Chris began working for ARC-CSS in April of 2003 as the Grants Coordinator, a new position created by the Executive Director. Chris is responsible for preparing applications for grants from Government agencies, as well as Private, Family and Corporate Foundations. He quickly took on the additional roles of writing the ARC-CSS quarterly Newsletter Progress, the Annual Report, newspaper articles, radio spots, and any other writing and editing needs among the rest of the staff.
Chris grew up in the Chicago suburbs of Dolton and Crete. He graduated from Eastern Illinois University in 1994 with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Creative Writing. He returned to school in 1995 when he completed his Elementary Education Teaching Certificate.
In 1998 me moved to Mt. Zion, just south of Decatur, where he spent two years as an elementary school substitute teacher in the Mt. Zion School District. He then spent the next three years as the only reporter and photographer for three weekly newspapers: The Mt. Zion Region News, The Atwood Herald and The News Record.
Chris is the director of the Handbell Chorus at Centenary United Methodist Church in Effingham. He also spends a great deal of time acting on stage all over Central Illinois. He has been in several plays, most recently Annie, Get Your Gun, Forever Plaid, Guys and Dolls and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. He has also had the distinct honor of acting in The Music Man at Sullivan’s Little Theatre on the Square.
