I’m Jennifer Spence. I grew up in Carterville, Illinois, which is a small town located in Southern Illinois, in between Carbondale and Marion. I’m one of those “kids” who went to a city after college graduation. I had a 20+ year career in marketing in tourism and entertainment in Nashville, Tennessee, but when I would visit my hometown, driving through our downtown would just make me sad. Buildings were not being renovated, historic character was often ignored, many businesses were not making it and leaving an empty building that often turned into storage.
While my full-time job is Director of Marketing for a large community bank based in Southern Illinois, I have invested my time and money into renovating buildings in our town. These have have included the Carterville Heritage Museum, Rise Above It Bakery & Cafe (now Heather’s Bakeshop), Historic 131 Building (formerly Montgomery’s Place) and my current renovation project at 102 N. Division St.
My main goal right now is to find a restaurant tenant (or possibly buyer) for the 131 Building and in the interim, to market and utilize it as an event space. I renovated this building to be a hub for our town, a gathering space which is so needed for economic development and for the well-being and social aspect of any community.