(618) 692-9745

Edwardsville, Ill., February 12, 2015 – On Monday, February 9, 2015, Allen Adomite, Mayor of Troy, IL, presented Ellen Krohne, Executive Director of the Leadership Council Southwestern Illinois, with a check for $2,500 for the Council’s investment campaign to support its top priority economic development programs, including retention and growth of Scott Air Force Base. 

The donated funds gained from a gaming tax will be used to continue efforts to protect and enhance Scott Air Force Base, which has a regional annual economic impact of $3.2 billion. Through its Southwestern Illinois Defense Assets Retention and Expansion Task Force, the Leadership Council is working in concert with the St. Clair and Madison County Chairmen to identify proactive steps necessary to enable Scott and its missions to continue to grow including support for the relocation of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency to the St. Clair County site.

In addition, funds will also be used to support the Scott Patriot program. More than 650 businesses and organizations have signed up to be part of this unique initiative that recognizes local businesses, communities and organizations as being “military-friendly” thanks to discounts offered and other means of support demonstrated for military families affiliated with Scott Air Force Base (SAFB). While a primary goal of the program is to make it easy for military families to identify those who are military friendly in our region by listing them all at www.scottpatriot.com, it also aims to encourage others to provide the support that is so important to those who forego comfort, confront danger and sometimes die in defense of our nation, and to the family members who remain behind while they serve.

For more information about the Leadership Council or the Scott Patriot program, please contact Executive Director Ellen Krohne at (618) 692-9745 or ellenkrohne@siue.edu.