What an incredible evening! 🎉

Our Granite City CEO Student Orientation was a tremendous success this past Thursday evening and we couldn’t be more excited to officially kick off the 2026–2027 CEO program!

The room was filled with students, families, community leaders, alumni, and supporters who all share one common belief—that investing in our students today builds stronger leaders for tomorrow.

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who shared their stories and encouragement, including our CEO Board Chair - John Roderick, Board Member - Joel Rahn, CEO Alumni - Jacob Roderick, CEO Alumni & Vice Chair - Jade Heuer, CEO Alumni & Secretary - Andrea Shelton, Board Member - Karen Greenwald, Board Member - Karen Millsap, and the former CEO parents who spoke so passionately about how this program changed their children’s lives. Your words reminded us exactly why this program matters and the lasting impact it has on our community.

This relaunch has been years in the making. Since 2025, our board has worked tirelessly to bring the CEO Program back to Granite City School District #9. While it truly has been a team effort, we want to give special recognition to Karen Greenwald. Karen’s passion for this program, unwavering dedication to our students, and determination to see CEO return to Granite City have been nothing short of inspiring. She has impacted countless young lives over the years, and we are incredibly grateful to have her serving on our CEO Board as we begin this exciting new chapter.

Also, the students got to meet their new Facilitator Brian Bergin!

Finally, a huge thank you to The Granite City Mill for graciously allowing us to use your beautiful space to welcome our students and families. Your support helped make this evening so special.

The future is bright, and we can’t wait to watch this next class of young entrepreneurs grow, learn, and lead. Here’s to an amazing 2026–2027 CEO year! ❤️🖤

Have questions check out our website for Board Members & Investors!

⌨️ https://www.granitecityceo.com