The Illinois Community College Board is pleased to invite you to STRATEGIES AT WORK - Illinois Community College Board’s FIRST state-wide noncredit workforce training conference.
STRATEGIES AT WORK is designed to showcase and share the invaluable work that the Illinois community colleges’ noncredit programs provide to Illinois communities, employers, and students. As the largest workforce training provider in the state much of the Illinois Community College System workforce training is through the noncredit work of the community colleges. Furthermore, noncredit programs, one of many community college functions, allow colleges to remain nimble and prompt when addressing employer needs. During this conference, attendees can explore topics such as: Strategies at work with employers, Strategies at work within your community, Strategies at work within your college, and Strategies at work for non-credit basics
We are excited to come together and see what STRATEGIES are AT WORK for you!
Event Details:
February 25 - 26, 2025 (In person only)
Marriott Hotel and Conference Center (Room block closed)
201 Broadway Avenue
Normal IL
Registration and room blocks have closed for this event. If you have questions, please reach out to Brittany Boston at
Meet our Keynote Speaker:
Steve Ott is the founder and owner of Ott Leadership. He helps leaders cultivate great workplaces through the intentional development of leaders, culture, and strategy, resulting in a bigger mission impact. Steve’s goal is to help leaders move from feeling overwhelmed and stuck to free and thriving.
Steve holds a Master's Degree in Transformational Leadership from Bethel University. Since 2019, he has worked with a wide variety of growing small and mid-sized organizations, from non-profits and higher education to manufacturers and nationwide retailers. Steve resides in Davenport, Iowa with his wife, two daughters, and a yellow lab named Marley.
Steve will discuss "The Must-Have Mentality: 3 Transformations to Make Your Services Essential." What turns your services from “nice-to-have” to “must-have” in the eyes of your clients? In a world filled with options, how do you become THE place companies turn to for support and development? It starts with you. Join us for The Must-Have Mentality as we explore three specific transformations that make your services stand out in the community and are essential to your clients.
Meet our Plenary Speaker:
Michelle Van Noy is the Director of the Education and Employment Research Center at the School of Management and Labor Relations at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. She has more than 20 years of experience conducting research on education and the workforce focused on credentials, community colleges, and connections between higher education and the labor market. She is currently leading studies on technician education and economic development, state noncredit education data, non-degree credential quality, and student decision making about programs and careers.
Before joining EERC, Dr. Van Noy conducted research at the Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers, the Community College Research Center at Teachers College, Columbia University, and Mathematica Policy Research. She holds a Ph.D. in sociology and education from Columbia University, a M.S. in public policy from Rutgers, and a B.A. in psychology and Spanish from Rutgers.