All Things Local

All Things Local


Latest Episodes

Episode 26: Jessi Haish LaRue, Joseph Glidden Homestead and Historical Center
February 01, 2023

This months episode is an interview with Jessi Haish LaRue, the new executive director of the Glidden Homestead in DeKalb. If her maiden name sounds familiar, it is.  Her 4th great-uncle was Jacob Haish. If youre from the DeKalb area, youve probab

Episode 25: Brandon Pugh, Egyptian Theatre
January 05, 2023

Welcome listeners of All Things Local to our third season of the podcast and the first episode of 2023. I have some wonderful episodes planned for this year including this one. Brandon Pugh is a former student of mine and since he graduated, he has built

Episode 24: Nicole Sdao, Altruize
December 06, 2022

Welcome listeners of All Things Local. I needed to take a little break from the podcast this fall due to a heavy teaching load and some staffing challenges, which Im not alone in. Now that the fall semester is winding down its time to get back to the po

Episode 23: Edith Craig, previous director of the St. Charles Public Library
June 13, 2022

For over 125 years, the St. Charles Public Library has served the community. In 1906, Andrew Carnegie, a library philanthropist, granted the library $12,500 to build a new free public library in St. Charles which had to be matched by $15,000 in local dona

Episode 22: Research on Townships in Illinois
May 02, 2022

Did you know there are nearly 9,000 units of local government in Illinois? This includes about 3,000 general-purpose governments and 6,000 special-purpose governments. General-purpose governments include counties, townships, and municipalities, and in Ill

Episode 21: Sister Kathleen Ryan, Dominican Literacy Center
April 04, 2022

This month, I am speaking with Sister Kathleen Ryan, the Executive Director of the Dominican Literacy Center in Aurora. Their programs help women find a voice in this country. The organization began in 1993, in her words, on a shoestring budget and a brok

Episode 20: Queer-Oriented Rural Resource Network (QORRN), Frankie DiCiacco,
March 12, 2022

This month, I speak to Frankie DiCiacco, the founder and executive director of The Queer-Oriented Rural Resource Network that is dedicated to helping LGBTQ+ individuals in rural communities access the resources and services they need. In this episode, we

Episode 19: Gretchen Sprinkle, Kishwaukee United Way
February 04, 2022

Welcome to episode 19, an interview with Gretchen Sprinkle, executive director of the Kishwaukee United Way.  In 1887, the model was created in Denver, Colorado to fundraise for local needs and then distribute those funds to local organizations. &nbs

Episode 18 Shelly Perkins, DeKalb County Housing Authority
January 03, 2022

The Housing Authority of DeKalb County has been providing affordable housing options since 1946. As a unit of local government with county-wide jurisdiction, but funded by rents and federal grants, not local taxes. They are governed by a five-member, all-

Episode 17: Tara Russo, Elder Care Services
January 16, 2021

On this episode, number 17 of the All Things Local podcast, I speak with Tara Russo, Executive Director of Elder Care Services in DeKalb. She shares her personal background and commitment to seniors in our community. Her college education began in nursing