1,000 Turn Out for CEO Experience

(OUR GREG SAPP TALKS WITH C-E-O STUDENTS COLLIN HECHT AND ERIC WOLFF ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE)

An estimated 1,000 people packed the Thelma Keller Convention Center Wednesday for the 2016 CEO Experience.

The Experience, organized by the members of the Effingham County CEO Class, featured speakers including New York Times best-selling author Jon Acuff, motivational speaker Habeeb Habeeb, and Karen Wolters and Craig Lindvahl, termed the "Godmother and Godfather of CEO".

Wolters discussed the history of CEO, which originated in Effingham. She shared the story of an Effingham High School student sent by teacher Joe Fatheree sent to interview entrepreneur Jack Schultz to find out what being an entrepreneur is all about. The student returned telling Fatheree he wished every student would have a similar experience. That led Schultz and Fatheree to gather $1,000 from 40 individuals and businesses as a nest egg to get CEO started. The CEO Board was established and one of the first actions was to hire Lindvahl as the first instructor of CEO.

Lindvahl then shared the growth of CEO, to some 40 classes in six states, with exponential growth expected in the next decade to a nationwide program.

There are some 40 students in this year's CEO program in Effingham County, with Kent Probst and Kristi Sayers serving as instructors. The students were in charge of the Experience from planning to preparation to execution. A well-earned luncheon meeting is planned today to celebrate and review the experience of the Experience.