Bridget Schneider is CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ Professional with Connections Financial Advisors in Lincoln. Her focus is financial planning and investment management for families and individuals.  She also has several years of experience advising small business owners regarding retirement plan benefit options. In addition to a focus on the future retirement needs of families and individuals, she assists with income distribution planning during retirement, estate planning, and insurance needs. She is a University of Illinois graduate and lives in rural Logan County. Bridget’s interest in Land of Lincoln CEO stems from a desire to help the youth in our community succeed financially in addition to inspiring an entrepreneurial spirit in our community.

I am a school counselor at Lincoln Community High School and serve as Secretary for the CEO Advisory Board. I have spent over half my years in education working as a business teacher in local high schools. This in combination with my experience as a school counselor provides me the opportunity to see how the CEO class can benefit our students and community. Hands on experiences have a profound effect on student learning, which makes for an awesome experience for our students!

Michelle Bauer is a Financial Representative with COUNTRY Financial in downtown Lincoln.  Prior to her career with COUNTRY Financial she was the Director of Transition Services at Lincoln College.  She has served as a CEO mentor and was thrilled to be asked to participate as a member of the board.  She believes CEO allows her the opportunity to combine her passions for watching young people come into their own and giving back to the community that has given her a place to call home. 

She shares her life with her husband, Todd, and 2 daughters Alaina & Sophia.  She currently serves on the Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital Board of Directors and the Logan County Professional Network board.  She is a member of the Lincoln Rotary Club, Knights of Columbus Ladies Auxiliary and former City of Lincoln Alderman.  She is an avid Chicago White Sox fan and musical theater junkie.

Jennifer Keith owns her own technology and educational consulting firm where she specialized in social media marketing and Google Workplace. She is a former high school English teacher, a current technology director for Lincoln Community High school on a part-time basis, and director of community and high school theatre. In her free time, she writes online curriculum, teaches professional development and continuing education around the nation (including for Heartland Community College) and works toward finishing her doctorate in educational leadership with an emphasis on online learning. She is married to her incredibly lucky husband and is the hilarious mother of two amazing daughters. Despite hardships, humor has and always will be her saving grace. She is currently a Certified Humor Professional and the president of the Association for Applied and Therapeutic Humor, an organization that studies the impact of humor on stress and resilience.

Jason Mauhar is the Owner of By Design Landscaping.  A local company beautifying the outdoor landscape of Logan County.  Jason has had a diverse background of employment, including coaching middle school through college sports, manager of a local Apiary, Highschool teacher, facilitator of the Land of Lincoln CEO program, and finally entrepreneur.  Being both entrepreneur and educator, Jason has had the opportunity to see how those can go hand in hand to make a positive impact on the local community and drive business.  CEO is that great opportunity that ties them both together in a seamless weave and prepares high school students for great experiences and opportunities in the future.  Jason and his wife Ashleigh are proud of their three children, Arrington, Addisynn, and Hollis, their two cats Julious and Fury, and their 8 Chickens. 

I have spent the majority of my working life as an entrepreneur in the automotive field.  As the CEO/GM of two dealerships I have enjoyed the challenges of the daily operations of these sales and service businesses.  The CEO program captured my attention from attending the trade show, were the current students present their individual businesses.  I needed to get involved.  Fortunately there was room for me and I jumped at the chance to join these young adults in their quest for business knowledge.  I reside in Lincoln with my wife (and business partner) Barb.  We are  the proud parents of Kate, age 24, who lives and works in Chicago.

Kristi Powell is the Director of Heartland Community College Lincoln and has worked for Heartland for 25 years.  Since the first Land of Lincoln CEO class in 2016, Kristi has served on the Board and has seen the transformative power of the CEO program.   She feels passionately about the power of this program to make a positive impact on the students and the community. 

Kristi lives in Lincoln with her husband, Deron, and has four grown children and three grandchildren.  She also serves on the CAPCIL Board and is a member of the Kiwanis Club of Lincoln.

As LTEC Director, I am committed to providing the best career and technical education opportunities to Lincoln Community High School and the surrounding LTEC member schools. Our mission at LTEC, is to prepare students to be successful after high school. Whether entering the work force, or continuing their education, LTEC has all kinds of career and technical education programs for any junior or senior student. Most of our learning is “hands on” where students will be expected to participate, think critically, and work independently. At the completion of an LTEC class, students will have gained valuable job skills while obtaining insight into various rewarding careers.

Lisa Steve is a College and Career Counselor at Olympia High School. Lisa was asked to serve on the board for CEO after Olympia High School decided to join the Land of Lincoln CEO program in 2016. Lisa finds so much value in the CEO program and the skills that students obtain throughout their real life entrepreneurial experiences. She serves as an educational liaison and is a part of the student recruitment committee. Lisa lives in Normal with her husband Jake and new son Layton.

Ashley Zinser is the Warranty Administrator for Central Illinois Ag in the Atlanta location. Her passion is agriculture and helping others. Ashley lives in rural San Jose in Logan County. Ashley and her Fiancé Zach enjoy spending time with their golden retrievers and cat. Ashley was in the 2016-2017 Land of Lincoln CEO program as a student. This led her to the career path she chose at Central Illinois Ag from a business visit. Ashley has been with Central Illinois ag since 2017, where she thoroughly enjoys working in the agriculture industry. Ashley went to Hartsburg-Emden High School then went to Heartland Community College on a scholarship. She graduated  from Illinois State University in 2021 with a Agriculture Business degree. CEO is a great opportunity to show young entrepreneurs the importance of this community and how being involved can truly strengthen these local businesses. Ashley plays a role in the mentoring side of CEO where she finds joy in connecting students with a mentor to help guide them. Ashley believes that being on the Land of Lincoln CEO Board is a great way to give back to the program that shaped her into the individual she is today.