We were putting
kids into the middle schools who
don’t meet the basic requirements
to succeed.”
Barton also was aware from
his experience at Caterpillar that
there were problems filling some
technical jobs because of a lack of
local skilled workforce and said it
was frustrating to watch students
that had talent take their skills
elsewhere.
That Workforce Development
committee, which included Jack
Gilligan, chairman of Talent
Force 21, former District 150
administrator Cindy Fisher and
Workforce Development director
Bashir Ali, discussed a myriad
of options, including year-round
school. The group also was aware
the charter school approach had
worked well in other urban areas.
Continued on page 16
Nominees
15
thePeorian.com