IT’S OFFICIAL: Full Stack Strategies, LLC – my independent consulting practice – is now a member of the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce. To celebrate the occasion and the first full year of this being my full-time job, I’m hosting a little get together:
Full Stack Strategies Anniversary Reception
6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.
Tuesday, October 28, 2025
D.H. Brown’s
Springfield, Illinois
The Chamber of Commerce is hosting a ribbon cutting ceremony and reception at 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, October 28, 2025, in their Downtown Springfield offices (501 E. Capitol Ave., Suite A; Springfield, IL 62701). Come one, come all to meet the local Chamber’s leadership, business executives from throughout the Springfield area, and a few dignitaries in town for the final days of the 2025 Illinois legislative “veto session.” A more casual gathering starts at 6:00 p.m. at D.H. Brown’s (231 E. Monroe St.; Springfield, IL 62701). Expect a few familiar light refreshments from the Springfield community at the reception.
An RSVP is not required, but letting me know of your interest would be appreciated to make sure there are enough snacks.
Yes, it is a legislative session day at the Capitol. Fear not: We have contingency plans. Hopefully, the evening floor debate and committee schedules cooperate so we can unwind together after adjournment and before dinner. Any schedule changes will be posted here or on social media.
I look forward to celebrating with you this latest milestone in our family’s long Sangamon County history.
Many of you probably know of me from the past 20 years of work in Media and Public Affairs. Those continue to be a big part of my portfolio that influence a lot of my work. However, the Full Stack service line extends far beyond public relations and lobbying Illinois state and local governments.
Full Stack Strategies offers senior executive leaders a full slate of services so they can have an impact in times of growth and crisis.
My practice is committed to impactful engagements and sustainable change initiatives. To me, that means going beyond simply addressing the issue at hand. It means assessing how leadership arrived in its current situation, addressing immediate needs that paves a way to realizing long-term goals, and establishing how the organization will define success going forward. So far, that body of work has involved:
- Preparing C-suite leaders and politicians for high-profile appearances.
- Portfolio management, including scoping projects, assigning tasks, budget upkeep, stakeholder communications, user acceptance testing, and go to market strategies.
- Advocacy and fundraising campaigns for nonprofit organizations and professional trade associations.
- Lead generation and full-cycle sales conversions.
- Serving as the primary point of contact for key stakeholders, addressing their concerns, and presenting them clear calls to action.
- Organizational transformations, including enterprise-wide efforts to direct customer behaviors, continuous process improvements, and procedural documentation.
- Helping business leaders, government officials, and industry experts address complex topics with multi-segmented audiences in new markets.
- Keeping the front office in-touch with the front line.
Of course, I can usually be persuaded to revisit my roots in news media and public policy. I am registered to lobby Illinois state government after spending seven years as a senior communications and policy director within its Executive Branch and another seven years as a public affairs communications and legal marketing account executive. If my name seems familiar, perhaps you remember it from my tenure as a freelance journalist. My byline often appeared in Capitol Fax, Reuters News, the former St. Louis Beacon, and numerous community media outlets throughout central and southern Illinois.
In joining the Chamber of Commerce, my hope is to bridge my work in corporate and public affairs with the community my family has called home for four generations.
Springfield is often labeled as a flyover Midwestern city with a state Capitol and a famous former resident – a pit stop between Chicago and St. Louis that eighth graders visit at the end of their school civics unit. What those monikers often fail to capture are all the amenities that come with those designations. For the leaders within Springfield, this oversight can lead to a toxic misunderstanding of the opportunity our community presents and the many ways they can impact corporate, public, and service sector interests.
I hope you will join us on October 28 or contact me anytime your leadership needs a full slate of services at their disposal.
Full Stack Strategies 
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