Robyn Laur Russell, Executive Director
Champion Community Investments (CCI) is proud to announce the appointment of a new Executive Director, Robyn Laur Russell. Russell, a southern Illinois native, will represent the non-profit organization in promoting CCI and its programs, including offering business loans and technical assistance to advance business and job growth in our region. Serving CCI since its inception in 2002, Rex Duncan, Executive Director, has retired, and Jeff Ashauer, CFO/Loan Manager, is pursuing new opportunities.
Prior to joining Champion Community Investments, Russell worked 17 years at Southern Illinois University in the Office of Economic & Regional Development as the Director or Business Development & International Trade. She has consulted and trained thousands of business owner/entrepreneurs through the Illinois Small Business Development Center and the Entrepreneurship Center programs at SIU over this period of time. Russell is also a Certified Business Advisor and an International Trade Specialist from the Illinois Entrepreneurship & Small Business Growth Association, as well as a Certified Business Incubator Manager by the National Business Incubation Association. She is a graduate of the Delta Regional Authority Leadership Institute. Russell is a proud Saluki, a dual-degree graduate of Southern Illinois University in Journalism and Workforce Education & Development, and is Past President of the Du Quoin Chamber of Commerce.
In 2018, Russell became a Certified Business Intermediary and launched her own entrepreneurial consulting endeavor, Russell Business & Financial LLC, helping clients to buy and sell businesses. Additionally, Robyn has owned and operated a professional writing and resume building service company, My Resume Café, and a small, product-based business, Made in Southern Illinois, which focuses on compiling and promoting regional, mostly agriculture-based and artisan-crafted, southern Illinois products. Russell resides in Du Quoin with her husband, Leo, and her three daughters, Molly, Maya, and Malayna.
