Brad Keene - Certified Financial Planner

11/20/2023

Thank you to the C3 committee for the recognition. There are some great things happening in Collinsville!

09/27/2023

A simple step to helping assets avoid probate is ensuring you have beneficiaries named on your retirement, investment, and life insurance accounts. A living trust may also be appropriate as it allows you to spell out how you want your assets handled after your death and also avoids probate. Having a proper – and current – estate plan in place is a wonderful gift to leave your family. Learn more here: https://visionarywealthadvisors.com/estate-planning/

08/18/2023

I am proud to serve on the board of this foundation, which is driven by strong leadership from the city and school district. The CACF is doing some great things in the Collinsville community and has only scratched the surface as to what is possible. Please check out the website to learn more at www.collinsvillefoundation.com

COLLINSVILLE – The city of Collinsville has a community with a heart to give back and build systems of support. As a bedroom community of the St. Louis region, Collinsville

12/21/2022

This new area of the high school looks great. It will celebrate the new Hall of Fame inductees, along with academic achievement, sports history, Kahok history and so much more!

12/09/2022

I’m fairly certain there is no other Christmas tree like this one! It was sponsored by the Collinsville Area Community Foundation and won the grand prize at the Festival of Trees. The ornaments are the teams Vergil Fletcher coached. Go Kahoks!

11/29/2022

Please consider this initiative to upgrade the sports facilities for Kahok athletes and get them on campus.

It’s here! Today is Giving Tuesday! Make sure to get online and join the generosity movement. I hope you consider supporting Diamonds for Kahoks 💜

09/22/2022

Stan Schaeffer Scholarship

In the early 2000s, then Collinsville Mayor Stan Schaeffer, a retired educator, was inspired by “Promise” organizations in other communities that provided scholarships for local graduates. Following Schaeffer’s sudden death in 2008, City leaders made the Collinsville scholarship program a reality and set the course for its community-based focus.

The Collinsville Education Scholarship Foundation (CESF) was established in 2010 for the purpose of “…raising funds and accepting and disbursing contributions, gifts, and bequests from individuals, groups, or businesses to support education scholarship opportunities and experiences for high school students who reside in the corporate limits of the City of Collinsville.”

CESF was the seed that grew into today’s community-wide Collinsville Area Community Foundation which offers a broad range of scholarship opportunities. The original CESF scholarship was renamed the “Stan Schaeffer Scholarship” in 2021 to pay tribute to the man who had the vision to support the dreams of young Collinsville residents as they head off to college or technical school.

“Stan believed an investment in Collinsville youth through educational scholarships would elevate the quality of life for everyone,” said current Collinsville Mayor John Miller.

The Stan Schaeffer Scholarship is a $1,000 non-renewable award for Collinsville High School graduating seniors who live within the corporate limits of Collinsville, Illinois. Applications are available through the CHS Counseling Department.

https://www.collinsvillefoundation.com/scholarship-fund

09/22/2022

Kahoks Teaching Kahoks Scholarship
Collinsville Community Unit School District #10 launched a “Grow Our Own” Future Teacher Program in 2021 to encourage current high school students to become educators in the district.

“Our goal is to encourage, recruit and foster future Kahoks to not only pursue education as a career, but return toCollinsville to work and raise their families,” said CUSD 10 Superintendent Dr.Mark B. Skertich.

When the districtwide Kahok Diversity &Equity Committee was formed in 2019, their initial task was to discuss ways to recruit more minority teachers. This led to the district’s concerted effort to “grow” teachers by encouraging current students to pursue careers in education.

The aptly named “Kahoks Teaching Kahoks” program includes specialized courses available to students in grades 9-12, and college scholarships for selected Collinsville High School graduating seniors who will be education majors. There are plans to provide additional money for loan repayment if a program participant becomes a teacher within CUSD 10 once acquiring their appropriate teaching licensure.

Funding for the scholarship program comes from personal and corporate donations, as well as a payroll deduction program for CUSD 10 employees. Donations are tax deductible and eligible for corporate matching. Contributions in honor or memory of individuals – especially current and former educators – are welcomed and encouraged.

The Kahoks Teaching Kahoks Future Teachers Scholarship is open to CHS seniors. Upon selection, scholarship recipients will be awarded $1,000 per year toward their college expenses for four years. Applications are available through the Collinsville High School Counseling Department.

https://www.collinsvillefoundation.com/kahoks-teaching-kahoks

09/22/2022

Linda Nunn (Price) Scholarship
Anthony and Linda (Price) Nunn have made a multi-year commitment to provide an annual $30,000 scholarship to a Collinsville High School graduate who displays high academic achievement, school involvement and a strong work ethic in and out of the classroom. They want their financial support to enable the student to “take an experience they might not have had the chance to take.”

Linda (Price)Nunn is a 1983 graduate of Collinsville High School. She has fond memories of her years at CHS where she was a four-year member of cheerleading (basketball, football and soccer), a Thespian, member of Latin Club, Student Council and Science Club. She also participated on the soccer and track teams.

“Collinsville High School was very impactful for me,” she said, “My husband and I want to help change the life of one senior. The scholarship is for students that work hard, have good grades, and are active participants in school activities and clubs.”

Mrs. Nunn intends for the scholarship to help a student reach for their dream school by providing additional financial support that helps make their goals more attainable.

The Linda (Price) Nunn scholarship is to be awarded before May college commitment deadlines, to help the student in their choice of school. The money will be available for tuition and room and board, and will be administered by the Collinsville Area Community Foundation. The funds may be used over four years as needed.

https://www.collinsvillefoundation.com/nunn-price-scholarship

09/14/2022

We are ready for another fun Italianfest in Collinsville this weekend. The weather looks great.

04/15/2022