CampCEO Staff and Trainers:
Emily J. Carter is the driving force behind CampCEO. She is the single constant in the annual event that has attracted young people from throughout Illinois over the last six years while also attracting national attention and accolades.
A well-known business leader who has helped hundreds of area businesses start and expand, Carter is the Director of Entrepreneurship and Business Development at the Office of Economic and Regional Development for Southern Illinois University Carbondale.
She has developed a reputation as an expert in business development, access to capital, and marketing strategy. Carter has made presentations on these topics to national audiences including the Association of Small Business Development Centers and the National Small Business Institute.
Carter earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Business Administration from SIUC. She is a certified business counselor with the Illinois Entrepreneurship and Small Business Growth Association and also maintains a State of Illinois Certificate in International Business.
Her tenure in Economic Development began with the Illinois Small Business Development Center as a graduate assistant and she has worked with the programs in the unit of Economic Development at SIUC in a full-time capacity since 1995.
Robyn Laur Russell, Director of Business Development and International Trade, supervises the Illinois Small Business Development Center program at SIUC, where she coordinates counseling and training services to entrepreneurs starting and expanding businesses throughout the southern Illinois region. The ISBDC has partnered with the Southern Illinois Entrepreneurship Center to host and train youth entrepreneurs since CampCEO’s inception.
Russell began her career in business development as the eBusiness Specialist in 2001 and has progressed into entrepreneurial development and international trade. Her experience at SIUC also includes eight years at the Southern Illinois University Press where she worked in both design and editorial capacities.
Russell earned her Associate’s Degree from John A. Logan College in 1986, her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from SIUC in 1988, and her Master’s Degree in Workforce Education & Development in 2003. She is a certified business counselor with the Illinois Entrepreneurship and Small Business Growth Association and also maintains a State of Illinois Certificate in International Business.
Anja Meksem, Director of the Southern Illinois Entrepreneurship Center, has played an integral role at CampCEO since 2006.
Meksem, a native of Cologne, Germany, works with clients on business development and high growth milestone projects at the SIEC. Her background includes nine years at global healthcare leader Bayer.
She earned her bachelor’s degree from SIUC in 2004. In 2007, Meksem was awarded her MBA, also from SIUC. She has a State of Illinois Certificate in International Business.
Kim Sanders is the Director of the University Entrepreneurship Center in Centralia. Sanders has led the Center, located at the South Central Regional Tech Center, since July 2007.
Sanders relies upon a pair of advanced degrees – a Master’s in Business Administration from SIUE as well as a Master’s in Public Health from SIUC -- while assisting in the development of area businesses.
Her background also includes small business management, marketing, and counseling.
Iván Sánchez, returning for his second year of Camp CEO, will serve as Camp Coordinator 2008. Sánchez is an entrepreneur specialist working for both the Southern Illinois Entrepreneurship Center and the Illinois Small Business Development Center. He assists in counseling and business training efforts for Spanish-speaking clients.
A native of México City, México, Sánchez earned Bachelor’s Degrees in Finance and Management from SIUC and is currently pursuing his Master’s Degree in Sports Management.
Sánchez, a member of the SIU swimming team as an undergraduate, and now a club and summer league swim coach, has a State of Illinois Certificate in International Business.
Greg Bouhl works with entrepreneurs, youth and adult, to develop business plans and concepts as part of his daily duties with the Illinois Small Business Development Center.
Bouhl, in his role as Lead Business Specialist, serves entrepreneurs by providing assistance in business planning, marketing, financing, and e-commerce.
Bouhl graduated from SIUC with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration in 1997 and earned his Master’s Degree in Business Administration in 2000.
New to Camp CEO this year, Aimee Wigfall is a small business specialist with the Illinois Small Business Development Center.
She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Management from SIU Carbondale.
Wigfall works with ISBDC clients who are beginning the journey to opening a small business, providing counseling, training, and management advice.
Dr. Kyle Harfst is the Director of Business and Technology Enterprise Development and Interim Executive Director of the Southern Illinois Research Park, Inc.
Harfst earned his Doctorate in Workforce Education & Development from SIU Carbondale in 2006. He also has a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from the University of Northern Iowa and his Master’s Degree in Business Administration from SIUC.
Harfst’s resume includes a decade in banking where he worked in consumer lending and financial marketing. Dr. Harfst has been involved with economic development since 1994.
Fred Huff is in his second year as an entrepreneurship specialist at the Illinois Small Business Development Center.
Mr. Huff earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration in 1988 from the University of Illinois.
Huff spent two decades working in athletic administration at the University of South Alabama and at the University of South Florida.
Jenni Janssen is back for her third tour of duty at CampCEO. A year ago she was responsible for much of the week-long event’s planning and implementation as the CampCEO Coordinator.
Janssen earned her Master’s Degree in Business Administration from SIUC in 2007. She then studied at the Grenoble School of Management at Grenoble, France, where she earned her Master’s Degree in International Business. Her 10-month tour of Europe took her to France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Italy, and Spain.
A former Saluki swimmer, Janssen earned her Bachelor’s Degree from SIUC. While pursuing her MBA, she was a graduate assistant at the Southern Illinois Entrepreneurship Center.
Todd Tracy brings a wealth of entrepreneurial experiences to his CampCEO role. As the Director of the Illinois Small Business Development at Kaskaskia College, Centralia, Tracy coordinates counseling and training services to entrepreneurs starting and expanding businesses.
Tracy has two degrees from SIU – a Bachelor’s in Management from SIUC and a Master’s in Business Administration from SIUE.
Tracy’s entrepreneurial success story includes seven years as a small business owner when he owned and operated Mulberry Hill Picture Framing. Tracy has also worked in commercial real estate, marketing, and has served in several economic development roles. He is a principal with Arc Investment, LLC, and Union Systems, Inc.
Martine Jackson, the managing partner of Rhode & Jackson, PC, in Carbondale, is involved with CampCEO for the second consecutive year.
Jackson provides counsel and litigation services to public and private institutions and businesses. Her expertise is in the area of physicians and medical practices. She also counsels businesses on issues pertinent to all phases of employment -- from hiring to termination.
Jackson earned her Juris Doctorate as well as her MBA from SIUC. She also has certificates in Mediation and Conflict Management in the Workplace from DePaul University. Jackson is active in the Illinois State Bar Association as well as the National Association of College and University Attorneys.
Jean Morisseau-Kuni is Community Affairs Specialist for the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Assisting us for the first time with CampCEO, Kuni works with entrepreneurs to assist in understanding their personal and business financial environment.
In her role as a community specialist, Kuni provides technical support and facilitates communication between banks and community organizations in St. Louis and southern Illinois.
Morisseau-Kuni has held positions in many areas of the bank since she joined the Federal Reserve in 1974, including being a trainer and customer support analyst in Electronic Access Support. She attended Lindenwood University in St. Charles, Mo., where she majored in Business.
