Since being appointed by President Trump in January 2025 to serve as U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development Illinois State Director, I’ve made hundreds of visits as I’ve traveled across the state, talking with community leaders, business owners and rural Illinoisans.
This outreach has allowed Illinois Rural Development to share resources that are available to our rural communities through our more than 80 programs covering business, housing and community development.
It is an honor and a privilege to support rural prosperity in Illinois. My visits across the state have reinforced my passion to help develop and assist the people of the Land of Lincoln and rural America.
Born and raised in Illinois, I am dedicated to implementing and advancing effective policy to help rural Illinoisans prosper and move our great state forward. I am committed to fostering economic growth and improving quality of life in rural communities through strategic partnerships, unprecedented outreach and process improvements.
Some of the projects I have visited involve electric cooperatives that have utilized USDA’s Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program. USDA provides zero-interest loans to local utilities, which they, in turn, pass through to community projects or local businesses for projects that will create and retain employment in rural areas. Our partnerships with cooperatives help bolster rural prosperity by fostering local economic growth, providing essential services and creating jobs.
For example, in Murphysboro, Egyptian Electric Cooperative Association used a Rural Economic Development Loan to relend funds to the Degognia-Fountain Bluff Levee and Drainage District. The district will use the funds to install four relief wells in the levee system, which runs from Cora City to Fountain Bluff on the Mississippi River and Oakwood Bottoms to Grimsby on the Big Muddy River.
The wells will help relieve underground water pressure, which will help prevent structural damage and help the levee function as designed. Without the new wells, more than 16,000 acres of farmland are in danger of being flooded.
We are grateful to be able to help connect local organizations with resources that support safety and economic stability. This project is an example of how partnerships are key in strengthening rural infrastructure and protecting our communities.
In Ramsey, G. L. Beaumont Lumber Company, a family-owned company since 1919, will use a $998,500 Rural Economic Development Loan through Southwestern Electric Cooperative to purchase new and modernized equipment for its facility. The new equipment will increase the consistency of edging boards and assist in saving 25 jobs.
This project is a win for the local economy and consumers who want American-made products. At the same time, this project also benefits forest management that is as important as ever in sustaining safe, prosperous rural communities in Illinois.
We are eager to collaborate on projects that aim to improve the lives of people in rural Illinois. If you have initiatives or ideas that could benefit your community, please contact us so we can discuss how our team can best support your efforts.
For more information on USDA Rural Development investments in rural America, visit the Rural Data Gateway. The Rural Data Gateway is an online tool that strengthens USDA Rural Development partnerships with rural people, entrepreneurs, government officials and Congress by making investment data accessible to the public.
To learn more about Rural Development programs, or to find contact information, visit rd.usda.gov/il.
