By, Kirk L. Builta, Information Director

Champaign County Farm Bureau

This year’s Champaign County Farm Bureau Annual Meeting marks the end of a highly successful and award-winning year. We also look forward to 2008, and the benchmarks set before us. The CCFB Annual Meeting, to be held on January 21, will mark the 95th year of this annual gathering of Champaign County Farm Bureau members. The night’s keynote speaker will be former University of Illinois public address announcer, Jim Sheppard.

Sheppard, a native of Champaign County, grew up in Fisher, IL, and is employed by the News-Gazette’s advertising sales department. He is the President of the Champaign-Urbana Kiwanis Club, a member of the Fisher High School Hall of Fame and a recent inductee into the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in Normal, Illinois.

For 22 seasons, Jim Sheppard was the "Voice of the Illini" at the Assembly Hall and recently finished his 23^rd year as the public address announcer at Memorial Stadium. Sheppard will share with meeting attendees personal reflections, stories, and antidotes from his many years as part of Fighting Illini athletics.

Join the Champaign County Farm Bureau on Monday, January 21, 2008 as we gather to celebrate together as Farm Bureau members. This year’s annual meeting will be held at the Urbana Holiday Inn, Doors open at 6:00 P.M, a plated dinner will be served at 6:15 P.M. followed by our business meeting and keynote speaker. A short marketing outlook program will be presented by Jim Gill at 5:00 P.M.

To RSVP for this year’s Annual Meeting, submit the registration form (found on page 4) and payment to the Champaign County Farm Bureau office no later than January 11, 2008.