A gathering of the best

A new regional event made its debut last Thursday. The first “Lunch with the Best” was held on the campus of Shawnee Community College near Ullin.

“Lunch with the Best” was hosted by Reppert Publications, which publishes The Gazette-Democrat, in cooperation with several supporters.

Last Thursday’s event brought together a wide range of community leaders. More than 200 people were present for the initial event in what is planned to be a series of gatherings.

One of the key messages shared at “Lunch with the Best” has been heard before, but is very important to remember – the people of Southern Illinois need to work together on a regional basis to enjoy continued growth and prosperity. Simply put, in these challenging times, those of us who call Southern Illinois home can’t go it alone. We have to be part of a team.

During the “Lunch with the Best,” a number of businesses which have been in operation for a 100 years or longer were honored.

Many of those honored were family farms, which have played, and continue to play, a major role in this region’s growth and prosperity.

All of us here in Southern Illinois can learn from the success generated by the hard-working families who operate agribusinesses. We congratulate them for their success, and look to them as models for continued growth and development in this wonderful part of the Land of Lincoln that we call home.