Karen Jones is the Executive Editor, Machinery for Successful Farming magazine.

Karen received a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Communications from the University of Illinois.  Her professional experience includes employment in GROWMARK’s agronomy division, marketing services department, and corporate communications.

Karen and her husband, Christopher, farm in cooperation with Karen’s family. They have an eleven-year-old daughter.

Jason Bachman

CEO Board Member

School Counselor

Eureka High School

DeAnn Eckhoff Heck grew up in rural Benson and graduated from Roanoke-Benson High. Now part owner of her home farm, 19X1950 Family Farm in Benson, she is married to John Heck and mother of 3 beautiful daughters, and has 9 grandchildren. Together they farm a certified organic farm and have the area's only local online grocery store, Farm Family Foods. 

She has a BS in Education from Bradley University, a Masters in Educational Leadership from WIU, an EDS from SIUE and a doctorate in Educational Leadership from SIUE. She taught English, Theater and Public Speaking for 2 years at Metamora High School and 14 years at Galesburg District 205. She was assistant principal and principal at Litchfield High for 8 years, Superintendent at Central A&M for 8 years and is currently the Superintendent of El Paso Gridley Schools. 

Dr. Heck has been involved in the Montegomery, Shelby and now Woodford County CEO programs and believes that entrapraneurship is crucial to the heartbeat of our country. 

Since graduating from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering, Mr. Hodel has worked for two engineering firms and served in the public sector as County Engineer for Stark and Woodford Counties in Illinois.   In 2011 he expanded his passion for GIS technology when he left his position as county engineer to start up Cloudpoint Geospatial.  Now, after more than twenty years of engineering, asset management, and GIS experience, he continues to promote though leadership and problem-solving to the geospatial community.  He is fueled by his passion for evangelizing the power of GIS to improve lives through efficient, data-driven decision making.

He is blessed with a loving wife, Megan, to whom he is greatly indebted, along with three wonderful children, Dexter, Hattie, and Lexi that are his top priorities following his relationship with the Lord.  He enjoys spending time outdoors with family and friends, and loves his church family where he serves as a lay minister in sharing the good news of the Gospel message.

Alan Zimmerman is the Owner of A. Zimmerman Enterprises, located in Goodfield IL. He also is partners in Legacy Investment Group, also based in Goodfield. 

Alan grew up in Wodford County and graduated from Eureka High School. He started his business as a freshman in highschool and enjoys the challeges and the variety that entreprenuership offers. If the CEO program would have been around, Alan would have loved to participate.

Alan, his wife Karissa and their 4 children live on a hobby farm in Congerville where the animals and kid activities keep them very busy. 

Superintendent of Eureka CUSD 140